Converting Stereo Project to 5.1

[vanessat59617377]

Hi all

I started a project in stereo and now realise I should've started a 5.1 project (I'm a noob).

Is it possible to convert the project to 5.1 after the fact so that I get the surround mixing UI?

Thanks for any help

Regards

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

It might be, but you'll need SuiteSpot to tell you the details, as it involves a bit of editing of your session file that you can't do within Audition itself.

I'm sure he'll spot this though, and tell you what the options are.

[SuiteSpot]

It can be done

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to follow these steps...

1. Backup your sesx file (twice just in case)

2. Open your sesx file with a text editor (not a word processor)

3. Find line 5 which looks like similar to this

  <session appBuild="12.1.0.182" appVersion="12.1" audioChannelType="stereo" bitDepth="32" duration="1323000" sampleRate="44100">

4. Change audioChannelType="stereo" to be audioChannelType="fivePointOne"

5. Assuming you now want to change any existing tracks to 5.1 that is a little more complicated.

You now need to search for

<trackAudioParameters audioChannelType="stereo" and change to <trackAudioParameters audioChannelType="fivePointOne"

You can also change any mono tracks if need be by searching for and changing <trackAudioParameters audioChannelType="mono"

The Master track may also need to be changed but make sure you don't change the metronome track

6. For any existing tracks that you want changed to 5.1, in addition to point 5 you also need to search for a set of lines like these

          <component componentGuid="00227b2a-3c92-47db-a164-65979fb6a01b" componentID="Audition.StereoPanner" id="trackPan" name="StereoPanner" powered="true">

            <parameter index="0" name="Pan" parameterValue="0"/>

          </component>

You will need to change componentID="Audition.StereoPanner" id="trackPan" name="StereoPanner" to componentID="Audition.StereoTo51Panner" id="trackPan" name="StereoTo51Panner"

You will then need to replace this line <parameter index="0" name="Pan" parameterValue="0"/> with these lines

            <parameter index="0" name="Pan: Angle" parameterValue="1.5707962512969970703125"/>

            <parameter index="1" name="Pan: Radius" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="2" name="Pan: Center" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="3" name="Pan: LFE" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="4" name="Pan: Stereo Spread" parameterValue="0.523599147796630859375"/>

            <parameter index="5" name="leftEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="6" name="rightEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="7" name="centerEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="8" name="lfeEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="9" name="leftSurroundEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="10" name="rightSurroundEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="11" name="leftSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="12" name="rightSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="13" name="centerSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="14" name="lfeSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="15" name="leftSurroundSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="16" name="rightSurroundSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

You need to be careful and you need to change this for every track that you are changing to 5.1

For mono tracks you will need to change the pan details to this

          <component componentGuid="d664efe1-e353-4857-b89b-c9f7edc63710" componentID="Audition.MonoTo51Panner" id="trackPan" name="MonoTo51Panner" powered="true">

            <parameter index="0" name="Pan: Angle" parameterValue="1.5707962512969970703125"/>

            <parameter index="1" name="Pan: Radius" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="2" name="Pan: Center" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="3" name="Pan: LFE" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="4" name="leftEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="5" name="rightEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="6" name="centerEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="7" name="lfeEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="8" name="leftSurroundEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="9" name="rightSurroundEnable" parameterValue="1"/>

            <parameter index="10" name="leftSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="11" name="rightSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="12" name="centerSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="13" name="lfeSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="14" name="leftSurroundSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

            <parameter index="15" name="rightSurroundSolo" parameterValue="0"/>

          </component>

But DON'T change the componentGuid

If you get stuck you can email me the sesx (info@aatranslator.com.au)

Let us know how you go

Don't try this at home

[ryclark]

Depending on how far you have got it might be easier to start again IMHO.

[vanessat59617377]

Wow, thanks for this very detailed answer. Will definitely keep that guide somewhere should I ever have to do this again.

Still seems a bit daunting. So here's a followup question:

Could I create a new 5.1 project and copy the tracks from the stereo project with all automation, clip and track changes and plug-in data intact?

[SuiteSpot]

Short answer is - no not that I'm aware of

[ryclark]

SuiteSpot what happens if you try to use your Sesx2sesx app to combine two sessions of different Channel Types?

[SuiteSpot]

Good idea - there is no reason why it shouldn't work

Well, none that I can think of 😉

[fedemarino]

I followed all the steps and it worked!!

Used BBEdit to find and replace all the parameters to the new ones.

Thank you so much @suite6 for this mini Stereo to 5.1 guide!