Audio control of right/left channel independantly.

Simmer wrote on 6/24/2002, 9:43 AM

I have captured video and see signal info in both the left and right channels of the audio track.

I want to mute, say the right channel and have only the left channel audible. Can I do this and if so, how?

Up to now I can only seem to select both left and right tracks together. I cannot seem to be able to select just the left or right track. Also when I attempt to adjust the volume on the main slider at the bottom of the screen, I cannot seem to be able to select just the left or just the right volume control. Both move together no matter what I do.

Any help?

Thanks all

-Mike

Comments

Kalvos wrote on 6/24/2002, 11:16 AM

Use the option to open a copy of the audio in an external editor. If you open in Cool Edit, for example, you can silence either channel's contents (and also implement limiting and other features that may help any field audio you've recorded). Then save and close the file, and return to VF where the audio will be updated automatically.

Dennis

Simmer wrote on 6/24/2002, 1:01 PM

Thanks Kalvos

I was hoping that VF had functionality that would allow me to alter audio independent of channel.
So, I guess, I'd have to spend money on a 3rd party app to be able to do this?

I'm assuming that the "copy audio in an external editor" function in VF allows me to specify a destination file type (i.e. WAV, MP2/3, etc.) since audio editors will be looking for these types of files, correct?

Thanks again...

-Mike

discdude wrote on 6/24/2002, 1:46 PM

I would use the pan function to isolate either the right or left channel. You can even use the pan "envelope" to vary the amount of pan.

Do a search on "panning" and "envelope" in the online help.

Kalvos wrote on 6/24/2002, 2:33 PM

I interpreted the request as full independent control of the two channels -- if it's only balance, then pan is the thing!

Dennis

Simmer wrote on 6/24/2002, 2:43 PM

Thanks discdude

Some additional info...

The videos I'm currently editing are transfers from some old home movies created apx. 20 years ago on 8mm movie film and then transfered onto VHS tape. The original audio is MONO!
The VHS tape contains audio with both channels (right and left) duplicates of each other but with one channel much reduced in volume (signal amplitude).
I see this in VF as the top channel in the timeline being similar to the bottom channel only much smaller in amplitude.
When I view/edit the audio on VF I can only seem to be able to edit/and hear the louder of the two channels. I want to be able to either mute or disable entirely the loud channel in favor of the quieter one.

However
1) When I attempt to select on the timeline one of the audio channels, they both highlight, not allowing me to select individual channels.
2) If I attempt to pan, I seem to only get the louder of the two channels audible from my left speaker to right speaker and back.
3) If I attempt to control the master volume in VF (volume control in lower portion of screen) both control slider knobs move together even though they seem to have been modeled as two seperate slider knobs.

Any sugestions?

Thanks all

-Mike

Kalvos wrote on 6/24/2002, 3:29 PM

Hi Simmerheli,

If you really want these things to sound good, get an audio editing program. The Cool Edit demo (http://www.syntrillium.com/) has only a few functions enabled per session but it will give you an idea. You can clean up the hiss and noise from transfers, get rid of the hum and shutter clatter that sometimes makes its way into optical tracks, change the equalization to improve its realism, and do enough processing (with lots of free downloadable DXi plugins online) to make that old audio jump right out at you.

VF's envelopes and other options are excellent if your sound is already in good shape. Since the unlimited version of Cool Edit costs about the same as VF, if you really want to do a nice job on those transfers, it's worth it.

Dennis

Simmer wrote on 6/24/2002, 3:44 PM

Thanks again Dennis

Cool Edit looks like a nice program. I think I may get this.

In the mean time, I'm believe I'm looking more for the ability to edit the right and left audio channels independantly.

Is this possible in VF anyone. :-)

Thanks

-Mike

discdude wrote on 6/24/2002, 4:01 PM

I like Cool Edit 2000 too. It's not a bad program to have, especially considering the decent noise reduction features that come it. However, Cool Edit is a ~$70 dollar solution to a problem that can probably be fixed for free.

At this point, I would render the sound to a mono wave file (using the advanced render option) and reimport the sound back into VF. You can fix the uneven sound using the volume envelope if needed. When you render to DV, VF sound automatically convert the sound back to stereo, hopefully with equal channel levels.

I have done something similar to this with VirtualDub and AVI's that only had sound in one channel.

Not as elegant as using Cool Edit but it should work.

Chienworks wrote on 6/24/2002, 4:17 PM

I got it!

Well, actually Sonic Foundry got it, i just located it.

Render (Make Movie), Advanced Render, choose Wave (Microsoft) (*.wav) for the Save as type, click [Custom], set Channels: to Multiple Mono. This will create two mono .wav files, one containing the left channel and the other containing the right channel. You may then remove the original audio and add either or both of these to the timeline in one or two of the audio tracks and have at them separately.

Simmer wrote on 6/24/2002, 5:09 PM

Wonderful all

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.
I'll try come more things out tonight based upon the suggestions so far.

See yu

-Mike