[videoblogging] Re: Video conversion drops audio quality

[nicholas friedman]

Thanks for the advice on the conversion.  I ended up syncing my sony 
minidisc recording to the recording coming from the camera without much 
trouble.  The camera I'm using is an inexpensive cannon that offers no 
external mic jack or way to adjust the levels on the audio.  If I could 
somehow get a way to bring the levels down prior to conversion I don't think I 
would have the distortion problem.  If anybody is interested in the 
updated clip, here is Julie Lee performing Sam Cooke's "Change Gonna Come" at 
our Pottery shop--a sacred song and perhaps one of the best versions I've ever 
heard.  Plug in that RCA cable and turn it up!

http://blip.tv/file/950487/

Nick Friedman
www.myspace.com/duckpondatdusk


Check me out!signature


  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: [videoblogging] Re: Video conversion drops audio quality

[Richard Amirault]

- Original Message - 
From: "duckpondpotter"
> Thanks for the advice on my audio situation.  The last show I recorded
> on Sony Minidisc, so I'll try using that audio instead of the one
> that the camera recorded.  Those Zoom recorders look very cool.AND
> CHEAP!!!  I might have to spring for one of those. Do you have any
> recommendations for syncing a separate audio track.  Do I just
> manually eyeball the sync on my editor or is there a way to
> automatically sync it while shooting?
(snip)
3rd party comment:  You can sync by using a visual/audio clue ... like a 
clap of hands ..or a old fashone film slate closing ... but I just expand 
the horizontal track in the editor and match up the waveforms of the camera 
audio and the external recorder audio.

You do need to check on the sync if it is a long take (mine are up to an 
hour .. and the sync needs to be re-adjusted a couple of times at least)

Richard Amirault
Boston, MA, USA
http://n1jdu.org
http://bostonfandom.org
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7hf9u2ZdlQ

[videoblogging] Re: Video conversion drops audio quality

[duckpondpotter]

--- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, Brian Richardson - WhatTheCast?
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> DVD-R uses the same MPEG-2 audio format (MPA) that a regular DVD will 
> use. It's similar to MP3, but not exactly the same.
> 
> The first thing to check is any quality settings on the camera. Since 
> the DVD-R produces a compressed video, you want to shoot at the highest 
> quality (i.e. shortest record time setting) to reduce the suck you take 
> on with the first compression in the camera. There may even be an audio 
> quality setting that's independent of the video quality setting.
> 
> Next check what you're compressing to ... what's the bitrate on the 
> resulting file? Higher is better.
> 
> If that doesn't work and you have to have the best audio quality ...
> 1. Switch to a DV tape camera (shoot 16-but uncompressed stereo)
> 2. Record audio on a separate device, like a Zoom H2 or Zoom H4, then 
> sync the audio in editing.
> 
> duckpondpotter wrote:
> > I'm suffering a drastic drop in audio quality when I convert my
> > movies.  I'm shooting onto dvd-r discs. I thought that the camera
> > saved the audio onto an already compressed mp3 file, so I don't
> > understand why the audio would have such a drop in quality during the
> > video compression process.   If any anybody has a suggestion for
> > getting my audio through the conversion process more successfully I'd
> > greatly appreciate it.  We host a summer concert series that we film,
> > and the quality of the audio is pretty critical.  Thanks.
> > 
> > Nick Friedman
> > The Duckpond Pottery
> > www.myspace.com/duckpondatdusk
> > Brevard, North Carolina 
> -- 
> Brian Richardson
>   - http://siliconchef.com
>   - http://dragoncontv.com
>   - http://whatthecast.com
>   - http://www.3chip.com
>
Brian,

Thanks for the advice on my audio situation.  The last show I recorded
 on Sony Minidisc, so I'll try using that audio instead of the one
that the camera recorded.  Those Zoom recorders look very cool.AND
CHEAP!!!  I might have to spring for one of those. Do you have any
recommendations for syncing a separate audio track.  Do I just
manually eyeball the sync on my editor or is there a way to
automatically sync it while shooting?  Thanks again for your help.
Just to illuminate my problem here is a clip from our last show:

  http://duckpondpotter.blip.tv/#951174 

Nick