[Ardour-Users] opening 3 channel file on a 4 channel track

[Jörn Nettingsmeier]

e deleflie wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm a new user to Ardour, so I hope my question isn't too newb.
> 
> I have configured Ardour to create 4 channel tracks. Basically, I just
> want to use Ardour to mix existing multitrack files where the gains on
> each channel in the track is always identical to the others.
> 
> I've turned off the default panner. However, I notice that when I
> bring in a 3 channel file, the 4th channel is always filled up with
> some data. It looks like perhaps that 4th channel might be a copy of
> the thrid. I'm wondering if this is the case, and how I can turn that
> off.

hi etienne!

i think you can't turn this off too easily. it happens automatically.
the reasoning seems to be that if you dump a mono file into a stereo
track, it does the logical thing and sounds like a signal in the middle.
however, i'd also prefer if ardour set it to silence rather than
duplicating the preceding channel. (btw, the same happens when a plugin
produces less outputs than there are channel outs, and i'd also prefer
silence in that case).
maybe someone in the know can explain the rationale of this behaviour?

the cleanest solution would be to have 3 and 4ch tracks separate. you
can then route them onto a 4ch bus and apply all common effects etc. in
that bus. if you route a 3ch track into a 4ch bus, you have full control
about which channel goes where, via the output edit dialog.

hth,

jörn



-- 
Jörn Nettingsmeier

Meister für Veranstaltungstechnik

Audio and event engineer
Ambisonic surround recordings

http://stackingdwarves.net
+49 177 7937487