This article was first published in the July, 2009, issue of
Larry's Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Eric Jabouille writes:

I have a sound effect (Drone dark suspense) that's in the sound library of STP. It has 6 channels and (let's say) I'd like to export it as a MONO track. I've saved the file, went to "File" -> "Export" ..... and the "export" function is grayed out!

How am I supposed to FLATTEN a 5.1 file into a mono file? If I use the "save as" option, I can export it as an AIFF file but it keeps the 6 channels. I want to flatten it first. Is it possible?

Larry replies: Eric, you are doing the right thing in the wrong place.

Audio file projects don't allow you to flatten all tracks into mono - but a multi-track project does.

Load your six-track audio file into a multitrack project. While you can easily convert this to mono by changing the setting of Submix 01 at the bottom, the problem with this approach is that it only gives you audio from one track - front left (mono 1) or front right (mono 2).

A better approach is to switch Submix 01 to Stereo 1-2. This outputs both front channels, which contain all the important elements of your sound, then use Final Cut to create the final mono mix for your project.

Larry Jordan is a post-production consultant and an Apple-Certified Trainer in Digital Media with over 25 years experience as producer, director and editor with network, local and corporate credits. Based in Los Angeles, he's a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.

The information in this article is believed to be accurate at the time of publication. However, the author assumes no liability in case things go wrong. Please use your best judgment in applying these suggestions.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. This newsletter has not been reviewed or sanctioned by Apple or any other third party. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned here for editorial purposes only.

Links to my website home page or this article are welcome and don't require prior permission.