Super basic question about the sound track

[Cassel]

I downloaded the trial version of Video Studio X6 to compare with my current Camtasia 7.
I did a screen capture and saved it as a mp4 format. Now that I put it in VS, I can see and hear the recording in the preview, but in the timeline, I only see the video track and wmv. Where is the audio track for that recording?

Edit: ok I found it hidden until I clicked on Graphic > Voice Track.

Next question (and I could not find it in the Help): is there a way to remove background noise? I know it is feasible in Camtasia. I assume it is also feasible in VS, but where and how?

[Terfyn]

There are a number of audio filters available. First I suggest you Split the Audio from the video track and it will appear on a separate audio track. Then apply the Options - Audio Filter and see if these filters will help.

As always try to eliminate background noise at source. You don't say what the background noise is but an external mic for your camcorder is always very useful. For wind noise a "furry deadcat" works well and for external noise a directional mic may be the answer. Look under microphones on the Maplins site.
Incidentally I made my own Wind Eliminator "deadcat" from a piece of aquarium filter foam and "teddybear" fur fabric. It was tested when I was filming the engine on one of our Welsh Highland Railway trips by hanging the camera and mic out of the window at full speed!

[Cassel]

I should have been clearer. The background noise is not really sound to eliminate from the start, but just some kind of very slight "humming" that can be reduced when I use the "noise reduction" button in Camtasia. It seems to optimize the sound a bit. It asks me to select a "silent" section of video and then after checking it, I guess it analyzes what the "silence" sounds like and removes all the "sound" from the whole project according to that.

It was basically a one button feature so I thought VS had something similar.

[Cassel]

I have tried the Reduce Noise filter and it brings down to 0db all the segments where I am not talking, which sounds quite weird and unnatural.
I tried the NewBlue Noise Remover and it is better, but does not seem to do it all.
Is there another filter or adjustment that can "analyze" a supposedly silent segment and adjust the rest of the audio clip to remove whatever it finds in the "silent" segment?

[rwernyei]

Cassel,

The audio editing features in VideoStudio Pro are somewhat lacking. This dates back to the days when it was an Ulead product, I personally felt the Audio Editor module was the Achilles' heel of MediaStudio Pro. Many VS users choose to use the free third-party audio editor, Audacity.

Here is the link:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Noise Removal guide:
http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/Noise_Removal

Hope this helps.

Robert

[Cassel]

Thanks for the link.
I'll look into that.
Would I be able to "extract" the sound track from VS to edit in Audacity and then bring it back?

[BrianCee]

With your video in the timeline go to "Share >> Create sound file" - this will produce a .wav file from your sound track which you can take into audacity and work on.

When you want to bring it back you will need to mute the existing sound on the video (right click over video >> mute) and then insert the new sound file into an audio track - you will need to synchronise sound and picture manually - depending on how complex the audio and video are this can be a bit time consuming.

[lata]

Hi

To be honest Camtasia should be far better than Video Studio Screen Capture.
Video Studio is limited to WMV, Camtasia gives quite a choice to output format,
the noise reduction you mentioned works well. Although I have to say I have not used the VS noise filters.

Oh I believe Camtasia 8 is available as a free upgrade/update?

[Cassel]

Camtasia8 is available but not free!

Right now, although Camtasia has some advantages over VS, I am experiencing a bad problem: out of sync! This is really bad, even within a 10 second recording. So that is why I am not immediately using Camtasia for recording and trying to get most of the work in VS.

[lata]

Hi Cassel

You do seem to be having problems with the video programs, I think you may have an issue with the computer rather than the programs. I don’t think the Out of Sync using Camtasia is the programs fault

Have you tried re-installing your computers audio drivers?

I know you said in another post that your “better half” had set the Mic input that sorted some issues, maybe they need another tweak.....
But clearly there is something going on that is not right…………

[Cassel]

I have reinstalled the Camtasia AND the VS. The out-of-sync issue seems to have happened to others with Camtasia, but so far, their solution has not worked.

And now, just switching microphone is causing more headaches. I think I would need a tech support sitting beside me! I have been "wasting" almost a week trying to get things to work for me. And I thought I would just plug and work!

So maybe I have a computer problem, but it never manifested itself until I tried to use VSX6, Camtasia 8.1, the new lapel mic and doing video recording with the webcam. So, which is the culprit?

Still scratching my head.