Subject:The newbiest question you could read here :)

Posted by: slave1director

Date:9/28/2002 3:23:23 PM

Hi all ,


My question is actually pretty simple and i hope some of you will be able to guide me to the right place . Here it goes:

I'm looking for an Audio software , i don't know anything about audio so far but i'll have to be OK pretty soon. In a nutshell , i'm gonna start shooting films pretty soon (when i'll have my camera), so i need a software that will allow me to process all the audio from the movies or shots that i will put in my computer for editing ,which i will do with Premiere(the video that is).

So the only reason why i need audio software will be to edit the sound and when i say edit i mean enhance or reduce several part of the audio input .

To give you an example : Let's say i shot a guy walking down the street. With the software what i would like to do is reduce the noise of the cars that are passing by and enhance his voice.

That's basically my need now .I'm sure they will grow in numbers over time so if you would please keep that in mind in your suggestions .

So to your knowledge what is the right software for me.

I thank you all for taking the time to read my post and put your knowledge in your guidance.

Phil

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:9/28/2002 6:22:49 PM

Well, background noise is easiest to remove when it's constant. When it changes, such as a car approaching, passing by, and going away, it gets pretty difficult to deal with. Noise Reduction plugins assume that the noise you're reducing will be the same all the way through the clip. It can help with transients, but it's a lot more work. You can also play with EQ some to emphasize the frequencies of the voice and reduce other frequencies.

If you're looking to SonicFoundry for your audio solution, you might consider taking a peak at Vegas. It has almost every audio feature of SoundForge plus a few others as well, most notably multitrack capability. As a bonus, it's also one of the best and easiest video editors as well! Try the demo and you might decide to not bother with Premier at all.

The Noise Reduction plugin with work equally well with either SoundForge or Vegas, or any other DX plugin enabled software. It is an extra $200 though. Good luck! Keep in touch here and let us know how your projects are going :)

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: slave1director

Date:9/28/2002 11:25:30 PM

Thanks a lot kelly (i visited your website)for the useful tips. I mentionned Premiere because it will be included in the bundle that comes with the capture card i plan to buy (pinnacle dv200).

Strange though because that question i asked was based on meetings with an old school pal a couple of years back. He was a real audio freak. He told me then that with his sound editing software he could do exactly (and quite easily) the processes i mentionned in my post. On a subconscious level maybe all i wanted was the name of that particular sound editing prog.

I'm not sure but i think it was maybe Cool edit pro. I read that name today and it kinda rang a bell.

Do you think that this tool could do what i want.

Thanks

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: Spirit

Date:9/29/2002 9:25:50 AM

I think you should spend more effort in working out exactly how to record your original audio so that you don't need to fluff about with noise reduction acrobatics. Life will be much easier if your source material is as close to true as possible rather than being slack in the intial recording work and thinking "I'll fix it all up further down the chain".

That said, I think VegasVideo is a way better video and audio solution than Premiere. I've used both at work and there's no contest, especially in the areas of audio, speed of operation, and ease of use.

I don't like Pinnacle cards much either - yeah they're popular I know. Why not just get a simple firewire card and go straight into Vegas ? (Although I can't vouch for the differences in these methods as I use analog capture)

S

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: slave1director

Date:9/29/2002 8:59:41 PM

Thanks a lot Spirit for that insightful reply.

I agree with you i want to get the sound right the first time and not rely on future manipulations. What i was saying about the kind of operations that i wanted to perform on the software that i will have fell in the category "just in case". You pretty much sound like a pro and you know as i do that when you start even with the best intentions and OK equipment not all turns out the way you wanted.

About the video card with firewire , it's not a bad idea ,although i would have love to know why you don't like the Pinnacle cards. Which ones do you refer then?

As for Vegas , i will definitly look into it but after 4000$ on a camera , 1500$ on a Steadicam JR (which i already have) and 2000$ on a new computer. Another 675$ for Vegas when i have Premiere free with the card that is included in the 2000 i mentionned. Mind you that the prices were in Canadian fund but i'll download the demo to look into it at least while waiting.


So which card do you recommend then . thanks Spirit and all the others who take their time

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: Tom Pauncz

Date:9/30/2002 8:16:41 AM

Pyro cards are right up there - a lot of folks prefer them as they are OHCI compliant. Personally, I have a DV200 card in my system as well as a Soundblaster Audigy Platinum.

Bought the DV200 for precisely the reason you are looking at it - bundled Adobe Premier 6. However, since I installed the SB card (it has built in firewire port), I have used nothing but Vegas Video 3. On my third professional project now and I can't speak highly enough of VV3. From the sheer productivity alone, it's worth every cent - or megabucks in Canadian funds! :-)

Cheers,
Tom

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: slave1director

Date:10/1/2002 11:06:09 AM

Thanks a lot Tom.

I guess i'm gonna have to pile up some money :). SO if you could go back would you choose a Pyro card or your DV200 satisfy you completly. What's OHCI compliant BTW :)

Also can you explain something to me because i found it strange to shoot video data through a sound card even if it has a friewire connection.The way you talk is that VV3 comes with your SB , is it true.

Thanks a lot Tom and everyboy else who answered , your comments are highly appreciated.

Cheers :)

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: joylay83

Date:10/2/2002 1:10:06 AM

hey, i'm also a Premiere n Sf 6.0 user... they work great together. but 1 warning... please save your work CONTINUOUSLY as you work (maybe every 15-20 mins), especially when you're working with large files (above... say 400MB). the reason is the comp may hang sometimes, particularly in Premiere when you r building a preview.

Subject:RE: The newbiest question you could read here :)

Reply by: Spirit

Date:10/2/2002 9:38:59 AM

All you really need is a US$40 Firewire card to let you capture the video. After that it's all up to the editing software. I don't think the card is really the important part of the equation.