audio levels issue from Mac to Vegas back to Mac

SMcQ wrote on 1/11/2011, 8:31 AM

I recorded narration on a Mac with a good mic and the levels were fine when I imported them to Vegas Pro 10 to lay down the track with the video. Matched the narration to the visuals, but didn't touch the sound levels at all.

But when imported back to the Mac as part of the QT movie rendered by Vegas, the audio levels are barely audible. Tried exporting audio separately from Vegas as mp3 and adding to the movie track while on the Mac, same problem.

Does Vegas do something to the sound levels that would affect how they play on a Mac when exported? If so, is it possible to turn this off?

SMcQ

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 1/11/2011, 10:04 AM

Vegas does not alter sound levels unless you do something to make it so.
Make sure your track levels and master levels are set to 0 dB.
Did you drop the master level for listening?

What is your input format?
What is your output format?
Can you upload an original sample somewhere?

rraud wrote on 1/11/2011, 11:17 AM

I concur with MV, there's a setting somewhere you overlooked. If you have not done so already, I would suggest removing or disable the 'factory default' audio plug-in chain on each channel, which can muck with the levels. For reasons I do not comprehend, SCS assumed every user would want on every freak'in audio track.

Beware of MP3s, especially with video. Every time a file is rendered (or re-rendered) in the .mp3 format, the quality takes a hit.. how much depends on the data compression parameters. Equally important in using MP3s with video, when an audio file is re-rendered, about 30 milliseconds (approx.1 frame) of silence is added to the head.. throwing it out of sync. (and making it useless for continuous looping too)

PS- If you have QT-pro and not changed the timeline, an audio file can be quickly replaced w/o re-rendering a project.

SMcQ wrote on 1/11/2011, 11:26 AM

You know, I think I did drop my master level for listening. Thought I put everything back again but just checking it now, it isn't quite up there. I'm really ignorant about audio technicalities. 0db for the master track is at the very top, right?

The input format was Quicktime AAC stereo. The output format was at first the default for QT 7 export, which looks to be uncompressed. I could not get this to render along with the video, so rendered out the video only, which went fine without the sound, and then the sound as a separate render to mp3, brought both over to the Mac then added audio to video.

I think my lowering of the Master level was what went wrong. I just didn't know what I was doing, still don't. Need to study up on audio with both the help file and other sources. Is there an audio for dummies book?

So the master track slider should be at the top for 0 db?

musicvid10 wrote on 1/11/2011, 11:33 AM

"0db for the master track is at the very top, right?"

NO. 0 dB is at 0 dB.

Move your sliders until the numbers at the bottom of meters say 0.0
That is called the "gain."
0 dB gain means the same level out as was put in.

ChristoC wrote on 1/11/2011, 2:12 PM

Double-click on Channel & Master fader knobs to auto-return them to 0.

Make sure "Dim Output" button on Mixer/MixingConsole is not pressed (= button with speaker + down arrow icon).

SMcQ wrote on 1/11/2011, 2:22 PM

Ah, thank you both! Like I said, audio for dummies is what I need to read.

SMcQ

ChristoC wrote on 1/11/2011, 2:58 PM

Oh, and also:
Make sure "Downmix Output" button on Mixer/MixingConsole is not pressed (= button with 1 or 2 speaker icon), unless you deliberately want Mono output/render when Project Properties are "Stereo" audio, or a stereo output/render when Project Properties are set to "5.1" audio.

pwppch wrote on 1/11/2011, 6:52 PM

What tool on the Mac are you using to combine them?

Don't render to mp3. Render to wave or aif. Once you do, load the rendered audio in to a fresh Vegas project. Are the levels correct?

No playback the wave file on the Mac. Does the file play at the same relative level?

Also you have to consider the audio device that you are playing back on and what OS X or Windows may be doing to it.

Peter

Geoff_Wood wrote on 1/12/2011, 1:47 PM

Double-click on the slider-knob to reset it to default.

I seldom ever touch the Master Fader in Vegas. To avoid having to do this I made a fader box that goes just before my power amp input, to control listening level,and sits right between my keyboard and MCU !

geoff