Adding analog audio to avi file
Robert
help me with. I have avi files of live piano performances produced by
a digital camcorder, but the audio came from the camcorder's built-in
microphone, and is of poor quality. However, I also have high-quality
audio that was recorded simultaneously with good microphones on to
open-reel analog tape. (There's a clapper mark at the start of the
video that I can use for synchronization.) My question is, what is
the best way to replace the audio in the avi files with the audio on
my analog tapes, get in in synch, etc? Robert
ushere
any nle will do it. try downloading a trial version of one of them....
Don Stauffer
You will need some way to digitize the analog audio before you can input
it to an editor. You MAY be able to use the line input on your audio
card if it has one. You can also use an outboard audio digitizer.
Several relatively inexpensive ones with a USB inteface are available.
Once you have it in digital file, most video editors will be able to
insert it. Sync is just careful work. You may need to chop it into a
few pieces and sync each segment of the speed control of the original
recorder drifts a lot.
Scubajam
My question is, what is
> the best way to replace the audio in the avi files with the audio on
> my analog tapes, get in in synch, etc? Robert
You don't say which camcorder you used. Some have inputs or pass
through. My old Digital8 camcorders had RCA sockets I could plug any
analog source (VCR etc) into and then plug Firewire cable into
computer, set menu for analog to digital pass through conversion,
remember to remove tape from camcorder (won't work with it in), and
capture. Most newer camcorders can't do this. So .. Try plugging
output from reel to reel into your sound card (line in is better than
mic if available) and record. Windows has built in recording
programs, or I think Audacity (free) will work. In the one case of
camcorder you will have a blank video with your good audio sound; in
the other just the audio file. Then get a trial version of a nle (non
linear editor); I'd suggest Corel or Magix as they both offer free 30
day trials with no cripple or watermarks. Magix Video Pro X2 and I
think their latest consumer (version 16) offer multi cam synch that's
very easy. Read the manual or help file, but basically put camcorder
on tracks 3 & 4, and sound track on 6 (Pro X2 tracks; 16 is different)
and tell it to synch. (First best to right click on audio file and
select Waveform, wait, and you'll see audio in waveform mode.) Then
see chain icon that shows broken and linked chain. Broken chain means
separate tracks, as in highlight camcorder track and click broken
chain to separate audio track from video; delete audio. You can then
move good sound track up (not really necessary, but more tidy), click
or select both video and audio tracks (Ctrl-click as with Explorer to
select both at the same time), and then click linked chain to lock the
two tracks together. Actually, it's easier to just synch and don't
delete or separate, just Mute the original audio track and/or Solo the
good audio track and it will accomplish the same thing. Render (File
- Export Movie) to your choice of type (codec), and then burn DVD or
whatever you want. That's with Magix, consumer Movie Edit Pro 16
trial is at: http://rdir.magix.net/?page=BZVEZ41NH4QM. The Pro X2
trial I use is a bit more complicated, but free trial is at:
http://rdir.magix.net/?page=7EUVJGCEMP74
They also make PCI cards you have to open computer case and install,
or even USB versions that capture analog audio. They range from cheap
to lots $$.
Jim McGauhey
Washington State
xman
wrote:
I use sony sound forge 10 for this. Load avi file or mpg file.
Delete old audio, paste in new audio file.
Takes about 5 minutes.
good luck
Harry Putnam
Any of the top NLEs can do this: Vegas, Premier pro, Edius are the
only ones I have experience with... any of them will do it.
The older sound tool from Adobe: Audition (That seems to have been
superseded by a lesser tool called Soundbox)
Can also do it.
All of those except `Audition' have 30 day trials available