Remove auto-add audio tracks

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Currently, Premiere Pro adds audio tracks to a sequence whenever a file with more audio tracks than the sequence contains is opened in the Source Monitor. So, say I have a sequence with four audio tracks. If I open a clip in the Source Monitor that has 8, four more tracks are automatically added to the Sequence. This is behavior is fine for the auto-generation of NEW sequences, but frustrating in that it modifies an existing sequence with no user input whatsoever. The functionality for adding tracks, as well as source patching and track targeting, works fine, and this behavior is more of a bug than a feature.

[Jim_Simon]

Premiere Pro will only add audio tracks to the sequence if a clip is added to the sequence that requires them. Simply opening a clip in the Source Monitor will have no effect on the sequence.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Sorry, but that's just not true. Have tried this many times on multiple different machines, versions, etc. This issue has apparently been around a long time:
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1466593

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

What Jim means is that the tracks are only added when you cut the clip into your sequence. I agree there should be a way to unpatch the tracks without first adding the clip to your sequence.

[mstegner]

This is slightly confusing for me. Premiere will not add extra audio track unless you add a clip to the timeline that has more channels than available tracks. If you don't want those channel added you need to turn them off in the "Audio Channels" dialog of the source clip. Is this request something different?

[timothym96644839]

It would BE a great feature, IF it created the tracks when the user tries to INSERT the clips. It does it now when you OPEN the clip in the SOURCE viewer.

Try it. Open a project. Create a sequence with 2 audio tracks. Now OPEN a video file with more audio tracks. It creates the tracks in the sequence.

So if I am working with a sequence that has 4 audio tracks, it is IMPOSSIBLE to add a clip from a source that has 8, without the tracks being created. I MUST go back and delete the audio tracks.

This would be FINE if it only happened during insert or overwrite operations, I agree it's a great feature especially for drag-n-drop beginners. But the current implementation is broken. It creates the tracks as soon as you open the source.

TRY IT.

[dmehalik]

"It would BE a great feature, IF it created the tracks when the user tries to INSERT the clips. It does it now when you OPEN the clip in the SOURCE viewer."
Yes! This exactly!

[Trevor_Asq]

In Avid it's an option (see - https://forums.creativecow.net/docs/forums/post.php?forumid=45&postid=872677&univpostid=872677&pview... ) and I use it both ways. Sometimes I want to add all the tracks (e.g. editing a sequence to a sequence), more often I don't as there are 16 source tracks, 14 of which I do not need and I want to keep my timeline track count down to 8-10 for screen estate purposes.

Would also require that we be able to see 16 tracks on the source track selectors, without having to add them to the record side.

[Trevor_Asq]

This would be my third request to go with Autopatch and track toggle shortcuts that are source/record based (rather than always being record side)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sy71wfce2tksgbg/detailed%20autopatch.mp4?dl=0

[dmehalik]

Also totally agree with Trevor. AutoPatch all the way! Targeting/patching source and timeline, in my mind, is Premiere's biggest weakness... and one of the integral / most often used parts of editing.

[Trevor_Asq]

@bruce

Here's how we get to set the option in Avid - both 'auto create' new tracks to match source and 'auto enable' source tracks can be set.

[Trevor_Asq]

@matt Stegner

Yes I would like to *not* have to disable tracks via the audio channels setting - this may affect others using the clip and it is not apparent that the clip tracks differ from the file tracks.

I want to be able to patch (say) A15 source to A3 timeline *without* creating any extra timeline tracks and *without* semi-permenantly removing source audio channels.

Here's a comparison. In PP I have to click the + to create matching timeline tracks to even *see* how many source tracks there are, then manually patch A4 to A1, then clean up by deleting the excess tracks.

In Avid I can have more source tracks than target tracks (it will, optionally, create more tracks if I edit those source tracks to the timeline). It autopatches A4 to A1 when I deselect the other tracks. No excess timeline tracks to then clean up.

[ALEXEY SERGEYEV]

Adobe, please add an option to enable/disable Auto-create New Tracks as it is done in Avid MC! I will stay on MC while waiting... Thank you!

[Woodyinc]

Automatically adding tracks when the source clip contains more tracks than the sequence wastes a lot of time for me in a session and it eats up valuable timeline real estate. I would prefer to see a disable new automatic audio tracks in settings. Thanks!

[scottr88392291]

A warning for something we are aware of is not helpful. We'd like an option to control how we edit ! ie; switching this function off and on. As this is the essence of editing - control over sound and picture !

[drakedits]

This drives me bonkers every single day. Adding a warning that I would also have to dismiss might put me over the edge.

My source has 8 audio tracks but I want 3 of them. Don't automatically create 5 extra tracks if I don't want them in the timeline. Give me an option to deselect tracks on the source side without adding tracks to the timeline. Or the option to turn off automatic track creation altogether. Either option keeps the requested feature for the 3 people that wanted it that way.

[TKane31]

the single most pathetic and non-sensical thing about premiere. I know a lot of editors and believe me we all hate this "feature" The timeline should always dictate what happens on an edit not the other way around. Goes all the way back to linear tape editors. There's a million reasons why this makes the most sense. Get rid of this ridiculous time sucking, interface messing "feature".

[ALEXEY SERGEYEV]

This “popular feature” renders useless for me the rest of Pr! I’m still on Avid.

Make it ON by default and add an OFF switch in the settings. It should not be that complicated…

[ScottSimmons]

I was about to add this as a brand new User Voice Request but see that has been requested before. This request has gone all the way back to 2008 in the private beta and virtually NO ONE in that long and lengthy discussion wants this behavior to behave in the way that it does.

I am shocked by @Bruce Bullis and that comment that this was a "popular feature request" as all discussion around this, for years, has been that this is not desired behavior.

A common suggestion to fix this is to show the little + sign to indicate to the editor they have more tracks in the Source but DO NOT auto create them.

[ScottSimmons]

What @bruce? We're not talking about clips we are talking about adding tracks. I have never met an editor who wants this functionality (and I've talked to many of them) so I'm shocked this was a "popular feature request."

A warning would be okay as long as we can choose NOT to add auto-add the tracks.

How about a preference like Avid does it so the editor has CONTROL.

[Beneditor]

This response from
Bruce sadly sums up the failed experiment that is User Voice. As someone who trained many editors both new and ex-Avid etc I cannot recall a single person who either understood or wanted this feature. It throws the entire research Adobe does into doubt for me. Presumably all the respondents were people with little enough work or clients that they were free for focus groups.

[ScottSimmons]

@Ben ... I think it more points to a lack of understanding of the nuance of what this feature is all about. On the surface it seems to make sense .... 'your source material has more tracks that can't make it into the timeline WITHOUT adding new tracks so let's make them!'

But that ignores that editor's role in telling the NLE whether they want them or not and in most cases editing from the Source Monitor you do not want them. I love that the + is there TELLING me there are more tracks that I have so that's okay.

Couple this with someone who is DRAGGING media/sequences from a bin right into the timeline and that is a wholly different workflow. You get the + but since you're dragging there's no way to click it or turn if off or anything so it's just a different way to work and not something editors working with Source Timelines or multi-channel audio does all that much.

I'm not convinced that the Adobe engineers understand the difference.

[Beneditor]

Scott@7224 It’s indicative of the dilemma Adobe now finds itself in to grow the product I’m guessing. Much as they hate the idea they are ‘dumbing down’ to attract new users (and I personally think the new export window is an example of a feature that isn’t really dumbing down but has attracted that kind of comment from people who just don’t like change), they seem to quite often be unable to trust users will get past the “problem” with this, to see it’s better not to have it happen.

Most editors quickly get beyond wanting this auto-add tracks to happen, but they have no way to disable it.

It’s actually really simple - the first time you try to add something with more tracks than the timeline Premiere just needs to ask “do you want to add more tracks to this timeline” with a standard UI checkbox for “don’t ask me this again” and the problem is solved for both beginners and pros.

[ScottSimmons]

@Ben you know that's a GREAT idea with the ask “do you want to add more tracks to this timeline” with a standard UI checkbox. I was thinking more of just an Avid like preference. Which I guess it would still be a preference that you can toggle back on after the first ask.

There is precedent for this with the Fit to Fill fit clip dialog box that can open.

We solved it!!

[Trevor_Asq]

The fact that you can't patch from A16 on the source side *unless* you have 16 timeline tracks is ridiculous.

(Autopatch too please!)

I do sometimes enable the 'add tracks to match source' and 'auto enable source tracks' in Avid - mainly if I'm making string outs + need to see what's on all 16 tracks.

But 98% of the time I want both turned off.

[Rag and Bone]

I don't mind auto-add being the default, but we should be able to turn it off.