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treehorne
Inspiring
May 18, 2017
Answered

PCM export more mono than stereo (and Dolby exports perfectly as stereo)

  • May 18, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 1353 views

I've been noticing something odd since the recent upgrade to various Adobe video products. Lately, when I create a DVD or Bluray with a PCM audio channel, and play it back on my surround sound system, I notice that the audio is pretty much completely coming out of the center channel with only slight fringes of bleed coming through the right and left front speakers.  However a Dolby Digital export of the same file will have separation and be present in the right/left speakers as it should.  Thus the PCM sounds like it's a mono sound file (even though it says it's 2.0 channels) and sound flat. And there's a huge and noticeable difference when I toggle between the two audio files on the same disc.

I can't think of anything that has changed in my work flow. Exporting the PCM doesn't give any options to play with so there's nothing i can do. Both Audition and Premiere Pro consider the file as being Stereo (as does Encore). So not sure why all of a sudden everything is being dumped in the center speaker nor how I can fix it.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Richard M Knight

    Make sure that when you play the PCM stereo track the amplifier is not using the analogue Prologic decoder. This would steer any mono info in the stereo track into the centre speaker.

    1 reply

    R
    Community Expert
    Richard M KnightCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    May 18, 2017

    Make sure that when you play the PCM stereo track the amplifier is not using the analogue Prologic decoder. This would steer any mono info in the stereo track into the centre speaker.

    T
    treehorneAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 19, 2017

    Thank you! I had assumed erroneously it was an export issue given the sound being markedly different from Dolby bs pcm in the same export and file. And to be honest I have had so many bugs show up in the past month since the latest Adobe updates that it was a logical conclusion. Turns out the amplifier was set to "last used" (and has always been) so a mono pcm must have crossed its path recently. Thanks for your help.

    R
    Community Expert
    Richard M KnightCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 19, 2017

    Glad you found it, so much modern equipment thinks it knows best, processing and adding sound treatment that it thinks improves it. The guy who designed the Quad range of amplifiers had the right idea 'An amplifier should be a piece of wire with gain'

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