Audio monitoring BUG

Update for me on the right channel only stereo clip from the GH4-

Separating the audio from the video in the timeline, duplicating, and then choosing 'Reverse Stereo' on the duplicated clip from the Inspector, worked for this clip, as far as desired LR playback in the Stereo timeline. This makes sense to me- although I swear too that 'Dual Mono>Uncheck empty channel(s)>switch mono clip in timeline to stereo via Inspector' approach could also accomplish this before 10.2 without such drastic volume differences in the meters vs. output..

So I have an update. I talked with apple's pro app support about this. I explained the issue and noted about this thread and the various of other models of macs and I/o combinations expeiriancing the same issue.

We shared screen and I showed the issue. He left for an hour to try and recreate it and was unsuccessful. When we talked again we tried the following.

If you turn your system's audio setting to display audio (if your display suppotrts audio) or line out or use headphones, it will probably work. It did in my case.

The Apple support guy said it's obviously not fcp. I am not sold on that answer. There was the OS X update as well and in my case there is a updated Blackmagic update available as well. I am curious to know, for those experiencing the issue. Are you using an I/O device for monitoring video/audio? If you are and you have a display that supports audio or headphones or can monitor from the line out of the computer if it works.

As I mentioned before, switching to display audio does 'solve' it for me but it's not an acceptable solution, and it IS FCP causing the problem because switching back to 10.1.4 even under the latest OS update has no trace of this problem.

I also don't have the mono meter come up in 10.1.4, just in 10.2

And yes - using blackmagic for video out and UAD Apollo twin for sound

This must be a function of your monitoring system. Sounds like whatever I/O box you're using needs to have its drivers updated.

Drivers are latest. And if that were the case why does every other bit of software using audio, inc FCP 10.1.4 work properly?

I'm sticking with that version until this is fixed

Because something was changed in FCP play back processing. Your meter is now conforming to the standard audio display that's always been used. Whatever this change some outboard devices are no longer using it correctly.

If there's no way to control this in system preferences I'm not sure what you can do in the short term other than use system output. It's probably not a quick fix for anyone.

The speed increase of the app is too great for me to roll back over this. The easiest workaround is to have all your audio as stereo in the event browser and when placed in the project change it there to dual mono if needed.

I am currently working on a fishing show at the moment, and this is an inconvenience but not major enough to roll back. Plus, I export an XML for full audio post anyway. The only time it does present a large problem is when you have mono only files. The you are kind of stuck.

I am just glad that I am not the only one. Remember to report the bug/issue to Apple.

If you're using an audio interface with more than 2 outputs, it's quite possible that mono signals are not output to L or R, but to a separate channel. This is the case with surround monitoring. If the interface is set up to output 5.1 audio, stereo signals will be output to L and R, but mono signals will be output to C.
Check the mixer software that came with the audio interface to see if mono signals are passed to a different output channel.

I use the Blackmagic Multibridge pro for both Video and Audio monitoring. I take the XLR to an audio board then to my monitors nothing on any other channel. I tried the HDMI out of the BM to my LCD TV and nothing either.

Thanks everyone.

I really like the two channel meter for dual mono and I hope that is not gone.

For my video HDMI and audio output, I am connected to a Matrox MXO Mini. I have the audio going through the Matrox only because there used to be an issue with audio sync, not sure it applies anymore but I know there is a reason I have it going out to the MXO.

I may try some tests with out the MXO connected. FCPX has a pretty nice full screen switcher, and to be honest the MXO has been such a PITA, between very slow driver updates and misc. flakeyness, just is not worth it anymore. I suspect they will update their drivers about two weeks before some other OS or FCP update, which will then reveal a host of problems again.

From what I've read and heard, I should have gone with something from Blackmagic.

So if anyone else is using this nightmare-ish Matrox hardware, I'd love to see how FCP works without the damn thing. Next stop Ebay...

Hi everyone,
This really sounds like phase cancellation between L/R; Mono/Stereo channels to me. With phase cancellation, the meter(s) should still show output, but the waves are reversed so no sound.

Bug in latest OS? FCPX?
Would be a simple mistake in programming, maybe Core Audio call or something.

Can someone export to audio program (DAW) that allows phase reverse for one channel and try it?
If reversing the phase in one channel produces sound(should be both sides) then this is a phase issue.(most likely).
It could also be that send after conversion call was omitted in code.

Then again I could be all wet.

Not on the latest versions so cannot test myself.

Hope this helps, Greg

Hey Greg,

I have Switch Pro and If i play a video using my system setting as Blackmagic output it does not work. If I change it to display or line out, it works.

I have forwarded this info along to the Apple support person I talked with about this.

I am leaning more towards an OS issue more so than a FCP problem.

Hi everyone,

After reading this topic I checked a few files on my own setup. I'm working on a MacPro 3.1 with a Blackmagic Decklink SDI. Using latest drivers (Desktop Video 10.4) I was not able to reproduce this problem.

I have selected "Blackmagic Audio" in my system settings for audio output and running latest version of OSX and Final Cut X. My SDI output goes into a small mixer into 2x XLR into speakers.

Hope this is helpful.

Martijn

I'm a noob to FCPX, but I just downloaded it yesterday and am having this problem. I have multiple clips in my project, some imported, and several with VO that I've just recorded. The audio (skimming and in the timeline) works just fine for the imported clips. The VO that I recorded right into FCP doesn't play no matter what. It's mono, it has waveforms that look great (well, OK, too strong, but whatever...), and no amount of fiddling gets them to play.

I have tried fiddling with the clip's "pan mode", the clip's audio configuration, nothing.

This can't have anything to do with output destination, as I said -- the rest of the clips play just fine. I've tried driving out to the internal speaker, to the headphone jack, and to my USB speakers. Nothing for these mono VO clips. This must be a bug in FCPX.

I'm running a trash can Mac Pro (late 2013) with 10.10.3, and yes the latest OSX update. But seriously, this is an FCPX bug...

Help?

I am not seeing this issue.
I can play and scrub a dual mono clip in the browser.
maybe try changing some audio settings and the midi settings in your sound preferences and see it it helps..?
My output device is Line out
Input in (if it matters) is recordcomputersound

Midi output is set to
Multi output device and same settings as above.

(midi settings are in Utilities > audio MIDI setup.app

More playing and discovery.

If I record it into quicktime, it records in Stereo, and I import it into FCPX, all is good. If I record it into FCPX, and force the input to Stereo, all is good. When I record the VO in FCPX in mono, like it is and should be, it doesn't play. No matter what. The waveform is there, it's good, but no audio, period.

There is clearly a bug in the handling of Mono audio content in this latest release.

Clwll

I have not used the VO function in fcp but after you record can you change from the mono to stereo? Is there that little pull down menu in the inspector like there is for other audio? It seems like the issue is with mono playback. Switching to stereo seems to make things work

If you record mono, it's one channel mono, but you can change it to left, right, center, etc. which might do something for the playback. The VO problem seems to be different, though probably related. Everybody else doesn't have the problem in the project and only with external monitoring.

I have the solution! Well it at least worked for me.

This is the response I got from Apple,

Can you please try the following steps towards fixing your audio issue, and report back with your results?
1. Open the application Audio Midi Setup (located in Applications : Utilities)
2. Select the Output Tab for the current output device
3. Select the Configure Speakers option
4. Select the Multichannel tab
5. Change the setting to Stereo

Now mine was set to stereo but the left channel wasn't showing left. re-clicking on stereo reloaded the settings and after clicking apply it worked.