No sound when capturing video

feign wrote on 8/10/2007, 7:15 AM

I am using Vegas Movie Studio Platinum v7.0a in Windows XP. I have a Panasonic DV camcoder which uses mini DV tape. The camera is connected to the computer with a USB cable. When I capture video I get a perfect picture but no sound: the audio track is empty. Yet if I use Windows Movie Maker, I can get both picture and sound, so the problem is not the camera and not the cable connection. It's something to do with Vegas. What the heck am I doing wrong?

I've used Acid Pro for several years, so the Sony interface is familiar to me. I've searched Help and FAQs and online documentation, but nothing answers this question.

Can someone please advise?

Comments

4eyes wrote on 8/10/2007, 8:05 AM

Use a firewire cable connection instead of the usb cable (1394).
Don't plug both cables into the computer at the sametime either.
I can also capture usb (using the new drivers and specs for usb), but the firewire connection is more reliable and better compatibility with video programs.

If you can't use firewire & stuck with usb check your record settings on the soundcard.
The usb drivers may be routing the sound through the soundcards mixer (directx), can you at least hear the sound when playing back?
Firewire is the most reliable.

feign wrote on 8/10/2007, 5:56 PM

Thanks for the advice. I am unable to add firewire to the computer, as all the slots are taken. It's my daughter's decent but no-frills computer and her program. And it's an onboard sound card, not the ideal setup, I know. Though it has a decent GeForce video card.

I do not hear sound when playing back the video through Vegas, and I can see that the soundtrack is a straight line (no sound at all).

The thing is: with the EXACT SAME CONNECTION, I can capture both video and sound if I use Windows Movie Maker. So the issue is somehow related to software, not the cable connection.

As for checking the soundcard record settings, what is the proper setting? I can't tell from your reply whether it's good or bad if the sound is routed through the soundcard mixer.

Any additional advice is appreciated.

Chienworks wrote on 8/10/2007, 7:09 PM

Go ahead and capture in Movie Maker, then edit in Vegas.

4eyes wrote on 8/10/2007, 9:03 PM

I use to have a cam that could capture dv via usb2.
(Last guess) Make sure in the capture preferences screen the "Capture Audio" is checked On.
Also, under "Options | Preferences" there is an option to use the microsoft DV codec (maybe try turning this on), there might be few other dv settings under preferences.

Tim L wrote on 8/10/2007, 10:16 PM

feign,

The root cause of the problem is that Vegas and Vegas Movie Studio require a "Type 2 AVI" file, while most USB captures write a "Type 1 AVI" file.

http://www.fortvir.net/wiki/index.php?pagename=No%20Audio%20after%20Capture

The audio is indeed included in the "no sound" file you captured in VMS, but the audio is not in the format that Vegas expects. That's why you can hear the "missing" audio if you play the same, exact file in Windows Media Player, which knows how to handle both Type 1 and Type 2 AVI formats.

Are you saying that the file you capture in Movie Maker does have sound when you bring it into Vegas? If so, then do as Chienworks suggested and just use Movie Maker to capture your files, then edit with Vegas.

However, if you are simply saying that you get sound in Movie Maker but not in Vegas (with the same file), then Movie Maker must be saving a Type 1 AVI as well. (I don't have any experience with Movie Maker, so I don't know if there is an option to select Type 1 vs. Type 2.)

If firewire is not an option, then look around on the web for a Type 1 to Type 2 converter program. I've never used one before, but I know they're out there somewhere. Such a program would simply create a Type 2 (Vegas format) AVI file from a Type 1 AVI file. You would capture via USB just as you are now, then run the converter program on each captured file.

Tim L

feign wrote on 8/11/2007, 7:42 AM

Everybody,

Thank you for the clear and detailed explanations. I will try all suggestions. One more question, since I'm a little unclear both from Tim's reply and the link he gave:

Are you saying that if I use firewire, then this will likely solve the problems I encounter?

Chienworks wrote on 8/11/2007, 10:02 AM

USB is fraught with problems. Firewire just plain works.

dannyg wrote on 8/16/2007, 2:18 PM

My Sony camcorder won't even download video via USB and WOW that has to be slow.
FIREWIRE all the way!!!