Desperate - please advise on this problem w/audio distortion

[goldtop33]

I'm having a problem with audio distortion that I've semi-figured out on my own - but still need some additional help with.

I'm capturing concert videotapes (bootlegs) with a JVC S-VHS HR S9911U VCR to an ATI AIW 9800 Pro card on my computer using SoundMAX integrated audio.

I noticed that whenever I played the captured video - the audio sounds like its breaking up (too distorted) - even though the sudio sounds fine when I'm capturing it from the VCR.

I tried capturing some professional , store bought video and the problem doesn't occur.

Now - the tapes I'm using were shot during concerts by fans - many of them very professional recordings - however, the audio plays back too distorted on my captures. I've tried minimizing the line in and overall output levels on my computers audio and it doesnt do anything.

What DOES seems to take away the distortion is to switch the audio channel on my VCR from HI-FI to normal. But this takes away alot of the dynamics of the recording. I'm just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sort of thing - or if a soundcard would help this problem???

I really appreciate any feedback on this topic and thank you in advance for your help!!!!

[troyvcd1]

Wow that sucks. It may be a problem with your vcr. Do a search for that vcr on this forum and you will see what some people are saying about that vcr and the audio problems with it.

[goldtop33]

I dont think its the VCR because when I capture off of store bought videotpes - the captures result in fine audio. It's just when I'm capturing off of the fan made concert videos that I run into the problem.

I've read lots of feedback on ths VCR - and while I've heard that its not as good as the 9800 series, this one (9911) is still better than most of the VCRs out there...

[goldtop33]

anyone?

[SaSi]

Your VCR appears to have an option (normal/hi-fi) for audio playback. I am guessing that this relates to the audio track played-back from the tape. SVHS VCRs (with Stereo Audio) record audio with separate moving heads mounted on the video head flywheel. Normal VCRs have a fixed audio head, separate to the video flywheel.

I suppose that the option your VCR provides relates to the audio source.

I expect that these tapes were recorded with a camcorder of some sort and dubbed to VHS. Whether the sound was recorded with the normal - low quality - audio head or the stereo sound depends on what kind of VCR the original dubbing was done.

Have you tried to playback the tapes on the TV with both audio options? Do you get distortion out of the hi-fi output? (My guess is you don't).

If TV playback doesn't distort audio, it means it's properly recorded.

To what audio in port have you connected the VCR? Your PC should normally provide two (Line-In and Mic). The Mic port is more sensitive compared to the Line-In and perhaps this gets the audio distorted.

Another common trap is volume control. When you launch the Audio level application you are normally presented with playback levels. If you go to the menu : Options--> Properties, you will be shown with a dialog allowing you to select between playback and recording (levels). These levels are totaly different to the playback levels. You need to lower the "recording level" in the recording levels to achieve normal level recording.

If you have VirtualDUB, use it, select File-->Capture, go to the audio menu and select recording level (or something like that). It allows you to monitor recording level in a VU-meter like tool.

Good luck and give us an update.

[goldtop33]

Thanks for the quick reply -

The tapes all play fine in the VCR - they even sound fine while I'm capturing.

I've tried lowering the recording levels - but this had no effect.

I have been using the line in port - not the mic port. Like I said - I've actually had good audio capturing when recording off of tapes that were store bought or taped off of television - its just the tapes that were shot by fans during concerts that end up capturing distorted.

I've been capturing directly to MPEG@ - do you think going to AVI would make any difference?

Also - My ATI AIW 9800 pro came with the 8.5 drivers. I havent updated the drivers due to the horror stories I've heard. Does anyone think updating the ATI drivers would have any effect???

Thanks!

[SaSi]

Since you are having an audio problem, forget VIDEO for a moment. Use a sound recording tool (If you don't have any use Windows Sound Recorder) and record the audio directly to WAV. Experiment with different audio levels. Then play it back and verify the quality.

If recording directly to WAV solves the problem, then it appears your combined Video+audio recording s/w is causing the problem.