audio cuts out randomly during NLE preview

[maxtrack]

I have a puzzle I am trying to solve. Perhaps someone has seen this before and has a solution.

I am editing in Studio 9, which has been working fine on the short horror film I am producing . . . until I started using a wireless lavelier microphone patched into the XLR channels (via a Y connector to record dialogue on left and right channels). The preceeding may have nothing to do with the problem . . .

When I was reviewing the recently recorded video, after about 8.5 minutes the audio suddenly cut out. the video continues to play in the "edit window", but the sound drops out. If I switch to full screen view the sound comes back on, then in a few seconds it cuts out again. If I move to different points on the time live of 18 minutes of video I can hear audio for a little while and then it cuts out. There is audio throughout the 18 minutes, but once the audio drop out problem starts it seems to happen over and over again anywhere beyond the first 8 minutes of video. The audio does NOT ever drop out in the first 8 minutes.

I cannot seem to duplicate the problem with video recorded via the camera's built in microphone.

Does anyone recognize this problem? What is the deal? What is going on?

Thank you
~ Allen

[redwudz]

Video editors are often lousy for playback. If you play the edited video with a software player, do you still experience the dropouts? Check your memory and CPU performance in Task Manager during a editing preview, also your hard drive usage. I suspect you might be maxed out with one or the other.

[edDV]

What do you hear just playing the tape to a TV? Are there any dropouts directly from the camcorder?

How are you capturing? I this a DV camcorder captured over firewire?
If so you can monitor the captured file before using Pinnacle software.

You need to separate camcorder issues from capture issues vs edit software issues.

[maxtrack]

Captured from DV camera to hard drive via firewire.

There is audio on the tape for the entire 18 minutes.
Playing the same 18 minutes via media player reveals no drop outs.

CPU usage is below 20% while playing the clip in the editor
Hard drive space.... lots and lots.

This drop out problem has never previously been encountered, so I am very puzzled by this new development.

Thank you for your feedback,
~ Allen

[edDV]

Captured from DV camera to hard drive via firewire.

There is audio on the tape for the entire 18 minutes.
Playing the same 18 minutes via media player reveals no drop outs.

CPU usage is below 20% while playing the clip in the editor
Hard drive space.... lots and lots.

This drop out problem has never previously been encountered, so I am very puzzled by this new development.

Thank you for your feedback,
~ Allen

DV format audio is uncompressed PCM. It should be the easiest to edit. Maybe you should try different edit software.

[maxtrack]

Solution Found:

Reading the Pinnacle Support Data Base I found an entry for Studio 9 which indicated the problem I encountered can occur if I start capture BEFORE I start playback from the video camera.

After reading this I remembered I had performed an upgrade from Studio 9 SE to Studio 9 Plus.
Upgrading software introduced a 'bug'. Fortunately the problem disappeared when I re-captured the 18 minute clip by way of starting the camera playing PRIOR to starting the capture process.

Thus I avoided buying a Mac and Final Cut, yet again . . . .

~ Allen