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.

[ScottSimmons]

That's exactly one of the main problems with this behavior @athletic_GenieB838 and it's one of those frustrating things that makes me think that the engineers don't really use the products. It's the age-old battle between the users and the programmers. No editor can really understand the complexity of creating, programming, and updating these editing applications and no engineer can really understand the joy, anger, nuances and frustrations that editors experience with something as seemingly tiny as this very "feature" we're talking about right here. Can't we all just get along?

[Thiago Ricarte]

Sorry for my rusty english. An pratical example: I'm working (on Avid) in a TV Series that we are monitoring all the main editing (Record/Program Timeline) in stereo. All the material was recorded with multiple audio channels (one mic for each character). So, sometimes, when you need to insert clips from the source monitor (source timeline with multiple audio channels), with IN/OUT 3-point edit method, per example, it's very fast and useful to select the necessary audio tracks you need (and to deselect those which have lavalier cloth rustle) with a few clicks and inserted in the editing timeline that remains clean, without more tracks added automaticaly. That's the strongest side of Avid comparing to Premiere by now for fast selects in my opinion.

[TKane31]

When was it a "feature" request? It's been there as long as I've ever used Premiere. Were there actaully more requests for it then there are now to get rid of it? I haven't seen a single post from a single editor who likes it the way it is. I don't want a warning. What good is a warning?  Like 99% of the users here I want it gone or at least have a way to shut it off. This "feature" makes absolutely no sense as has been illustrated ad nauseum.

[GRF BRNO Mart347603461b9n]

Is there already an option how to disable automatically adding tracks to timeline or not? Trying to find how to deactivate this, but couldn´t find anything. This feature is really boring and user unfriendly. Thanks for reply.

[WHMB TV40]

Nope this hasn't been changed. The best practice is to modify your audio channels in the project panel before placing them on your timeline to prevent audio tracks being added that you don't want. To do this right click a clip in the project panel pick "modify" then in the flyout menu pick "audio channels" then you will get a dialogue box allowing you to remove any channels you don't need. You can also use the keyboard shortcut of "Shift-G" to get to the same dialogue box.

[Bruce Bullis]

There is no option to not add tracks for the channels you're importing, yet. We're planning to do it; no dates available.

And yes, it was a hotly-requested feature, by numerous sports broadcasters.

[And yes, Scott, we do use the product. :)]

[ScottSimmons]

@Bruce Bullis I'd be very interested in that sports broadcaster request, considering that no one in this and other user voice threads about this (as well as on the Facebook groups) has voted in favor of this behavior. I know that Adobe does sometimes add feature things to accommodate some specific high-profile requests, which is nice. We've had some good features added from that but sometimes it comes at the detriment of others. And that is exactly what happened here. 

[George27784423x5kt]

hmmm....Intresting. I've had sports gigs before for national media and cant think of why this would be requested. Really seems like a niche request. 

That being said ive also seen some horrible workflows from senior level editors....

Maybe a better solution would be to allow useres to right click the source media in thier project and when selecting  "create new sequence from clip" all audio tracks get carried over into the time line?  Instead of the current workflow where unwanted audio tracks are generated in a sequence preset.  Additonally the sports broadcasters could create a sequence preset that would give them the audio tracks they need instead of the current workflow. Not to be snarky but "common sense isnt very common" seems to be the theme for this "feature".  Seems like there were far easier solultions for the sports guys. 

[Bruce Bullis]

Hell is other people's workflows. 🙂

As previously mentioned, we're planning to add the pref. 

[Trevor_Asq]

Oh there's *absolutely* times when you want timeline tracks created to match source tracks. Not just sport either. Thanks for the update @Bruce Bullis 

[Ben Holmes Editout]

Scott - me too. I've worked o. The Olympics, 10 Super Bowls, World Cup etc and don't know a single broadcaster requesting this. Broadcast sports editors are a highly skilled bunch specialising in fast turnaround. The last thing any of us want is an extra step in our workflows. 

I'm delighted to see Adobe plan to address thos. Let's hope it's on their radar for 2024. 

[Trevor_Asq]

Unless I'm missing something, this is about automatically adding tracks right? 

This is useful, sometimes, when editing tracks from someone else's sequence to your own. But it's rare. 95% of the time I have it disabled in Avid. As stated before I would be in favour of emulating the behaviour there. Pretty sure I made a screen recording about it.

I suspect 'sports broadcasters' wanted to be able to *access* 16 source tracks when they only have 8 timeline tracks. And auto add tracks was the way that request got implemented.

Really we need to see an asynchronous number of track lights for source and program sides.

Ideally they would implement autopatch too. 

[jason-hare]

I think this would be a great preference choice. This way those who like it can use it and those who don't can disable it. This is how Avid deal with it. A simple checkbox 'allow auto create tracks'.

I find it endlessly frustrating that Premiere keeps trying to create tracks I don't want.

[athletic_GenieB838]

It was requested by sports broadcasters so editors have had to live with it for all this time? Lugging around useless lockeked audio tracks for the duration of a project is inefficient and confusing. A disable feature is all we need. Thanks. 

[The Bunyip]

Sports editor here with 20 years experience on both Avid and Premiere. Yes, I want access to all 16 tracks (sometimes 24) of my source. No, I don't want them automatically added to my timeline. Showing all available source tracks the way Avid does is the best of both worlds - if you want to auto add then leave all the tracks enabled. If you want choice, then you have choice.

[ScottSimmons]

What's the status on this auto add audio tracks thing  @Bruce Bullis ?? We've been talking about this for years now.

[Bruce Bullis]

That work, while understood, has not yet been prioritized. 

[ScottSimmons]

Copy. Yeah, why make a simple tweak that editors have been asking for for years and years that will save time and cause less frustration? <p>sarcasm</p>

[DJP2014]

I recently added delete empty tracks as a keyboard shortcut, which helps a little. However, it'd be much better if it didn't happen at all.

[cizkek_]

There should be a post-it on every developers desk saying:

"When adding a feature, include an option to disable it."

I have an Adobe style fix for this, are you ready? Here it is:

Just don't use the source monitor then ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ (This is a joke)

[ScottSimmons]

Yea that is a handy shortcuts. I mapped that to a hot key loooooong ago. It does help but it's still too much extra work for a "feature" that shouldn't have been defaulted in the first place. 

[ScottSimmons]

I just thought it was worth pointing out that Blackmagic added an option to toggle automatically adding tracks on and off in the new Resolve 19.1 update.  

It really shouldn't be this difficult. 

[Christine Steele]

Yes! This seems like a great solution: add the ability for editors to choose to disable auto-track generation. When inserting clips we could choose to enable it -- but most savvy editors know how to adjust source targeting for inserts and will simply disable this feature permanently. Because this topic/request continues to be brought up, for years and years, and is supported by community experts taking time to write articles explaining professional reasons behind continued concern, this edit feature begs Adobe's attention for further review. Premiere editors have the choice to "keep focus on Timeline when performing inserts and overwrites". Could there be a preference check-box to "override creation of auto-generated tracks when..." option added to the next update? There would be much appreciation for this option! 🙏🏼