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Chapter 2 Assigning Output Channels and External Audio Monitors 47
I
Downmixing Multiple Audio Channels to a Stereo Mix
Even when you use multiple audio channels during editing and mixing, you may need
to create a stereo mix. Downmixing combines all audio output channels into a single
stereo output. You may want to downmix when:
 Playing back a sequence with multiple output channels on a system with only
two speakers
 Exporting to multiple audio channels. For more information, see “Exporting Audio
Output Groups to AIFF Files” on page 190 and “Exporting Multichannel QuickTime
Files” on page 195.
How Downmixing to Stereo Works
When a sequence is downmixed, all output busses are mixed together in a downmix
stereo bus and then sent to outputs 1 and 2 on your audio interface. Stereo output
busses are sent to the downmix bus in stereo; mono output busses are centered in the
downmix bus.
2 1
Busses
Hardware
outputs
Tracks 1 and 2
(stereo)
Tracks 3 and 4
(centered)
Three bus groups
downmixed to
two channels
Tracks 5 and 6
(stereo)
Timeline tracks
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
1
2
3
4
5
6