Help, DVD Arch is compressing my audio

JohnnyPhilko wrote on 5/11/2004, 8:58 AM

Hi all,

I've finally finished my 1st video project! hooray!

I am trying to burn a DVD with DVD Arch and it compressed the music something aweful! It is terrible. I read up on it and everything I try inclunding using MainConcept MPG2 results in compression.

The original audio file I'm using is 44k 16 bit for burning cds, I resampled it using SoundForge to 48k 16bit and still get the same thing.

Can anyone shed some light of this for me?

Thanks in advance,
Peace,
Johnny Philko
http://www.JohnnyPhilko.org

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 5/11/2004, 9:06 AM

Try starting a new project, but pick Music Compilation. Put your files into the music compilation, and then check the File -> Optimize window and see if DVDA 2.0 reports that it is going to recompress the audio. I am finding that DVDA 2.0 makes different decisions on audio compression depending on whether the file is in a music compilation or in a regular video. I haven't yet been able to reproduce this reliably, however.

GaryKleiner wrote on 5/11/2004, 9:52 AM

Open Optomize DVD.

There you can set the Project audio format to:
PCM Stereo (best fildelity)
AC-3 Stereo
AC-3 5.1 Surround

You can also change these settings for individual media.

Gary

filmy wrote on 5/11/2004, 10:13 AM

Hey - this is in no way an answer but I had to post - so I am looking through my CD's and what not and I come across a package from - Could it be? Johnny Philko from the depths of Avon Lake.

Now if I could find the CD that was in the package I could listen to it. :)

JohnnyPhilko wrote on 5/15/2004, 12:03 PM

Hey Filmy,

Lol, Yes it is us! :-)

Hope you find the CD!!! :-)

Peace,
Johnny Philko
http://www.JohnnyPhilko.org

Grazie wrote on 5/15/2004, 11:19 PM

.. . I love this forum . . G

kameronj wrote on 5/16/2004, 11:14 AM

It's an extra step - but it always works well for me.

When ever I'm working with video that is going to be going to DVDArchitect, I always do two renders. The video render (with no audio)...then an audio (AC3) render.

When I bring it into Architect, I just bring in both files. The prepare/burn time (unless I need to optimize) is pretty short - and the audio sounds as good as it did when I made the file.

That's my 0.02.

Kam

JohnnyPhilko wrote on 5/18/2004, 10:26 AM

Thanks all!

Rendering to AC3 seemed to work! DVD Arch accepted it with no recompression! :-) We could actually hear the audio pumping before!

It still sounds kinda icky on my tv though, perhaps I should re-eq it for small tv speakers or check the eq settings on my tv. I tend to boost the high end and lower the low end on my tv to help with intelligabillty from the actors voices.

Peace,
Johnny Philko
http://www.JohnnyPhilko.org

John_Cline wrote on 5/18/2004, 11:31 AM

Johnny,

When you do your AC3 encoding in Vegas, from the Render-as dialog box, select "Custom" settings and go to the last tab, "Preprocessing." Under "Dynamic Range Compression" set both the Line-Mode and RF-Mode profiles to "none." This will avoid having the AC3 encoder messing with your dynamic range. This is, no doubt, where the "pumping" was coming from.

John

prairiedogpics wrote on 5/18/2004, 11:42 AM

John_Cline,

Your answer is interesting. Can you elaborate on the AC-3 rendering settings or direct us to good tutorial for optimizing AC-3 renders?

Dan

John_Cline wrote on 5/18/2004, 1:52 PM

Dan,

What AC3 encoder settings are you most curious about? I would assume that the Dolby web site probably has some "White Papers" on the subject.

Dolby DVD Authoring & Mastering page

Dolby Info and Faqs page

The best results can be obtained by selecting the "Stereo DVD" default in Vegas and changing the settings I mentioned in my previous post. You can also change the bitrate to suit your material. Gnererally, 192kbits is fine for most material, but you can run it up to 224 or 256 if you think the audio quality of the source audio warrants it. Unless things have changed in DVDA2, you have more control over the AC3 settings in Vegas.

John

JohnnyPhilko wrote on 5/22/2004, 10:49 AM

Hi all,

Just to let you know, those adjustments to the ac3 properties worked great!

The funny thing is that when I 1st tried it and burnt a dvd, I put it in my dvd palyer and watched it on the tv. I could definately still hear a different kind of audio compression. It was driving me nuts until I checked out the options on my tv and found out that I had "Smart Sound" turned on. The tv was compressing the audio!! :-) I turned it off and it sounded great! :-0

Peace,
Johnny Philko
http://www.JohnnyPhilko.org