Psuedo 5.1 ?

24Peter wrote on 8/17/2007, 9:10 PM

I often record audio with two separate mics (and two separate channels): a wireless lav on my talent and a shotgun as a backup for dialogue/ambient sound. Can I create a psuedo 5.1 soundtrack by copying the shotgun channel to a second track and using the 5.1 panning controls to send it to the rear channels? (Keeping the wireless lav track on the front channels.)

Comments

blink3times wrote on 8/18/2007, 5:27 AM

You can do LOTS of neat things with 5.1

Copy the tracks out to the rear and use a karaoke filter to cut the voices down. You can set the rear tracks slightly ahead or behind (by 40 or 50 milliseconds) to create a slight echo for depth. Use the EQ to adjust for a higher/lower frequency from front to rear. I like to use the center channel track sometimes for the video and place a background music track on the front /rear with some delay for added depth. And of course there is always the LFE track... deepen the bass a little for added realism and room-vibrating effects.

I do nothing but 5.1 sound now because there are so many advantages and much flexibility. Plain stereo is just boring.

24Peter wrote on 8/18/2007, 5:44 PM

In my initial 5.1 tests, I had nothing show up on the LFE track (the other channels lit up nicely.) How do I get the LFE to show anything?

EDIT: OK - think I got it. Copy audio event to a separate track and choose LFE only in the surround pan window. (Low pass filter selected in audio/properties makes a difference.)