Poor Audio: Effects Loud, Dialog too Soft

[stormdragon]

Hello. I've been visiting this forum for years, grabbing programs, guides, and knowledge, and only just joined.

A while back I began ripping my entire DVD collection to AVI files, so I can watch them anywhere in the house from my NAS Server, without having to go into the living room and open up the DVD closet. I'm using the following programs:

DVDFABHD (to Decrypt the DVD)
AUTOGK (to render the vts files to AVI)

Most of the time I don't have a problem with the files I create, as they were older DVD's (with only STEREO sound) but lately I've started to have some issues with the audio. Files ripped from new DVD's often don't have a plain STEREO track, but a 5.1 audio track. If I'm watching the video on my computer, I just use Media Player Classic, and adjust the Gain and DRC in AC3Filter. (thanks for the tutorials here, for that)

Now, however, I'm trying to stream the video's to my new Samsung LED-TV, and it works with one problem. The music, and sound effects are fine, but the Dialog audio is completely inaudible. When I turn it up enough to hear the Dialog, the Sound Effects blow me right out of the house. I have tried adjusting the Television for Nighttime viewing, and Voice audio modes, and it is barely an improvement.

I think I've seen it stated that my issue would probably be solved if I went down and invested in a 5.1 Home Theater audio system, but I can't really afford to do that right now.

I tried using the method where you extract the audio from the avi using VirtualDubMod, bumping it up with MP3Gain, and reloading the audio back into the AVI with little effect. Then, I took the MP3 I had from that step, and opened it with Audacity, and started working on the audio in there, selecting portions of the audio tracks, and using effects -> amplify. After 2 hours, I'm about 20 minutes into the video, and realizing this is NOT the way to do several dozen movies, that I've ripped.

So, what are the ways to apply AC3 Gain and/or DRC to level out the audio on my MP3, so I can re-upload the fixed sound to my AVI, and stream to my TV.

[guns1inger]

Are you converting the 5.1 to 2 channel MP3 during encoding ? If so, it is too late to fix the problem, and you will have to sort out what is screwing around with the volume, and re-encode. My guess is that you have messed up something in the AC3filter settings, and this is affecting the encoded output.

[stormdragon]

Are you converting the 5.1 to 2 channel MP3 during encoding ? If so, it is too late to fix the problem, and you will have to sort out what is screwing around with the volume, and re-encode. My guess is that you have messed up something in the AC3filter settings, and this is affecting the encoded output.

When Running AutoGK on the vts file, in my Advanced settings area, I had the "output audio type" originally set to the "Auto" default option.

I'm presently trying the "Original (AV3/MP3/DTA only) option.


I haven't done any of these conversions since I installed the AC3filter software, and wasn't aware it was utilized by AutoGK / VirtualDubMod.

My present AC3Filter options are as follows:

Main: (tab)
output- 2/0 - Stereo
rate-asis
format pcm 16bit

Gain:
Master +15db

DRC: (enabled) +15db

Mixer: (tab)
Gains:
Voice +18db

Options: checked-Auto Gain Control
unchecked One-pass norm
checked-Auto Matrix
unchecked Normalize matrix
checked voice control
checked expand stereo
unchecked Bass redirection

Gains: (tab)
no changes to input or output gains (all values 0)
DRC enabled (15db)
Gains: Master 15
Voice: 18

[davexnet]

It is possible to improve the situation with the final mp3, but it's the poorest choice.
You can compress it in an audio editor . For example, in the few I've seen, the voices hovered at around -35db,
while the loud effects were much higher, up to 0db.
You can use compression so that everything above -20db (for example) gets rounded off. Then normalize the whole thing
back up to 0db, or just below.

Much better to use the FFDshow mixer (or Ac3filter) to convert the ac3 to 2-channel and do the DRC there.

[jagabo]

If you don't have a center channel speaker be sure whatever AC3 decoder is being used by the player is set to down-mix 5.1 sources to stereo (or 2.1 if you have a sub). Otherwise the system will be sending all the dialog to a non-existent center channel speaker.

In MPC you can right click on the video while it's playing and hover over Filters to see what filters are in use. Select the AC3 decoder to change it's settings.