Audio Capturing Issue? Please Advise

[goldtop33]

I'm having an issue with my captured audio. I'm transferring video tape from a JVC HR - S9911U into an ATI AIW 9800 Pro card. The source (a concert) sounds fine when playing through the VCR while it's being captured - but when I play the file MPEG 2 afterwards - its sounds like its breaking up/semi-distorted.

I DO NOT have a videocard - just the soundmax integrated audio that came with my Dell 8300 Dimension.

Will a soundcard make the difference here?

Thanks!

[non-linear]

I've had the same problem with the ATI cards and no, a new soundcard won't help (I have a SoundBlaster 16 PCI and a SoundMax integrated audio on my mobo which I tried and had the same results). What I do is capture at a lower level and boost the audio in TMPGEnc when I re-edit.

This has been a known issue to ATI for some time now (I filed a report a while back and they basically said it was something I did wrong), but I don't think they're taking it seriously because I had the same issue with my old AIW128 I bought back in '99 and found it's still in the newer generations of ATI cards (I have a AIW Radeon 7500), so one would think they would have found a solution by now.

[Duchess]

You're both, IMHO overloading the input of your sound systems. They run off a 5 volt rail and allowing for saturation voltages, will only accept a peak to peak input of 4 volts. This equates to 1.4 Volts rms which it is very easy for a VTR to produce. Exceeeding this figure will result in clipping on the peaks of the audio which *will* sound very distorted. Reducing audio levels to about 1 volt rms will sound far better.

BTW make sure you aren't using the microphone input, it's far too sensitive as it's meant to work in the millivolt level of input.

Oh I'm using an ATI Radeon 9000 AIW card myself with no problems.

[goldtop33]

Duchess - so where and how do I alter my audio capturing settings (which your saying are maxing out)

Is this somthing I change in the ATI presets? Please advise.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

[Duchess]

You need to adjust the audio output from your VTR to lower it to a point where the audio input on the computer isn't overloaded. If your VTR won't do this then you will need to put an attenuator in the audio leads. I've done this with 4 resistors (two per lead) but unless you have sufficient stock of them to play with a stereo volume control would be easier as you can adjust it.