A Premiere Elements 12 user wanted greater precision when editing audio. The "Milliseconds" instead of "Audio Samples" (the default) Audio Display Format appeared indicated based on its description in the Adobe document on "Premiere Elements/Project Settings and Presets".
This Audio Display Format setting is found in version 12 in Expert or Quick workspace under Edit Menu/Project Settings/General. Also set there is Video Display Format 30 fps Drop-Frames Timecode (default), 30 fps Non-Drop-Frame Timecode, or Frames.
- Display Format (audio)
- Specifies whether audio time display is measured by using audio samples or milliseconds. By default, time is displayed in audio samples. However, you can display time in milliseconds for sample‑level precision when you are editing audio.
When a movie file is imported into a project with the default Video Display Format, its total duration is displayed in Project Assets in a timecode format (00:00:00:00 which represents hours:minutes:seconds:frames). The lowest read is one frame (equivalent to 0.033 seconds in a 30 frames per second setup; 0.040 seconds in a 25 frames per second setup). That same total file duration can be seen at the Timeline level whether the Timeline content is that movie's video portion, video with linked audio, audio with video deleted, or audio unlinked from video.
But, if an audio file is imported, the total duration is represented differently as compared to movie and also differs depending on the Audio Display Format. Compare:
Sleep Away.mp3
Audio Display Format "Milliseconds"
Project Assets
File Duration = 00:03:20:881
Timeline Timecode
File Duration = 00;03;20;27
Audio Display Format "Audio Samples"
Project Assets
File Duration = 00:03:20:38880
Timeline Timecode
File Duration = 00;03;20;27
The data above are data when the Video Display Format in Project Settings was set at 30 fps Drop-Frames Timecode (default). But the data above are essentially independent of the Video Display Format with the following notation - when the Video Display Format is set in Project Settings at Frames instead of one of the timecodes, the File Duration at the Timeline level is 6021 frames instead of 00;03;20;27 in each of the above.
ISSUE
What is the explanation for the Project Assets audio clip file duration displayed when Audio Display Format = "Milliseconds" or "Audio Samples"?
With the "Milliseconds" Audio Display Format, what should be expected for the duration display, at Project Assets as well as at Timeline level? Where is this milliseconds display that we should be looking for at the Timeline level as we seek to take advantage of the "Milliseconds" set and the expectation for greater sample level precision using that setting when editing audio?
SOLUTION/EXPLANATIONS
What is the explanation for the Project Assets audio clip file duration displayed when Audio Display Format = "Milliseconds" or "Audio Samples"?
Audio Display Format "Milliseconds"
Project Assets
File Duration = 00:03:20:881
Timeline Timecode
File Duration = 00;03;20;27
With the "Milliseconds" set, the 881 in the fourth sector of the file duration in Project Assets was considered to represent milliseconds units to give a total file duration of 3 minutes 20.881 seconds.
Audio Display Format "Audio Samples"
Project Assets
File Duration = 00:03:20:38880
Timeline Timecode
File Duration = 00;03;20;27
With the "Audio Samples" set, the 38880 in the fourth sector of the file duration in Project Assets was considered to represent the audio sample unit. To convert audio samples to milliseconds, audio samples/sampling rate = milliseconds. Therefore, 38880 audio samples/44.1 kHz (audio samples/millisecond) = 881.63 milliseconds. Consequently, the total file duration with the "Audio Samples" set is 3 minutes 20.882 seconds, essentially the same as with the Milliseconds set. Consequently, Project Assets display of total file duration seems to be meeting expectations based on audio sample versus milliseconds concepts.
The Timeline Timecodes seen for the SleepAway.mp3 in this case are not understood by this writer at this time. With either the "Milliseconds" or "Audio Samples" set, the file duration timecode is the same 00;03;20;27. If the fourth sector of the file duration here = frames, then the file duration would be 3 minutes 20.9 seconds (in a 30 frames per second set up) in close agreement with the Project Assets data for total file duration.
With the "Milliseconds" Audio Display Format, what should be expected for the duration display, Project Assets as well as at Timeline level? Where is this millisecond display that we should be looking for at the Timeline level as we seek to take advantage of the "Milliseconds" set and the expectation for greater sample level precision using that setting when editing audio?
The thought is that, with the "Milliseconds" set, the fourth sector of the Timeline Timecode File Duration would represent milliseconds instead of frames/samples. It does not appear to be doing that. In the case of the "Audio Samples" set, one might expect the timecode duration to represent hours;minutes;seconds;frames since Adobe frequently uses frame as a counterpart for the audio sample. But, in the case of the "Milliseconds" set, the questions become
- Is the "Milliseconds" option not working at the Timeline level
- Is the Timeline Timecode duration meaningless and is a behind the scenes operation involved in gaining the greater sample level precision when editing audio?
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| Table 1. Sleep Away.mp3 Music File Duration Displays, Premiere Elements 4 Through 12, When Audio Display Format Was Set At "Audio Samples" Versus "Milliseconds" |
COMMENTARY
We wonder...when version 12's Audio Display Format is set for "Milliseconds", even though we are seeing the Timeline Timecode = 00;03;20;27, it it really 00:03:20:881 working behind the scene with the Sleep Away.mp3 file?
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ATR
