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ThomasGaythorpe
ThomasGaythorpe
Participating Frequently
January 4, 2023
Question

Premiere Pro V23.1 -3dB audio drop on export

  • January 4, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1952 views

We're working with R128 compliant audio and have found that when adding media to a sequence, the audio is 3dB lower.

We work with video files containing multichannel audio to supply to our international clients. Therefore we configure a 22 channel output with the sequence channels routed 1 - 1, 2 - 2, 3 - 3 and so on. With premiere only offering stereo bus', we have to route each track to a stereo pair, for example, routing track 1 to output 1 & 2 and then pan to the left, therefore routing track 1 to output 1.

 

In the below example, I'm only including a stereo split to show the drop in volume.

 

Original media reference tone in player at -18dB

 

 

Original media in the sequence, reference tone at -21.2dB

 

 

 

Same reference tone exported and reimported playing at -24.2dB

 

 

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    2 replies

    L
    LluisV
    Known Participant
    January 4, 2023

    I've not tested this in premiere (I will do it) but it seems Premiere uses the pan law of -3dB for mono tracks. This is an old known limitation of analogic consoles that was replicated in digital domain, but in my opinion, absolutely obsolete.

    I edit audio outside premiere (Nuendo). In Nuendo I can set the pan law to 0dB tha avoids this efect. Protools and Audition have this option too.

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    January 4, 2023

    I've seen over on the Audition forum explanations of this sort of thing ... stereo summed to mono being down -3db sort of thing. I know Jarle can discuss how to avoid this by setting up the audio channels as a preset then applying it to sequences ... but that is WAY above my working knowledge.

     

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    January 4, 2023

    Premiere offers mono,  stereo, adaptive, and 5.1 audio track types. For many pro users the wiser choice for audio (especially when it will be sent out for additional audio work) is dual mono. I know @Jarle Leirpoll  suggests avoiding stereo for most pro workflows.

     

    A straight -3dB change sounds like going from perhaps dual mono to stereo, something like that.

     

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
    ThomasGaythorpe
    ThomasGaythorpeAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    January 4, 2023

    Thanks Neil,

     

    How would we implement this?

     

    We currently configure our sequences as stated above and shown in the below screenshot;

     

     

    When I add 22 mono channels, all channels in my sequence mix down to a single mono channel.

     

     

     

    Many thanks,

    Tom

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    January 4, 2023

    First, what is your Audio preferences set to for default tracks? I know in his massive tome on Premiere, Jarle suggests that mono is the better option for any AAF/OMF eventual workflows. And also that Avid & FCP users will probably want to setup stereo incoming as dual mono.

     

    In the Project panel's Modify/Audio channels options, you can set this up many different ways. Including making presets for the things you will need to use for b-cast specs, as Jarle suggests.

     

    For example, incoming stereo tracks can be set to mono (left), mono (right), each with only one resultant track. Or mono with two tracks, having a left and right separate mono track. Or as Stereo.

     

    So I'd probably start there. And I hope Jarle pops in ... he's in Norway so his time is of course different, might be tomorrow US Pacific time before he pops in if he does.

     

    There's also @Warren Heaton10841144  or @Richard M Knight and  a couple others that are good at this ...

     

     

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
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