Editing > Navigating the Timeline > Patching Video and Audio Channels > 
Using the Patch Panel
 
 
 

Use the patch panel to “lock” video and audio signals between the Source Area and the Record Area. Normally, when a source clip is used in an editing operation, the Primary video track in the source clip is applied to the Primary video track in the record clip; the first audio track in the source clip is applied to the first audio track in the record clip, and so on. You can change this default mapping in the patch panel.

The maximum number of audio tracks that you can patch simultaneously depends on your system configuration.

Each field in the patch panel shows the Source track and the Record track.

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(a) Source output channel  (b) Record output channel  

Patch panel fields are colour coded according to the availability of tracks on the record clip.

Colour: Indicates:
Light grey The track does not exist.
Dark grey The track exists but is locked.
Blue The track is unlocked.

To display the patch panel:

  1. Select and enable Patch Panel from the Menu Priority box.

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    (a) Menu Priority box  (b) Patch panel  (c) Audio Track Selection box  

To use the patch panel:

  1. Display the patch panel.
  2. Make sure the appropriate Record Area tracks exist and are unlocked. For example, if you want to reassign source track A4 to record track A8, make sure the record clip has an A8 track, and it is unlocked.
  3. Use the Audio Track Selection box to switch between the following groups of audio tracks:
  4. Click the field that contains the track you want to change, and set the new path. Note that the corresponding field updates automatically.
    NoteAlways modify the destination and not the source. For example, if you want to reassign A3->A4, click in the box that has A4 as the record and then drag until A3 is the source.

    The following figure illustrates patching source track A3 to record track A4.

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    (a) Enter the new track in this field  (b) Corresponding field updates  

  5. Insert or overwrite the source clip onto the record clip.

    When you perform the edit, the video and audio signals are routed using the assignments in the patch panel.

NotePatch panel settings are global and not based on individual clips. When you reassign tracks using the patch panel, the new settings apply to all edits until the patch panel is reset. You can reset to the default assignments by clicking the Reset button. Keep in mind that resetting the patch panel does not affect clips with track assignments that have are already modified.

Patching in the Player

Reassign video and audio signals between the Source Area and the Record Area using the patch controls in the Player. When a source clip is used in an editing operation, the Primary video track in the source clip is applied to the Primary video track in the record clip. You can change which track is assigned as the Primary video track in the Player.

The top row of patch boxes corresponds to the video and four or eight audio tracks of the source clip. Source tracks are green. The bottom row corresponds to the record tracks and is red. Grey fields represent deactivated channels. In the Player, the source Primary video track is mapped to the Primary video track on the timeline. The Primary source and video tracks can be any existing video track.

NoteThe patch panel overrides all patching in the Player.

To patch in the Player:

  1. Display the Player.
  2. Make sure the appropriate Record Area tracks exist and are unlocked. For example, to reassign source track A4 to record track A8, make sure the record clip has an A8 track, and it is unlocked.
  3. Specify how the tracks are recorded using the patch boxes to the left of the Player.

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    (a) Source Primary video track  (b)  Patch boxes  (c) Record Primary video track  

  4. Press the appropriate edit hot key to record the source clip to the timeline.