Vegas 8 vs DVDA 5 volume...

newUzer wrote on 12/6/2008, 9:35 AM
Hello,

While editing in Vegas, I typically normalize my audio tracks to 0dB, and everything plays and sounds cool. To maintain a decent volume level when rendering to AC3, I've followed the help file, and set up a template that eliminates the default dynamic compression settings. However, when I bring a clip into DVDA, things seem to change because it sounds significantly quieter. When I look at the audio track in the timeline, it even looks attenuated. All this despite turning of the compression features. So, what's the deal? How do I get the volume level I hear in DVDA to match what I hear in Vegas? Interestingly, when I play the DVD in a software player, it sounds appropriately loud (just as the help file promised), but it does seem to be overdriven - as if that attenuated signal I see in DVDA is being boosted to get it back to normal. Again, what's the best way to get all the audio levels to match without all this funny business that seems to be happening.

P.S. I'm using headphones and an external VU meter to quantify my opinions on volume at various stages in the Vegas, DVDA, player chain.

Comments

rs170a wrote on 12/6/2008, 10:35 AM
Here's the settings that are generally recommended:

Encode set to AC3;
Click on Custom tab;
On the first tab, set diag. norm to" -31";
On the last tab marked Preprocessing, set the Line Mode Profile
and RF Mode Profile mode to "none";
Save this as a preset.

And here's some slightly different settings that were recommended here a few months ago.

Dialog Norm at -31 (this sets it at unity gain);
RF and Line Mode DRC Off (WYHIWYG);
DC High Pass Filter On (this operates at <=3Hz and takes DC bias out of the mix);
Bandwidth Low Pass Filter On (this takes aliasing noise at >20kHz out of the encode).
Save this as a preset.

Mike
ChristoC wrote on 12/7/2008, 12:44 PM
What you see and hear in DVDA is the Encoded AC-3; it is not decoded, and therefore looks and sound strange... it's there for guide only whist compiling the DVD.