VS Pro X5, audio crackling in timeline and end result

[LRTJeeves]

Greetings,

I'm having a bit of a problem with audio crackle. With one music track playing on the background, and an audio file set to play simultaneously, results with a crackling audio file. As far as I can say, the music file on the background plays OK regardless if the voice track crackles. The individual clips play OK, so this isn't because of the source audio. The project is a trailer, with the narrative voice consisting of audio files on the voice track and music playing on the background. It doesn't matter whether the narrative audio is set on the voice track or an additional music track, same problem every time.

The funny thing is that this only occurs when I'm using the timeline view or creating a video / an audio file from the project - in the 'sound mixer'- mode everything sounds and looks perfect. When I select the sound mixer and then click 'share' -> create video / audio file, the program apparently switches to the timeline view and the crackle transfers to the end result as well.

I've tried this on XP and Win 7, with no difference whatsoever. Updated Direct X, installed RealPlayer, Media Player and a whole bunch of codecs, but to no avail. Tried .ogg, .mp3 and .wav as audio formats. This is actually what I find really weird - an uncompressed .wav is the last file type you'd expect to have problems with.

Could this be because I'm running a trial version? Anyone else had / having issues like these? I'd very much appreciate any kind of help on the matter.

[lata]

Hi

Welcome to the forums

The trial version is fully functioning and as such should preform correctly.

You seem to have installed/updated your media players to the latest versions, however installing codec packs is not recommended as they tend to cause more problems than they cure.

As you have tried the audio file on several computers i can only assume its a problem with the actual file itself rather than the program.
Can you right click on the clip in the timeline and select properties, what are they?

If you can make the file available for download then we may be able to test it.

[teknisyan]

Just like what Lata said, installing codec pack may cause more problem than solve them. You may want to uninstall the codec pack that you installed then just update or install the individual codecs from their respective author.

Here are some of the codecs that you may want to install or update
RealPlayer: http://www.real.com/
DivX: http://www.divx.com/en/software/divx-plus/codec-pack
XviD: http://downloads.xvid.org/downloads/xvidcore-1.3.2.zip
Windows Media Player: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... dia-player or just download the Windows Encoder at http://www.microsoft.com/expression/pro ... rview.aspx
QuickTime: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Direct X: http://on-msn.com/aLrk0j (WinXP)
Direct X: http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/window ... tx-11.aspx

[LRTJeeves]

Hey there,

thanks for your answer. The properties for the music file:

File format: Microsoft WAV Files
Compression: PCM
Attributes: 44,100kHz; 16 Bit; Stereo

The audio files are otherwise the same, apart from the sample rate which is 48,000kHz. Furthermore, the file information (Windows, hovering the cursor on top of a file) says that the music file's audio quality is 'CD' (Lossless) and for the audio files it's 'DAT' (Lossless). Don't know if that's a possible reason for this - but then again I tried to mix the music file with one of the audio files using the good old Windows Sound Recorder, and the result played just as well as an individual file - no crackling.

If you could test the files, I would really appreciate it.

These probably open in Real / Media Player once you click the link, but you can then right click -> save as.

http://users.metropolia.fi/~m0702383/Music.wav
http://users.metropolia.fi/~m0702383/Audio.wav

[LRTJeeves]

Just like what Lata said, installing codec pack may cause more problem than solve them. You may want to uninstall the codec pack that you installed then just update or install the individual codecs from their respective author.

Hey,

that's actually the list I followed, trying to obtain all the necessary files while attempting to get rid of the issue. Although there is a previously installed codec pack on the XP-system, it shouldn't affect the (quite recent) Windows 7 install with no additional codec packs. Something I should have mentioned earlier on.

[lata]

Hi

I don't hear any crackling but did hear a few individual clicks from the Audio wav
I am assuming the Music wav is ok?

Place Audio Wav at beginning of timeline.

The short wav containing the narration seems to click, viewing the wav format in "sound mixer" mode, zoom timeline in to limit.

View the timeline at 00.00.00.22 for Pal 00:00:00:26 for Ntsc
You will see the wave form looks much thicker, its these points that the click can be heard, over about 2 frames.
Difficult to say how many but i think i identified about 10.

Using audacity a free audio editor you can also see the wave form. As far as i know this program may be able to remove these clicks, i just don't know how to use the program?

[Kingston]

The Music.wav file, according to Audition, has a lot of clipping, where peak amplitude goes above -0.0dB reference. There's a declipper filter in Audition that can fix the clipping, maybe.

EDIT: I tried the declipper, but didn't like the results. I tried lowering the volume by one decibel and that got rid of the clipping and didn't sound distorted like the results of the declipper.

[LRTJeeves]

Tried with different audio and music files as well - the problem is there and doesn't seem to occur because of the source files.

I'll get rid of that codec pack and if that doesn't help, then give VS Pro X4 a try. I'm pretty sure the problem can be tackled eventually, but right now I'd really like to finish this trailer. I'll post info on this thread if and when there's any progress on the issue.

Many thanks for all your efforts chaps - quite fond of these forums already.