Export audio from selected mixer channels

[auwerk]

Let's start with this example:
I have a multi-out drum sampler with every drum routed to a dedicated instrument output. I create mixer channels for every sampler output and route outputs to them. So, now I have channels 'Kick', 'Snare', 'Hi-hat', 'Overhead' in Metro mixer along with some others ('Bass', 'Lead', etc.). What I want to do next is to render every single channel to a separate WAV/AIF file to do the mix in Harrison MixBus.
What I do to get the files:
- Disable Master Bus FX (because 'Mix or Render Audio' process follows full signal path from sound source through the channel and master FX);
- For every channel I want to export, I solo this channel and use 'Mix or Render Audio' to 'Mix' this channel to file;

This works, but it's too complicated, and I think we need some easier way to export separate elements of the mix. May be 'File' menu item, that will render channels, selected in Mixer Window to separate WAV/AIF files.

What do you think?

[Jerm]

Yes, this is a great idea. Perhaps the mix and render dialog should have a button: 'render selected mixer channels to separate files''. This would just render mixer channels to audio files on your hard drive. Does that sound like what you are looking for?

[auwerk]

Yes, this is a great idea. Perhaps the mix and render dialog should have a button: 'render selected mixer channels to separate files''. This would just render mixer channels to audio files on your hard drive. Does that sound like what you are looking for?

Yes, exactly.

[Jerm]

This is completed and will be released in version 7.1.

All that is added to the UI (right now) is a check box in the mix and render dialog 'Render Mixer Channels'. When selected the 'mix' button greys out and if the user renders, all of the mixer channels corresponding to the selected tracks will be rendered.

Note that this could create a problem for using the resultant audio files in different applications as there is an optimization that Metro does so that all leading zeros in the audio files are not written. If you render to tracks in Metro this is not a problem because the audio files are placed at the correct location (which is not necessarily the beginning of the track).

[auwerk]

This is completed and will be released in version 7.1.

All that is added to the UI (right now) is a check box in the mix and render dialog 'Render Mixer Channels'. When selected the 'mix' button greys out and if the user renders, all of the mixer channels corresponding to the selected tracks will be rendered.

That's great!

Note that this could create a problem for using the resultant audio files in different applications as there is an optimization that Metro does so that all leading zeros in the audio files are not written. If you render to tracks in Metro this is not a problem because the audio files are placed at the correct location (which is not necessarily the beginning of the track).

But that's NOT Is this really an optimization? If so, we have to have some checkbox to enable/disable it. For the sake of use the resultant audio files in other software. That was the reason for my FR - the ability to use that stems in other software. It's not good - to re-arrange that stems in MixBus for example (phase shifts? etc.).

P.S.: can't wait to test it

[Jerm]

Is this really an optimization?

Yes. There could be hours of silence before the beginning of audio. That would be a huge amount of wasted space on your hard drive.

If so, we have to have some checkbox to enable/disable it. For the sake of use the resultant audio files in other software. That was the reason for my FR - the ability to use that stems in other software. It's not good - to re-arrange that stems in MixBus for example (phase shifts? etc.).

Well I could see a couple of solutions. Right now there is an option to select 'to track', 'to track and file, 'to file' and 'to mp3 file'. I think perhaps the optimization should be disabled if you select 'to file', since in this case it seems like you would want these file to be exported outside of Metro. Is that a good compromise?

[auwerk]

Is this really an optimization?

Yes. There could be hours of silence before the beginning of audio. That would be a huge amount of wasted space on your hard drive.

I agree.

If so, we have to have some checkbox to enable/disable it. For the sake of use the resultant audio files in other software. That was the reason for my FR - the ability to use that stems in other software. It's not good - to re-arrange that stems in MixBus for example (phase shifts? etc.).

Well I could see a couple of solutions. Right now there is an option to select 'to track', 'to track and file, 'to file' and 'to mp3 file'. I think perhaps the optimization should be disabled if you select 'to file', since in this case it seems like you would want these file to be exported outside of Metro. Is that a good compromise?

Yes, this is a good solution

P.S.: no MP3 option here (may be it's because I'm on Mac now).

[Jerm]

P.S.: no MP3 option here (may be it's because I'm on Mac now).

The MP3 option is available through the 'file' option under Mac, if you have installed the optional library. See here.