Podcast interview only playing one channel in multitrack, but not in waveform

Report · Jan 10, 2019

I recorded an interview with two microphones, and I probably messed up the setting on the Zoom H5, because when I listen to it in the multitrack setting, it only has my voice, and the other person recorded with my microphone in the distance, very low volume.

When I switch to the waveform and listen to it there, both channels are fine, and I hear us equally loud.

What can I do to fix this?

Thanks in advance for any reply, I guess I will have to mono mix it somehow. The file is 24 bit depth.

Marius

Report · Jan 10, 2019

But are both channels identical in Waveform view (with one voice loud and the other distant) or do you have both voices, one on one side and the other, also at full volume, on the other channel?

Report · Jan 10, 2019

Both channels look identical, both voices are in both channels in waveform.

Report · Jan 10, 2019

mariushauge wrote
Both channels look identical, both voices are in both channels in waveform.

Except that they aren't - one channel looks like an inversion of the other one. Try inverting one of the channels (so that the polarity of both of them is the same) and see what it sounds like then...

Report · Jan 10, 2019

SteveG(AudioMasters) skrev
mariushauge wrote
Both channels look identical, both voices are in both channels in waveform.
Except that they aren't - one channel looks like an inversion of the other one. Try inverting one of the channels (so that the polarity of both of them is the same) and see what it sounds like then...

Aha! That's useful, how can i invert one of them?

Report · Jan 10, 2019

Looking at those two sets of waveform images appears to show that although the two channels look identical they are in fact phase inverted (what goes up in one channel goes down in the other). This means that if you combine the two channels together as mono the signals will cancel out are become much quieter. What mics did you use for your recording and how were they connected into the H5?

Edit. SNAP!

Report · Jan 10, 2019

ryclark skrev
Looking at those two sets of waveform images appears to show that although the two channels look identical they are in fact phase inverted (what goes up in one channel goes down in the other). This means that if you combine the two channels together as mono the signals will cancel out are become much quieter. What mics did you use for your recording and how were they connected into the H5?
Edit. SNAP!

I used two Sennheiser e835 connected with XLR, but I can not remember the settings. I have changed them since, so that the two mics are recorded in each channel.

Report · Jan 11, 2019

You first need to disable one of the channels either by clicking in the top or bottom half of the waveform or use the L or R boxes to the right of the waveform view page. The deselected channel will turn grey to show that it is dedelected. Then go to Effects/Invert to invert the selected channel. Then re-enable the de-selected channel, Save and you are good to go.

Report · Jan 11, 2019

Yes, I'm inverting, and then it flips the other way, I can hear the other voice, but now mine is distant in multitrack mode. But I guess I'm not doing it exactly right. Edit: I tried both channels separately, and then both, seems like the same.

Report · Jan 11, 2019

Sounds like you need to keep a copy of the original as you had to begin with in one track in Multitrack view. Then do the inversion and save as with another name so that you can insert the new file into a second deparate track in the Mutltitrack view. Then you should be able to mix/pan the voices where you want and still hear both of them.

Can you post a screen grab of what your Multitrack session looks like for us to examine?

Report · Jan 11, 2019

Like this?

Report · Jan 12, 2019

I played a little bit around, and if I start a New Session at 48000hz 24bit stereo, and not the 'Podcast' template, the audio is good in both channels also in multitrack view:

Report · Jan 12, 2019

mariushauge wrote
I played a little bit around, and if I start a New Session at 48000hz 24bit stereo, and not the 'Podcast' template, the audio is good in both channels also in multitrack view:

As we've said in other threads about this, do not, under any circumstances, use the 'Podcast' template. I don't know whose idea of a joke it was, but if you're starting out with podcasts, it's not a very funny one. Unless you know exactly what you're doing, that template will screw you up.

Report · Jan 12, 2019

Well, thank you for the info!

Another question would be, which HZ and bitrate should I record my interviews in?

44.1, 48? 16 or 24 bit?

Thanks for all the answers, and an unthanks to whoever made the 'Podcast'-template!

Report · Jan 12, 2019

mariushauge wrote
Another question would be, which HZ and bitrate should I record my interviews in?
44.1, 48? 16 or 24 bit?

The bit rate is easy; unless you are for some reason recording audio for video, then stick to 44.1k. This will give you a frequency response exceeding that of human hearing, and exceed the capabilities of the Zoom's mics anyway (whatever they claim...)

As for the bit depth, then there's something to be said for recording everything as 24-bit files. When you open these up to edit in Audition, you can make a completely lossless conversion to 32-bit Floating Point, which is the native format of Multitrack view. This means that you can whack the levels up and down with complete immunity from bit loss (which is what would happen if you did the same thing with 16-bit integer files), as the storage mechanism is a bit sneaky from that point of view.

In another sense though, it wouldn't actually matter if you recorded 16-bit integer files, and converted those to 32-bit FP for editing, as it's editing that is where this approach pays off. In terms of actual recording, a 16-bit file will record everything that the mics pick up, and give you a pretty good noise floor - and it's only really about how accurately you record the noise floor when it comes to bit depth. 16-bit files can have noise floors down to around -90dB with ease, but there's no way that you'll find anywhere to record that is this quiet! All you need to do, whatever bit depth you settle on, is make sure that you aren't banging the meters up against the tops - a peak record level of around -10 to -12dB will give you plenty of headroom for any little 'accidents' and will make no difference to your final noise floor - it's just that you will have recorded everything slightly less hot, and believe me, that's a good thing.

There is one other advantage to recording at a different bit depth than the one you're going to process at. It means that you'll potentially have a separate copy of the file when you convert it, and this is the point where you should use 'save as' and keep that copy as the one you edit from. This means that your original file remains intact, and that's your safety copy. Never edit original files!

Report · Jan 13, 2019

Thanks for clearing that up, I come from video, so have always been recording 48kHz. I learned a lot from this post, and after reading a few others now realized that the settings and filters in Audition had a lot to do with the results.

And, I never edit the original file, I have lots of experience from photography and video, and I'm used to working with copies.

Report · Jan 13, 2019

mariushauge wrote
And, I never edit the original file, I have lots of experience from photography and video, and I'm used to working with copies.

In the absence of any other information, I assume nothing...

Report · Jan 13, 2019

SteveG(AudioMasters) skrev
mariushauge wrote
And, I never edit the original file, I have lots of experience from photography and video, and I'm used to working with copies.
In the absence of any other information, I assume nothing...

And rightly so..