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  1. Banned
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    How to make a Dual or Multiple Audio AVI or MPEG4 file (XviD, DivX, other) and/or How to add Multiple SUBTITLES
    v.1.2
    Updated 2005-05-20

    A simple guide how to add, remove, or swap any single, dual or multiple audio tracks with or without subtitles in AVI files.


    Once upon a time I have noticed big surprise in my friends eyes when they suddenly discovered that some of my backup dvdrips in MPEG-4 format have dual and triple audio tracks within, and so I decided to write this short and simple guide, because almost every standalone divx/dvd player on the market supports multiaudio anyway.




    TOOLS NEEDED:

    AVI-Mux GUI

    http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~noe/Video-Zeug/AVIMux%20GUI/index-eng.html#download

    Morgan Stream Switcher (not neccessary, for playback issues - see below)
    http://www.morgan-multimedia.com/download/mmswitch.exe


    Level of knowledge required: n00b, brainless, etc



    1.
    Download AVI-Mux GUI if you dont have it yet, and run it (it doesnt require any installation).
    Load your avi file (with or without any audio) in AVI-Mux GUI by simply drag'n'drop it there (#1)

    In my example file I loaded has only English original audio, and Im going to add English Commentary audio as a secondary audio. Someone else may want to use i.e. dubbed audio track in his localized language... or add both. Its your choice

    2.
    Once youve loaded the file, highlight it by clicking on it, then click on "generate data source from files". It will show you what video and audio streams your file has, see #2




    3.
    Load the external audio track (and/or subtitles) what you wish to add to your movie (in my example it is MP3 rip of Commentary Track) see #3.
    Addendum:
    If youre adding multiple audio tracks with multiple subtitles - see picture #3B (in addendum, at the end of this guide - below). Picture #3c shows all the multiplexed subtitle options within finalized AVI file (on a computer, using plain Windows Media Player 6.4 and ffdshow filter). Please note that not all dvd/divx standalone players are able to select and/or display subtitles that are multiplexed 'inside' the AVI file.

    For adding only subtitles, or multiple audio and multiple subtitles, follow next steps the same way as I explained when adding just second audio track.





    Make sure your original movie audio track is set as Default audio (#4), unless you want to change it. 'Default' audio track It means this audio track will play on every software or hardware divx/dvd-player that is *not* capable of playing other audio tracks, and there are plenty of them out there. So if I would have set as a 'default' the commentary track that Im adding in my example, then it wouldnt be right on such players, right?
    You can also set Language properties/names for each of the audio tracks (#5) for all those players that are able to distinguish and select more than one audio track.

    Finally hit 'start' (#6) and select where to save your newly created dual audio file and under what name.
    Thats all.




    If you load your newly created multi-audio AVI file in a GSpot, it will show properties for all of your audio tracks selectable there:

    .




    PLAYBACK ISSUES

    Standalone divx/dvd player should have no problem with such files, and you would select audio tracks the same way as you do with standard DVD-Video discs on your player (usually hit the button "Audio" on your remote ).

    But there is one tricky part of playing such files on a PC with software players.
    I do know many of them have problem with secondary audio tracks within AVI container (yet all of them will have no problem playing such AVI files at all, they will just play them with the 'default' audio track only).
    Since it is not the scope of this guide how to make secondary audio playable on your PC and every software player out there (I dont watch movies on any computers, so please forgive me) I will just write how to make them playable with most popular player on PC - Windows Media Player which is built-in into every Windows since Windows 95:

    Simply install Morgan Media Switcher - available for free (link above).

    It works on every WMP from version 6.4 and up, and I just have tested version 0.99 with WMP6.4 on my Windows 2000 machine.



    In a red frame you can see the way names of your Audio Tracks normally will appear.
    However if you want their names to be more specific (like it is in my example - "Audio Track 1" appear as "English", and "Audio Track 2" appear as "Commentary Track") you need to open your Notepad, and create new text file (usually it is autonamed as "New Text Document").
    Open it and type:

    [MSS]
    Audio_1=English
    Audio_2=Commentary Track

    (as in my example, you may need to type i.e. Francaise and Whatever instead of English and Commentary Track).
    Save the file, then rename it to exact same name as your movie file is, and change the file's extension from .txt to .mss (so Morgan Stream Switcher could see it).
    As in my example, since previously I saved my dual audio movie as:

    Repulsion.Dual.Audio.DVDrip.DivX5.avi

    therefore I renamed this New Text Document.txt file to:

    Repulsion.Dual.Audio.DVDrip.DivX5.mss


    If you can't see the .txt extension of your file it means your Windows hide extensions by default, you need to enable it first, otherwise the .txt extension will still be there and you will be creating something like "Repulsion.Dual.Audio.DVDrip.DivX5.mss.txt" without seeing the ending .txt part of filename (as it would have been in my example).

    Enjoy =)





    __________________________________________________

    EDIT:

    Friend of mine sent me angry email:
    ...your guide is fine, except the major flaw - it doesnt work. I did everything exactly ... (according to my guide) ... and the added audio track is not in synch with the video
    After very short investigation I found out that the second audio track came from PAL version (25fps) of the movie, and it was muxed (added) to NTSC version (23.976fps) of the same movie...
    I thought it is obvious that both audio tracks *must* come from same version of the video (be it PAL or NTSC). Because of the different frame rate playback between PAL and NTSC very same movie - assuming both PAL and NTSC were made from identical reel copies - they will have slightly different duration. And very often movies released on DVD in America and rest of the world come from entirely different versions, differently edited and cut...
    We can adjust 'skew' of the audio and 'expand' it, or 'shrink' it, in order to adjust it to different video framerate. There are few tools available for this task, but such subject is beyond the purpose of this simple guide.

    So - please make sure all of your audio tracks are from the same video format source before you send me some angry email or post






    Addendum

    Adding multiple subtitles
    Screen #3b:


    Multiple subtitle options as seen on a computer (using WMP)
    Screen #3c:




    .
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    hi does anyone know if there a place to download recorded movie langauge in any wav or mp3 format? as i downloaded the movie in german and unalbe to understand and wat more is that there no dual langauuge on the dvd movie itself any alternatives? thank you
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    Hello:

    I am new at this.

    I followed the directions but when I played back my avi file there were no subtitles in the movie even though I added them. What am I doing wrong????

    Please help!
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    Install (and configure) i.e. ffdshow codec, or VLC player. or ...
    The guide itself is about multiplexing various audios and subtitles into one single stream. The subjects of "which player to use", "which standalone to choose" or "which codec to use" are too broad to cover in some simple guide, and I never wanted to do so anyway.
    So, youre not doing anything wrong, you just need to either buy a standalone dvd/divx player capable of playing mpeg-4 files with multiple audio streams and embedded subtitles* or you gotta find its software equivalent for your computer.
    I really suggest using ffdshow since it works invisibly in the 'background' with your already installed media player of your choice, it has no bloat, and gives many more options.

    * these are embedded subtitles; the subtitles that are 'burnt-in' into the movies' frames/picture are not 'embedded', although many people mistakenly refer as such.
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    Are there any standalone players that can play subs muxed by AVI-Mux GUI? For standalone playback you would be better of with external subs (move.eng.srt, movie.ger.srt, etc.) or to use xsubs in a divx container.
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    I followed the instructions for multiple audio tracks, but for some reason in WMP the second track sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks. What am I doing wrong?
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  7. Looks like I got lucky with my video and audio files because everything seems to be working correctly. But, now that I do have everything merged, the default audio is louder than the added audio (I was adding a commentary track). Is there a way to modify the volume settings so I can hear the commentary more than the default audio?
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    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    Looks like I got lucky with my video and audio files because everything seems to be working correctly. But, now that I do have everything merged, the default audio is louder than the added audio (I was adding a commentary track). Is there a way to modify the volume settings so I can hear the commentary more than the default audio?
    by "merging" them you didn't change any audio or video files, you only did exactly what you said - you've merged them. Hence, if the audio of one of the streams is louder than the other, thats how it was to begin with.

    If you want to make changes to the audio stream's volume (or any other changes) you need to edit the file before "merging".
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  9. Originally Posted by DereX888
    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    Looks like I got lucky with my video and audio files because everything seems to be working correctly. But, now that I do have everything merged, the default audio is louder than the added audio (I was adding a commentary track). Is there a way to modify the volume settings so I can hear the commentary more than the default audio?
    by "merging" them you didn't change any audio or video files, you only did exactly what you said - you've merged them. Hence, if the audio of one of the streams is louder than the other, thats how it was to begin with.

    If you want to make changes to the audio stream's volume (or any other changes) you need to edit the file before "merging".
    I suspected that might be the case... any tips on where I can learn how to do that?
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    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    Originally Posted by DereX888
    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    Looks like I got lucky with my video and audio files because everything seems to be working correctly. But, now that I do have everything merged, the default audio is louder than the added audio (I was adding a commentary track). Is there a way to modify the volume settings so I can hear the commentary more than the default audio?
    by "merging" them you didn't change any audio or video files, you only did exactly what you said - you've merged them. Hence, if the audio of one of the streams is louder than the other, thats how it was to begin with.

    If you want to make changes to the audio stream's volume (or any other changes) you need to edit the file before "merging".
    I suspected that might be the case... any tips on where I can learn how to do that?
    hmm... it is so simple that I don't think there is any guide to it
    Load the 'quieter' audio file with any audio editing software and select "normalize".
    (i.e. almost everyone have Nero, it has WaveEditor tool perfectly capable of doing it on MP3 files)
    If it is AC3 file that is 'too quiet' for you (as I suspect), your best bet is to reencode it to MP3 (i.e. Ciler's AC3 Tool will do it well to 2-channel with surround WAV, where you can adjust it to your liking making i.e. center channel louder - thats where the talk usually is, and then use lame or any other mp3 encoder of your choice... even the Ciler's tool can encode WAV to MP3 at second step, but it does it only as CBR afair)
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  11. Originally Posted by DereX888
    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    I suspected that might be the case... any tips on where I can learn how to do that?
    hmm... it is so simple that I don't think there is any guide to it
    Load the 'quieter' audio file with any audio editing software and select "normalize".
    (i.e. almost everyone have Nero, it has WaveEditor tool perfectly capable of doing it on MP3 files)
    If it is AC3 file that is 'too quiet' for you (as I suspect), your best bet is to reencode it to MP3 (i.e. Ciler's AC3 Tool will do it well to 2-channel with surround WAV, where you can adjust it to your liking making i.e. center channel louder - thats where the talk usually is, and then use lame or any other mp3 encoder of your choice... even the Ciler's tool can encode WAV to MP3 at second step, but it does it only as CBR afair)

    Thank you, you are a godsend... I really never would have thought of looking there... sometimes, I really need that big sign right in front of me telling me where to go!

    Truth be told, it's the ac3 that's actually louder. The extra commentary that I wanted to add (the mp3) I could barely hear over the default track...
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    [quote="Fantasma"][quote="DereX888"]
    Originally Posted by Fantasma
    Thank you, you are a godsend... I really never would have thought of looking there... sometimes, I really need that big sign right in front of me telling me where to go!
    Don't we all...
    Y.W.
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    Hi DereX888,

    Could you please explain how I do the following:

    "To install new language files, copy the file to the language folder of AVI-Mux GUI and add an entry for it in the languages.amg file"

    This is for Simplified Chinese language. I tried to copy and it won't paste in the Language folder and I don't know how to add it to language.amg file. Thanks[/quote]
    metta
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  14. Hello. I have a mini DV cam which is able to record MPEG4 movies to sd cards. Also has the feature of audio dubbing, but unfortunately this works only for mini DV casettes, not for MPEG4 recording.

    I have used it for recording some songs via my guitars. As you may know adding a second guitar makes the song much more better and I am trying to add, but it is not possible with the cam. Is there a way to do it on PC/laptop? I mean is there a way to add the 2nd guitar voice to the MPEG4 movie synchronisedly while it is being played on computer?(If you hear the 1st guitar's sound, it is better and easier to add the 2nd guitar synchronisedly). If I use your method, I must add the 2nd guitar as a seperate audio file, and this shall not make it possible to hear both guitars playing synchronisedly and harmonically at the same time as they will not start playing at the same time(2nd guitar's may start earlier or later).

    I need a program making me able to record 2nd guitar sound while listening the 1st guitar from the PC. In other words, making me able to record the 2nd guitar while playing back the 1st guitar's video. In fact, if it would be possible to record both guitars to the PC with the same program one by one, the sound quality would be the same. If I record the 1st guitar with a cam having perfect stereo sound, but the 2nd guitar from a average quality mic connected to the PC, then the sound qualities would not be the same.

    Is there a way to do the things I've mentioned above? Thanks for any possible help.
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  15. what of i have the basic video on 720p mp4 format and i want to add an audio to it which is extracted from a mkv video file
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  16. I had been searching and tries in vain to create dual audio avi file but nothing seem to work then today I stumble upon this thread. Many thnx to DereX888 for these useful tips n thnx to the author of AVI-Mux GUI, it only take 5 mins to created a one hour Dual Audio AVI file, it was so amazingly fast and it still keep the video same quality. For those that need DVD audio extract, use this "DVD Audio Extractor " version I am using is 6.3 and it work great. And for extracting video, I use "TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works v5.0.6.38", this is a best video soft.
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  17. Originally Posted by antinikhil View Post
    what of i have the basic video on 720p mp4 format and i want to add an audio to it which is extracted from a mkv video file
    You can use Yamb's latest beta version from https://www.videohelp.com/tools/YAMB to add AAC, AC3 and mp3 like audio to mp4 files.
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