Delete channels?

[roberth74027358]

Hello,

I have a WAV file with 4 channels. I want to delete the channels Ls and Rs. Is there a way to do that without using Extract Channels to Mono Files and without using a Multitrack Session (just directly delete them)?

Thank you!

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

When you say 'delete', what do you mean? just get rid of the contents of two of the tracks and still have a four track file with two empty tracks? Assuming that this isn't what you mean, and what you actually want is a reduction of two of these tracks to a stereo file, it's easy. The first thing you have to do is mute the channels you don't want. I've highlighted the mute buttons in this screengrab:

When you click on the mute buttons, the muted channels go grey.

Then all you have to do is use File>Copy to new (Shift+Alt+C) and those two remaining tracks will become a new stereo track. All you have to do then is save it. Doesn't matter which two channels it is - just select the ones you want.

[roberth74027358]

Ok, great, that worked, thank you very much, but I see that the new file has a drop in quality. The 4 channels file is 4608 Kpbs and the new 2 channels file is 2304 Kpbs. Why is that? Is that normal or am I doing something wrong?

(Sorry, I am new to Audition and audio manipulation, so I got a lot to learn.)

[roberth74027358]

Oh wait… I just realized that 4608 ÷ 2 = 2304. My bad.

[ryclark]

[ryclark]

So you want to delete the two bottom channels and completely lose all their audio content and just end up with a normal two channel stereo file? If that is the case just do a Save As with the Sample Type changed to Channels = Stereo with the Advanced levels set to Left and Right 100%..

Snap Steve. But your idea is better.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

That's the thing about Audition - several different ways to skin the cat!

As you've probably worked out, mine will automatically give you the number of channels you want. So for instance, if you want three, that's there immediately. I regularly use this method to reduce 12 channels to four, for instance.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

I should also perhaps add that it's the best method I have of coping with the recorded files from my RME Fireface UFX. If I feed the B-format output from a Soundfield mic, plus any other mics into it and tell it to record everything, then I get an n channel file (anything up to 12 normally, but potentially up to 60). And what I want is the B-format for further processing, and then the stereo pairs and spot mics, all on files of their own. Dead easy, because all you have to do for each separate file is go back to the original, change the mutes, and do another File>Copy to new. And you haven't destroyed anything!