create 7.1 from 2.0

Report · Aug 16, 2020

I have a stereo 2.0 wav file. I would like to re-distribute the tracks to 7.1. I cannot figure out how to do this. Nothing seems to work. I need to make the right channel the right surrounds, center and rear and the left channel, left surrounds, cemter and rear. The center channel would be a mono channel, combination of left and right. I guess the LFE would also be a combination. If I copy just 1 channel to my 7.1 template it copies the same thing to all 8 channels. How can I assign what I want to assign to the proper channels? I should mention that I set up a template by going to File>NewAudio File and making a custom 7.1 preset. I also saw a tutorial that instructed me to go to File>New>Multitrack Session. The only thing I can get it 5.1, however, not 7.1

Can anyone provide a step-by-step that would tell me how to assign what I want to then proper channel?

Thank you very much.

Report · Aug 16, 2020

A stereo 2.0 channel file has two channels, and that's all. You can't pan anything out of those two channels to anywhere else unless you do some processing, and with only a stereo source, your options are rather limited. You can extract the centre signal out and play that into a separate speaker, but that's about it. You have no means of extracting even 5.1 ambience sensibly, never mind 7.1. To create 7.1 'properly' you need discrete sources for the channels - that's the only way it's going to work.

LFE stands for Low Frequency Effects. If you don't have any of those, then don't use it. It's not supposed to be for program bass at all.

Report · Aug 16, 2020

Thank you for replying. I do appreciate it. I realize that what I want might not be 7.1 in the true sense of the word. I just don't want to end up with the same content in all 8 channels. My goal is to separate all that is on the right side and all that is on the left side. The center channel and the LFE can be a combination of both channels. Can I do that with Audition?

Thank you again.

Report · Aug 16, 2020

Steve G - I have many L/R (standard 2-ch stereo) recordings of live concerts I have mixed (aka "board tapes"). In my COVID-induced spare time, I'd like to explore ways of converting one of these stereo recordings to 5.1 or even 5.2.1. I haven't used Audition since v3, but I always liked it since the Cool Edit Pro days. I'm very interested in your answers to LindaS here, so I hope you can help her and me, as well. Cheers.

Report · Aug 17, 2020

The only thing I can think of (and it's generally all I ever think of in terms of surround sound, which is a very artificial construct anyway) is to fake it a bit. If you have stereo, then really it ought to be coming out of the two front speakers, with a bit of centre added - but that's the only easy bit. If you use either the center channel extractor in Audition, or even just a mono mix of the two channels and feed this to the centre speaker at an appropriate level, you will have the sound that's supposed to be there, present. As for the rest of the channels, the only realistic thing you can do is to use Audition's Surround Reverb, although that's 'only' 5.1 really. Nothing to stop you not feeding anything back to the two stereo channels, and instead re-routing the wet return from the reverb (you may not want any direct signal in it at all) to the other channels in a 7.1 mix. But I should reiterate; if you don't have earthquakes or explosions, don't use the LFE channel for anything - it's absolutely not meant for normal programme sound.

But whatever you do, go gently. Nobody has anything like 'correct' monitoring for this at home, so it's going to be very easy to overdo it, and make something completely unlistenable-to.

Report · Aug 17, 2020

Halo Upmix

-paul.

@produceNewMedia

Report · Aug 17, 2020

Halo Upmix - even at its discounted price - costs about $400. Can't see many people paying out that much, somehow...

Report · Aug 18, 2020

Here are the steps that I have taken to create a "7.1" surround sound file.

Create a 7.1 preset

File>New>Audio File>Custom
Initially, you will see 6 channels listed: Left, Right, Center, Low Frequency Effects, Left Surround and Right Surround. Click on plus sign to choose Rear Surround Left and Rear Surround Right. Name the preset 7.1 surround and click OK.

Bring audio file into Adobe Audition

If the file is not already in Mono, convert it to Mono. In Adobe Audition, right- mouse click on a channel and left-mouse click on Extract Channels to Mono Files.

Select the Mono file (Control+a) and copy it into the 7.1 preset.

All 8 channels will have the same content.

If there is anyone who can improve on what I have done I would be very grateful. By that I mean the following:

Put the mono file in the center channel and the LFE channel.
Put the left channel of the stereo version of the original file into the following channels: Left, Left Surround, Rear Surround Left.
Put the right channel of the stereo version of the original file into the following channels: Right, Right Surround, Rear Surround Right.

I hope all of this helps and I thank you for whatever help you can give.

Report · Aug 18, 2020

I think you'll find that what I suggested above will be a considerable improvement on glorious mono coming out of all the speakers!