What Editing Software for multi-track audio

[Droidling]

I'm using OBS to record application video, and audio. OBS gives me the option to record up to six audio tracks in a single MP4 file. I'm pretty sure I have this working since I can hear different tracks by selecting one in VLC.

It has been a long time since I did any video editing, my old copy of Corel Video Studio won't even load on my new computer. I tried a free trial of PowerDirector. When I imported the video it only showed one audio track in the time line. I'd like to be able to mix/edit between the audio tracks as well as add other clips to the time line. I've seen tutorials for doing this with Adobe Premier Pro. I believe Premier is kind of expensive, and only comes as monthly service. What other software might work?

[Bernix]

You are looking for any non linear editing software. But not sure if all of them are able to open all track from video. If not, you can save audiotrack in Avidemux to separate file and then import in NLE to audio track.
Here is the link to NLE software here on Videohelp
I think you are looking for free one.

Bernix

[aedipuss]

problem is most likely whatever "obs" is. mp4 to my knowledge is not allowed 6 audio tracks in a compliant container.

[Droidling]

You are looking for any non linear editing software. But not sure if all of them are able to open all track from video. If not, you can save audiotrack in Avidemux to separate file and then import in NLE to audio track.
Here is the link to NLE software here on Videohelp
I think you are looking for free one.

Bernix

Thanks. I've looked at many of the editors listed, but I didn't realize there were so many. I wouldn't mind separate files for each track. The capture software I'm using doesn't seem to have that as a native option. It's just more to keep track of if I want to keep the audio in sync.

[Droidling]

problem is most likely whatever "obs" is. mp4 to my knowledge is not allowed 6 audio tracks in a compliant container.

OBS = Open Broadcast Studio
I had to do a bit of looking. As far as I can tell Multi track audio in MP4 is part of the audio encoding. I believe it may be AAC at 160 kBit/s to get 6 channels. Breaking that down to individual tracks probably depends on what audio codex the editor can use.

[aedipuss]

if broadcast standard video editors like powerdirector, corel, or vegas can't find multiple audio channels in an mp4 then it's not standard.

[Droidling]

if broadcast standard video editors like powerdirector, corel, or vegas can't find multiple audio channels in an mp4 then it's not standard.

Are you saying that you have tried these editors and know that none of them will decode this type of audio?

[smrpix]

if broadcast standard video editors like powerdirector, corel, or vegas can't find multiple audio channels in an mp4 then it's not standard.

Are you saying that you have tried these editors and know that none of them will decode this type of audio?

Sounds like all he's saying is your audio is non-standard. Why not post a short sample and let folks give it a try.

[Bernix]

Hi,
if you save each track in avidemux, there is on top Audio, then select track then save audio. If you do it for each audio track, you shouldn't loose sync when importing them to NLE software. If so, there is not problem in any NLE software to shift it manually.
And of course is from my point of view to capture to mkv. It has several advantages over MP4.

Bernix

[Droidling]

if broadcast standard video editors like powerdirector, corel, or vegas can't find multiple audio channels in an mp4 then it's not standard.

Are you saying that you have tried these editors and know that none of them will decode this type of audio?

Sounds like all he's saying is your audio is non-standard. Why not post a short sample and let folks give it a try.

I think the use of the word standard in place of common is confusing me. BetaMax is a standard video tape format. It never became particularly common. MPEG-4 is the standard for MP4 files. I know MPEG-4 allows 6 channel audio. It may be really uncommon for consumer video editors to implement importing it.

The idea of posting a clip and letting others try to import it is a good one. I may make a short test clip and post later. I was hoping to find someone that had already done this type of editing and could give me a recommendation on what works best. It may be better for me to ask on the OBS forum. I'm just having trouble getting registered. An email issue needs to get sorted first.

You need 6 mono channels to create 5.1 surround. It could be that the editor creators figure that if you want to modify individual channels after the MP4 is encoded you should go back to the original project and change it there. I could see a demux feature getting left out, or obscured deep in some menu. What Bernix suggested right from the beginning may be the best way to go.

Hi,
if you save each track in avidemux, there is on top Audio, then select track then save audio. If you do it for each audio track, you shouldn't loose sync when importing them to NLE software. If so, there is not problem in any NLE software to shift it manually.
And of course is from my point of view to capture to mkv. It has several advantages over MP4.

Bernix

Thanx Bernix, Christmas obligations, etc. getting in the way. I'll try to download Avidemux and give it a try today.

I did capture MKV format a couple of times. VLC didn't seem to recognize the extra track so I switched back. I'll try Avidemux on them as well.

[raffriff42]

I also capture multiple audio tracks to MP4 (edit MOV actually, same difference) - it's the best (most compatible) alternative for my applications. I have been splitting the extra tracks to separate WAV files using Audacity, but now I have a batch script that is much faster. Just drop the OBS video on the batch file's icon in Explorer. Assuming you record 3 audio tracks, it creates 2 WAV files, one for track 2 and one for track 3.
EDIT

@echo off
@echo.
@echo ** SPLIT AUDIO TRACKS TO SEPARATE FILES
@echo.
if not exist %1 @echo file not found: %1
if not exist %1 goto USAGE
%~d1
cd "%~p1"

@echo.
@echo.
@echo on
ffmpeg -y -hide_banner -i "%~nx1" -vn -map 0:2 -filter:a "dynaudnorm=b=1" -c:a pcm_s16le "%~n1-track2.wav"
ffmpeg -y -hide_banner -i "%~nx1" -vn -map 0:3 -filter:a "dynaudnorm=b=1" -c:a pcm_s16le "%~n1-track3.wav"
@echo off
@echo.
@echo.
if errorlevel 1 pause
goto :EOF

:USAGE
@echo.
@echo usage %~n0 [video file name]
@echo.
goto :EOF

Edit the track list to your preference:

• -vn -map 0:2 extracts audio track 2, and so on.
• You can use -c:a copy and output to .m4a if you want, but I find editors work better with WAV audio.
• -filter:a "dynaudnorm=b=1" is for volume normalizing - you can remove it if you don't want it.

NOTE - MP4 & MOV are problematic for capture because a MOV/MP4 file has all the metadata about all packets
stored in one location, written at the end of the file.
In case of a crash, these metadata are not written - and your file becomes unreadable.
To avoid this problem, I break the video stream into 4-second fragments (each fragment has its own metadata)
using Custom muxer settings = "movflags=frag_keyframe min_frag_duration=4000000"
I learned about this trick here.


[Attachment 44075 - Click to enlarge]

[Droidling]

I also capture multiple audio tracks to MP4 (edit MOV actually, same difference) - it's the best (most compatible) alternative for my applications. I have been splitting the extra tracks to separate WAV files using Audacity, but now I have a batch script that is much faster. Just drop the OBS video on the batch file's icon in Explorer. Assuming you record 3 audio tracks, it creates 2 WAV files, one for track 2 and one for track 3.
...

I just thought I should get back to you and say how it worked out. The setup for Avidemux and Audacity made splitting off the audio a bit cumbersome. Raffriff42's batch file made it painless. I'm a programmer so having to edit the file if I want some other track set up doesn't worry me.

Thank you for the file, and thanks to everyone else for the suggestions.

[BivrostGaming]

This is probably the wrong thread, but I have to ask. I tyed the BATCH file solution, because I have the same problem with multiple tracks as you guys.
But I record with OBS in AAC files. And the script doesn't work for me. I get an error message:

'ffmpeg' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

I know nothing of programing, so do you guys have a sweet pice of code I can modifie the .bat file with?
Anny help is much appreciated!

[raffriff42]

You need to get ffmpeg. Add the ffmpeg binary folder to the system PATH.
http://adaptivesamples.com/how-to-install-ffmpeg-on-windows/

(EDIT we use AAC also - ".m4a" is a container for AAC audio)

[BivrostGaming]

Thanks you. I will try this later today. I really appreciate your help!

[ChapmanDolly]

As long as you have used OBS in Constant Frame Rate mode, you can do this in DaVinci Resolve. If you used Variable Frame Rate, Resolve will not run your videos.

[nomikhan]

I like to say Thanks everyone who like to give time and put useful suggestion for me.