Can not import 4 channel audio from Sony A7M4

set wrote on 2/7/2022, 3:37 PM

possible to share the sample?

Upload to dropbox/google drive/ etc and share the link here.

JanL wrote on 2/7/2022, 3:57 PM

Here is a link to a XAVC S file with 10 bit video and 4 channel 24 bit audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q5ShJXlZywNX56pqSCVf9YRKgevJKcXh/view?usp=sharing

set wrote on 2/7/2022, 4:17 PM

This is totally complicated... XAVC-HS - and as for me who didn't have the equipment, even Sony Catalyst requires registration and activation

And current VP19 confirmed to catched loud noise to all channels (but felt hard playback as well) :

And recent Resolve 17.4.3, audio loaded nicely, but video not:

Add info: forwarded to developer hoping to be solved in the next VP19 update.

set wrote on 2/7/2022, 4:18 PM

leave note for the Mediainfo note:

General
Complete name                            : E:\VEGAS Pro Experiments\20220208 A7m4 - 4channel\C0006.MP4
Format                                   : XAVC
Codec ID                                 : XAVC (XAVC/mp42/iso2/nras)
File size                                : 672 MiB
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Overall bit rate                         : 218 Mb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : HEVC
Format/Info                              : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile                           : Format Range@L5.1@High
Codec ID                                 : hvc1
Codec ID/Info                            : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Bit rate                                 : 200 Mb/s
Width                                    : 3 840 pixels
Height                                   : 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 50.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:2
Bit depth                                : 10 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.482
Stream size                              : 618 MiB (92%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Color range                              : Limited
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : hvcC

Audio #1
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : ipcm
Codec ID                                 : ipcm
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 1 152 kb/s
Stream size                              : 3.56 MiB (1%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33

Audio #2
ID                                       : 3
Format                                   : ipcm
Codec ID                                 : ipcm
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 1 152 kb/s
Stream size                              : 3.56 MiB (1%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33

Audio #3
ID                                       : 4
Format                                   : ipcm
Codec ID                                 : ipcm
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 1 152 kb/s
Stream size                              : 3.56 MiB (1%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33

Audio #4
ID                                       : 5
Format                                   : ipcm
Codec ID                                 : ipcm
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 1 152 kb/s
Stream size                              : 3.56 MiB (1%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-02-07 21:09:33

Other
Type                                     : meta
Duration                                 : 25 s 920 ms

joelsonforte.br wrote on 2/7/2022, 4:46 PM

I can reproduce and confirm your problem. Vegas has always been horrible at importing and exporting the combination of certain video and audio codecs in specific containers.

If you want, you can use XMedia Recod (free) to rewrap your files to the .mp4 container by converting only the audio streams to .aac format. After that your files will be imported correctly. I made a short video showing this process.

Download Xmedia Recode (free) on this link: https://www.xmedia-recode.de/en/download.php

JanL wrote on 2/7/2022, 4:54 PM

Thanks. I will test tomorrow.

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 3:53 AM

And recent Resolve 17.4.3, audio loaded nicely, but video not:

@set I don't think the free version plays any HEVC videos. And actually this file is a good example of the HEVC Vegas problem where it refuses to use CPU cores to decode the video on timeline playback. Resolve Studio uses an average of about 40% CPU when playing video on timeline, it plays at 50fps, but Vegas uses 20% CPU and only plays at 2fps. This is a 4K50 422 color file and on my system GPU decode is not available on either software.

Wassim-Yacoub wrote on 2/8/2022, 10:17 AM

Hi,

I have the same problem with my Sony FX3 and Vegas pro 18 but it works fine on DaVinci Resolve

I'm spending days try to fix this or finding any one can help but nothing good so far

Musicvid wrote on 2/8/2022, 10:27 AM

@Wassim-Yacoub

Yours is not the "same problem." As you can see, your FX3 does not shoot IPCM discrete audio.

RECORDING FORMAT (AUDIO)

LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 16 bit), LPCM 2ch (48 kHz 24 bit), LPCM 4ch (48 kHz 24 bit), MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2ch

Please don't be shy, and start your own support thread for your unrelated problem, being sure to include all of the information requested here. Thanks!

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/important-information-required-to-help-you--110457/

Wassim-Yacoub wrote on 2/8/2022, 1:15 PM

thanka :-

as in the original post (When I import the camera files to Vegas 18 the 4 audio channels are correctly added to 4 audio tracks, but no waveforms are visible, and when I play I only hear noise. The same goes for 24 bit 2 channel audio. Only 16 bit 2 channel works.) I too experience the same problem with my sony FX3 - it works fine on DaVinci Resolve

please help

Musicvid wrote on 2/8/2022, 1:22 PM

You have different cameras that have different audio formats, thus separate, unrelated issues. I haven't seen many issues with LPCM, which your FX3 shoots.

For that reason, I suggest that you start your own thread to avoid the confusion that inevitably results from comingling responses to multiple questions in the same thread. Makes it easier on your responders, that's all.

Welcome to the forums; new threads are cheap, so feel free to start one for each unique issue.

JanL wrote on 2/8/2022, 3:38 PM

You have different cameras that have different audio formats, thus separate, unrelated issues. I haven't seen many issues with LPCM, which your FX3 shoots.

This is confusing for me. Looking at the specification for my A7M4 and other cameras like FX3, A7SM3, A1 etc, all claims:

RECORDING FORMAT (AUDIO): LPCM 2ch (48kHz 16bit), LPCM 2ch (48kHz 24bit), LPCM 4ch (48kHz 24bit), MPEG-4 AAC-LC 2ch

Would be interesting to know if Mediainfo for PCM files from other Sony Alpha/FX3 cameras says audio format LPCM, and not IPCM as I get? And if Vegas can import 4 channel audio from other Sony Alpha/FX3 cameras.

To clarify: Vegas imports my 16-bit LPCM fine but not 24-bit LPCM, and if I want 4 channels I have to go for 24-bit.

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 5:57 PM

To clarify: Vegas imports my 16-bit LPCM fine but not 24-bit LPCM, and if I want 4 channels I have to go for 24-bit.

24bit 48khz is a form of lossless high resolution audio, and a solution given so far is convert it to lossy 16bit audio AAC. Have to assume people use these audio settings for a reason and is best to find compromise based on their requirement of high quality audio. Ideally Vegas would just play what it's given like other editors

Musicvid wrote on 2/8/2022, 7:06 PM

IPCM is a brand new audio format. It is just entering the marketplace, and even ffmpeg has not yet got it fully implemented.

OK for now?

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 7:29 PM

IPCM is a brand new audio format. It is just entering the marketplace, and even ffmpeg has not yet got it fully implemented.

OK for now?

@Musicvid Yeah, my go to is shutter encoder (GUI for ffmpeg + extras) it doesn't work. It looks like the software @joelsonforte.br is using does decode it, and if the user doesn't want the quality reduction of the AAC conversion he could try other output settings

JanL wrote on 2/9/2022, 4:22 PM

Thanks for all input. As, said, 24-bit IPCM seems to be the only way for me to record 4 channel audio without using additional recorders. AAC would be OK, but I find Resolve Studio to be the fastest tool to convert multiple clips, Resolve can export PCM and I can do some initial color corrections at the same time. But as Vegas is my preferred NLE I look forward to having nativ IPCM support in the future.

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 2/15/2022, 3:41 PM

@JanL Only thing odd about that clip of yours is that the audio channels seem to be big endian. Easy enough to convert to more common little endian with this ffmpeg script:

ffmpeg -c:a pcm_s24be -i "C0006.mp4" -c:v copy -c:a pcm_s24le -ar 48000 -map 0:v:0 -map 0:a:0 -map 0:a:1 -map 0:a:2 -map 0:a:3 -y C0006.mov

Well, maybe 2 things odd. The script has to put it's output into a MOV container. Because pcm isn't technically legal in an MP4 container... ffmpeg being very law abiding.

Vegas 18 & 19 loads the MOV clip fine. Vegas 17 crashed soon as I clicked on it. Vegas 16 just ignores it.