Audio Channels are Grayed Out

Maurice-Stribling wrote on 2/8/2022, 3:16 PM

I have used Vegas Movie since version 8 and I only use rudimentary functions. I typically bring in live video from an older video camera and then lay an audio track down on it that is recorded separately. The audio track is recorded as a stereo track but only one channel has the audio. I every version up to 16, all I had to do was select the audio track on the timeline and the right click, select channels, then select left channel only. Easy peasy - all done. All I have is the audio track I want. For some reason in Movie Studio 17, I try to do this but all the audio options are grayed out. I have tried grouping/ungrouping and I have tried to search for some obscure setting that needs to be set. Basically I have no idea. This is such a simple thing but I am stumped. Anyone have an idea of what I need to do to isolate a single audio channel from a split stereo audio track?

Comments

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 4:51 PM

@Maurice-Stribling Hi, does the audio play on the timeline & does it show the waveform, you can upload a full screen capture using the arrow button next to the smiley in a new comment,

I tried what i could find to make the channels selection turn grey, & the only way i could do it was to export the video in mono audio, in the media properties it says Channels 1(mono), normally it would say 2(stereo)

Maurice-Stribling wrote on 2/8/2022, 5:08 PM

Hello @Former user, hopefully attached will be the screen shot. What I am working on today is apiece of video for a friend that is taken from an old VCR tape. The audio is coming in on the left channel and there is no audio on the right channel. Yes, the audio does play. correctly. I would normally select left channel only and the waveform becomes easier to see because it isn't splitting the channel for a stereo signal. Again, I'm not a newbie but what I use and know is very limited. Hopefully I am describing this correctly. Thanks for any help you might give.

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 5:21 PM

@Maurice-Stribling Yep, you don't have two channels so it isn't giving you an option, If you right click on the media - Properties, does it say Mono?

there is a box in Preferences that might help

For whatever reason it hasn't capture the second channel, You say 'recoded separately' so you need to look at whatever recorder you used settings,

I rendered that mono clip out as an mp4, imported back in & now have 2 channels & can choose if i wish, but i guess this is what you were wanted by choosing Left Only in the first place, 😏 My old phone used to only record one channel & i had to choose Left Only.

Maurice-Stribling wrote on 2/8/2022, 5:45 PM

I've never seen it do this before. While it is true that there is no audio on the right channel, it should be a stereo signal as both channels were recorded. However, it definitely says it is a MONO signal. I think I will import this into an earlier version of Vegas and see if it says its mono or stereo. Weird. I know that both channels were recorded. I'm afraid I don't have those import options in Movie Studio Platinum 17. Thanks for all the help @Former user!

Former user wrote on 2/8/2022, 5:51 PM

@Maurice-Stribling Yeah weird that it shows 2 channels on screen but doesn't give you options, my timeline only shows one single central channel, i'm in Vegas Pro 19 tho so it might be different in MS17,

Hope you work it, just like you I'm not a newbie but i have limited experience with audio, 👍

EricLNZ wrote on 2/8/2022, 6:49 PM

@Former user The Right click Channel options are the same in VMS17 Platinum as your Pro, so something else is at play here.

EricLNZ wrote on 2/8/2022, 9:26 PM

@Maurice-Stribling Give us the MediaInfo on your problem mp4 file so we can see the full audio stream info. Instructions here https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-to-post-mediainfo-and-vegas-pro-file-properties--104561/

Maurice-Stribling wrote on 2/9/2022, 12:04 PM

Ok @EricLNZ, here is the mediainfo text, followed by the properties from Vegas 17 Platinum. Thanks for the help.

General
Complete name                            : C:\Users\Skeet\Videos\Experiments in editting VCR tapes\SOLID Series\SOLID Parts 1 through 4.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                                 : mp42 (mp41/isom)
File size                                : 2.03 GiB
Duration                                 : 1 h 55 min
Overall bit rate                         : 2 529 kb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : Main@L3
Format settings                          : 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : No
Format settings, Reference frames        : 2 frames
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1 h 55 min
Bit rate                                 : 2 423 kb/s
Width                                    : 640 pixels
Height                                   : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 4:3
Frame rate mode                          : Variable
Frame rate                               : 29.934 FPS
Minimum frame rate                       : 0.222 FPS
Maximum frame rate                       : 38.511 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.263
Stream size                              : 1.95 GiB (96%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 1 h 55 min
Source duration                          : 1 h 55 min
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Bit rate                                 : 96.0 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 1 channel
Channel layout                           : C
Sampling rate                            : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate                               : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 80.7 MiB (4%)
Source stream size                       : 80.7 MiB (4%)
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-01-29 18:00:16
mdhd_Duration                            : 6912080


General
  Name: SOLID Parts 1 through 4.mp4
  Folder: C:\Users\Skeet\Videos\Experiments in editting VCR tapes\SOLID Series
  Type: AVC
  Size: 2.13 GB (2,184,889,917 bytes)
  Created: Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 1:00:58 PM
  Modified: Saturday, January 29, 2022, 1:55:30 PM
  Accessed: Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 11:58:14 AM
  Attributes: Archive

Streams
  Video: 01:55:12.272, 29.933 (VFR) fps progressive, 640x480x32, AVC
  Audio: 01:55:04.290, 44,100 Hz, Mono, AAC

Summary
  [TCFM]: 8

ACID information
  ACID chunk: no
  Stretch chunk: no
  Stretch list: no
  Stretch info2: no
  Beat markers: no
  Detected beats: no

Other metadata
  Regions/markers: no
  Command markers: no

Media manager
  Media tags: no

Plug-In
  Name: so4compoundplug.dll
  Folder: C:\Program Files\VEGAS\Movie Studio Platinum 17.0\FileIO Plug-Ins\so4compoundplug
  Format: AVC
  Version: Version 1.0 (Build 8532)
  Company: MAGIX Computer Products Intl. Co.

 

EricLNZ wrote on 2/9/2022, 3:55 PM

@Maurice-Stribling Thanks. The audio doesn't look unusual to me but I'm not an expert. Its framerate is shown as 43.066 which is different to the video stream. But wait the video has VFR and the variation is horrendous

VMS is probably struggling with this. Video editors work on CFR. With small variations they just average out the framerate but yours is extreme. The usual recommendation is to convert to CFR with Handbrake.

Also VMS17 is using "so4compoundplug" to decode. Try going into Options\Preferences and the File I/O tab. Tick on the first two legacy boxes. Shut down then restart VMS to see if that makes any difference.