AC3 reencoding with "Soft Encode"

[DPR]

Hi everybody,

I've read "SomeJoes" great posting and it really helped me but I still have a question: how can I mix the center channel into the L/R channels using Sound Foundry Soft Encode. I.e. how can I properly reencode a 5.1 AC3 file to a 2.0 AC3 file without loosing the center, LFE and surround channels. If I choose an output method like "2/0 (L, R)" all other channels are simply thrown away.

Many thanks for any help in advance ...

[daphy]

how can I properly reencode a 5.1 AC3 file to a 2.0 AC3 file
without loosing the center, LFE and surround channels.

the answer is simple

YOU CAN´T

[DPR]

:(

So what's the alternative ? Which program can do what I want ?

[tiki4]

How about a downmix?

You can easily decode your AC3 with azid or BeSweet to a 'surround compatible' stereo WAV file. BeSweet even allows a 'surround2' downmix that can get decoded by a DPLII decoder to full 6 channels again. Try the following:

BeSweet -core( -input in.ac3 -output out.wav -2ch -logfile BeSweet.log ) -azid( -n1 -c normal -g max -L -3db -s surround[2] )

[The '2' must be left out for a 'surround' downmix and is necessary for a DPLII compatible downmix, you may use BeSweetGUI as a front end].

The resulting stereo WAV file may be fed to Sonic Foundry SoftEncode.

tiki4

[DPR]

Great !!! Thanks tiki4 ... this method works great.

So what would be the proper method to create a 2.1 AC3 ?
I think I should separate the LFE-channel (save it in an extra wav). Then I should use the same procedure as for the 2.0 except that I remove the "-L" option ?

After all I should have 1 Wave with the front/rear channels and 1 Wave with the LFE channel. Now I could mux 'em with SoftEncode.

Is that correct ?

[tiki4]

If you don't want to have the LFE in the front speakers, leave out the '-L'. Otherwise give it a try, I never made a 2.1 file myself.

Good luck!

tiki4