VirtualDub doesn't separate audio - but Goldwave DOES!

[tomreedtoon]

I spent a frantic two days trying to make VCD's from some XviD's. Always, always, the sound was out of sync. It was the weird audio encoding XviD uses, which isn't synchronous in TMPGenc.

I took the advice of several guides here, and used VirtualDub to separate out the audio and save it as a separate WAV file, then encode the whole works in TMPGenc. And it STILL didn't work!

Until I finally looked at the supposed WAV file produced by VirtualDub. It wasn't WAV. For a half-hour show, it was only 27 meg.

Picking up on a hint, I loaded the XviD file into my Goldwave audio editor (which I didn't know I could even do). I saved the resulting WAV file to the hard drive. It was more like 280 megs, which is a lot closer to the expected size.

And when I used TMPGenc to encode this time - making sure it used a template that was the same as the frame rate of the original XviD - the sound was perfectly, gloriously in sync!

I suspect that VirtualDub simply stripped the encoded audio stream from the video file - which used variable-rate compression - instead of saving the file as an uncompressed WAV file.

I really wish ALL the authors of the XviD - to - VCD guides would STOP saying you can extract WAV files with VirtualDub! It doesn't work! And it throws more frustration in beginners' faces than we deserve. For God's sake, have pity, and tell everyone to use Goldwave. (Of course, it would be nice if another audio editor, like the one that comes with Nero, would do the same thing - but I leave that experiment to the bright ones out there.)

[BJ_M]

it extracts wav files fine (vdub) , but you prob. had a mp3 or ac3 file and should have demuxed

[gitreel]

That is why when you separate the audio using vdub, you select save as wave.

[gitreel]

sorry for the typo, i meant wav

[Laddydaddy]

tomreedtoon
You have to select the full processing mode under audio to save the wav file. Also, if the audio is AC3 you must have the AC3 ACM decompressor installed. You then choose audio>compression>AC3 ACM decompressor. Again it must also be in the full processing mode.

[tomreedtoon]

Laddydaddy said:

You have to select the full processing mode under audio to save the wav file. Also, if the audio is AC3 you must have the AC3 ACM decompressor installed. You then choose audio>compression>AC3 ACM decompressor. Again it must also be in the full processing mode.

Now you see, this is ANOTHER piece of arcane knowledge that was not included in any of the guides! I've installed tons of codecs on my video machine, probably several of them twice. I have no idea whether this particular one is on my machine, but since I could play the XviD files just fine in their native format, I assumed that it was. Silly f'ing me.

Again, I repeat: working with digital video is akin to experimental witchcraft. To which I think I can add the following: the wizards who DO know how to make the spells work, don't tell anyone else, or forget to write it down.

At any rate, to avoid this codec nonsense, why don't all the guides just say "separate the audio out into a WAV file with Goldwave"? We know Goldwave reliably works - I proved it - and without having to add another impossible-to-find codec that's another frustration for an already frantic person. The simplest way that REALLY, REALLY WORKS is the best.

[thor300]

Lucky for me, when i was a beginner, no guides said "use goldwave". Its not free and should therefor not be used in guides. Now theres even free high-quality video encoders, the world is still improving.

[Laddydaddy]

Tom

The guide probably used Virtual Dub because it is free and it is a great tool when you get to know how to use it. Besides goldwave, there are other audio editing programs that can be used to convert the audio to wav. Most of them cost $money and are more complicated than vdub. To have a guide for each one would probably lead to more confusion for most newbies and a lot of posts on how to use them.

I do think that some of the existing guides need to be revamped or clarified so as to make it easier to understand how to use a particular program. You're not the first person to use a guide and still not be able to perform a particular operation that is taught in that guide. You won't be the last either.

Good luck.

[BJ_M]

Lucky for me, when i was a beginner, no guides said "use goldwave". Its not free and should therefor not be used in guides. Now theres even free high-quality video encoders, the world is still improving.

using goldwave is mentioned very extensivly on these forums -- im suprised its not in SOME guide (as there is a demo version)