No audio tracks when importing avi file with Vegas 15.0

[Francois Pénzes]

Hi Carlos

Try using the included denoising filter. You could also try NeatVideo. (there is a trial version). Notice that in your effect chain, the order in which you insert your FX will give you a different end result.

Cheers !

PC Win 10 Pro 64-bit 16gb Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz
Cameras: Canon XF305 + Canon XH-A1
Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio Mini
Vegas Pro 16, User since Vegas 3.0

\’\’When the cutting stops, the editing begins…\’\’

[Carlos E. martinez]

Hi Francois,

Thanks for your suggestions.

Which order would use for the filters to act?

[George Dean]

Carlos,

Vegas Pro 15 has a Smart Upscale FX that you may want to try (it also has a denoise setting). Also a search for something like ‘Vegas Pro FX Chain Order’ may reveal some users suggestions on the basics of FX chain orders if Francois does not reply with something specific. There are so many combination, I have found trial and error to be my friend. I find a frame that is a good sample for improvement, then I save a snapshot (in png format), bring it to the timeline and apply adjustments to that and change the order of FX’s around to experiment. Also, when using the Sharpen filter, less is more! And any denoising filter will suck the system resources, so once you have a setting you like, you can turn it off while you work and finish other adjustments and turn it back on before rendering.

But I think the basic and biggest problem is cutting down the noise and applying a color correction and grade that you like. Avoid sharpening if you can and if not, use it sparingly.

Best Regards……George

[Carlos E. martinez]

OK, how about this plan, and how can I go about it?

I have a reference video version, from the DVD of this film, which I think I prefer over the Bluray version, in contrast, color and else.

Of course the BD version has more resolution, so I would like to correct it to look as much as possible to the DVD version.

Would taking a frame from the DVD version and and a frame from the HD version, and processing them side by side, be a more “accurate” way to proceed?

How can I go about it, particularly with the instruments I may use within Vegas? Is there a waveform monitor or a vectorscope in Vegas 15?

[George Dean]

Hi Carlos,

Go ‘View’ > ‘Window’ > ‘Video Scopes’. From this window you can resize it, move it, and select which scope(s) to view, or all of them, plus some other adjustments.

Best Regards……George

[Francois Pénzes]

Sorry about not getting back sooner. As George said, sometimes it’s pretty much trial and error as to what is first, second, etc… on the FX chain, but I denoise before anything else.

Once you start using your scopes properly, you can’t work without them anymore. I personally use all 3; Vector, Wave and Histogram. They are your best reference. Any monitor can be out of wack but the scopes will tell you the real story. Unfortunately, most will not take the time to learn how to read them. (this may not apply to you but maybe to the next reader)

Here’s a link to get you started: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/video-essentials-how-to-read-a-vectorscope-and-waveform-monitor/

There are also numerous tutorials out there. Google is your friend. You can’t all be as fortunate as we old fogies when back in the 70’s we had Proc amps, Cameras, Time Base Correctors, etc… that had to be adjusted every morning using Vectorscopes and Waveforms. Tedious but you got to understand the basics. Enough rambling !

I encourage all to get better acquainted in using these tools. If you’re going to spend all that time shooting and editing, might as well make your final result pop rather than just OK.

Cheers !

PC Win 10 Pro 64-bit 16gb Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core 3.40GHz
Cameras: Canon XF305 + Canon XH-A1
Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio Mini
Vegas Pro 16, User since Vegas 3.0

\’\’When the cutting stops, the editing begins…\’\’

[Carlos E. martinez]

Incredible help and valuable information you are giving me. Thanks a lot!

I have edited myself quite a few things in Avid, but not as continuously as I wish. Every time I start a new project I have to refresh the most basic things you can imagine. It’s pretty discouraging, it’s not quite like riding a bicycle!

Anyway, I come from film editing times: Prevost, Steenbeck and all that. So my mind was probably shaped differently, edfiting wise, from younger people that started in computer editing times. You tend to evaluate every frame in a different way. The frame makes a difference.

It’s probably like learning cinematography. You should start with black & white, and then go to colo. Because you learn about contrast and tone grades much solidly in black & white.

The only thing I do not regret from moviola times is the mechanical part, which was very primitive. It improved a bit with first video editing times, when film was transferred to video tape and edited there. Then the final tuning was still on the moviola, but you could try things less destructively than on the mechanical monster. Who went through that certainly knows what I’m talking about.

Now, one question that is not strictly related to this question, but in the end it is. What can i use to tune color, contrast and phase on a LED TV or on video projector? Are there any patterns available that I can put on video file and use to adjust things up?

My Optoma projector is a bit off in skin color, which you can see clearly when there’s a brilliant red light on the screen. And sometimes old films look weird on some skin tones. It happens less on modern films and series, I wonder why.

[Carlos E. martinez]

Before I carefully read all the articles you recommended and see the tutorials, I would like to know something.

There are two different jobs that I want to do with Vegas.

1) Use all the tools that might help make an SD film into something that “resembles” an HD video.

2) Regrade a film that looks much worst in its HD release than it did in its DVD version.

On the first case I don’t think Vectorscope or Waveform will be much help, even if a better color grading, perhaps a bit more saturated, would help “cheat on the look”.

On the second case, my instinct tells me taking the color away will help “align” the contrasts better between both versions. I don’t know if there’s a way to show you frames here, side by side, to see how detail in the shadows is much less in the HD version than on the DVD. The look is much “gloomy” on the HD version, and it seems there’s no absolute black or absolute white on the whole film.

If there could be way to compare grays grades, that is contrast ratio, between both version might be a good way to start. For that I guess the waveform would be the right tool, right?

[George Dean]

Hi Carlos,

In reference to number 2, as I posted previously, I would prepare a split screen to compare the SD to the HD. Then anything you do to improve the HD you can see side-by-side to the SD.

I use all the scopes, but primarily the Histogram, RGB Parade and Waveform. You have a lot of tools to choose from, you can apply the Black and White filters and make adjustments, the White Balance tool, the Curves, Color Corrector and Secondary Color Corrector. As you know, a little bit of adjustment goes a long way.

If you have PhotoShop or Affinity Photo, could grab a screenshot from your HD and take that into PhotoShop, make the corrections there, save the corrections as LUT, then apply that LUT to your HD footage in Vegas Pro 15. After applying the LUT in Vegas you may have some minor corrections to make, but after creating the LUT, it may save you time if you have various HD clips with the same issues.

Another thing you may want to consider is take a screen grab (png format) of a sample frame (same frame) of the SD and HD and post it here. Other members may be willing to spend some time to make some corrections and provide you with the settings. Having them both would allow others to see the difference and the SD would be their target.

Best Regards……George

[Carlos E. martinez]

Your suggestions are great, George. Both.

Unfortunately for the first one, using Photoshop, making the corrections and exporting the LUT, I would have to learn to use PS, which I don’t. But this would be an optimum reason for a crash course.

For the second, grabbing and posting two same frames of both versions, please tell me how to do it.

I already have two images to start a comparison between the SD and HD files.

It would probably have to be a few of them, involving interiors and exteriors, to get to some idea of what are the differences.