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filmspezialist
Inspiring
January 26, 2020
Answered

Extracting mono files from a 5.1 mix

  • January 26, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 4261 views

I am using Audition CS6.

 

What I want to do: saving my 5.1 audio mix into six individual mono files

 

Once I imported my 5.1 wav file into Audition I can use the option to extract all channels into mono files.

This works nicely if it is just a single 5.1 track.

However when I am putting two 5.1 tracks into the same track one after the other (in multi tzrack mode) the option to extract all channels into mono files is greyed out, i.e. it is not available.

 

Hpw do I overcome this problem?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer SteveG_AudioMasters_

    The only sensible way to concatenate files is to use Open Append in Waveform view. If you don't do that, you have to do it in Multitrack, and that involves getting the export options correct. Much easier not to need to bother with that!

    2 replies

    J
    jesse_flack
    New Participant
    October 1, 2021

    How are you doing that basic step of extracting 6 separate mono files from a 5.1 source? I hve the simple case of a single 5.1 track, and I'm trying to convert it to 6 mono wav files, but I can't seem to figure it out. What am I missing?

    SteveG_AudioMasters_
    SteveG_AudioMasters_
    Community Expert
    October 1, 2021

    Open your file in Waveform view. Go to Edit>Extract Channels to Mono files, and each channel will be extracted to a mono file. All you have to do then is save them with whatever names you want to call them.

      D
      default1n6sfebhhumd
      New Participant
      May 24, 2022

      If you open your 6-channel (5.1) file in Waveform view, all you need to do is go to Edit>Extract Channels to Mono Files, and you'll end up with 6 files, with all the panning exactly as it was. Just name them appropriately and save them.


      Hey Steve!  The problem was actually a little earlier up the chain.  I wan't even able to create a valid 5.1 file with the sound spread across the channels correctly.  The issue was actually that even though I had created a surround project in Audition, the Mix Output in the Mixer was set to Stereo Default.  So even though I was exporting 5.1, the mixer was getting int here and converting everything to stereo first.  Once I set that Output to "Default Surround", I was able to export a valid 5.1 Surround Wav file with all the pieces in place.  Then I followed your suggestion and Extracted to Mono, and now I'm good to go!  Thanks for helping towards the final goal!

      SteveG_AudioMasters_
      SteveG_AudioMasters_
      Community Expert
      January 26, 2020

      Extract Channels to Mono Files is a Waveform-only option, I'm afraid. If you want to split up more than one 5.1 file at a time, you'd have to concatenate them in Waveform view, and split each individual mono file afterwards.

      F
      filmspezialistAuthor
      Inspiring
      January 27, 2020

      Thanks Steve.

      Here is what I found out so far.

      I have two audio clips (both are 5.1 WAV files) which I want to concatenate. So I create a 5.1 Multitrack session in Audition CS6. With Drag & Drop I am dropping both WAV files into Track 1 of the Multitrack Session, one following the other. In the Multitrack Editor both clips are shown as 5.1 clips. HOWEVER when playing back those clips they have obviousely been converted to stereo! And that is not all: the LFE track is completely missing! This is really strange. The audio meter at the bottom of the Multitrack editor shows 6 tracks, but only the first two of them (L + R) are used during playback of the clips.

       

      I also tested my clips in the waveform editor. When playing them back the 5.1 channels are perfectly assigned to the corresponding speakers of my 5.1 speaker setup.

       

      Aby idea what the problem could be? 

      SteveG_AudioMasters_
      SteveG_AudioMasters_Correct answer
      Community Expert
      January 27, 2020

      The only sensible way to concatenate files is to use Open Append in Waveform view. If you don't do that, you have to do it in Multitrack, and that involves getting the export options correct. Much easier not to need to bother with that!

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