This is a very simple and straight foward guide on how to make a "fake" 2nd audio track using a Panasonic stand alone dvd recorder. I wrote this mainly for those who have a stand-alone machine, but do not have a dvd burner for their pc. Please take note that their are some "downsides" to using this method, and they will be explained at the beginning of the article. The reason I only mentioned Panasonic (Pana for short), is because that is the machine i currently own (dmr-hs2). Other decks may work as well.

tools needed
1. A Panasonic stand alone dvd recorder (or other homedeck machines may work fine)
2. An audio mixer (at least has to be a 2 channel mixer, you can get these at Radio Shack)
3. Microphone (optional)
4. At least two extra sets of rca type audio wires
5. At least 2 audio "y" adapters (the small wire where you can plug two audio sources into it, but the wire ends in "one" Usually used for merging a stereo sound into mono). Also at Radio Shack, BestBuy, Circuit City, etc. The official Radio Shack name for it is "4" Gold Plated Shielded Y Adapter 1 Phono Plug to Dual Phono (RCA) Plugs and a direct url for one is here


Firstly the downsides to using this method
1. The audio will be mono
2. It may not work properly in other machines, you would need a deck that will allow you to switch the audio from the left to right channel and vice versa (the Pana machine allows this). What might occur in other decks since most do not allow you to switch the actual right/left channels, is that both channels wouldbe mixed together.
3. In order to do this you would have to have your commentary track (or whatever you wanted) all set to go and ready to record. So if your homedeck doesn't have a built in hard-drive and you mess up, then you would end up wasting a disc. So be careful and plan it (timing) out before recording.

Rough Outline
In a nutshell what we are going to be doing is running the video of your source into the Panasonic machine. At the same time running the audio from your source into one channel (usually the left) on the Pana , and running the audio from your alternate source into the mixer, which in turn runs into the Pana (right channel). In the end the audio will be hooked in the Pana machine as the left channel being the actual film audio and the right channel being the audio track of whatever you desire. Since The Pana machines allow you to switch between the two you can actually shut one side off and just hear that track.


Step 1: Setting up
Run the audio wires "out" of your source and plug them into the "input" audio left channel on the Pana machine. Use a "Y adapter" if your source is stereo, this way you plug the left/right audio wires into the Y adapter and it merges them into one channel which you then plug into the left audio in the the Pana deck. If your source is mono then you do not need the Y adapter


Step 2: Hooking up the mixer
A: Take your mixer and get it ready to go
B: Next either plug in a microphone to the mixer or if using some other audio source, run a set of audio wires out of that machine and into a free input jack on the mixer (lets say line 1).
C: Now take another set of audio wires and run them out of the mixer and into a "Y adapter"
D: Plug the end of the Y adapter into the "right channel" on the Pana.

Step 3: The final hookup
if you have done this correctly your source audio will be hooked into the Pana's audio left input jack, while the mixer's audio is hooked into the Pana's audio right input jack.

step 4: Setting levels
in this step you would turn everything on and get it ready to record. Play your source, alternate audio source/microphone, before recording. This is where you can test/adjust the 2nd audio sound levels (using the mixer) to make sure the mic isnt too high or the sound isnt too low, etc.

Step 5: Recording
Once the sound level check is done you are all set to record, hit record on the Pana deck and have fun with your commentary. Once the recording is finished and you play it back, use the remote control from the Pana and hit "display". Scroll to "audio" and this is where you can change it from the left/right or have both channels playing.

As i mentioned earlier this is somewhat of a "fake" method for getting a disc with a 2nd audio track on the stand alone machines, but it's something and thats better then nothing at all.----enjoy