How can we convert Canon MXF to FCP 6/7 with multiple audio tracks preserved?

There are an increasing number of professional NLE's that can work with MXF files natively including Avid Media Composer, Sony Vegas, and Adobe Premiere Pro 3.1 or above, or via import operations like in Final Cut Pro using the Sony XDCAM Transfer plug-in. However, sometimes even experienced users have the needs to convert MXF for smoothly editing in NLE apps. That’s where a MXF Converter comes in. The thing is that not all MXF converter tools are actually working as advertised. Let’s see a user problem: “We are currently using a Video Converter to convert Canon .mxf files for FCP 7. This program claims to have the ability to handle MXF footage from Sony XDCAM, Panasonic P2 and Canon XF professional cameras. We used two different microphones, but when we convert the files, only one audio track remains. How can we convert Canon MXF to FCP with multiple audio tracks preserved?”

How can we convert Canon MXF to FCP 6/7 with multiple audio tracks preserved?

MXF is a "container" or "wrapper" format which bundles together video, audio, and program data along with metadata and places them into a wrapper. To convert Canon MXF to FCP 6/7 keeping multiple original audio tracks, Pavtube MXF Converter for Mac is worthy having a try. It is not only capable of transcoding Canon MXF clips to Final Cut Pro preferred Apple ProRes 422 codec for editing, but also remaining the original audio tracks in the output files as it saved in the MXF container, or wrapper.

The steps:
1. Free download Pavtube MXF Converter for Mac trial Version. Follow the install wizard to install it onto your Mac computer.

2. Once its main interface appears, click “Add video” or “Add from folder” icon to load your source MXF files.

3. Select output format for Final Cut Pro 6/7
Apple ProRes 422 is considered as the best format for editing within Final Cut Pro, so you are highly recommended choosing “Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov) as target format from “Format” > “Final Cut Pro”.

4. Click “Convert” button to start rewrapping Canon MXF to FCP 6/7 with multiple audio tracks preserved. Once finished, you are able to click “Open” button to get the generated MOV files for importing to Final Cut Pro 6/7 for further editing.
Tips: By default, Pavtube MXF Converter for Mac exports files with all the original audio tracks in the MXF container preserved, thus there are no additional steps required for keeping multiple audio tracks in the generated files.

Launch Final Cut Pro 6/FCP 7, choose File > Import > Files…, and browse to where you saved the converted MXF clips with multiple audio tracks to. Choose the files that you’d like to add.

Tags : MXF to FCP 6 with multiple audio tracks preserved, Canon MXF and FCP 7 with original audios, keep multiple audio tracks of Canon MXF files, edit MXF in FCP 6/7 with multiple audio tracks