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ggefell
Participating Frequently
Jun 20, 2021 4:37 PM UTC
Answered

What replaced the video Channel Mixer effect?

The Channel Mixer effect has been deemed, "obsolete. " I assume because of old code,  but what new effect can duplicate its features?  I use this effect to accurately and easily create monochrome RGB color seperations of color footage. (As if I shot on black and white film with an R, G, or B  filter.)  Once I have that channel seperation I use it on a layer above with the luminosoty blending mode to add customized color punch to the color footage below.    If I try to replicate this with Lumetri curves by pulling out the unwanted channels and desaturating it it does not produce the same image as the old channel mixer would.  Its density is wrong, its darker and it also does not behave properly when using a blending mode.   Is there an updated replacement for this or am I going to have to dynamic link to AE and use its channel mixer or suffer with the horrible realtime performance of the old effect? 

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil HaugenCorrect answer
    Legend
    Jan 5, 2023 5:28 PM UTC

    If something appears in the public beta, then we'll know they have a new effect. I'm not counting on it though. At this time, you need to head over to AfterEffects if you really need the channel mixer.

     

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
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    40 replies

    1072344
    Participating Frequently
    Oct 14, 2025 3:08 PM UTC

    Hallelujah! FINALLY they have replaced it! Version 25.5.0 (Build 13) includes Film Impact Tools FX with Channel Mix. So my version of Premiere 2020 which struggles to load these days can now gracefully retire with a gold watch. I understand that Adobe has to 'move with the times' but I didn't like the way they summarily dismissed their old user base who have been with them from the pre-digital film days when Preniere was really an animation tool.

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      Nizam FB Photographers
      Nizam FB Photographers
      Participant
      Jan 7, 2025 2:13 PM UTC

      Color Mixer has now been renamed to ASC CDL

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      Colm5C1F
      Participant
      Jan 5, 2023 1:30 PM UTC

      Hi,

       

      did anyone ever get any response from Adobe as to if the channel mixer will be implemented into the newest version of PremierPro?

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      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil HaugenCorrect answer
      Legend
      Jan 5, 2023 5:28 PM UTC

      If something appears in the public beta, then we'll know they have a new effect. I'm not counting on it though. At this time, you need to head over to AfterEffects if you really need the channel mixer.

       

      Neil

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      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      1072344
      Participating Frequently
      Oct 14, 2025 3:12 PM UTC

      Channel Mixer has reappeared under Film Impact Tool FX. Only took them 4 years!

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      elohimp1
      Participant
      Nov 10, 2022 5:44 PM UTC

      Hi,

      You can use the arithmetic effect. Set the operator to Max and then use it like you would the old video channel mixer effect. There is a great tutorial by Justin Odisho: WATCH TUTORIAL

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      ggefellAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      Oct 28, 2021 2:16 AM UTC

      Update - I found a way around the old channel mixer for my specific needs.  I created the RG&B monochrome channel mixer effects in Photoshop and saved them as individual LUTS.   In Premiere Lumetri loads them and I get the same look as the old channel mixer but with full acceleration and color depth.  Also less clunky than AE linked comp which was the only other current option. 

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        Vanessa5E0E
        Participating Frequently
        May 25, 2022 5:17 PM UTC

        Hi there,

        would you share the LUTs you created in PS? I have no clue how the process is here... 🙂

        Let me know and I'll pass you my email.. if not, no worries 🙂

        Cheers

        Vanessa

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        ggefellAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        May 26, 2022 1:40 PM UTC

        Hi Vanessa,  happy to share these - just let me know where to send them to. 

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        chrisw44157881
        chrisw44157881
        Inspiring
        Jun 22, 2021 1:18 AM UTC

        can you dynamic link to after effects channel mixer? it's 32bpc.

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          R Neil Haugen
          R Neil Haugen
          Legend
          Jun 22, 2021 4:09 PM UTC

          Would be nice if they simply moved the Ae channel mixer over to PrPro ... not that I've only asked about that maybe 20 times ...

           

          Neil

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          Everyone's mileage always varies ...
          jmc13542954
          jmc13542954
          Participating Frequently
          Apr 21, 2022 3:14 PM UTC

          I definitely NEED an up-to-date VIDEO CHANNEL MIXER to properly colorgrade the diving videos of my GoPro. Nothing in the current Lumetri pannel is close to matching as easily the results of the "obsolete" mixer. Whom should I request it in order to add my voice to yours? In 50 years instead of 1 century, we might succeed in getting it 🙂

           

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            R Neil Haugen
            R Neil Haugen
            Legend
            Jun 22, 2021 12:58 AM UTC

            If you apply an 8-bit effect, it reduces the entire chain to 8 bit at that point.

             

            So ... for an 8-bit say H.264 project, as the last step in the processing chain it's ok mostly sort of. The following export is 8-bit anyway, but you DON'T want any other color effects after it.

             

            If you want a 10-bit output ... well, it's not really 10 bit as the image after that effect has only 256 levels.

             

            I would like a new channel mixer too. And they've added a few things to Lumetri over the last several years, but not that much. It's still not nearly as fully capable as SpeedGrade was when they EOLd that back in 2015. There's a lot of correction capabilities Lumetri is still missing.

             

            Neil

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            Everyone's mileage always varies ...
            R Neil Haugen
            R Neil Haugen
            Legend
            Jun 20, 2021 5:04 PM UTC

            No, there's no current replacement for the Channel Mixer. I've asked about that but not got an answer past ... hmmm. So no clue there.

             

            Yea, the code for it's old. Note that it doesn't have the lego blocks for either 32-bit float work or GPU acceleration. Meaning it only involves the CPU, of course.

             

            But what's worse ... it takes the entire processing chain down from the normal 32-bit float to 8 bit. So when using this, use it AFTER any other effect that may touch on color. Probably use it as the last effect if possible.

             

            Neil

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            Everyone's mileage always varies ...
            ggefellAuthor
            Participating Frequently
            Jun 22, 2021 12:19 AM UTC

            Thanks for that info Neil,  I suspected as much.  Its really too bad that they don't keep basic utility tools up to date.  They cram everything under the sun into Lumetri but it can't do a basic color separation correctly.   I use the effect on its own layer so I'm not sure how/if that affects other layers?  Do all layers become 8 bit if any one is 8 bit?

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