Vegas Pro 10 - Waveforms Clipped

streckfus wrote on 10/17/2013, 10:04 AM
Howdy. I brought in a bunch of audio tracks for a feature film mix, and for some reason many of them were clipped. Strange, since I was on set when we recorded the audio and no clipping took place, so I brought those same tracks into different applications (Premiere Pro CS6, Audition CS6, Sonar X2) and the waveforms were NOT clipped and had plenty of headroom.

While playing back in Vegas, most of them didn't sound like they were clipping, but visually and according to the meter, they were. I know Vegas defaults each audio track with an inclusion of EQ/Compression, but even if those were somehow creating the source audio to clip, it would be AFTER the source file and wouldn't affect the waveform itself. So on a whim I removed the default audio plug-ins, but not surpringly it did nothing to eliminate clipping.

Any thoughts on why Vegas is showing clipped waveforms and clipped metering on source tracks that did NOT clip when they were recorded, and do not show up as being clipped audio when brought into other applications? (And don't even sound clipped during Vegas playback?)

Comments

ChristoC wrote on 10/17/2013, 10:36 AM
The meters in Vegas Tracks are POST Fader and Pan.
Are you sure Fader is at 0.0 dB or below?
Are you Panning these tracks?
Which Pan curve have you selected? [right click on pan knob to view panner type]

With the default panner type = "Add channels (0dB Centre)" whenever you swing the knob Left or Right UP TO +6dB GAIN IS ADDED which may result in the meter showing overload (and indeed overload is occurring).
Cure is to either select another panner type (e.g. "Film") or lower the fader somewhat (e.g. by -6dB).

Otherwise, for further explanation, upload a sample soundfile and the Vegas .VEG file you are using
streckfus wrote on 10/17/2013, 10:51 AM
Nope, these are mono tracks panned at dead center, volume at 0db, master volume at 0db. Aside from the default effects Vegas adds (EQ/comp), I haven't done anything to the source file. But even if I had, the waveform itself wouldn't be clipping, as it displays the original audio, before any effects/plug-ins are added.

So even though I could eliminate the meter clipping by simply lowering the track/master volume levels, that doesn't change the fact that the audio file itself is clipping because of the waveform.

And again, the source audio is NOT actually clipped. That very same audio source, brought into any other software app, shows a normal waveform with plenty of headroom, no meter clipping either.

Strange.
ChristoC wrote on 10/17/2013, 12:45 PM
Strange indeed !
I assume you have tried bypassing/removing the track FX?
Here VegasPro levels are completely consistent with levels in 5 other DAWs.
Any chance to upload one of your 'clipping' files somewhere?
musicvid10 wrote on 10/19/2013, 7:59 PM
Upload an original sample that is not clipped, and yet appears clipped in Vegas.
Use a fileshare site.
I must say, this is the first time I've heard of this. You "do" that multiple tracks are cumulative wrt gain, don't you?
rraud wrote on 10/20/2013, 10:35 AM
"this is the first time I've heard of this"
Same here,
But try setting the events normalization down a half dB or so.
What file format? Lossy file types can often get clipped in the codec process. By all means, post a sample file.
musicvid10 wrote on 10/20/2013, 11:20 PM
"Lossy file types can often get clipped in the codec process."
This is a situation i have experienced.
+1