Narration problem

Royde · Post by **Royde** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:15 pm

I have a problem when adding narration over a vidio clip - the clip audio becomes distorted like a looped hissing sound. This makes it difficult not to add voice over parts of the clip audio voice.
I have exhausted all different settings in the windows multimedia and volume controls, but noticed I can avoid the clip audio distortion by unchecking the preferences box when scrubbing - but this defeats the object.
I will be most grateful to the forum for any help, you guys are brilliant for your dedication to the help of us beginners - many thanks to you all.

Clevo · Post by **Clevo** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:11 pm

How did you record the narration?

and is it a .wav file?

Royde · Post by **Royde** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:10 pm

Thanks Clevo for your question in reply.

I have VideoStudio 11.0 and within audio mode I use the Music & Voice tab and the Record Voice function to add narration via a headset.

Yes - the audio files are produced in the .WAV format.

By the way the movie plays great without any ploblems, it just adding the narration thats made difficult.

I hope this may help solve this little nuisance?

Thanks mate ROY

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:15 pm

Have you played the voiceover clip(s) back in Video Studio (selecting/highlighting just the audio clip and playing it back in Clip mode)? How does it sound?

I trust you also realise that with most voiceovers, you need to adjust the overall volume level. Your original video clip's audio stream is playing at 100, and you are adding a voiceover which, using the same VS measurement, is also set to play at 100. The result is audio from two streams which in effect is playing at 200 i.e. double the original volume level. In that circumstance, one of the streams is probably going to sound clipped, and in any case, you may have difficulty understanding the voiceover on top of the original audio. So one of the streams will need adjustment.

If the voiceover -- as they usually are -- is the important bit you need to hear for that part of the video, then you need to adjust the video clip volume down fairly significantly (to at least 50 or even well below that) for that part of the playback. If the voiceover lasts for an entire clip, then you can simply change the volume for the entire clip. But if it is only parts of a clip, then you will need to use the rubber band audio controls to adjust that part of the clip.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:55 am

Have you implemented microphone boost in XP
click here

Royde · Post by **Royde** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:02 pm

Thank you Ken and Steve, I'am most grateful to you.

Yes the microphone boost is implemented in XP.

The voiceover sounds just fine when selecting/highlighting just the recorded audio clip and playing in clip mode - also when playing back in project mode and after rendering, both the video clip and narration audio are perfectly ok. The sound levels of both tracks are fine and need no volume adjustment.

So there is only a problem when recording voiceover, where the video audio is distorted into a pulsing repetitive sound which is not recognizable and therefore it is not possible to avoid the sections of voice on the video track. i.e the narration voice is required to be at a different location on the timeline to the video voice.

I have carried out your suggestions and many combinations of windows audio and volume settings for the last couple of hours but all to no avail.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:27 pm

Try exporting your sound tracks to the FREE audio editor Audacity and mixing them with that.
Audacity is more powerful because it is dedicated to audio editing.

Once satisfied with your mix you then create a WAV file with Audacity and import it back into VideoStudio - replacing your existing soundtrack.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:15 pm

Hi

Not owning a decent mic¡¦ I had lots of problems.
As a work-round I recorded the voice over using my cam-corder.

Having a Mini-Dv Type I was able to capture the footage via firewire to Dv-Avi.

The captured video file being inserted to a new project, Share ¡V Create Sound file. Select ¡¥save as type¡¦ Wav. The options button allows you to customise the properties, this produced the audio Clip.
The original Dv-Avi being deleted from the hard drive.

You can use the scissors to cut and trim the audio clip in the timeline.

A lot of trouble but the quality was ok.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:09 pm

Trevor, I have actually done the same thing for the few times I have needed voice over.

However, I don't think there is a need to render it to an audio file. You could either split the audio so the audio goes to an audio track, then delete the video, or you can simply leave the video/audio clip on a video track, covered by your video in an overlay track.

Using this process, if the audio is ok you can simply use the audio/video clip as is.

If the audio needs some touch ups via audio filters, then you could use the Split Audio.

If the audio needs even more refinement you could render to an audio file to export to an audio editing app.

Royde · Post by **Royde** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:12 pm

Hi guys - and thank you all again.

Sorry, but I think you are barking up the wrong tree.

There is no problem at all with recording the actual voiceover or the way it plays back - it is perfect in all respects for my purposes.

It's that because the video track audio is distorted, as I have described previously in this post, it is not possible to listen to the video audio clearly whilst recording the voice over. The is no need to edit the voiceover audio track as this will do nothing to obviate this problem.

Royde · Post by **Royde** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:31 pm

Just to clarify a further point.

Distortion of the video audio track only occurs whilst recording the voiceover in the audio record speach mode.

There is no need to edit or interfere in any way at all with the video clip as it is not affected after the voiceover has been completed.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:42 pm

Ok, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification, as I think we were all confused.

Have you tried lowering the video clip volume in VS? The default volume is of course 100. Try lowering it to 50 and try to record narration.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:46 am

Black Lab wrote:Trevor, I have actually done the same thing for the few times I have needed voice over.

However, I don't think there is a need to render it to an audio file. You could either split the audio so the audio goes to an audio track, then delete the video, or you can simply leave the video/audio clip on a video track, covered by your video in an overlay track.

Using this process, if the audio is ok you can simply use the audio/video clip as is.

If the audio needs some touch ups via audio filters, then you could use the Split Audio.

If the audio needs even more refinement you could render to an audio file to export to an audio editing app.

Jeff

I create a Wav file then delete the video just to save disc space.

I capture to Dv-Avi, as you know that¡¦s 13 Gb per hour, a bit over kill for a sound file.

My daughter is in Brazil, in the past used her as voice-over e¡Vmailing a video file is not on.
We have worked on the same projects in seperate countries, a little tricky doing re-links but you get used to it.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:03 am

Hi Royde

If VS is ok in normal playback.

Have you used Audacity to record your voice over. then import the sound file to VS.

Minimise Audacity and position away from the preview screen, play the VS project. Click audacity to open and hit the ¡¥record¡¦ button.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 2:50 pm

trevor andrew wrote:
Black Lab wrote:Trevor, I have actually done the same thing for the few times I have needed voice over.

However, I don't think there is a need to render it to an audio file. You could either split the audio so the audio goes to an audio track, then delete the video, or you can simply leave the video/audio clip on a video track, covered by your video in an overlay track.

Using this process, if the audio is ok you can simply use the audio/video clip as is.

If the audio needs some touch ups via audio filters, then you could use the Split Audio.

If the audio needs even more refinement you could render to an audio file to export to an audio editing app.
Jeff

I create a Wav file then delete the video just to save disc space.

I capture to Dv-Avi, as you know that¡¦s 13 Gb per hour, a bit over kill for a sound file.

My daughter is in Brazil, in the past used her as voice-over e¡Vmailing a video file is not on.
We have worked on the same projects in seperate countries, a little tricky doing re-links but you get used to it.

Gotcha. Makes sense.

I was just going for the "easier" work-around.