Capturing Video + Multitrack audio

[Michael Acres]

i dont believe you can capture multitrack audio with Sony Vegas, you will need protools or another program that supports multitrack audio capture.

[Brad Leigh]

Sam
I am a professional recording engineer with many years experience.
I don’t think I would try this. You big problem is going to be clock reference. You would need a common clock for both devices. The simplest solution would be to take video out from your camera, feed that to a work clock generator that will take the video in and spit out word clock. Clock you onxy to that clock, ( I believe it might clock to a spdif in) The Mackie Onyx comes with basic recording software, use that with a laptop, record your video to tape, then line up your video and audio files in Vegas. It not as complicated as it sounds. That is what I would. You could record the audio wild but it will drift a little.
Brad

i7 2600 3.4 Ghz 8Gig Ram , Win 7 Pro, Vegas Pro 12

[Sam Mattern]

Brad,

Thank you for your insight. If I understand you correctly, I’d basically just do the multitrack audio recording plus word clock, then dump the video into the system afterwards, using the word clock to sync the two. Here is a little bit more information about what we’re doing now and what we’re trying to accomplish.

We are currently shooting to DV tape with simultaneous write to DVD with a Sony MC-5. Most of our clients just want simple DVD of the proceedings that we’re recording for them. It makes archive and backup simple — a tape on the wall, a DVD in a case. However I know that standard DVs are going the way of the dodo because it’s hard to find a camera that supports them anymore.

This multitrack with simultaneous video record would take over as our simultaneous backup, while providing some benefit over our current setup. We probably edit 1% of what we shoot and what we do edit is for trial purposes. One attorney objects overtop a witness’s answer, the judge overrules the objection, and they want us to magically remove the objection. With multitrack audio, we’d be able to accomplish that feat.

So all of that to say, we want to walk away with two full recordings, one on the camera, and another a second device. I was planning a rackmounted setup of a multitrack mixer firewired to a rackmounted recording computer. I was hoping to hook the camera up to that machine as well and have some software magically record it all together. Doing music recording as a hobby and having used a multitrack DAW setup for a few years now, I thought “Surely there must be a software that does this and records video as well.”

Since we’ll use the multitrack version so infrequently, I don’t want it to be a huge process every time. Was hoping to start a new “project” in some software, arm the track, and record away. Plus, since this is legal work, I really need a simultaneous backup.

Sorry for the novel and I appreciate the advise.

-Sam

[Brad Leigh]

Sam
I would guess this would work.
https://www.motu.com/video-products/v4hd/features/audio-io.html
or Protools with an Avid Mojo. But the common solution is to use a common clock, record video on the recorder of your choice, and multitrack the audio on the DAW of your choice.
A lot of people use portable had held 4 track recorders, but they do drift sync wise.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/929347-REG/tascam_dr_60d_4_ch_track_linear_pcm.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html
B

i7 2600 3.4 Ghz 8Gig Ram , Win 7 Pro, Vegas Pro 12

[Colin Morris]

Hi Sam,
I would recommend a multitrack audio hardware recorder that can do a mixdown to CD. I own an older Yamaha but now I would recommend the Tascam D-24 https://tascam.com/product/dp-24/
You need something that is not dependent on a computer. The Tascam is simple to use. As far as updating your cameras-you probably should upgrade to identical cameras that use SD memory. You can remix everything in Vegas if necessary.

Colin Mendez Morris
ArsMusica
http://www.arsmusica.ca