extracting audio from iMovie and convert to "CD" t

[rotuts]

Id like to extract audio from some imovie files I have and came from miniDV lectures I filmed, and convert them to standard "CD" tracks are those called AIFF's?

Id also like to see if I can get rid of background noise a little and amplify the speakers voice.

I do have toast 6 and 7 and know there is a "spin doctor" there but don't have the original tapes as ive taped over them

sorry if a little OT for the video board!

rotuts

[willrob]

In iMovie you can "Export Audio" only, which will end up in AIFF format. This is the standard CD format for the Mac (WAV for PCs).

As far as cleaning up the noiseand boosting the voice, this is trickier. The applictions [such as Audacity] that do this ask you to sample a "silent" part of the file to act as a filtering agent. Then it removes that sound from the whole file. My experience is that it's pretty rough, and ends up distorting the voice that remains. A more full fatured application [such as ProTool] might make this easier, but also more expensive. Audacity is free, ProTools is over $600.
Perhaps Final Cut Pro has some audio filtering that might help.

[Frobozz]

Once you've extracted the AIFF files from iMovie you can open them in Spin Doctor for noise filtering.

[rotuts]

Wil and Fro

thanks! Ive extracted the "voice" files/ imovie clip and imported them into SpinDoc and will de hiss and de crackle later when I have some time.

I was wondering if these 'improved' files can be reimported into i Move ( perhaps a copy of the original imove so as to not permanetly damage the original) and have them anchored so that the synch is right and then a new QT file exported ("shared") with the audio improvements?

I hope so, but this is a great help so far.

rotuts

[willrob]

Yes, you could do that in iMovie.

[Frobozz]

Be sure to keep the audio at 48 khz if you're going to reuse in iMovie, otherwise you may have some sync problems. The only time it might get resampled to 44.1 khz (standard for audio CDs) is when you are exporting from iMovie. Double-check the export settings. Spin Doctor works with either 48 or 44.1 khz AIFF files.

[rotuts]

do you simply recopy back the 'new' files from SpinD by icon transfer into the imovie media files folder? id hate to get imove confused and loose what I already have.

I could move (copy) the entire imove folder structure to a different HD, have SD work with the original Voice files in the original imove folder('extract' audio in imovie) then find those changed files and move them to the new HD folder and then make the QT movie?

Ill keep and eye on the khz as you suggest

thanks

rotut

[willrob]

You re-import the audio file from within iMovie.

Place the time line at the beginning of the movie. Then when you import, the audio will become a second audio file, synced to the beginning of the film.

You will then need to select all the video clips in the movie and turn off their audio, via the Clip sound window at the bottom of the iMovie window (set it to 0%, or silent). Then only the newly reburbished audio track (which is still at 100%) will play, or be exported into a new Quicktime movie.

[rotuts]

Will

wow! who knew!

will let you know.

thanks

rotuts

[rotuts]

Would it be possible after I filter the sound in SpinD to import it directly to the QT files ive made rather than put it back in iMovie and have to take the time tto re encode the QT "sharing" files? replacing the sound?

I have QTPro if that makes a difference.

thanks rotut

[willrob]

Once you have the cleaned audio, you can open the movie file in QuicktimePro and delete the audio [via Show Properties, highlight the audio and click delete button].

Then open the audio file you've cleaned and copy it and paste it into the movie file. However, you will need to save this file in whatever format you choose, which can take the same amount of time as ging the iMovie route.

[rotuts]

thanks will

during my transfer of the audio to SpinD I didn't see any option in choosing the khz, ie 48 vs 41

is it possible that that part can be clarified?

Ill try to pase my new audio 'as is' ie at what ever khz it is and see what happens.

also in SpinD can the volume of the new filterd sound be increased with the equalizer total slider?

or should I increase it back in imovie. I think there are provisions to increase it by 50% on the lower pane sections

appreciate your advice and time very much

rotut

[willrob]

I've never used Spin Doctor, but boosting the volume with the equalizer slider will probably work. if you play the track yu shouldbe able to hear what the equalizer is do—making it louder, for example.

Or you can do it in iMovie. When you exported the sound from iMovie into an AIFF format, I belive it was set to the correct kHz.

[rotuts]

thanks will

it seems that I have to manually put each track at just the right point on the time line, as it imports back the files one at a time. is there some sort of trick to get the playhead if thats what you call it at exactly the right place? it doesn't seem to do it automatically ie put each track right after the other. maybe I have to figure out how to get the playhead arrow to jump to the end of each track before I import the next.

but this is a great start for me!

cheers

rotuts