5.1 Surround/Multichannel

NOTE This feature is available in the Plus/Premium version of Movie Studio.

With Movie Studio, you can play back and export multichannel audio tracks.

What you'll need

To edit audio tracks in Surround Mode you need a sound card in your computer which can operate the following channels:

  • front left (L) / right (R)
  • center (C) / Subwoofer (LFE)
  • back left (Ls) / right (Rs)

Surround playback is possible with all audio driver models (see Playback settings), (Wave, DirectSound). Please adjust these in the program settings from the "Playback" tab.

DirectSound is supported by most of the standard sound cards.

Wave drivers are similarly supported by many standard sound cards; however, individual sound cards (for example, Soundblaster) require access to DirectSound.

Output of the six output signals is achieved in all driver models in the output channels in the same (standardized) order:

Channels 1/2: L- R

Channels 3/4: C-LFE

Channels 5/6: Ls – Rs

Importing and exporting multichannel audio files

When importing MPEG-2 files with multichannel sound (e.g. VOB files from DVDs or DVB-TV recordings), you can choose from two different applications:

  • Mixdown: multichannel sound is displayed as an audio object under the video object, playback of the multichannel track is reduced and recalculated to stereo playback. Use this option if you want to export the multichannel sound without editing or if you think that a stereo export is enough to meet your requirements.
  • Multichannel sound mix: The individual channel pairs of the multichannel sound (L-R, C LFE, Ls-Rs) are split into three audio tracks as separate objects and the mixer is then set to Surround Mode. This mode allows you to change the multichannel sound mix.

Movie Studio can also import interleaved wave files (multichannel wave files), multichannel Windows Media Audio and MP3 files. This will always create a multichannel sound mix.

Multichannel audio mix exports can occur in one of the following formats:

  • 6-channel PCM files (interleaved wave)

  • Windows Media files (as a multichannel soundtrack of a Windows Media Video or WMV-HD disc)

  • MPEG-2 files with multichannel audio

The export is performed using the same menu commands (e.g. "File > Export movie > Audio as wave") like the normal stereo export. You will then be asked if the export should be in stereo or multichannel format.

Export the multichannel sound using Smart Copy

You can also burn original material with multichannel sound to DVD again without the need for the codec or you can export the corresponding MPEG files while keeping multichannel sound. To do this, use the "Smart Rendering" option which transfers the unprocessed parts of the original material to the destination file without renewed encoding.

The mixer in multichannel audio mode

To activate multichannel playback, open the mixer (M key) and click on "5.1 Surround" button in the master.

In the master, six peak meters for the individual channels are provided. The normal panorama button turns into a representative display of the Surround editor (see below), which can be opened by clicking on the display.

The Surround sound editor is also available to the effects tracks. For example, you can send the original track to the front L/R speakers, the FX track however will remain at the rear L/R speakers.

The master volume is applied to all channels, here the left controller influences channels L and Ls, the right controller; channels R and Rs and the middle value of both controller; the channels C and LFE.

The master plug-ins are only applied to the front channels.

In the master FX rack of the MAGIX Mastering Suite the full effect palette is not available in 5.1 Surround mode, but rather only the compressor and the parametric equalizer (from the Mastering Suite). The settings of these effects have the same effect on all six channels.

5.1 Surround Editor

In the 5.1 Surround Editor of the mixer track you can arrange the audio signal of a track (displayed as two red sound sources) in the "imaginary" room. The signal is dispersed to the 5 (blue) loudspeakers which represent the individual surround channels.

There are 6 channels:

  • L: Front left
  • R: Front right
  • C: Center
  • Ls: Back left/left surround
  • Rs: Back right/right surround
  • LFE: Sub bass (Low Frequency Effect) channel

Dispersing the signal to the 5 loudspeakers occurs after the so-called sound source emits a sound field of a certain level (displayed as red circles). The further away a loudspeaker's source is, the less its share of the corresponding loudspeaker channel. The position of the source and the loudspeaker can be moved with the mouse.

The sub bass information (LFE) is set directly in the corresponding value table. It can also be changed by dragging the mouse.

There are various modes in which you can use the source signal:

  • Mono: The (stereo) source signal is seen as mono material, the left and right channels are mixed together and arranged together. The original stereo information is lost here.
  • Stereo 1: Similar to mono mode insofar as the left and right channels are moved together, however, only a portion of the left source is audible in the loudspeakers Land Ls, and only a portion of the right source in the right channels R and Rs. The stereo information remains as faithful as possible.
  • Stereo 2: The left and right channels can be moved individually. The distance between the left and right source is retained when you move the left source. You can move an individual source by holding down the "Alt" key. You can move an individual source by holding down the "Alt" key.
  • Center/LFE: Only the left channel is arranged. In return, the LFE share is drawn solely from the right channel. This mode is only of importance when importing Surround material.

"Width" determines the level of the sound field of an individual source.

Automation:

Panning of the sound source on the loudspeaker can be automated to simulate movements in the room.

For this to happen "Automation" must be activated. There are two methods to create automations: record and draw.

To record (when automation is on) the sound source is moved between the loudspeakers during playback. When recording the automation, the "Record" checkbox lights up red.

The draw function is an alternative way of recording complex movements. If drawing mode is activated, all panner movements are transmitted to the time interval between the start and end marker (when the mouse button is held). You can thus draw the entire movement curve for the selected time range.

"Reset" deletes surround automation from the track.

NOTE There is no automation of the parameters for width and LFE, of the distance between the left and right source in "Stereo 2" mode, or of the loudspeaker positions.