Thanks for taking the time, Bob. The video is going from my beta deck into an ACEDVio card for the S-Video input to Vegas. I should have noted in my first post that I tried running the audio into the ACEDVio card audio-in (from the Mackie mixer) but I had the same problem: no audio showing on the Vegas meter. I know there is an audio signal in the cables going into the card but I can't figure out how to get Vegas to hear it.

Again, thanks for you time. Any thoughts you have about this will be appreciated.


Lee

I can't give you a 'for sure' answer. When you open Vegas, try the 'Options' then 'Preferences'. This will bring up Preferences window, then go to 'Audio device'. This is the part I'm not sure about because I've only had my one audio card, but when you see Audio device type, open the drop down and see if your card is listed. If not, I believe 'Microsoft Sound mapper' is the default setting. My next 3 windows say : Wave. Then the 'Default audio recording device' drop down should list every audio input on your computer. Choose the one to your audio card. Close 'Preferences' window. Then try recording only the audio by inserting an audio track on the timeline, arm the track for recording by hitting red button to the right of the track #. Choose file to save. A number will appear next to 'arm' button, click on that and look for drop down from 'stereo' and choose your inputs for track 1. Then hit record button on timeline to record. If you can get a recording this way, you should be able to start recording sound with video too, but beware of possible sync problems when using separate cards. sometimes short projects are okay, but longer ones are problematic. That's why everyone says just get a A/D converter with firewire.

You will not see any audio on the Vegas meter!
I assume you're using VidCap, right?
Then the audio and video are captured to the one avi file.

Sound like you're trying to arm a track in Vegas, wrong approach.
Bob.

. . and . . . in VidCap you have to have "Capture Audio" selected too! - G

OK, folks. Thanks for everything. I'm heading into the studio now to work on all your suggestions. In case you haven't figured it out, you're dealing with a guy (longtime editor) who has just begun to dip his toes into Vegas. The terms which you used in your answers told me that I have a long way to go. I guess I really should spend some time with that manual!

This was the approach I used long before discovering this forum, when I originally had sync issues. This is when I switched my timecode to SMPTE non-drop, before recording, and while playing along with a previously recorded video, I recorded digital drums through my stereo inputs while recording the video with firewire, and it worked. I, I guess erroneously, thought I was encoding everything in SMPTE while recording this way. All I know was, it worked. I have not tried this with recording analog video through the S-input of my video card. I gave up on that. I was just trying to see if this guy could get his audio card to be recognized. I should also point out, I only tried it with video, that one time. For all I know I left a detail or two out. I believe I had to adjust the location of the audio, but didn't have to time/stretch/compress. Once adjusted, it stayed in sync for the total length of the recording, about a 1/2 hour.

Still no luck on audio and if anyone here has any ideas they would be most appreciated. Some more details:

I am working in the Video Capture window. I am sure that I am sending audio through the cable that goes to my ACEDVio audio-in. The strange thing is that when I click the Audio tab in the Video Capture window, I am given no choices. I would expect to see two options there: the ACEDVio card and the SoundBlaster card. In fact, all I see is the SoundBlaster -- listed as "Emu10kxAudio(B400)." But it is greyed out so I can't select it. The ACEDVio card isn't even listed. So, I think Vegas just doesn't know where to go for the analog audio -- even though it is able to record analog video just fine through that card. Yes, I do have "Capture Audio" selected in the Options.

I must say I am mystified...and very frustrated. Help is appreciated.


Lee

I would think that if you are using the ACEDVio for capturing that you should not be given any choices for audio selection. This card should combine the audio into the DV stream with the video and give you an AVI file with both interleaved together. This file should contain any audio that comes into the ACEDVio's audio inputs. This card should behave identically to capturing from a DV deck through firewire. The only choice you should have available is whether you're getting the DV stream from this card or from some other capture device.

Hmmmm. Defective card maybe?

Hi. This thread has gotten long enough that the original message has gotten a bit lost. The ACEDVio card works fine for digitizing DV material via firewire. I am now trying to use its analog capabilities. Video is being captured fine through S-video input but I am unable to capture audio through the analog audio-in.

Perhaps I am not supposed to have an audio device choice, however. I just don't know. The ACEDVio card shows up as a choice under the video tab in the capture window and it is selected. Does anyone else have experience capturing analog material that would be helpful to me?

Pretty much what is said above is right!
AVI stands for "Audio Video Interleaved" The ACEDVio will mux it all together for you. The one and ONLY option you have to worry about is the "Capture Audio" checkbox in VidCap.
Once you've captured the AVI file and dropped that onto the Vegas TL you'll have one track of video and one of stereo audio.
The approach you're taking would result in one AVI file with just video and one WAV file of audio. YOU CANNOT DO THAT.
I've captured many hours of SP and it's a piece of cake, you're trying TOO hard, it's dead easy.
You'll need to disable DV device control as you will not have machine control, you have to do a crash capture.
If you need machine control and to bring in LTC then you need somewhat more sophisticated gear. Ignore this issue for the moment, only cross that bridge if you really need to.

Bob.

See my response below.

Bob.

"You're trying way TOO hard."

Hmmmmmm.....I guess you are right -- particularly since you have captured plenty of Beta footage this way. Thanks for your persistence with this, Bob.

-- Lee

Pssssst. If you're not broke like me, get a Canopus ADVC-300. Problem solved.

Although good advice he should be able to do it with whta he's got, buying another box isn't the direct answer, he needs to understand that the audio and video go through the one box and end up as the one stream with no input monitor that gets recorded to the one file.
Once he gets that to work if he wants better quality then for sure buy a better A->D converter.

Bob.

Well, for what it's worth I've been capturing old VHS tapes by plugging the VCR's analog signals into my PD-150 camcorder and then via firewire to my 'puter. Worked fine for both audio and video although an ADVC-300 would probably produce a better signal..

Best/Tommy

Just for the record, as stated above, I have an appropriate card: Canopus ACEDVio. It can do what the ADVC-300 can do. The advice about going through the DV deck is working just fine. I was simply hoping to run the analog signals directly to the card and have it generate an AVI. My thinking is -- the fewer devices I run through, the cleaner the signal. Maybe I'm wrong....

Anyway, I'm working with Canopus now to make it happen. They say it should. We'll see. But thanks to all the responders here.

Lee

I apologize. Until your last post, I didn't even realize that the ACEDVio was a Canopus card. I had a vague memory of those initials but couldn't remember where I'd seen them. I thought it was a brand, like ASUS or ATI or something. Too many G.D. initials used in computer lingo.

Lee;
I know a number of guys who do exactly what you're trying to do every day. Their solution is to dump the BetaCam footage to DV and then firewire it in after that.
If the DV & BetaCam decks have component capabilities, that's what they use. Otherwise, like you, it's the S-video jack for video.
The audio is handled either by RCA to RCA (if your BetaCam has them) or by using a +4 to -10 (XLR to RCA) matching transformer box of some sort.

Mike