Changing Sequences into Master Clips

I have a Sequence with eight audio channels that I'd like to have behave as a Master Clip with eight audio channels, so that it will load into the Viewer by default, rather than the Canvas, and will provide me with all eight channels discreetly as source material.

The Sequence has matching in and out points across all channels and no internal edits.

In short, I'm looking to replicate Avid's Autosync function.

As far as I know, Quicktime will not retain eight audio channels, so an export/import is out of the question.

I was ready to accept the nesting approach (i.e. dragging the 8-channel Sequence to the Viewer) and letting it behave somewhat like a Master Clip, but when I tried to edit the eight channels into a new sequence, it automatically paired them into just two channels in the timeline, which is decidedly not what I want. I need each of the eight source channels to be available independently and represented as such when I edit them in.

In short, how do I convert a Sequence into a source clip and keep all of its channels discreet for future editing?


FYI, I'm using FCP 6.0.6.

YOu don't. Don't try to do things you can do in one app in another. You have to either use the app that does that, or change your workflow.

You can load the sequence into the Viewer and treat it like a clip...But then you need to map OVERWRITE SEQUENCE CONTENT and INSERT SEQUENCE CONTENT to your F9 and F10 keys. Do this in the custom keyboard area. If you don't, FCP will nest the footage into one video and two audio tracks.

Or, have the sequence open along with your main sequence, and copy and paste the sections you want. I talk about that here:

[lfhd.net]


www.shanerosseditor.com

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Unless you're using a very old version of quicktime it does support 8 channels of audio. I exported a 6 channel movie for my audio guy yesterday. And I just loaded the 6 channel sequence that I used to export the movie into my viewer and have all 6 channels present and available for use. I am using FCP 7, however as memory serves me the same functionality is available in FCP 6.

Perhaps I don't understand the question.

Shane, thanks for the quick reply!

Certainly I understood when posing the question that an equivalent result in FCP and Avid would involve slightly different steps. However, it can be helpful to use the functionality of one application to at least describe what you're trying to achieve in another. After all, they're both motion picture editing systems. It isn't as though I was asking FCP to do what AutoCAD does.

Over the past few years, I've consistently made each system work better for me by finding ways to have each emulate the best aspects of the other. To that end, your recommendation of Insert Sequence Content is a revelation and will almost certainly become a key method in my editing from here on out. O hallelujah!

Joe, if you're correct about Quicktime supporting that many audio channels, I'm intrigued. For now, though, I'm not sure how to make that work. My eight channels get squashed down to two in the Quicktime export. Even using the Export > Using Quicktime Conversion function in FCP, the only audio options it gives me are mono, stereo, and two discrete channels.

I'm using Quicktime Pro 7.6.4.

>Even using the Export > Using Quicktime Conversion function in FCP

It's Export> Quicktime movie. Before that, go to sequence settings, audio outputs tab, switch to 8 audio outputs, map your audio tracks, then output.



www.strypesinpost.com

Oh, mama, look at that!

That is precisely the solution I needed, plus picked up a few others along the way. Excellent.

Thanks to all.

mapping audio outputs in FCP can be very useful,
but i think there's an easier way to do this.

cant you simply LINK the tracks in the timeline,
then drag the linked clip to the browser to use as a new master clip?

you say "The Sequence has matching in and out points across all channels and no internal edits. "
so i see no problem.


nick