This content has been marked as final.
Show 18 replies
-
1. Re: Is my audio doomed?
(JousmaJett) Jan 17, 2009 7:22 PM (in response to director.lionel)There is a possibility soundbooth can do something for you? I'm not very adept with soundbooth, try some of those gurus from the soundbooth forums, otherwise call up a professional audio house or reshoot! -
2. Re: Is my audio doomed?
Bill Hunt Jan 18, 2009 9:16 AM (in response to director.lionel)lionel,
I would say that your "static" is more likely caused by the Audio being recorded at too high a level (overmodulated) and is the result of clipping, rather than sample-rate and bit-depth.
If you have Audition, or Soundbooth, the first thing that I would do is open the Audio files there and study the Waveforms closely. This will also tell you exactly what sample-rate and bit-depth was actually used. It seems that there is still some question on what setting was used in the camera. If you do not have either handy, try the freeware, Audacity. You'll have far less processing options in it, but it should still show the Waveforms. Look closely at the peaks. Also watch the meters, and be aware of any spikes going above 0db (into the red).
If you DO have clipping, Audio material has been lost and spurious signals likely introduced. You *might* be able to re-process your Audio to minimize the distortion, but will likely not be able to fully reclaim it. If you do have clipping, then I would do exactly as JousmaJett suggests and post to the appropriate audio program forum. As you will now know exactly what the specs of your Audio file are, be sure to tell the audio guys what you have. Also give them info that you observe, when playing the file. There are a lot of tricks to improve the Audio, and they can probably get you started. Whether it will save you having to reshoot will have to be determined. Maybe, but maybe not. You will likely only be able to start with a preset, and the rest will be by trial and error.
I will refrain from giving a lecture on the importance of a "sound guy," as you do not need to hear that now. You have some Audio to save, if at all possible. Hope you can save it, without the reshoot.
Good luck,
Hunt -
3. Re: Is my audio doomed?
JSS1138 Jan 18, 2009 11:57 AM (in response to director.lionel)>I will refrain from giving a lecture on the importance of a "sound guy," as you do not need to hear that now.
Well...sometime before the next shoot might be good. -
4. Re: Is my audio doomed?
Bill Hunt Jan 18, 2009 1:31 PM (in response to director.lionel)Jim,
That is for others to address. Thanks for taking up the standard.
Hunt -
5. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 18, 2009 5:00 PM (in response to director.lionel)Jousma: Actually, I do have soundbooth and tried using it. Problem is with my hearing, I'm not accurately interpreting the results. People are telling me there's all kinds of distortion in the audio after I do clean up work. Yeah, I may have to try someone in audio.
Bill: When I look at my clips in soundbooth, I don't see a lot of clipping, but what I do see is a lot of orange "snow" in the background, showing the static noise. How do you use soundbooth to see what the originally recorded bit depth was? I know that I captured with ppro in 24 bit from what I can see in "properties" in ppro. I just don't know what we did when we shot it. I do suppose I could take a tape to a post house and have them figure out what bit depth it was, if all else fails.
I did have a sound guy on my shoot. If you mean, a sound guy for editing, no I haven't had one.
Either way, I don't think I need to reshoot anything. I let one guy at a post house take some footage from a couple of my takes to make a reel for one of my actresses. According to her, there was no problem with the sound. That's why I suspect something happened during the capture off the tapes into my system. -
6. Re: Is my audio doomed?
JSS1138 Jan 18, 2009 11:02 PM (in response to director.lionel)>I did have a sound guy on my shoot. If you mean, a sound guy for editing
No. What we meant was that the sound guy on the shoot is the one responsible for the quality of the audio. He should not have left anything up to the DP, whose primary responsibility is the image. If the audio guy couldn't hear the problem live, then one of three things is to blame. Either he doesn't have the right equipment (headphones) for the job, he's just not good enough for the job, or as you found there's nothing actually wrong with the original audio.
(On a side note, I recall working with one sound recordist who I swear could hear a spider walking across a carpet in the other room.) -
7. Re: Is my audio doomed?
Bill Hunt Jan 19, 2009 8:05 AM (in response to director.lionel)lionel,
I do not have/use Soundbooth, so this might differ with Audition. There, the properties are displayed along the bottom right of the edit screen. It *ought* to be similar in SB. If not, look in Window (top of the Menubar) and see if there is a "Properties" Panel.
Even with poor hearing, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones will go a very long way to helping you edit the Audio. Unless you have a well-setup editing booth, using monitors, in lieu of headphones, will be difficult.
Good luck,
Hunt -
8. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 19, 2009 1:27 PM (in response to director.lionel)hey guys, do you know of a post studio in L.A. that would let me bring in a few of my tapes to figure out the recorded bit-depth and actual sound quality for a reasonable rate?
(Bill: I don't think soundbooth has a properties panel.) -
9. Re: Is my audio doomed?
Bill Hunt Jan 19, 2009 7:18 PM (in response to director.lionel)lionel,
Thanks for the update on SB. I had the beta, but never used it, because of Audition doing all that I needed.
Now, I do not know of an Audio post-house in LA.
However, if you have a sample of your Audio file, attach it in an e-mail to me - look at my profile. Make sure that you put Adobe Premiere in the Subject Line Header, so that MailWasher does not flag it for deletion. I'll be happy to look at it, and make suggestions on it. Remember, my perspecitve is from the NLE end of things. I had two blocks of Audio in film school, but that was many decades ago. Still, I handle all of my Audio work in an Adobe program. I'll run this attachment through Audition, and comment on anything that I can find. Plus, if I find anything that Audition can handle, I'll send back an edited version for you to test with your production team.
Hunt -
10. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 20, 2009 10:34 PM (in response to director.lionel)Thanks, Bill. I'll try to send you a couple audio clips to see what you think after I set it up. -
11. Re: Is my audio doomed?
Bill Hunt Jan 21, 2009 5:07 AM (in response to director.lionel)lionel,
I will be looking. Just make sure to put Adobe Premiere in the Subject, so I do not miss it.
Hunt -
12. Re: Is my audio doomed?
almarrob Jan 21, 2009 9:58 AM (in response to director.lionel)Does the audio sound OK when played back on the camera using headphones? (and if you can't hear it to tell the difference then you need to find someone who can. That might be a problem throughout the process of editing-hearing, I mean). If it sounds fine while being played back on the camera it should be fine. You are just having a problem downloading and need to find the proper settings.
Jim's point about a experienced, reputable, capable sound guy (and DP for that matter)is relevant here again (especially if YOU can't hear). You should not have recorded one minute of footage for this without having recorded and played back video on a good monitor and audio through great headphones. Experienced, reputable, capable people do not let this happen. If they were free-then you got your moneys worth. Soory to kick you when you are down but.... -
13. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 22, 2009 11:42 AM (in response to director.lionel)hi Robert. I need to find someone who can help me listen to my HDCAM tapes to hear the actual quality. I no longer have the camera or capture deck. Please let me know if you know of a facility in L.A., who would let me do that. I'm willing to pay a reasonable rate. -
14. Re: Is my audio doomed?
almarrob Jan 22, 2009 12:04 PM (in response to director.lionel)I imagine there are many thousands of production houses in the LA area. Using a phone book, or other such business directory, call as many as you need to to find one that will help you. You might also consider equipment rental houses which there are probably hundreds of. They may let you use a camera to listen to your audio?
Are you REALLY producing a feature film? -
15. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 22, 2009 1:38 PM (in response to director.lionel)Robert: Yes, I am producing a feature film, but I'm just a small, indie producer with an even smaller budget. It seems you haven't communicated with many who are like myself. -
16. Re: Is my audio doomed?
(raymond_setzer) Jan 22, 2009 2:27 PM (in response to director.lionel)No, I think he's just a little bit surprised that you don't already have
connections with others in the industry since I know for a fact you
can't swing a cat without smacking one kind of production house or
another in LA.
But, like he says, drop in a couple local places. Should not be too hard
to find someone who would help. -
17. Re: Is my audio doomed?
almarrob Jan 23, 2009 4:29 AM (in response to director.lionel)You are correct lionel. I have not communicated with many who are like yourself. -
18. Re: Is my audio doomed?
director.lionel Jan 27, 2009 4:32 PM (in response to director.lionel)hi raymond: I've made and been making the calls. But it's always better to get a referral from someone who has personal experience with another. You don't know whom you can trust or what the quality is. And it was very eye opening to talk to many post places who didn't have the service I needed. I finally found someone who let me check my tapes, and there is a bit-depth discrepancy, which is where my problem is. I'll need to re-capture the audio.


