issues with home made music

Cosy Pete wrote on 5/31/2010, 1:57 PM

Hi Guys,

a newbie here so bare with me.

I have been making some video using video from my camcorder, photos, music ripped from CD's and some of my own music that I have written in Ableton Live. I have put it all into Movie studio 9 platinum edition.
When I had finished my piece I exported it as an mpeg. Wonderful everything was great. A friend then asked could they have a DVD copy so I transferred it into DVD architect and burnt it. All the visual side was great. The audio from video camera was great. The ripped CD was great. The music that I had created myself where allover the place. The sound fluctuated up and down and was unuseable.
Any ideas why that would be. It was recorded in 44100 16 bit standard CD quality. There is obviously an issue just with my homemade music. Any ideas why that might be.

I am using Windows 7 and Ableton Live 8

Any suggestions gratefully received as I need to produce some video that will be going to DVD and I need this sorting.

Many thanks

Cosy Pete

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 5/31/2010, 2:24 PM

Are you monitoring the audio levels in MovieStudio?

That would be the first thing to do. Ensure that all of the audio -- including your music -- is at the proper levels and never over-modulating.

Use the audio meters to do this. Don't trust what you hear through your computer speakers.

Cosy Pete wrote on 5/31/2010, 2:26 PM

Dear Steve,

that's a very quick response. I will try that thanks.

Cosy Pete

Steve Mann wrote on 5/31/2010, 7:35 PM

Look for a freeware program: "Levelator".

Cosy Pete wrote on 6/1/2010, 7:00 AM

Thanks guys

I have downloaded Levelator and I will try it on my next project and let you guys know.

Also how will I know if it's over modulating. What does that mean ? Does it mean peaking into the red ???

Cheers Cosy Pete

plekkie wrote on 6/1/2010, 7:52 AM

How was the audio in your MPEG file? If it was great there, what were the settings of the audio?

Steve Grisetti wrote on 6/1/2010, 10:02 AM

Yes. Overmodulating is peaking in the red -- which will produce a distorted sound.

Cosy Pete wrote on 6/1/2010, 11:23 AM

the audio in the mpeg was great no problems at all. It's just when it goes into DVD architect the music that I have written myself goes all over the place

Cheers Cosy Pete

Cosy Pete wrote on 6/1/2010, 11:26 AM

Hi Steve have checked the levels and they are not peaking and going into the red. i have cheked the audio that is fine and that too is not peaking.

Thanks for all your help

Any more suggestions

Cosy Pete

plekkie wrote on 6/1/2010, 2:03 PM

Obviously if the audio in the MPEG file was great, the audio has been converted during the DVD compilation by DVD Architect. So therefore my question: how was the audio in the MPEG file formatted, was it for example MPEG audio, Dolby Digital, or something else. Which settings did you use to create the MPEG file?