Editing AC-3 Audio

[army5]

I'm wanting to edit some of my DVD's to make a demo disc for my home theatre. I'm not sure if there is an all-in-one solution but I can clip my DVD's using DVDShrink. What I haven't figured out is how to edit the sound while maintaining the 5.1 surround sound. I would like to keep the sound effects and have my own music mixed in. Does anyone know of software that will let me do this?

[guns1inger]

There isn't one. If you just want to create a demo clip show with the original audio, the Shrink will do it, albeit with pauses inbetween each clip as they will be authored as seperate titles.

If you want to edit the audio, especially to change the mix, then you need to demux back to seperate mono tracks, remix in your audio software, then reencode back to AC-3. I would use Vegas for the remixing because it has a great multi-channel mixing environment. I don't know of anything free that do this nicely.

[mike909]

Adobe Audition has a real slick multichannel mixer as well. Can't edit ac3 directly though...I don't think that is possible.

[Cunhambebe]

I guess Nuendo and its Dolby Digital Plug-in (that doesn't come along with Nuendo - you have to buy it too) will let you import AC-3 files and edit them. But Nuendo's learning curve is stepy and the prices are staggering.

[redwudz]

There is at least one free audio editor in 'Tools' that can handle multiple channels. You would have to demux and separate them first. After editing, I'm not sure how you would combine them back to 5.1.

I think the question is....Do you really want to do this?

[army5]

I've accepted the fact of just cutting clips out of the movies using DVD Shrink. I've been trying to use Womble to smooth out the jump from one scene to another by blending/fading them. However, it appears that when I export the clips it only uses 2 channel audio. How can I keep the 5.1 audio, use transitions to smooth the jumps from one clip to the next, and burn it to a DVD to view on my home theatre system?

[mike909]

you can demux the ac3 file from the vob with vdubmod and then re-insert the ac3 file at the authoring stage.

[BJ_M]

some people are reporting at the sony vegas forum that the newest version Vegas 6.0B can import 5.1 AC3 as multichannel audio and edit it (imported from vobs) ... specific set up of system seems to be required and i have been unable to verify myself ..

but more than one has been able to do it ..

[mike909]

Wow, that sounds cool. I hope Premier will follow suite on next version.
EDIT: I mean audition
EDIT: actually, either one would be nice.

[Cunhambebe]

Vegas 6.0B can import 5.1 AC3 from VOBs and edit it ...

- that's absolutely true.

[mike909]

Does vegas 6.0b then allow you to export the ac3 file, keeping it as an ac3 file? or do you have to export it as 6 wavs and reencode to ac3?

[BJ_M]

Vegas is full Dolby encoder .. you can export as 5.1 AC3

[mike909]

Thanks BJ,
....and just as I was getting used to PremierPro, i'l have to check out another NLE.

[spiderlegs]

I guess Nuendo and its Dolby Digital Plug-in (that doesn't come along with Nuendo - you have to buy it too) will let you import AC-3 files and edit them. But Nuendo's learning curve is stepy and the prices are staggering.

I've got Nuendo AND the DOlby plug-in and I still have problems with AC3 files.

Great about Vegas, except I have 5.0 and I'm too broke for an upgrade. Nice...

[Cunhambebe]

I've got Nuendo AND the DOlby plug-in and I still have problems with AC3 files.

-I've seen some people around here complaining that Nuendo has some bugs. Nevertheless is a great software. Vegas is great as well as Sound Forge and Audition, but Nuendo seems to belong to another level. As far as I know, version 3 lets you make your own 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 soundtracks even though encoding these files demands the Dolby Digital Plug-in which seems to cost about 900.00 US$ I think this is very expensive for a plug-in. Vegas 6.0 can do the same thing (almost? - no 6.1/7.1) and it comes along with DVDA 3.0.

[BJ_M]

Vegas has the encoder DLL for Dolby EX , now if you could just figure out how to add the extra channels ..

[Cunhambebe]

I was going to ask you about that....................