Capturing DV & Recording from audio input simulatneously

[Douglas Spotted eagle]

Why are you not using the same input to the camera that you would use for input to the computer? In other words, if you have a mixer output that you’re using to input to Vegas, or if you’re using a mic input to Vegas, why are you not sending that input to the camera as well/instead?

Douglas Spotted Eagle
VASST

Certified Sony Vegas Trainer
Aerial Camera/Instructor

[Lee Wood]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply, i’m using the input on a m-audio omnistudio usb for my guitar, the guitar is a dry signal and i add fx distortion delay ect on my pc so i have to do it that way. The camcorder i’m using is a Panasonic NV-GS330, i don’t think there is a audio input on it.

Would it be easier for me to start recording the audio input 1st in vegas then start the DV capture then trim the audio from the begining to match the DV?

Thanks for your help,

Lee

[Kert]

1. Capture your DV as you did.
2. Create a new audio track in Vegas.
3. Input your guitar into the Mike input of your sound board.
4. “Arm” the record botton (on the left of the audio track header).
5. Press record and watch and listen (on a Headset) to your DV as you play your guitar. It will record on the sound track of Vegas. You can repeat it as you need to.
6. Match the resulting sound track to your DV picture and sound.

I did movie ADR this way.

[Rob James]

Hi Lee, can S.M.P.T.E. be used to sync Vegas to Cubase SX? The answer is yes, from two computers, and maybe within one. That’s something I’ve never tested, the latter part, but I will test for my own curiousity. Basically you record a S.M.P.T.E. timecode track on to a Vegas audio track. You need the right hardware for this. For instance a Midi Interface that Reads and Writes S.M.P.T.E. timecode. If you have that, then all you do is set Cubase SX to Slave mode and it’s triggered by hitting “Play” in Vegas. by the audio track that has the timecode on it…………as long as that timecode’s output is routed to your timecode reader. But this is a long drawn out method to achieve the results you want, and I’m not certain it will work within one box, with Vegas and Cubase both open. So I’d need more information about what it is, exactly you are trying to achieve. If it’s, for example recording a video with you playing guitar to camera, then in a second take, recording a harmony line? That is not the best way to do that. What you should be doing, in that scenario, is approaching it similiar to a “Live” band shoot. Where you film the band with your camera, but record each instrument to it’s own channel in SX. If you use a click track before the song starts, or some other audio spike, then you can use that spike in the audio to sync (visually) both the camera “take” and the SX recording together. So that they can be combined (synced) in Vegas, by lining up the spikes, in each’s audio track………if you follow what I mean? In this way you can do Multiple takes, or harmony lines, that can be synced up in Post-Production, witin Vegas. It all depends on, really, what you want to do? Many ways to achieve Production results. But it comes down to, what it is you want to do. If your idea is to play guitar, as Vegas is capturing video and audio from your camcorder, that’s not going to fly. Other questions arise, like are you using a real amp, via a mic to your mixer, or are you using software amp sims. So many variables. I’d like to help, but I need more info.

[Lee Wood]

Hi Rob,

What i’m after doing is recording a video playing guitar to camera, there will be two feeds DV, one of my right hand and one of my left hand and fretboard, there will by only one audio track of the guitar, i like to improvise a lot and doing ADR to captured vid would be nearly impossible cos sometimes i can’t remember what i’ve played, duh!!
So the start of the dvd would be me playing a solo over a backing track and then playing examples and techniques slowed down that i’ve used in the solo ect without the backing track.

I’m not using an amp i’m using an m-Audio Omnistudio USB interface audio input then using software amp sims(amplitube mainly) in either Cubase or Vegas to get the tone i’m after.
I don’t think the omnistudio reads/writes smpte, i’ve googled interfaces that read/write smpte and the only one i could find was the Midiman USB Midisport 8x8s but i think they have been discontinued, if i have to get a device that will read/write smpte, do you know of any models that would be suitable for my needs?
There will be another audio track but that will be a voiceover so i’ll prob be able to manage doing that by ADR, thanks for your advice john.

Thanks for your help.

Lee

[Rob James]

Ok, ideally you’d want to use two cameras for this. One on the right hand the other on the left. You’d let both cameras roll, as you record your playing into SX. Be sure to have SX output a click track before you start your playing. With the click coming through the speakers, both cameras will pick it up and record it. Even 4 clicks is enough. Traditional clapboards only use 1. Anyways, now you have a .wav in SX of your performance, tweak it to taste………enhance it as you wish, changing your amp sound or adding reverb in Post-Production. Export the Master, and place that on Vegas’ Timeline, along with the captured DV from both cameras. Get all three audio tracks fairly close to being lined up. Zoom in on the audio tracks, adjusting their alignment as you go. At the maximum zoom point, move each audio track until the very top of the spike is in the exact same spot for each. Use your cursor as a line that cuts across each, for visual reference. Now all three audio tracks are SYNCED to the two video tracks. Simply mute or delete the two audio tracks from the cameras. Now adjust the start time of your SX audio track, to eliminate the click sound. You are left with your perfectly Mastered SX audio track, that is synced to BOTH camera takes. Edit the video as you please, or even place one camera shot P.I.P in the corner of the other camera shot, using Pan Crop. I’d do the same thing for the intro shots, where you are soloing to backing tracks……..record into SX, while filming, because you can adjust each tracks mix, before exporting the final product. You don’t really need a S.M.P.T.E. timecode Reader/Writer for this application. Striping and using timecode to sync machines or applications is really old school now, since the invention of N.L.E. Things are synced up visually, as I described above, these days. Unless you’re using old hardware. Having said that I can sell you a MidiSport USB 8X8 if you really want one? I have an extra one here in the studio. But like I said, you don’t really need one for what you want to do. I hope that helps a bit? It may seem complicated but it’s really easy, and the final product is top-notch. Give it a try!

Rob, https://www.robjames.net

[Lee Wood]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your help, i’ve just about got it now, synced DV and audio using the method you suggested and the results are great. Just one little thing that needs sorting, when recording and capturing there is a delay from the audio from the camera that puts me off whilst playing and for some strange reason the delayed audio from the camera is a lower pitch then what’s outputed thru Cubase. I went into vegas to try and mute the camera audio but the only thing i could find was the ‘don’t capture audio’ in the capture menu and then i couldn’t sync tracks together.
Is there any way to mute the camera audio whilst still recording it for syncing. Also do i have to have the frame rate setup the same for both vegas and Cubase projects?

I’ve checked your site out and listened to your tracks, nice guitar work going on. Do you use live drums or a VST like EZ drummer/ BFD? Like the vids on the site too, did you use Vegas Pro to make them?

Cheers,
Lee

[Danny Hays]

I don’t think anyone suggested this yet but why not just record the video on tape, zoomed out enough to see both hands and at the same time record your guitar into q-base. Then add the effects to the guitar and export as 48k 16 bit stereo wav file. then record the video into Vegas and import the guitar wav in and syncing them up is easy as the wav views will be similar. Then mute the audio track for the camera. Control plus drag the video track to copy it to another track. Zoom in on each hand with the two video tracks and uses a opacity envelope to switch between them. Danny

[Rob James]

I may be misunderstanding you Lee, but it sounds like you are still trying to “Capture” the video as you record the audio? This is not what I described above. The method I described is after the fact, kind of syncing. Where the tracks are synced up visually within Vegas, after all the filming and recording is done. Without actually being there, I would think the method you are using, Capturing while Recording is causing the delay you are experiencing. So just to be clear, only SX should be open as you record your guitar track, but both cameras should be rolling. The click track should be coming through your SX speakers, loud enough for the camera mics to pick it up. It’s only important that the click gets picked up by the mics, the rest of the audio is irrelevant. On the other hand, what you may be experiencing is a feedback loop between your camera and your computer speakers. Is your camera connected to your computer? If so, it doesn’t need to be, and actually shouldn’t be, at this stage. But if you want to leave it connected for some reason, simply mute the speaker icon in your computers bottom right system tray. Let me know which of these two scenarios applies to you? Turning it off at the computer will stop the feedback loop, yet still allow your camera mic’s to record. So one thing that is important that I failed to mention last time, is matching the sample rate of your camera audio and SX audio. Your camera should have settings to adjust the sample and bit rate. Most camera can’t do 44.1khz 16-bit, but will offer 48khz 16-bit. Choose the one that you can match in SX. In other words if you choose 48khz 16-bit on your camera settings, make sure when you export your finished Master out of SX, that you export it to 48khz 16-bit as well. So that they are matched, when you sync them up in Vegas. The lower pitch is exactly the result you would get with mis-matched sample and bit rates. My apologies for not mentioning that the first time. Matching the frame rates in both programs is only necessary if you were going to use S.M.P.T.E. to sync them. Thank you for your kind words on my guitar playing, those songs are getting old now, I’ve grown as a Producer and player since then. So they will all have to be re-done before I release my third album. The Production is really lacking compared to what I can do now. I play all the tracks on my albums, the drums I play on a Roland Electronic kit, and trigger either the DR-008, Addictive Drums or EZDrummer with the resulting midi file. The videos too are really lacking, something I’ll have to re-visit as well. They were done when I was first purchased Vegas, I know the program so much better now! The special effects videos were done on my old Amiga 2500, with the first digital video solution “The Toaster”. Once I got Vegas I retired that baby, but Man, can it do some special effects. In my view, all a person needs these days is Vegas, and SX (or Nuendo) and you can do everything in the world that you can imagine. Throw in Particle Illusions and you have the complete Post-Production package. Anyways………..hope some of this helps………later!

Rob, https://www.robjames.net

[Lee Wood]

Hi Danny,
Thanks for your advice, i’ll give the zooming in on each hand a go cos that’ll save me a lot of time importing video into vegas.
cheers