Quote: Have the need to convert stereo audio files to mono and the quickest way to do this is if PD14 would allow me to do this right in the timeline. However, I don't see any options other than to drag the file to another app and save it, then reload the mono file. I cannot edit it with WaveEditor as the only thing it does is give me a "File Not Imported" error message.

Am I missing something?

Hi, Ken!

I really, honestly, don't think it is possible to drop stereo audio content back to mono in any of the Power Director versions that have come and gone in recent years. About the only way it can be done is through a third-party audio editing software. Clearly Wave Editor isn't doing what you want, so you're really only left with using the third-party software option.

Cheers!

Neil.

Quote: Have the need to convert stereo audio files to mono and the quickest way to do this is if PD14 would allow me to do this right in the timeline. However, I don't see any options other than to drag the file to another app and save it, then reload the mono file. I cannot edit it with WaveEditor as the only thing it does is give me a "File Not Imported" error message.

As part of your PD14 do you have AudioDirector or just WaveEditor? I ask as you can easly get mono audio track with AD.

Are you looking for a true mono channel audio or simply your current left/right stereo blended so they are the same. I think any "Produced" output from PD14 is stereo as a min, it does not have to have any difference between L/R channels, but still stereo even if true mono in the timeline. If you have true mono on the timeline and output to 5.1 DD you will get just center speaker when played on a 5.1 system.

Approach really depends what you are after in a little more detail.

Jeff

I've tried editing them in Wave Editor. For some reason, it doesn't like my camera's .wav files and simply returns an error message that it cannot be loaded. No problems with any other .wav files.

I guess I'm really looking for both L & R audio channels to be identical if PD14 can only produce stereo audio as an output.

I have the ability to batch convert them, so that's not an issue. But then I need to realign them back with the video, and that becomes a time-consuming nightmare.

Since WE can't open your file, that leaves things rather limited. Do you have AudioDirector (AD)? AD was bundled with some PD14 packages and probably offered as a bonus with certain other packages. If you have it, does AD open your wav file?

To copy L to R or R to L is very easy with either WE or AD, just need one of the programs to work for you.

Can you attach a 7-10sec clip directly from your camera so others can see if WE works on the file.

Jeff

AD was not bundled with my software. It's an additional $129 purchase.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/eiznqq4mershfbk/Babbling%20Brook%20Ken%203.wav?dl=0

Thanks, that wav file is a 32-bit wav, yes, my WE has a issue with that file as is as well. If I simply convert to 16-bit wav it opens fine in WE. The file as supplied does open fine in AD as the attached pic shows, as well as left and right channels being unique in orig file, but that won't help you. Not sure if your camera has a option to change wav format from 32-bit to 16-bit, won't help now but for the future.

If your whole timeline is put together, this might be a work around for you.
1) Produce your timeline as just an audio file, you can select Mono 28.8Kbps in the dropdown and you will get a single channel wav file
2) Disable the audio in your current video tracks
3) Add the produced audio file from item 1 in a new track

Produce you video as desired, your timings all line up as previous. You can also edit this new audio in WE and upon import (see pic) will copy the mono channel to L and R.

Jeff

I appreciate the help. But here's the problem: I'm not wanting to produce the entire timeline as mono.... just certain audio tracks.

I have a short-cut kind of solution. Not as ideal as being able to simply click on the audio track and convert it to mono, but it does work.

I use my normal audio editor (AVS) to rip the audio track directly from the video file. Say, DSC_1234.MOV. I then save it as a .wav, 16-bit mono in the same directory as the original video. So now I have added DSC_1234.WAV to the file folder.

Then, import both into PD14 and drop them into the timeline. Highlight and copy the mono audio track, then highlight the audio/video and Insert the mono audio track. Choose Overwrite, and the stereo audio will be replaced with the mono track. Highlight the original video and the newly pasted audio track and right-click. Choose "Link/Unlink Video and Audio". Bam... it's like my camera recorded the audio in mono, and most importantly.... it's in synch!

Then delete the mono track from the timeline and I'm off and running. Not exactly as elegant a solution as I'd like, but certainly will do the trick quite nicely for the few audio tracks I need in mono for the work I'm doing.

I do appreciate the help, folks! You filled in some holes for me and got me to put on my thinking cap with your suggestions! Many many thanks to the community!

Quote:
I use my normal audio editor (AVS) to rip the audio track directly from the video file. Say, DSC_1234.MOV. I then save it as a .wav, 16-bit mono in the same directory as the original video. So now I have added DSC_1234.WAV to the file folder.

Your final solution is pretty much the approach I outlined, glad you got something that works for you, although not totally ideal.

For your process above with AVS above you can also do that in PD14. Just drop the DSC_1234.MOV in the timline, "Produce" audio only as wma MONO, and the rest is the same. You can replace the audio on the DSC_1234.MOV file in the timeline and relink and then it's like that clip was recorded in mono and one can split trim whatever and audio stays sync'd.

If you don't relink, you have a opportunity to move the video on the timeline without the audio and that can cause some issues latter with things being sync'd.

Jeff

Yes, but I must go through the lengthy process of producing the file just to extract a mono audio file.

Using AVS, creating the mono track takes about 15 seconds to rip, save, insert, copy & paste.

Quote: Yes, but I must go through the lengthy process of producing the file just to extract a mono audio file.

Using AVS, creating the mono track takes about 15 seconds to rip, save, insert, copy & paste.

Maybe a little misunderstanding, one is only "Producing" the audio from the video in the timeline, a 5min MOV clip takes about 10sec for me to get mono audio with PD so comparable to your AVS time steps.

Jeff

Oh, I see now. I dunno... six of one, half dozen of the other. I'll stick with AVS since it automatically saves to the original files' directory as well as copies the original .MOV filename as the .WAV filename, while PD needs to be directed to save to a specific directory and must be renamed in the process.

But it was you that turned on the light bulb over my head!

Hi, Ken480!

Happy to see you've found a workaround method for stereo-to-mono. We each have our own little "tricks" to achieve our desired end results. For me, mono is fine for a narration track, but for the native audio from the camera, unless that native audio was derived from video obtained from a mono analogue source via capture device, I'd much prefer that native audio be in stereo, plus any music background which may or may not be added at an editor's discretion. I often add my narration AFTER I've completed the assembly-editing process and that narration is always recorded in third-party software, and though monaural to the ear, is across two stereo channels(left channel a copy of right, and/or vice-versa). That's my method for what it's worth.

Cheers!

Neil.