Multichannel Audio – Overview

 

With Sound Forge, you can edit multichannel audio files in the same way you’ve always worked with mono or stereo files.

Sound Forge supports multichannel files in the following formats:

  • Wave (.wav) and Wave64 (.w64)

  • Video For Windows (.avi) – specifically DV, SDI

  • Material Exchange Format (.mxf)

Sound Forge Pro note OverviewMXF files require a video stream.  If you want to save an audio-only file to MXF format, you must first attach a video stream.

When working with MXF files, the number of channels in your source media must match the number of output channels specified by the rendering template. If necessary, use the Channel Converter before rendering.

Render Format

Number of channels

DV MXF

Always contains 4 audio channels.

You can use the Channels drop-down list on the Audio tab of the Custom Template dialog to choose how many channels will be filled with audio. For example, if you choose 2 from the Channels drop-down list, the rendered file will contain 4 audio channels: two channels will contain audio, and two channels will contain silence.

IMX MXF

Always contains 8 audio channels.

You can use the Channels drop-down list on the Audio tab of the Custom Template dialog to choose how many channels will be filled with audio. For example, if you choose 2 from the Channels drop-down list, the rendered file will contain 8 audio channels: two channels will contain audio, and six channels will contain silence.

HD MXF

Can contain 2 or 4 audio channels.

You can use the Channels drop-down list on the Audio tab of the Custom Template dialog to choose how many channels will be rendered. For example, if you choose 2 from the Channels drop-down list, the rendered file will contain only 2 audio channels.

  • Dolby AC-3 (.ac3) (AC-3 is available as a render format only)

  • Windows Media Audio/Video (.wma or .wmv)

  • ATRAC (.oma)

  • Sony AVC

  • Raw Audio (.raw)

What do you want to learn more about?

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewRouting channels to hardware outputs

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewOpening and editing multichannel audio files

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewRecording multichannel audio

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewUsing the Hardware Meters window

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewUsing the Phase Scope

Sound Forge Pro button OverviewUsing the mono-compatibility meter

 

 

 

Overview