Enhance audio while capturing

kliker · Post by **kliker** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:47 am

I have some footage of speeches at a wedding and the sound volume on the tape is minimal.
How can I increase the sound level while capturing into VS9, or, enhance the level while editing?

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:14 am

Hi kliker,

it easy to do in the edit step - just click on your clip on the timeline and then in the "video" tab in the panel to the left of the preview window, you can increase the volume from its default level of 100 up to a maximum of 500. It's a bit of a blunt instrument, but you can split your clip where you need to raise the volume to leave it unchanged in other sections.

If you need to raise or lower the volume by varying amounts during the clip, click on the loudspeaker symbol at the bottom left of the timeline to go into audio mode, and then you can "rubber band" the audio. You can create additional reference points by clicking on the thin "audio line" that starts out at mid height of your clip. You then raise the volume by dragging these up, or lower it by... dragging them down.

That should do it - but some people always want more, and maybe you're one of them! Happy now?

kliker · Post by **kliker** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:10 am

Thanks 2Dogs,

That worked
Now have you got a suggestion as to how I can "Sharpen " the sound?
After amplification the voices are sort of blurry

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:25 am

Hi kliker,

Sure I do! But you may not like it!

I think you probably need to use a third party audio program. I've seen "Audacity" recommended quite often, and have downloaded it myself today but have yet to install and use it. It has the great benefit of being freeware....

You can split the audio track off the video file, or better still just create an audio file from the video file. Then you can just mute the audio on the video and add the "enhanced" audio file.

I suspect Audacity may have some features that can clean up the sound, but it's really beyond my experience.

kliker · Post by **kliker** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:51 am

Ok 2dogs it is worth a try. I will download it and see what it can do
Thanks

kliker · Post by **kliker** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:54 am

Hi 2Dogs ,
I have Audacity running and it seems to be easy work with.

It will do what I want, but it will take a while to get the fine tuming done.
Very easy to modify small parts of a soundtrack
Maybe the hard part will be the insertion of the modified track and getting lip synch again

Once again thanks for the tip.

rguthrie · Post by **rguthrie** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:15 am

kliker,

Audacity is a great tool. As long as your audio sync'd before you exported it, it's been my experience that it won't be a problem when you bring it back in. But I've been fortunate and never have had the dreaded audio sync problem that other people talk about.

Ron

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:00 pm

Hi kliker,

glad Audacity worked for you! I've been fooling around with it re-arranging sample spoken audio, making the subject say new things.... which would be an absolute pain to do in VS. It was Ron that put me on to the program recently too.

Remember, you always have the option to keep the original audio on your video clip, and just mute it when you add the separate audio track. It might conceivably be helpful in sync'ing it if you have problems.