AC3 reencoding with "Soft Encode"

Hi everybody, I've read "SomeJoes" great posting and it really helped me but I still have a question: how can I mix the center channel into the L/R channels using Sound Foundry Soft Encode. I.e. how can I properly reencode a 5.1 AC3 file to a 2.0 AC3 file without loosing the center, LFE and surround channels. If I choose an output method like "2/0 (L, R)" all other channels are simply thrown away. Many thanks for any help in advance ...

:( So what's the alternative ? Which program can do what I want ?

How about a downmix? You can easily decode your AC3 with azid or BeSweet to a 'surround compatible' stereo WAV file. BeSweet even allows a 'surround2' downmix that can get decoded by a DPLII decoder to full 6 channels again. Try the following: BeSweet -core( -input in.ac3 -output out.wav -2ch -logfile BeSweet.log ) -azid( -n1 -c normal -g max -L -3db -s surround[2] ) [The '2' must be left out for a 'surround' downmix and is necessary for a DPLII compatible downmix, you may use BeSweetGUI as a front end]. The resulting stereo WAV file may be fed to Sonic Foundry SoftEncode. tiki4

Great !!! Thanks tiki4 ... this method works great. So what would be the proper method to create a 2.1 AC3 ? I think I should separate the LFE-channel (save it in an extra wav). Then I should use the same procedure as for the 2.0 except that I remove the "-L" option ? After all I should have 1 Wave with the front/rear channels and 1 Wave with the LFE channel. Now I could mux 'em with SoftEncode. Is that correct ?

If you don't want to have the LFE in the front speakers, leave out the '-L'. Otherwise give it a try, I never made a 2.1 file myself. Good luck! tiki4