Newbie with audio problem

JTonra wrote on 3/29/2003, 7:29 PM
I've imported some .avi files (from my digital camcorder) and added them to the timeline. When I play (or save an editted .avi back out) the movie has no sound. The original clips play fine (with sound) in WMP. I know this is probably something pretty basic but I haven't found the answer in the help or the knowledge base. Anyone out there wanna help a newbie? Thanks in advance.

Comments

Grazie wrote on 3/29/2003, 11:19 PM
JT - What can you see in VF? You should be seeing the Video clip on the Time Line [T/L] PLUS, and just below it, the AUDIO track. This appears as a "waveform". This will indicate you do in fact have audio. If you haven't got this waveform - then we need to think again - yeah?

However, if you have the waveform and as you say you can play this clip in WMP, then we must investigate, if, for some reason, the audio line is "muted" AND/OR you have the audio turned down - yeah?

Get back - we'll sort it!

Grazie
JTonra wrote on 3/30/2003, 8:40 AM
Grazie,

Thanks for the quick response. I do NOT see a waveform on the audio track. I assume you mean the track labeled "Voice".

jim
Sarasdad wrote on 3/30/2003, 8:47 AM
it will be directly under video on time line.
JTonra wrote on 3/30/2003, 9:00 AM
Here's a link to a (pretty marginal) screen shot showing what I see.

http://66.30.105.90/temp/sonic.jpg
Grazie wrote on 3/30/2003, 10:21 AM
Woah there! You got any audio at all! Hmmm....

Check out when you are in "Capture" the "Preferences". Click on "Capture" and ensure that you have "Capture Audio" checked - yeah? - This could be it!

After this, and it hasn't worked, try the following:-

When you go into "Capture" click on "Audio" - yeah? Tell us what audio device is currently selected - if any . . . hmmmm.... Can you give us a screen capture of the drop down menu under the Audio - yeah?

Also, look at the Properties of the clip in the Media Pool, scroll across right. Look to see if you have an "Avg. Audio Data Rate" value. Your Audio Format and sample rate - yeah? Let's see if any audio is being "pulled" into your VF project.

I'm hoping you haven't got the Capture Audio in the preferences checked.

Waiting . . . .

Grazie

Former user wrote on 3/30/2003, 1:15 PM
What kind of digital camcorder do you have?

Is it a DV cam, digital 8, or does it recored into an MPEG format?

Dave T2
JTonra wrote on 3/30/2003, 3:04 PM
It's a DV cam (Canon ZR60).
JTonra wrote on 3/30/2003, 3:08 PM
I did not use VF to capture this video; I used Windows Movie Maker. I recaptured using VF and the clips now have sound. That still leaves the question as to why the other clips don't. I've got a bunch of stuff I've already imported which I'd prefer to not redo. The average audio data rate field is blank in details view in the media pool. When I do properties on the clip in the media pool, it shows only a single stream (Video 1).
discdude wrote on 3/30/2003, 4:19 PM
Do properties on the clip in Windows Explorer. There is a "details" tab that should give you information on the audio format.
JTonra wrote on 3/30/2003, 6:20 PM
Stange... The clip I captured with Windows Movie Maker has only one entry in the details view but the one captured using Video Factory has several. I've added screen caps in case anyone has any thoughts on this.

wmm captured clip: http://66.30.105.90/temp/wmm.jpg
video factory clip: http://66.30.105.90/temp/vf.jpg

As noted earlier, both clips do have audio when played using windows media player but the one captured by movie maker does not have audio when editted in video factory.
discdude wrote on 3/30/2003, 9:36 PM
OK, here my best guess on what I think is happening.

Windows Movie Maker's capture program creates AVI's with compressed audio. Video Factory cannot read the compressed audio (in fact, I bet most Video for Windows apps can't read the audio).

Click on the "Import Video" button within Video Factory. You might notice the "Video" and "Audio" information at the bottom of the "Open" window. When you single click your file, I bet the "Audio" information says "Stream Attributes cannot be read."

Am I right?

Now the only thing that stumps me is what audio codec was used. I don't have Windows Movie Maker (I have 98SE) so I can't reproduce your problem.

Therefore, all I can do is to tell you to open the video in Windows Media Player and see if you can read the audio codec details in the properties page from within Windows Media Player. However, once I know the codec used, I might be able to help you convert your files without recompression of the video.
Grazie wrote on 3/30/2003, 10:06 PM
Why aren't you capturing using the VF Capture programme? Why are you using Moviemaker? You must have decided to do this and not use VF Capture, where you would/should have all the functionality to control the audio part of the DV.

Grazie
JTonra wrote on 3/31/2003, 6:19 AM
I *will* be using VF from now own but I was just trying to figure out how to deal with the video I've already captured. Since there isn't all that much of it and I still have the source, I think I'll just redo it with VF. Thanks to everyone who has helped out with suggestions on this. This is a great forum!

jim