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Participant
March 4, 2020
Question

How do I deliver a 5.1 + LtRt ProRes 422 using premiere 2020?

  • March 4, 2020
  • 7 replies
  • 9891 views

I am putting together our deliverables for netflix and amazon...   one of the copies they need is a 4k video with 5.1 + lt rt.    I have searched forums for hours and the only solution I saw is to use SMPTE DVT and it doesn't come up as an option in my Premiere 2020.  Is there a better way or am I just missing something basic?  Please help!  

 

5.1 Audio Mix:

1 = Left

2 = Right

3 = Center

4 = LFE (Low Frequency Effects)

5 = Left Surround

6 = Right Surround

7 = Left Total

8 = Right Total

This topic has been closed for replies.

7 replies

Participant
August 15, 2023

I was just guided through this process and it was relatively simple:

 

1) Create a new Sequence (select whatever codec)

2) Click on Audio settings and set to 5.1

3) Copy old footage from SEQ and post in new sequence.

4) Delete any unused tracks

5) Now in audio export 5.1 options should be available.

Legend
August 15, 2023

B Faris, what are your delivery specs?  The original poster wanted to add the left and right tracks to the file...not sure if your workflow will allow this.    I've had to deliver prores quicktime files of feature films with 5.1 and stereo mix tracks with a specific track layout in which each of the individual tracks was on it's own track so you landed up with a timeline with 8 tracks...  The layout of these tracks was in the delivery specs.   But your workflow should be fine if you just need to output a file with  properly configured 5.1 audio...

raw01
Inspiring
December 9, 2021

I'd be interested on hearing how you mixed the LtRt as it's not simply a left and right pan, that's called LoRo. 

LtRt is 5.1 compressed into two channels which rather cleverly is then split back into 5 channels (misses the LFE) by dephazing the audio. So you have to put some of the tracks at 90 degree phasing to the others. Otherwise when a player decodes LtRt and it's not encoded properly it will sound very wierd. 

Community Expert
September 29, 2020

You'll need to create a Sequence with the Audio Tracks configured for 5.1 so that you can export with the Audio set to 5.1.

 

I've attached some screenshots.  

For what it's worth, I usually have a sound mixer create stems of each component of the 5.1 mix properly named and then import those back into Premiere Pro.  From there, the placement in the corresponding tracks and mix assignment is easy.

 

 

Participant
September 29, 2020

Thanks all.

I ended up using interleaved tracks from my audio engineer rather than the mono tracks, and exporting with 2 different streams:  1 for 5.1 (channels 1-6) and 2 for 2.0 (channels 7,8).  

Honestly, I don't think anyone here recommended anything that I was not already trying, but for some reason the mono mixes didn't pass the QC.  However using the interleaved tracks and setting the stream configuration manually (rather than using the SMPTE DTV preset) seemed to do the trick, and passed QC.  Much appreciated for the suggestions.  Hard to believe how un-intuitive the audio mapping can be.

Community Expert
September 29, 2020

 

 

Glad you got your deliverable out the door.  Report back when it's available on Netflix for viewing.

Legend
March 4, 2020

and of course the issue is that I've had to do this maybe 3 or 4 times in a very long career.  And each time I tear my hair out trying to remember how to do it.  Needless to say, each time there's less and less hair to pull out.  And of course the first time was probably on avid, the 2nd and 3rd on FCP7 and now Premiere.  

Participant
September 23, 2020

Can anyone confirm the proper way to do this?  I have followed every method but no matter what I do when exporting a quicktime ProRes with 8 channels of audio, it always comes back into Premiere as a single interleaved channel with 8 audio streams.  Anyone know the secret here?  Oh, and the first attempt used the SMPTE DTV audio option in the export options, and that failed Netflix QC.

R Neil Haugen
Legend
September 23, 2020

I've asked Jarle Leirpoll for advice for this. His book, "The Cool Stuff in Premiere Pro" ... is the massive tome that should be on every editor's desk. I've got that both on my tablet (ebook) AND the 7lb. 1200+ page printed version. He covers this in the book, but it's also most useful if he posts directions.

 

The Cool Stuff in Premiere Pro

 

Neil

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
Legend
March 4, 2020

figured it out and it ain't intuitive.  You've got to create a new sequence with 8 tracks of audio.  Here's where it gets kind of stupid.  Premiere only allows track assignments as pairs.   So you've got to assign channels 1 and 2 to to 1 and 2 (a single choice), and 3 and 4 to "3 and 4" and then pan 1 left, and pan 2 right, pan 3 left and pan 4 right, etc.  

and then in the export settings set the output to 8 mono channels.  at least that's what I think I did.  I know I brought the exported clip back in to premiere and it seemed to be working right.  since I only have my setup to monitor 2 channels, the other 6 channels weren't audible but I could see the audio levels.  Hopefully this well help you figure it out for yourself.  Now if I could only get another feature job...  Post back with any questions.

Participant
December 4, 2020

I just went through this same exercise and this method totally worked for me! I can't thank you enough! I also can't BELIEVE this was so hard to find info about and that Adobe makes it so incredibly awkward.

Legend
March 4, 2020

I'll see if I can figure it out but it may take a day or 2 til I get to it.  Hopefully someone else here will pipe up.  Have you tried googling "exporting a quicktime with 8 tracks in Premiere Pro?"

Participant
March 4, 2020

Thanks for your help.  I have tried googling it. 

Legend
March 4, 2020

You'll need to create a sequence in premiere with 8 mono tracks and put the tracks on it as per your specs.    Once that's done... I can't really remember, but start by telling us your delivery specs.  When I've had to do this for distribution to netflix, itunes, etc I had to deliver a prores 422(HQ) file if I remember correctly.  Once you tell us your delivery format, someone here can help you with the export workflow.  I might even be able to remember how to do it.

Participant
March 4, 2020

The delivery format is Prores 422hq with (8 channel) 5.1 and LT RT.  Ive done it with 8 mono tracks and it still will only export 6.  plus the SMPTE DVT option that allowd you to export 5.1 + ltrt is no longer an option in the most recent update.  14.0.3.