Audio control issue

MCS wrote on 6/8/2009, 12:58 PM

I've been editing for years....experienced on AVID--- just finding my way around Vegas Pro 9 because of its ease of use with XdcamEX.
Trying to get used to the editing system---in the middle of one of my test edits I seemed to lose ability to control volume. I had been working with 'audio-envelope' volume bars..inserting the littlemarkers and all was fine...now,, when i move the volume bar attached to one of the square markers either up or down..nothing seems to happen..its as if the 'envelope' doesn't exist anymore..even though i can see it..
i suspect I pushed a button somewhere but have no idea which one.
Also---how important is it to pay attention to 'channel selection' when working with audio---i.e. if i've got the external mic for interviews on and i then want to use only that audio do i have to select the appropriate channel to cancel out the 'other/camera' mic?
and finally----how critical are these 'pan' bars when editing..do you just leave them in the center...? does this cause any issues when rendering final product?
i know..a lot of questions..but the more i work with this thing the more questions come up.
Many thanks

Comments

xberk wrote on 6/8/2009, 2:03 PM

I'm not sure what's going on -- but Vegas has "events" which reside on "tracks". An "event" is like a clip where you edit the beginning and end point. By "audio envelope" you probably mean the "track volume". "Shift-V" toggles this on and off for any given audio track. The volume line spans all events on a track. The square markers then interrupt that line to control volume. The markers can span over multiple events on the same track. IF you are not hearing the sound but not any changes as you move the markers, then add a track for testing .. if that track does not work you have some other setting wrong -- but I can't imagine what.

By the way -- get Spots book. Or something like it. This will save you an enormous amount of time.

blink3times wrote on 6/8/2009, 3:47 PM

Did you accidentally lock the track?

MCS wrote on 6/9/2009, 1:29 AM

i checked to see if the track was locked----it wasn't...but i may have discovered the problem.
when rendering and burning to dvd testing i realized that i had used 44kz audio when i first created the project (HD 1920x1080)...so i 'changed' it to 48kz.... AFTER i did the work----i think that is what caused the issue..
I wanted to change to 48kz because thats what the XDCAM EX audio is... so wanted to match that in the settings for the project.
I have since opened a new project with 48kz settings for audio..done a bit of testing and the audio envelope function appears to be working fine....i.e. sound is ducking and raising where i tell it to.
then again---maybe the audio/project/settings issue had nothing to do with it..... but thats the only thing i can think of.
Another question---how important is it to turn on/off specific 'tracks' in the audio event...i.e. if i've got 2-tracks recorded in the file---one for camera mic and one for external mic...and i want to hear just the external mic...must i select/isolate that particular track in the audio event?
thanks

PeterWright wrote on 6/9/2009, 2:30 AM

If the two mikes have been recorded as left / right parts of a single stereo track, and you only want to hear one, right click on the audio event and select Channels / Left only, or Right only as applicable.

If you want mainly external mic, but a little bit of ambient sound from the camera mic, duplicate the audio track, or copy the audio event beneath itself, then make one event Left only and the other Right only. You can then mix their respective levels to suit your requirements.

MCS wrote on 6/9/2009, 1:06 PM

thanks...very useful.