Cutting video and audio

[Will_cain]

On my project when I have the audio extracted. When I do a cut the audio isn't cut along with the video. IF I start a new project all is well. I don't think cutting like this is anything to do with ripple editing, and I've tried changing settings for this so the one that doesn't work looks like the one that does. Has anyone any ideas what is causing this to happen?

[Black Lab]

When you say the audio is extracted, do you mean split? If so, do your cuts before you split the audio.

[Will_cain]

Yep it's split. I have already done what you said in retrospect but really thats a work round to circumvent a major problem with the software. I'm already doing several other things just to make it work and there comes a time when I feel I need to start looking for some software that works without all these frigs

[Ken Berry]

Unless I am missing something, I cannot understand what you expect the software to do -- or rather, why you expect it to do it. If the audio is split, it is no longer part of the video stream. So if you cut the latter (which is minus the audio), why should the audio be cut at the same spots?

If you manage to find a software package that will do what you want, please let us know. And rest assured, this is not an attempt at a put-down. I for one would be genuinely interested to know of such a package -- not because I have ever wanted to do what you want -- but because I rather doubt that there *is* such a package.

[Black Lab]

I agree with Ken. What you consider a work-around I consider standard operating procedure.

[sjj1805]

You also have to take into account that there are times when users may wish to cut the video and not the audio.
Why you may ask?
One such scenario is where you have an interview and two cameras recording, one pointing towards speaker A the other to speaker B.
You might want to swap the view from one speaker to the other and back again but just retain the one audio track. This keeps the audio nice and clean whilst at the same time allowing you to follow the interview.

In another scenario you can have what are termed J cuts and L cuts.
This is sort of like a transition where the video changes from one scene to another, but the audio from the existing scene is retained for a short time - perhaps just a few seconds. When you edit video in this way the shape on the video track resembles the letter L or the letter J dependant upon which way you are transitioning.

If you were to cut straight down the time line including any overlay and audio tracks then this would make this form of editing more difficult.
Unless a switch of some sort was built into the program then the software engineers had to make a choice between cutting individual items (or tracks) as opposed to cutting through everything. They opted for the former.

To include some sort of on/off switch would make the program more complex - which may suit some people but others would find frustrating.
VideoStudio is aimed at the more casual user - lets say - for people to edit their holiday videos and the like. It can of course be used for more elaborate productions but you would not expect a film studio creating a full blown 2 hour film with actors to be using this sort of software.

For some examples of what other members are using their VideoStudio software for please view:
Members Samples

[Will_cain]

All of these are very interesting and good points that have given me food for thought. The one thing I couldn't get my head round though is why I have one project where the split audio cuts with the video, an action I would expect if ripple editing covered it and another where it doesn't. So is there a package where the split audio cuts with the Video, yes, sometimes, and its called Video studio. re why would I want to cut them both together, it was because I wanted to insert stuff and doing them seperate strangely resulted in the audio going slightly out of sync.

However.......

I've done a bit more research and this what I've found.
1 Split the audio out
2 Select the video row, do a cut, the audio cuts as well.
3 Repeat 2 as many times as you like and it works
4 Select part of the audio row, do a cut
5 from now on doing action 2 results in only the video row being cut.

Not sure of the logic of this behaviour perhaps someone is?

[Ken Berry]

All I can think of is that when you are splitting the audio, and even then deleting it, it is really sleight of hand as the original audio remains in the video, only muted. I guess that is some form of built in back-up just in case you delete it or otherwise edit it and decide you should not have deleted or want to do a completely different type of editing. In which case, you just click on the Mute button and the original video is back.

So I am wondering if somehow or other in the video in which you say the audio was cut with the video, that somehow or other you toggled back to the original video which, obviously, since it is still a part of the original video, would be cut when the video is cut...? Clear as mud, I know, but it's the only thing I can think of...

[Will_cain]

In the interest of science, does your version of VS do the same as my example?

[Will_cain]

oh I forgot to mention in my example, once I did the select audio and cut, even if I did undo to revert the split, i.e put it back to start of stage 2 in my list, any subsequent stage 2 cuts didn't cut the audio

[Black Lab]

Here is what I have found (using X2 Pro):

1. With the clip and audio still together, move the cursor to the point in the timeline where you want to cut.

2. Split the audio.

3. Click on the Scissor icon - both the video and the audio are cut at that spot.

Contrary to Will I can't repeat this for subsequent cuts. When I again move my cursor to a point to cut, it only cuts the video.


Okay, I went back to check to make sure I had explained myself correctly and now I can't get it to cut both at the same time. I had done it before, HONEST!


I went back and read Will's original post and saw he states this works only with new projects. So I started a new project and, guess what? Nah, still didn't work. Even restarted the program and it still didn't work.

I get more and more disillusioned with VS every time one of these issues arises.

[Will_cain]

and I thought it was just me who couldn't make sense of it. Going back to my original grumble, whinge, moan etc... the only way to use this product is to see what it wants to do, accept it, and work round it. If you do that then you'll not spend hours trying to get it to do what you think it does, or did last time you used it. Fortunately for me there's no one else in the family getting married so my skills won't be required for a while

[Black Lab]

Exactly. As I have said many times on this forum, it is sometimes far more faster and easier to find a work-around than to fix what's broke.

[Ron P.]

Just reassure Jeff, that he's not delusional, I managed to get the same thing, one time only. I too thought that I was seeing things when I tried to do it again and it failed..

[Coral]

I get more and more disillusioned with VS every time one of these issues arises.

I have given up VS for quite a long time now. A combination of MSP7+DVDW2 and PhotoImpact work just great.