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Participating Frequently
June 20, 2021
Answered

What replaced the video Channel Mixer effect?

  • June 20, 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 13772 views

The Channel Mixer effect has been deemed, "obsolete. " I assume because of old code,  but what new effect can duplicate its features?  I use this effect to accurately and easily create monochrome RGB color seperations of color footage. (As if I shot on black and white film with an R, G, or B  filter.)  Once I have that channel seperation I use it on a layer above with the luminosoty blending mode to add customized color punch to the color footage below.    If I try to replicate this with Lumetri curves by pulling out the unwanted channels and desaturating it it does not produce the same image as the old channel mixer would.  Its density is wrong, its darker and it also does not behave properly when using a blending mode.   Is there an updated replacement for this or am I going to have to dynamic link to AE and use its channel mixer or suffer with the horrible realtime performance of the old effect? 

Correct answer R Neil Haugen

If something appears in the public beta, then we'll know they have a new effect. I'm not counting on it though. At this time, you need to head over to AfterEffects if you really need the channel mixer.

 

Neil

8 replies

Participating Frequently
October 14, 2025

Hallelujah! FINALLY they have replaced it! Version 25.5.0 (Build 13) includes Film Impact Tools FX with Channel Mix. So my version of Premiere 2020 which struggles to load these days can now gracefully retire with a gold watch. I understand that Adobe has to 'move with the times' but I didn't like the way they summarily dismissed their old user base who have been with them from the pre-digital film days when Preniere was really an animation tool.

Nizam FB Photographers
Participant
January 7, 2025

Color Mixer has now been renamed to ASC CDL

Participant
January 5, 2023

Hi,

 

did anyone ever get any response from Adobe as to if the channel mixer will be implemented into the newest version of PremierPro?

R Neil Haugen
R Neil HaugenCorrect answer
Legend
January 5, 2023

If something appears in the public beta, then we'll know they have a new effect. I'm not counting on it though. At this time, you need to head over to AfterEffects if you really need the channel mixer.

 

Neil

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
Participating Frequently
October 14, 2025

Channel Mixer has reappeared under Film Impact Tool FX. Only took them 4 years!

Participant
November 10, 2022

Hi,

You can use the arithmetic effect. Set the operator to Max and then use it like you would the old video channel mixer effect. There is a great tutorial by Justin Odisho: WATCH TUTORIAL

ggefellAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 28, 2021

Update - I found a way around the old channel mixer for my specific needs.  I created the RG&B monochrome channel mixer effects in Photoshop and saved them as individual LUTS.   In Premiere Lumetri loads them and I get the same look as the old channel mixer but with full acceleration and color depth.  Also less clunky than AE linked comp which was the only other current option. 

Participating Frequently
May 25, 2022

Hi there,

would you share the LUTs you created in PS? I have no clue how the process is here... 🙂

Let me know and I'll pass you my email.. if not, no worries 🙂

Cheers

Vanessa

ggefellAuthor
Participating Frequently
May 26, 2022

Hi Vanessa,  happy to share these - just let me know where to send them to. 

chrisw44157881
Inspiring
June 22, 2021

can you dynamic link to after effects channel mixer? it's 32bpc.

R Neil Haugen
Legend
June 22, 2021

Would be nice if they simply moved the Ae channel mixer over to PrPro ... not that I've only asked about that maybe 20 times ...

 

Neil

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
jmc13542954
Participating Frequently
April 21, 2022

I definitely NEED an up-to-date VIDEO CHANNEL MIXER to properly colorgrade the diving videos of my GoPro. Nothing in the current Lumetri pannel is close to matching as easily the results of the "obsolete" mixer. Whom should I request it in order to add my voice to yours? In 50 years instead of 1 century, we might succeed in getting it 🙂

 

R Neil Haugen
Legend
June 22, 2021

If you apply an 8-bit effect, it reduces the entire chain to 8 bit at that point.

 

So ... for an 8-bit say H.264 project, as the last step in the processing chain it's ok mostly sort of. The following export is 8-bit anyway, but you DON'T want any other color effects after it.

 

If you want a 10-bit output ... well, it's not really 10 bit as the image after that effect has only 256 levels.

 

I would like a new channel mixer too. And they've added a few things to Lumetri over the last several years, but not that much. It's still not nearly as fully capable as SpeedGrade was when they EOLd that back in 2015. There's a lot of correction capabilities Lumetri is still missing.

 

Neil

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
R Neil Haugen
Legend
June 20, 2021

No, there's no current replacement for the Channel Mixer. I've asked about that but not got an answer past ... hmmm. So no clue there.

 

Yea, the code for it's old. Note that it doesn't have the lego blocks for either 32-bit float work or GPU acceleration. Meaning it only involves the CPU, of course.

 

But what's worse ... it takes the entire processing chain down from the normal 32-bit float to 8 bit. So when using this, use it AFTER any other effect that may touch on color. Probably use it as the last effect if possible.

 

Neil

Everyone's mileage always varies ...
ggefellAuthor
Participating Frequently
June 22, 2021

Thanks for that info Neil,  I suspected as much.  Its really too bad that they don't keep basic utility tools up to date.  They cram everything under the sun into Lumetri but it can't do a basic color separation correctly.   I use the effect on its own layer so I'm not sure how/if that affects other layers?  Do all layers become 8 bit if any one is 8 bit?