Premiere Pulls the Wrong Audio but the Correct Video

[Kyle Brim]

I understand that this issue occurs due to the fact that camera output files have the same name, I simply want to know when this issue will be addesed and fixed, having to rename every single camera file each time feels kind of ridiculous (given we sometimes have 4+ recordings in a day). I know it is probably not an easy fix given how long it has existed as a problem, but it would be really nice to get a fix for this as it would save a decent bit of time. I have noticed that it can be entirely fine in premiere, but once you export to media encoder and render it has pulled the wrong audio once again (just wanted to add this error as well). The basis for the fix seems like it would be to use the same system that is currently used to pull the video to pull the audio (I have yet to get the wrong video) 🙂

[David Arbor]

Can you actually describe the problem and provide screenshots if those are applicable? You mention an issue in the post title, but the body implies that anyone reading this knows exactly what your issue is. Naming conflicts can be an issue in many pieces of software and if a file is linked just by the file name and not an internal ID then it's not unreasonable that two files with the exact same name could be swapped, even if you got everything working fine in Premiere.

Can you detail your workflow and provide more clear information about how to reproduce this issue?

[Kyle Brim]

Yep I definitely can 🙂

In the leftmost panel you can see the default naming convention that our Cannon C200 uses, each time the card is formatted it will start back at 00000.MTS when the next recording is started. The file automatically breaks and incriments the the file name by one each time approximately 11 minutes pass in one recording. In the middle panel you can see premiere (I have disabled the video of the presenter since I dont have permission to show them outside ASU classes). The way I import the video files to begin editing is I click on the project browser, press CTRL+I to open the import window, navigate to the 00000.MTS file, select it, then I click open. Premiere will then recognize the Cannon file structure and link the videos together irrespective of the number in one stream. Next back in premiere I right click on 00000.MTS and select "new sequence from clip". After that it starts generating the peak file for the audio, during this step it will choose to pull the incorrect audio fairly often. If it does not I complete editing the video and select the in and out points on the timeline. Next I press CTRL+M to open up the export menu, then I select "send to media encoder". In the third panel you can see Media Encoder, at this step I drag one of our presets onto the clip depending on what the video will be used for. Next I click on the output file column and place it in the correct folder utilizing the naming convention we have chosen. After that I click the play button and let it render, now when I look at the exported video it will occasionally have pulled the wrong audio despite it being correct in premiere. Renaming 00000.MTS and the following files will ensure that this never occurs but it takes a decent bit of extra time. Let me know if I can provide any additional information 🙂

[R Neil Haugen]

I work for and teach pro colorists. Especially as these days many colorists are essentially "finishing artists" also, created the final deliverables for the client. This is a constant problem, and the 'fix' varies on the NLE in use.

And if you go to say the LGG forum, and look for threads on this, you'll get very direct comments about having a proper DIT on set who knows to rename all media like this to proper names ... typically a shoot/date/time sort of naming schema.

As if this is done right off, it saves everyone a TON of headaches.

Neil

[Kyle Brim]

Hi Niel, thanks for your reply, sadly there is a specific naming convention that my boss has told me we have to utilize so I cant change much, the folder structure is where we keep that infomation at the moment we use "Class_Name/Session_Date/Camera_A/(then here goes the structure created by the cannon camera)" 🙂

[R Neil Haugen]

Totally understood.

In the way video post is typically structured, a lot of working processes are essentially fractured between barely connected services ... shooting doesn't have a real or good DIT, and the client's 'ingest' process is a temp or low-level employeer working from a script. And on through the process in two/three different companies/free-lance people working the project.

Or ... I've been told how fractured the process is in a large firm, with the various parts basically their own entity and not a lot of useful communication on actually setting up a smooth process. Which is a pain for everyone, but ... as everyone's overloaded as-is, no one wants to take the time to build a better process.

Even using something like adding a Reel name can help at times, but ... well, that's the extra step that The Boss may not consider part of the SOP ... and not approve.

Perhaps @Bruce Bullis or @Fergus H  might have an idea ...

Neil

[Bruce Bullis]

I like David Arbor's theory, above.

[David Arbor · Accepted solution]

Thanks for posting the details. This isn't a bug with Premiere, and as Neil said, it's a problem in lots of other software. This is a result of the irritating structure of AVCHD and any other format that automatically names the first clip of a new card as "00000." You need to speak with your boss and explain that this workflow is causing problems. I would never edit a sequence called "00000" or work with clips that haven't been renamed as you or the next person opening this project later will have no idea what the clips refer to.

Given that you name your exported files with very clear titles, I would strongly recommend you name your clips and sequences with those exact same names. Since you're already changing the name on file export, this should have no impact on your workflow if the sequence has the correct name to begin with. 

Again, this isn't a bug, this is just the result of having a bunch of clips with identical names. Imagine you have a stack of books with identical covers and the same number of pages but the page contents were all different. You can likely keep track of things in the moment, but you'd have no idea which one you were reading if you left the room and came back later. That might not be the perfect metaphor, but it's essentially what's happening.

[Kyle Brim]

Oh gotcha, I thought it might be possible to get around this by looking at the folder structure instead of just the files name istelf. Sort of like a feature that allows you to selct how many folders back you want it to reference for media so each file would technically have a unique identifier based of folder structure 🙂 

[Kyle Brim]

I am curious though why does it always get the video correct if it is soley a naming issue?

[Averdahl]

I thought it might be possible to get around this by looking at the folder structure instead of just the files name istelf. 

By @Kyle Brim

The best workaround in your case may sadly be to get a new camera. You did mention "...The file automatically breaks and incriments the the file name by one each time approximately 11 minutes pass in one recording." and now Premiere Pro stitches those spanned clips together automagically but that will fail if you start to rename the clips, unless you manually merge the clips in a third party app. For some cameras this is an issue but maybe not for the C200 since it seems to work for you. The Canon C300 would be a good candidate since it gives files unique file names. 

The only time i have had similar issues like yours with files named the same (AVCHD) was when i opened old projects and got the Link Media dialog inside Premiere Pro and linked back to the wrong files since the naming convention of AVCHD is poor and confusing. In my case it was user error and i could not blame the camera/AVCHD. So, do you manually link clips from time to time? 🙂

If not, there must be something else that triggers this. It cannot just be due to the AVCHD naming issues. If this was due *only* because of AVCHD name files this forum would have been filled with similar threads, but it is not and have not been before either.

How does it work if you store the files on a local disc instead of a network drive? I have seen network drives playing some serious tricks on Premiere Pro, but i have never seen different folder names do that though different folders contain files with the identical names when stored on local drives.

Lastly, deleting the Media Cache and Media Cache Database do wonders in situations similar to yours. See here how to: FAQ: How to clear your Media Cache in Premiere Pro

[Kyle Brim]

Hi Averdahl, Thank you for your reply, it very well might be the case having a local file structure might fix the issue, sadly though I have to follow the process that has been used in this department and that includes storing the files on a separate raid drive so everyone can access them depnding on who is editing 🙂

[Averdahl]

..sadly though I have to follow the process that has been used...

By @Kyle Brim

Got it! 🙂

I did edit my post and added a potential workaround, iow:

Deleting the Media Cache and Media Cache Database do wonders in situations similar to yours. See here how to: FAQ: How to clear your Media Cache in Premiere Pro

[Kyle Brim]

Hi Averdhal, yea sadly this workaround is about 50/50 for me, once it has chosen the new audio that it wants to associate with the video it will sometimes default back to it even after clearing the cash when it regenerates the peak file 🙂

[Averdahl]

...even after clearing the cash when it regenerates the peak file 🙂

By @Kyle Brim

Do you delete both Media Cache and Media Cache Database while Premiere Pro is closed?