Chapter 21. 5.1 Surround Sound Mixing

This short chapter builds on the stereo mixing foundation established in the previous chapter and introduces four more channels. Although Premiere Pro can handle 5.1 surround sound mixing easily, your task will be smoother if you learn a few techniques first.

The four short lessons in this chapter will give you the experience you need to effectively mix a 5.1 project. You will convert a stereo mix into a 5.1 mix, automate your surround sound mix, export your project into a file format that supports 5.1 audio, and learn how to ensure that your audio hardware properly plays back the six channels that make up your 5.1 surround sound mix.

Although a surround sound speaker system isn't essential to convert from stereo to surround sound, I recommend you have one. If you do not have the speakers and hardware to support six channels of audio, however, you can also reference the Audio Mixer to monitor the sound being played back. When you get down to it, mixing in 5.1 is similar to mixing stereo audioyou just have four more speakers to pan to. Let's give it a try.