Ducking

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/19/2024, 7:24 AM

First of all, I haven't had hardly any crashes or not responding messages with the new version of Vegas. That's great!
I know I'm getting old but for some reason I can't duck my audio levels. I can reduce the entire event volume with the middle tab but I can't click on the audio line to insert the points so as to duck the volume during some dialog. Have they set up something different than in former versions?

Comments

Dexcon wrote on 4/19/2024, 7:31 AM

I think that you are missing hitting keyboard 'V' which adds the audio envelope (a blue line along the middle of the audio track). It is on the audio envelope (the blue line) that you double-click to create nodes that can be adjusted up or down to duck the audio.

Last changed by Dexcon on 4/19/2024, 7:31 AM, changed a total of 1 times.

Cameras: Sony FDR-AX100E; GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition

Installed: Vegas Pro 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, HitFilm Pro 2021.3, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.0.3, BCC 2025, Mocha Pro 2024.5, NBFX TotalFX 7, Neat NR, DVD Architect 6.0, MAGIX Travel Maps, Sound Forge Pro 16, SpectraLayers Pro 11, iZotope RX10 Advanced and many other iZ plugins, Vegasaur 4.0

Windows 11

Dell Alienware Aurora 11:

10th Gen Intel i9 10900KF - 10 cores (20 threads) - 3.7 to 5.3 GHz

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64GB RAM - Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz

C drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

D: drive: 4TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD (used for media for editing current projects)

E: drive: 2TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD

F: drive: 6TB WD 7200 rpm Black HDD 3.5"

Dell Ultrasharp 32" 4K Color Calibrated Monitor

 

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Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/19/2024, 7:41 AM

I think that you are missing hitting keyboard 'V' which adds the audio envelope (a blue line along the middle of the audio track). It is on the audio envelope (the blue line) that you double-click to create nodes that can be adjusted up or down to duck the audio.

Hi Dexcon, I'm aware of the "insert volume envelope" to be set for the entire track but in other versions of Vegas we're able to click on the volume line and in a single event create the diamonds to adjust the volume.

I'm sure it must be a setting I have on my current project because when I open up an old project built in V20 and it opens in V21 I can still make the points. Here's a screen shot of the points I'm speaking of.

Dexcon wrote on 4/19/2024, 7:54 AM

... but in other versions of Vegas we're able to click on the volume line and in a single event create the diamonds to adjust the volume

I've not seen that before in Vegas Pro versions 10-21 - it certainly doesn't work that way in Vegas Pro 20 build 411.

Perhaps you could upload a screenshot of the timeline in an older version of Vegas Pro showing the timeline with a single event with ducking applied within the event but without using an audio envelope. Maybe I've missed out on something really good over the last 14 years.

Cameras: Sony FDR-AX100E; GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition

Installed: Vegas Pro 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, HitFilm Pro 2021.3, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.0.3, BCC 2025, Mocha Pro 2024.5, NBFX TotalFX 7, Neat NR, DVD Architect 6.0, MAGIX Travel Maps, Sound Forge Pro 16, SpectraLayers Pro 11, iZotope RX10 Advanced and many other iZ plugins, Vegasaur 4.0

Windows 11

Dell Alienware Aurora 11:

10th Gen Intel i9 10900KF - 10 cores (20 threads) - 3.7 to 5.3 GHz

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 - liquid cooled

64GB RAM - Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz

C drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

D: drive: 4TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD (used for media for editing current projects)

E: drive: 2TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD

F: drive: 6TB WD 7200 rpm Black HDD 3.5"

Dell Ultrasharp 32" 4K Color Calibrated Monitor

 

LAPTOP:

Dell Inspiron 5310 EVO 13.3"

i5-11320H CPU

C Drive: 1TB Corsair Gen4 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (upgraded from the original 500 GB SSD)

Monitor is 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/19/2024, 8:07 AM

... but in other versions of Vegas we're able to click on the volume line and in a single event create the diamonds to adjust the volume

I've not seen that before in Vegas Pro versions 10-21 - it certainly doesn't work that way in Vegas Pro 20 build 411.

Perhaps you could upload a screenshot of the timeline in an older version of Vegas Pro showing the timeline with a single event with ducking applied within the event but without using an audio envelope. Maybe I've missed out on something really good over the last 14 years.

There's the screenshot on the above post. I just clicked on the event to make the points.

Dexcon wrote on 4/19/2024, 8:13 AM

That's the audio envelope enabled by hitting keyboard 'V' thus creating the blue line - and yes, it does apply to the entire track, it's not just a feature of an individual audio event applying only to that individual audio event - your uploaded image clearly demonstrates that.

Cameras: Sony FDR-AX100E; GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition

Installed: Vegas Pro 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, HitFilm Pro 2021.3, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.0.3, BCC 2025, Mocha Pro 2024.5, NBFX TotalFX 7, Neat NR, DVD Architect 6.0, MAGIX Travel Maps, Sound Forge Pro 16, SpectraLayers Pro 11, iZotope RX10 Advanced and many other iZ plugins, Vegasaur 4.0

Windows 11

Dell Alienware Aurora 11:

10th Gen Intel i9 10900KF - 10 cores (20 threads) - 3.7 to 5.3 GHz

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 - liquid cooled

64GB RAM - Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz

C drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

D: drive: 4TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD (used for media for editing current projects)

E: drive: 2TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD

F: drive: 6TB WD 7200 rpm Black HDD 3.5"

Dell Ultrasharp 32" 4K Color Calibrated Monitor

 

LAPTOP:

Dell Inspiron 5310 EVO 13.3"

i5-11320H CPU

C Drive: 1TB Corsair Gen4 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (upgraded from the original 500 GB SSD)

Monitor is 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/19/2024, 8:23 AM

That's the audio envelope enabled by hitting keyboard 'V' thus creating the blue line - and yes, it does apply to the entire track, it's not just a feature of an individual audio event applying only to that individual audio event - your uploaded image clearly demonstrates that.

You are absolutely right. I've been working so many hours on one of our new PBS programs I think my brain has just reached its limit for a while for clear thinking. Thanks for your reply and sorry to take your time in something I should have realized. Again... good news is the new version of Vegas hasn't crashed in the build of my recent project.

DMT3 wrote on 4/19/2024, 8:56 AM

I think Roger is referring to the action of setting a selection with the Volume line enabled. Then you can drag that audio line between the section and it will lower/raise the volume for the selection and crate the 4 diamond points. This does work in V20. I don't have 21. I can post a video if you need to see what I am talking about.

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/19/2024, 9:05 AM

I think Roger is referring to the action of setting a selection with the Volume line enabled. Then you can drag that audio line between the section and it will lower/raise the volume for the selection and crate the 4 diamond points. This does work in V20. I don't have 21. I can post a video if you need to see what I am talking about.

You know.... it was just a matter of me going blank while working on the project and spending about 15 minutes trying to figure out something I already knew and used for years I blanked and posted on the forum.

DMT3 wrote on 4/19/2024, 9:06 AM

@Roger Bansemer so it does work in V21 as well?

DMT3 wrote on 4/19/2024, 9:08 AM

@Dexcon I think this is what Roger was talking about.

rraud wrote on 4/19/2024, 9:44 AM

The 'select region', 'drag automation envelope' works in Vegas 21. I use this feature extensively.

I have not yet installed the new build 3 though.

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 4/19/2024, 11:30 AM

Select region works fine on envelopes in vp21 build 300 as illustrated by @DMT3 . Behavior is controlled by this preference setting:

Note that the alignment setting also controls placement of multicam splits (selected by ctrl-leftclick)... I tend to switch the alignment back and forth depending on which I'm doing.

mark-y wrote on 4/19/2024, 4:06 PM

@Roger Bansemer Since you spent a long time in TV studios, you might find the Mixing Console a friendlier option to setting the points or selections individually.

Just ride board gains the old fashioned way during real time playback, and the automation sets the points for you. Then just go back through and tweak the timing and depth of the ducked sections.

Dexcon wrote on 4/19/2024, 7:32 PM

Many thanks @DMT3 ... I didn't know about that neat feature. If I'm doing it right, the selected volume can be adjusted for the audio track for any length covered by the loop in/out markers no matter how many audio events are on the timeline within that loop region.

Cameras: Sony FDR-AX100E; GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition

Installed: Vegas Pro 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, HitFilm Pro 2021.3, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.0.3, BCC 2025, Mocha Pro 2024.5, NBFX TotalFX 7, Neat NR, DVD Architect 6.0, MAGIX Travel Maps, Sound Forge Pro 16, SpectraLayers Pro 11, iZotope RX10 Advanced and many other iZ plugins, Vegasaur 4.0

Windows 11

Dell Alienware Aurora 11:

10th Gen Intel i9 10900KF - 10 cores (20 threads) - 3.7 to 5.3 GHz

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 - liquid cooled

64GB RAM - Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz

C drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

D: drive: 4TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD (used for media for editing current projects)

E: drive: 2TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD

F: drive: 6TB WD 7200 rpm Black HDD 3.5"

Dell Ultrasharp 32" 4K Color Calibrated Monitor

 

LAPTOP:

Dell Inspiron 5310 EVO 13.3"

i5-11320H CPU

C Drive: 1TB Corsair Gen4 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (upgraded from the original 500 GB SSD)

Monitor is 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/20/2024, 6:29 AM

@Roger Bansemer Since you spent a long time in TV studios, you might find the Mixing Console a friendlier option to setting the points or selections individually.

Just ride board gains the old fashioned way during real time playback, and the automation sets the points for you. Then just go back through and tweak the timing and depth of the ducked sections.

I'm not sure if you were kidding with me but just by the seat of my pants I've produced 150 PBS television shows called "Painting and Travel with Roger and Sarah Bansemer" and never knew anything about producing a TV show before or had television studio experience. That's why I guess I've had so many questions over the years that might seem obvious to others on the forum as PBS is quite particular about the final product.

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/20/2024, 6:33 AM

That's the audio envelope enabled by hitting keyboard 'V' thus creating the blue line - and yes, it does apply to the entire track, it's not just a feature of an individual audio event applying only to that individual audio event - your uploaded image clearly demonstrates that.

Didn't know about that short cut. Thanks for that tip.

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/20/2024, 6:37 AM

Select region works fine on envelopes in vp21 build 300 as illustrated by @DMT3 . Behavior is controlled by this preference setting:

Note that the alignment setting also controls placement of multicam splits (selected by ctrl-leftclick)... I tend to switch the alignment back and forth depending on which I'm doing.

Hi Howard. Would you please explain what this does. I'm not understanding it. Thanks. Is this for audio?

Dexcon wrote on 4/20/2024, 7:13 AM

The time selection envelope fade setting (as highlighted in red in the box) allows the length of the audio fades to be set in milliseconds. This setting determines the length of the in and out fades when using the ducking method that you were seeking in your original post. For instance, a 1,000 ms setting will mean that each in and out fade will be 1 second (one millisecond is 1,000th of a second). Thus you can decide the default length of the in and out fades that you want by coding this setting accordingly. If you want half second fades, then the setting would be 500 ms, quarter second fades would need a 250 ms setting, and so on.

Cameras: Sony FDR-AX100E; GoPro Hero 11 Black Creator Edition

Installed: Vegas Pro 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22, HitFilm Pro 2021.3, DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.0.3, BCC 2025, Mocha Pro 2024.5, NBFX TotalFX 7, Neat NR, DVD Architect 6.0, MAGIX Travel Maps, Sound Forge Pro 16, SpectraLayers Pro 11, iZotope RX10 Advanced and many other iZ plugins, Vegasaur 4.0

Windows 11

Dell Alienware Aurora 11:

10th Gen Intel i9 10900KF - 10 cores (20 threads) - 3.7 to 5.3 GHz

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 - liquid cooled

64GB RAM - Dual Channel HyperX FURY DDR4 XMP at 3200MHz

C drive: 2TB Samsung 990 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD

D: drive: 4TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD (used for media for editing current projects)

E: drive: 2TB Samsung 870 SATA SSD

F: drive: 6TB WD 7200 rpm Black HDD 3.5"

Dell Ultrasharp 32" 4K Color Calibrated Monitor

 

LAPTOP:

Dell Inspiron 5310 EVO 13.3"

i5-11320H CPU

C Drive: 1TB Corsair Gen4 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (upgraded from the original 500 GB SSD)

Monitor is 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz

Petersson wrote on 4/20/2024, 5:08 PM

Lot's of audio software has that "region select and adopt thing", also SoundForge has it.

I hope one day Vegas will show a kind of adaptive display for the wave-pattern, like in this movie (from an other editor I use a lot to clean up bad audio);

So when you make the volume / gain lower, the wave pattern adopts and even disappears.

It's just a dream, so I don't expect it to be happening (soon) 🙂

rraud wrote on 4/21/2024, 10:32 AM

The event's waveform in Vegas lowers as the (pre-fader) gain (upper edge of the audio event) is dragged downward. The track volume and automation volume envelope does not change the waveform.

DMT3 wrote on 4/21/2024, 12:17 PM

@Petersson Yes, I do like that visual feedback.

Petersson wrote on 4/21/2024, 12:20 PM

The event's waveform in Vegas lowers as the (pre-fader) gain (upper edge of the audio event) is dragged downward. The track volume and automation volume envelope does not change the waveform.

Yeah, I know and "maybe" that's how it "should" work?

I mean, gain is not the same as volume.

But when ducking, it can come in handy to have some visual feedback inside your timeline. Maybe as a preference; let volume behave like gain.

You can faux it by hitting SHIFT + ARROW UP / DOWN already.

Or something with color coding, were red means volume is higher and blue lowered.

It's just an idea.. don't take it too serious. But it can come in handy when doing a lot of editing / ducking.

Howard-Vigorita wrote on 4/21/2024, 1:07 PM

Not that I have anything against adaptive waveforms... Audi TT, Gulf Coast or The Vineyard. But these are the things I miss the most: Multi-point Peak Selection and Go to Peak.

Roger Bansemer wrote on 4/21/2024, 1:16 PM

Select region works fine on envelopes in vp21 build 300 as illustrated by @DMT3 . Behavior is controlled by this preference setting:

Note that the alignment setting also controls placement of multicam splits (selected by ctrl-leftclick)... I tend to switch the alignment back and forth depending on which I'm doing.

Hi Howard. That's fabulous. I never knew that existed. I've been fading the in and outs of the audio manually for over a decade. This saves a lot of time. Thanks again for the great tip.