Creating a Pseudo 5.1 Mix from Stereo Source Using V.I.

[guns1inger]

A VST plugin called V.I, which has been kicking around at Doom9 since 2004, has finally been completed and released. You can read the original post here. Anyway, having had a bit of play with it, I am impressed. It is simple to use, and while not producing a full, dynamic 5,1 mix (you don't position individual sounds, for instance), it does add life and depth to your stereo sources.

I have been meaning to write a guide or two for some time, and this seemed like a good place to start. So here is my first official guide here at videohelp. It is in pdf format, and rar'd for transport. If this is a problem, please let me know, however for the moment my hosting is limited, so this has to be done.


It has been brought to my attention that the old link to the guide no longer works. This is due to change of ISPs - my bad. I have now attached the guide to this post so it should remain ad infinitum. Sorry for any inconvenience.

[Baldrick]

you could post files in this forum. but maybe you want download statistics.

[guns1inger]

Nope. Happy to have them here. I couldn't see where to post non-image files in the guides section was all.

[Baldrick]

post it in a reply and then link to that file.

[Angel_SWE]

Hi guns1inger!

First off, great guide.. everything worked great untill I got to the last part where I render/save the file as 5.1 in vegas.. I get some kinda script error or something, it looks like this:



(its in swedish so you probably dont understand what it says, but its something like "an error has occured in the script on this page")

this only happens when I try to save in 5.1.. could it be that I need a codec or something? I have reintalled the program like 10 times but I cant get past this.. I hope you can help me

When I click save, that sony window pops up but it doesnt say anything

edit/ oh, and I use Vegas 6

[guns1inger]

Do you gave DVD Architect or the Sony AC3 plugin installed ? Due to licensing restrictions/fee etc, AC3 encoding in not part of Vegas, but included as a seperate plugin or as part of the Vegas+DVDA bundle. Perhaps this is where it is failing.

[Angel_SWE]

Ahh yes Im stupid.. it works now, thanks!.. and again - great guide

[balli]

Hi guns1inger!

thanks for the guide. Why do you set the fronts to 68% and the rears to -68%?

[guns1inger]

Not sure how you came to 68% - damned if I could find the numbers in my guide - however as with most things in this game, it varies from video to video and mix to mix. I deliberately tried to stay away from using specific numbers when explaining the settings because no two mixes will be the same. Sometimes you have to play around.

One quick way to test you mix down is to save a 44.1 kHz version and burn a surround audio CD of your audio (or a section thereof) and test play it. You will get the surround effect without having to wait for a whole DVD to compile.

[balli]

Hi guns1inger!

thanks for the answer.

[balli]

Hi guns1inger!

can you tell me how to burn a surround audio CD?

[guns1inger]

Use BeSure and BeSweet to get the AC3 audio into the wav container.

[balli]

Thanks

[lacywest]

Interesting ... very interesting ... keep up the info guys.

Been bored lately with what I've got or have been using lately ... but finding a job right now is actually more important but would be nice to have something to toy with when I get home from work.