TOPIC:

Right now I have a new sony camera thats able to record UHD 10Bit 422 XAVC-S, but my PC is too slow to edit. To save time transcoding everything I would like to use the proxy-feature in camera to edit and then relink in the end to the original files. I could make the filenames match. Did anyone try this before and does it work reliably?

This video might help you.

Thanks a lot! Thats perfect! I just forgot one little thing.. As far as I know newer Sony cameras can record four audio channels, but I think proxies only have two. So I am not sure if this would work.. Right now I dont have the audio unit for the camera so I cannot record four channels to test it, for a two-channel-workflow this is great. Does anyone have experience with four audio channels and proxies?

Even the newest sony cameras only record two channel audio in proxies. But for a two-channel-workflow this is my fastest workflow:

Copy the proxies from the Camera-SD-Card to the internal SSD of the MBP.
In FCPX link to the original files on the Camera-SD-Card, then link to Proxies on the SSD and start editing.
Meanwhile copy original media and relink originals when finished.
Now optimize all media while editing.
If media hasnt been optimized until you are finished, just cancel the transcoding and optimize only the project file - so only the media used in the project will be optimized.
Color-Correct, add effects and render timeline.
Export.

Maybe somebody is interested in Proxy-Workflows with multichannel audio here: Sony Camera Proxy files of the alpha and FX-Series always have only two audio channels, so there is no chance to work with four-channel audio files. BUT You can work with synced audio via LTC (Audio-Timecode). Just use a tool like tentacle sync studio to sync your originals AND your proxies to audio via timecode, then you can just go on with the workflow I mentioned above. I can sync my six audio channels to the two channels of the camera files and work with eight audio channel proxies.
The FX3 can receive timecode via usb as well and write it directly to metadata, but I think the timecode will not be transferred to proxies (but I am not sure). So I guess this currently only works with LTC (audio-timecode).

FinalCutdown wrote:

Maybe somebody is interested in Proxy-Workflows with multichannel audio here: Sony Camera Proxy files of the alpha and FX-Series always have only two audio channels, so there is no chance to work with four-channel audio files...

For FX3/A7SIII in-camera proxies, those will work if the proxy files are renamed to match the full-res media.

There is a separate issue with those (whereby both original and proxies use MP4 container) about not showing timecode in FCP. That is apparently due to lack of industry standardization on timecode metadata in the MP4 container. You can fix that by preprocessing both original and proxy media with the 3rd-party QTChange tool. That rewrites the video header so that timecode is in Quicktime format. It is very fast because it's not transcoding or even rewrapping. QTChange can also fix various other timecode-related problems: www.videotoolshed.com/handcrafted-timecode-tools/qtchange/

For FX6 in-camera proxies, those will never relink to the original files with 8-channel audio. Ideally, FCP should have an option to disregard audio channel config, but it does not. Alas, none of the "top 100" suggested FCP improvements on various sites even mention this. The word "timecode" is not even mentioned in a meaningful way. They have lots of requests about color-coding timelines but not about critical real-world issues like this.

There is no good workaround for that except transcoding within FCP or Compressor the original MXF files to 2-channel ProRes 422 files, then import those files instead of MXF. Those should relink to the FX6 in-camera proxies if the filenames are the same.

In any of these areas, the workflow should be thoroughly tested ahead of time. There have been many users saying "I did this or that and it didn't work, what do I do now?". You can never assume a workflow will work unless you test it meticulously -- in advance.

Thanks for your detailed answer joema. QTchange is a good Idea if you don't work with audio timecode. If I sync with tentacle it converts LTC to the correct format, so FCPx can see it.

I tested with a few files and I will test it with a short news piece when I am not in a hurry. The worst thing that will happen is that the proxies cannot be linked - then I just need time to regenerate them.. I will try very soon during the edit if I can go back to the originals in my timeline.

joema wrote:

For FX6 in-camera proxies, those will never relink to the original files with 8-channel audio. Ideally, FCP should have an option to disregard audio channel config, but it does not.

It's a bummer that even the "professional" FX6 does not record all audio channels in those proxies. That makes a professional proxy-workflow impossible.

My guess is the MP4 container format the FX6 uses for proxies does not support 8-channel audio. You might then think why doesn't FCP allow overriding the proxy relink to disregard audio? BTW Premiere Pro behaves exactly the same way.

The reasoning may be because adjusting audio levels or mix when switching back and forth between 8-channel media and 2-channel media would not be compatible.

Then the question might be why doesn't the FX6 use H264 at lower resolution in an MXF container and use 8-channel audio, that way it will relink in various NLEs? I don't know; maybe MXF doesn't support H264. The FX6 can record XAVC-L which is H264 but it might be in an MP4 container (I don't remember).

Good to know Premiere has the same problems. I think only avid works in a different way, as it splits the files in video and audio files for every channel on import. I can change audio levels in "my" synced eight-channes-proxies and its still used in the originals - thats the first thing I tested. The synced files are converted to mov, mxf and mov is kind of a joker in container formats - they accept almost every codec and almost any number of tracks.. I think XAVC-L is in a mxf container on sony pro cameras. I think mp4 is more restrictive but therefore more compatible if you intend to give proxies on location to a client to preview then on a smartphone it could be more convenient. But still its absolutely necessary to make the proxies have the same number of channels and the same timecode as the originals, so sony has to work on this.