Converting one track to 2 track mono audio

[llewellyn150]

Hi everyone - my first post so I hope its not already been covered. I have loaded a video file from an early camera with mono sound into Premiere and edited it ready to burn a DVD. The help file says that Premiere will automatically copy a mono sound track to both channels of a stereo track. Will this happen as the file is being prepared for burning, or do I have to do something first? At present the sound is still on one track only. Thanks for your help

[ATR]

Your Thread sent me on one of my exploring missions. And, here is what I came up with. (The hardest part for me was finding a mono audio for trying this out.)

Bottom line: if the audio default setting is still at Dolby Digital, you just continue to burn to DVD-VIDEO. Short explanation below:

For Audio, Dolby Digital is the default setting. So, with this default, if you have Audio 1 (mono) and continue to DVD Module and burn to disc, the end product is a DVD-VIDEO with Audio 1 (stereo). You will not see an Audio 2. But there will be two copies of the original Audio 1 in what is now Audio 1, one of the right side of the now Audio 1 and one of the left side of the now Audio 1.

Maybe there are other easier ways, but I verified this several ways:
(1) With Audio 1 mono, right clicked on to bring up properties to verify that it was mono.
(2) Created DVD-VIDEO.
(3) Took my DvD with its DVD-VIDEO and put it in the drive, then used the Media Downloader in Premiere Elements to get it into Media Panel, then to Timeline. Right clicked on Audio 1 to bring up properties to verify that it was now stereo.
(4) Also, could play DVD on computer with CyberLink Power DVD installed. During playback there is a description of Video and Audio properties at top right.

If you have any trouble getting to Audio properties in Premiere Elements, you may have to unlink or ungroup Audio from Video…Edit Menu, Select All. Clip, Ungroup or Unlink. Back to Timeline to deselect. Select Audio. Right click to bring up properties.

I also discovered that you can get to audio settings (mono/stereo) via Export, MPEG, Advanced, Audio Tab. But, that is another related story for another time.

I will watch for your progress.

ATR

[Chuck Engels]

Just apply the Right Fill or Left Fill audio effect to the clip, whichever side of the stereo sound is missing. It will duplicate the sound from one channel onto the other :)

[ATR]

Chuck Engels,

Do you have time to clarify? If you are at Dolby Digital by default, why wouldn't you just let Premiere Elements automatically copy the Audio 1 mono to the right and left side of the Audio to convert to stereo as described in Help?

ATR

[Chuck Engels]

Just providing another option :)

[llewellyn150]

Many thanks to both of you for responding. I will check out both suggestions and see how I go. I do have quite a few videotapes with mono audio from my very first camera and as some are recordings of family members now deceased I am wishing to copy them to distribute around, now I finally have a video editing program that works.
Tony

[llewellyn150]

Thank you both for the help. Chuck's solution of applying audio fill was easy and it worked. My first attempt didn't because since I had the mono track on the left channel I assumed I needed to add 'right fill' but in fact it was 'left fill' that I needed.
I also attempted ATR's advice but when I right clicked on the audio, I did not see any mention of mono or stereo on the column that appeared. I did actually repeat part of the transfer from the original tape and it recorded in two-track mono the second time, so I'm not sure what happened the first time. Anyway, the problem was solved so many thanks.

[ATR]

llewellyn150

Thank you for the feedback. Glad to see the problem resolved message.

It is so frustrating to search for an answer to a problem, find a Thread with a lot of suggestions, but have it end with no outcome posted. So, double thanks for the outcome information.

ATR