Capturing 4-CH audio

Tom Pauncz wrote on 9/3/2009, 11:30 AM

Here's the scenario:
Camera: HVR-S270
Deck: DSR-25
Recording: DVCAM
Audio:4CH.

I recorded on both tape and CF card.

I copied the files off the CF card and imported those into Vegas Pro 8 and 9 and 2 sets of stereo audio tracks are seen - Audio Stream 1 and Audio Stream 2 plus video. So far so good.

Trying to capture off the DVCAM tape, nothing I have been able to tweak has enabled me to capture the four audio channels.

Tried via firewire from a DSR-25. Tried via firewire from the S270 using a combination of settings. Nada.

Tried the same as above using Scenalyzer v4. It did NOT write the extra channels as separate files. In fact it did not see the 4 channels either off the DSR-25 or the S270.

Now I KNOW that the four channels of audio exist on the tape as the meter in the DSR-25 shows the 4 channels as active. As does the S270 playing back the tape.

What am I missing?? I hope someone has a simple explanation as manuals have not been useful.

TIA,
Tom

Comments

Former user wrote on 9/3/2009, 11:32 AM

Scenalyzer used to advertise that they can capture all 4 channels. Vegas won't and most other capture software will not.

You normally also get a lower sample rate when using 4 channels. Usually 32k instead of 48.

Dave T2

Tom Pauncz wrote on 9/3/2009, 12:23 PM

Thanks Dave.
Guess I already figured this out. Is there anything out there, short of an SDI capture card, that allows the capture of 4-CH audio?
Tom

Former user wrote on 9/3/2009, 12:36 PM

You might not want to do this, but I know on my old D8 camera, you had an internal mixer that would change the channel outputs to the Analog RCA ports. You could capture from the analog if your camera allows that.

Dave T2

Coursedesign wrote on 9/3/2009, 12:44 PM

This was one of the issues that forced me to add FCP to my toolbox. I had to capture 4 channels of audio, couldn't find a way to do it with Vegas. FCP pulls up to 24 channels.

farss wrote on 9/3/2009, 1:14 PM

Don't have one in front of me at the moment however pretty certain in the VCR you can map channels 3,4 to 1,2. Bit of a PIA but this way you can capture the tape twice, once for each pair of tracks.

Once done render one of the captures to a wav file and ditch the original. You now have one file with vision + audio 1,2 and a wave file with audio 3,4.

Be aware though, most HDV VCRs will not handle 4chan HDV, only the latest "A" models.

Bob.

Tom Pauncz wrote on 9/3/2009, 1:48 PM

Thanks guys. Things to ponder ...

Bob - I think I already tried that, but will revisit it.

Of course, with the memory recorder of the S270, the no-pain way is to record using 4-CHs to card and then copy the files to the PC. And stop beating myself up!

Tom