Using Audio Files

[abbaker2]

I am having a couple of problems with audio and sound tracks in PE 4.0 that lead me to believe that I may not fully understand the differences between “Audio”, Narration” and “Soundtracks” timelines and the appropriate use of each.

I linked each of my video clips to a specific narration file. The titles of the files in the timeline change to indicate they are linked and they highlight together when clicked. However, when I inserted a new title (black video) near the beginning of the movie, none of the narration tracks moved with the video clips. Can you link narration files to video or can video only be linked to audio files? Can you link the video to BOTH a narration file and a soundtrack file and if so how?

Second, I am using the audio mixer to change the relative gain between the narration files (0 db) and the background music I put onto the “Sountrack”(-24db). However, on the final DVD, the gain sounds about the same. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Alan Baker
abbaker2@comcast.net

[Bobby]

Hi Alan - welcome and nice to meet you!

I am not an expert in this area, and I don't have my video editing PC fired up right now. But ...

I suspect that you can only link video track 'n' to the equivalent audio track 'n'. But in general you can group clips (audio or video) by multiple highlighting and electing Group from the Track menu (I don't have PRE4 running anyhow, but it's one of those menus!!!), inserting your title and then un-grouping. It is always safer to do that, as there are some interesting ripple effects that occur when you try to insert stuff on the timeline. You can also stop the ripple effect by holding down the Ctrl button when you insert a clip.

I am sure somebody will come along soon with a more correct answer. Enjoy the holiday!

[Steve Grisetti]

Hi, Alan. Welcome to Muvipix!

It sounds to me like you're working in Sceneline mode. If you are, switch over to Timeline. It will give you a better idea of what's going on.

When you add a title onto a clip, that title actually appears on a video track ABOVE the video clip. You can see it, in timeline mode, if you scroll up a bit.

Is this what's happening to you?

If not, what specifically is or isn't happening?

[abbaker2]

Thank you for your replies.

Steve,

When I add a title clip, I work in Sceneline mode. I first add a clip of black video and then use

Title -> New Title ->.Default Still

to add the detailed title information.

When I first add the black video clip, the other video clips move to the right as they should. However, the narration clips that were previously linked to the video clips do not move. I can observe the displacement in the Timeline mode. Since the narration clips were linked the video clips, I thought they should move too and keep their relative position to the video clips.

[Steve Grisetti]

I'm still not quite clear what's happening, abbaker.

Can you post a screen capture of what your timeline looks like after you add a title? (You may need to temporarily resize your panels so that all of the relevant audio and video tracks show. But then just press Prt Scrn and paste the image into a Photoshop jpeg.)

[abbaker2]

Steve,

Attached are 2 JPEG files.

File “Before_Clip_Insertion.jpg” shows the screen just before the insertion of a black video clip. Note the relative position of the video file “Baker01 DV AVI.avi” and the narration file “Narration_21.wav”. The screen shows that they are linked.

File “After_Clip_Insertion.jpg” shows the screen just after the insertion of a black video clip. Note the relative position of the video file “Baker01 DV AVI.avi” and the narration file “Narration_21.wav”. The screen shows that they are linked but the video file has properly moved from 00;00;37;24 to 00;00;42;22 while the narration file has stayed in the same position. I thought that since the files are linked, the audio file should move when the video file moves.

[Steve Grisetti]

I think I know what's causing the problem, abbaker.

It looks like you're grouping clips --the Narration and Baker-01, for instance.

This is not necessary and is, in fact, probably counter-productive here.

When you insert clips, as you're doing here, the timeline will automatically ripple the clips for you.

When you've got the clips grouped, the program is getting confused, seeing the group as a single clip and not properly interpreting the clips' in points.

Try ungrouping the clips and letting the program do its own rippling as you insert clips. See if that makes a difference.

[abbaker2]

Steve,

I did as you suggested and unlinked all of the video clips and associated narration clips.

Same result.

I also tried Bobby’s suggestion. I grouped all of the clips (video & narration files) to the right of where I wanted to insert the clip. I got the same result when I inserted the clip.


After reading the PE help section on linking, I thought that linking the narration & video files was supposed to insure that they moved in sync when modifying the timeline by inserting or deleting clips.

What is the purpose of linking? Do you have any other suggestions?

Al Baker

[Bob]

The problem you are having has to do with the nature of the "Narration" track. The "Narration" track does not participate in a shift when you insert clips like that. Same with the "Soundtrack". To do what you want, don't use the "Narration" track. Add a new audio track and use that instead (or you can use an existing unused audio track). Now when you group the clips and insert the black video, they will shift together.

[Chuck Engels]

My thought is that Adobe's thinking was that the soundtrack and Narration will be added last.
Those tracks will be adjusted to the video, not the other way around, and that all video editing will be completed by the time these tracks are used.
Not that it is right or wrong just the programmers trying to figure out how it should work and not listening to the users much. I don't use either of these tracks at all in my editing as they are too restrictive IMO (as seen in this thread).

Bob's has the answer I believe, good work Bob

[abbaker2]

Bob,

I tried your suggestion. I moved a few of the narration files to the Audio 1 timeline (drag & drop) and relinked them to the appropriate video files. That seemed to work. The files do move together after the insert.

I add each narration by clicking on the “Add Narration” Button. The resulting file ends up on the Narration timeline track but I can easily move it to the Audio 1 track using drag & drop.

Are there any drawbacks to using the Audio 1 track instead of the Narration track for my narrations? Can I still control the relative gain between the Audio 1 files (0 db) and the background music on the “Soundtracks” timeline?

Thanks in advance

Al Baker

[Chuck Engels]

Are there any drawbacks to using the Audio 1 track instead of the Narration track for my narrations? Can I still control the relative gain between the Audio 1 files (0 db) and the background music on the “Soundtracks” timeline?

Should'nt be any problems at all using any audio track Al.
You can adjust the levels of each audio track individually.

[Bill Hunt]

Might be different in PE, so please correct me on this. In PrPro, I'd just "lasso" all of my Clips, Audio & Video (Ctrl-a will do the same) and slide them down the Timeline. Insert the Title with proper Duration, and the rest of the Clips would still be Selected. Now just drag them back to butt up against the Title. If I had to manipulate the Title, and lost my Selection, I'd just Ctrl-a to Select All, Shift-click on the Title to un-Select it, and drag the rest up against the Title.

Now, knowing that both the Narration and Soundtrack do behave in a unique fashion, and also do not exist in PrPro, there could well be a good reason that my method would not work in PE.

Hunt