Music Score volume and a hello to the board,

[jwalk2c]

Hello to all.
I am confident that all you great people in the UK and other countries
(please forgive me if I am leaving anyone out) can help out a
American newbie.
I am using Video Studio Plus trial version. I have ordered boxed version.
This was my first attempt at at capturing svhs tapes and transferring to dvd.
I have many svhs tapes of my children from 1989 to present and it was great to finally see them on a dvd.
Belive me .. ,if I can make a dvd with this software a trained monkey should be able to also.
But without the downloadable tutorial (Video 10 Video Tutorials)
I would not have been able to progress futher.
This is the best $19.99 I have spent.
I am now able to trim clips after just a few chapters into the tutorial.
Now I am now trying to add background music and I do not know how to adjust the voulme so you can hear the dialog of my children talking.
I tried both manualy adding audio and also auto mode using smart sounds.
I love the smart sounds but a little expensive: IMHO : if you want more than the included free ones.
When I play the project with a music track added the volume is the same for background music and audio from orginal source.
Thank You
Sincerley
jwalk2c

[BrianCee]

If you click on the music block in the timeline the info panel above the right hand end of the timeline will change and the two tabs will be "Music and Voice" and "Auto Music" - by default you should be at "Music and Voice" - immeadiately under the tab title is a line of boxes - the first is a little clock and next to that is the duration of the music - then there is a loud speaker and a box next to it showing 100 by default - that is the relative volume of the music clip - reduce the 100 to something much lower using the two little arrows next to the 100 and the volume of the whole music clip will be reduced. The litle rising and falling bars next to the volume set fade in and fade out.

You need to do this for each individual music clip in the music track - it affects only the selected clip - not the whole track.

The same controls appear for a video clip so you can reduce or increase the sound of the video as well - the video option also includes a little 'crossed' loudspeaker which is the Mute toggle for the original video track..

If you want the sound clip to vary it's volume throughout the clip you need to use the "Audio View" which allows you to vary the volume at any point in the clip - we can explain that in more detail if that is your requirement..

[NoM.O]

Hello and welcome!

I haven't used the trial version but I don't think that will matter, all of these options should still be available.

In timeline view, select the audio clip you wish to alter. Now look n the attribute tab directly beneath where it says "Music & Voice" you'll see two sets of numbers, the duration of your clip, and the clip volume. The volume will be set to 100(%). To lower the volume simply enter a lower figure manually or use the little arrows to the right. You'll also notice two triangular icons directly to the right, these are to fade in and fade out

Or....above the timeline you'll see a little speaker icon (third from the left) if you push this it takes you into audio view. You should see a red line appear through the middle of your audio clip. This is known as a 'rubber band' and it is your friend, drag it up or down to alter the volume. If you search the forum for "rubber band" you should be able to find more detail about what else you can do with it and how it works.

peace.

Edit: Brian beat me to the punch, .

[jwalk2c]

Thanks for the help.
It has got me over one hurdle .
I can lower the volume of music track when I am in clip view or when I click on music track.
And I can preview music clip and volume is low as I need it to be. About a 1 in the atribute section.
It is as if I would have to save my changes to music clip, then add the file back into project time line with video clip.
In other words I can preview my music clip with the abilty to change the voulme as long as I am in the clip mode. Much like when you edit a video clip you have to be in clip mode to make cuts and then switch to project to view you work.
But when I switch to project and view the video with the changes made to music track , rubber band goes back up to default and the music track reverts back to default (drowns out voices) as if I had made no changes to music track.
I have watched the video tutorial on this subject for many hours tonight.
and I am duplicating everything he is doing.
I have tried it in the surround mixer as well as the attribute section.
I can control volume of music, I can cross fade and it works fine, I can raise and lower rubber band, and all of this works while in clip mode?
But how do you preview these changes while viewing the video.
I am missing something.

[NoM.O]

I can't imagine what you may be doing wrong, if anything. I just did a test to make sure it worked as I had said.

1. I placed an MPEG-2 into the timeline but did not trim or edit in any way. I left it's volume as it was.

2. Placed a random mp3 in the music track and lowered its volume to 20, I then hit 'project' underneath the preview screen.

Everything played back as expected, with a very quiet backing track and easily audible talking from the video over the top.

3. I then hit 'clip' underneath the preview screen and changed the mp3 volume to 200 and hit 'project' again.

As before it played back as I expected, the mp3 drowning out most of the talking from the video.

If your copy is not registering these sorts of changes when switching back to project mode, then I'm afraid I'm at a bit of a loss. It would seem to suggest that your installation has gone awry somewhere along the line, in which case, hopefully one of the more technically minded board members can assist.

There is a work around involving a 3rd party audio multi tracker (Audacity is free if you don't already have one -
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=12931 ), but you should be able to achieve what you want within VS itself.

peace

[jwalk2c]

Thank you for your help.
I think I am doing everything correct.
I can trim video clips with good results and adjusting volume should be within my ablilty.
I have been trying again tonight but still having the same results.
I can hit play while in project mode and music volume is not controlable with slider for first few seconds .
Then it seems to start working.
As if my computer is lagging behind the inputs.
Once I have control of volume with slider I can continue to raise and lower volume.
I have two 3.0ghz P4 machines that I recently built and both have 1gb of ram.
So either one should run VS10 ok.
Both are older 865 chipsets, one pata 7200 drive other
is sata 7200.
I have not tried this on the sata drive machine.
Your suggestion that something may have went wrong with my install may be correct.
Even though I have been using VS10 only a couple weeks it is as stable as any program I have used.
The program has never crashed or froze.
I still have a slight fealing that I am missing something somewhere.
Thanks for the link to audacity.
I used it and was able to lower the volume in the audio track that I was experimenting with in VS10.
When I used that altered audio file with same video clip it was actualy to quiet,so I will have to get more experince with Audacity.
But as you said, I should and would rather do this in VS10.

Thanks Again
jwalk2c

[bop]

I think i may have a clue, when viewing in project mode are you should be switching out of audio view and back to time line or story board view

Brian

[sjj1805]

Please view:
Dolby Surround Sound

This short video will help you put the music in the smaller outer speakers (left/right) but the dialogue of your children talking in the centre speaker.

You will find more similar videos here:
VideoStudio Demo & Training Videos

[Black Lab]

Is this problem when you are using SmartSound tracks or tracks that you have imported?

[kebrinton]

My instinct would be to save my project, then close VideoStudio, sit facing the screen and say quietly, "C'mon old friend, don't do this to me," and then restart VS and reopen the project. I'd want to know the "glitch" (of new-set volume not appearing in Timeline View) persisted after VS had a second chance to get its stuff in order.

[jwalk2c]

Thank you all so much for having the patience to help me.
And thank you Steve J for providing those training videos.
What Brian is saying is interesting.
I am now trying this same experiment on a differnet computer.
And I am having the same problem.
I take a second look at what Brian suggested.
I try clicking back on timeline view from audio view.
That is my problem.
What I have been doing is staying in audio view and when I click on preview project the blue line goes right back to middle and the volume is at default level.
But as Brian said, I can click on storyboard view or time line view and preview and the volume is at the level I choose while in audio view.
I am so .

Thank you all again.
Jwalk2c

[NoM.O]

Good Stuff!!! Glad to hear you've got it sorted.

peace.