Can't Quite Get Audio Recorder to Work Correctly For My Narration. In 30 day window.

jerancampy22 wrote on 2/22/2016, 8:28 AM

Hello all-

USING MOVIE EDIT PRO 16

First off, this is really an amazing video editor and I am a YouTube Creator who has used Pinnacle and cursed at it since Pinnacle 12. So, I heard about Magix and with the price being affordable and a 30 day guarantee, I said let's try it. Well, let me tell you in almost every feasible and imaginable way... MAGIX is by far the better editor. That being said, here are my current issues, and unfortunately... they are must have's if I am to continue using the software.

1. I do narrations and currently, if I don't checkmark box that says play while record... When I record I am not able to see the slides do I can't do the narration. If I click play, then I hear the audio in my headphones and it comes out distorted with an echo. All I want is the timeline bar to move at movie speed while I dictate.

2. In options, when I go in "play in loop" is always checked.... If I uncheck, hit ok and get backin, it is checked again.

3. Lastly, in my audio's I hear little pops and crackles

Where could I find a patch if one exists?

Please help. Other than these few- I am a fan

Comments

browj2 wrote on 2/22/2016, 10:07 AM

Hi,

I presume that you mean MEP 2016 and not 16, as 16 is quite old. Are you using the basic version or Plus/Premium? There is a big difference and you should go for either Plus or Premium. Having the Mercalli 4 plugin is worth the price difference between Plus and Premium. Basic doesn't even have HDR, which I use extensively.

What are your OS and computer specs?

What is the setting under File, Program settings, Playback tab, Audio Playback? Driver, Output device and buffers?

1. In the record dialogue, when you click on Play while recording, the timeline should play the video and audio. If it doesn't, make try the other setting - Wave driver, not Direct sound, or vice versa.

2. I don't have a problem with the Play in loop (in the Movie settings) switching itself on. I leave it on anyways. Unless I missed something, it only works if you set a range and then click on the "Range playback" button on the transport controls. When Play in loop is checked, the range loops, unchecked, play stops at the end of the range. No big deal.

3. This likely depends on what you are using to record with. If you are using a mic plugged in to the mic in port on your computer sound card, that is the worst possible quality (sorry, the built-in mic on a portable is worse). Your sound card may also cause problems, as it has to record and playback at the same time. You should at least be using a USB mic. I use an external sound card interface, M-Audio M-Track with an XLR mic plugged into it. I also monitor through it.The M-Track comes with an Asio driver that is automatically activated when I start the computer. I get no noticeable latency, and my recordings are quite clear. Occasionally I have to change the buffer size. My mic is not that great and I get a bit of hiss, so occasionally I use my wife's pro mic, which cuts out almost all perceptible hiss.

MEP has very good audio mixing, cleaning and mastering tools. The difference in audio capability between MEP and Pinnacle is enormous. The Izotope Music and Speech cleaner that now comes with Pinnacle Ult is pitiful. MEP Plus/Premium come with Music Editor 3, which allows you to do much more with the audio than the basic built-in audio tools. Etc.

And, if audio is really important and you need to do some deep cleaning, like spectral cleaning, Magix has Audio & Music Lab 2016 (AML) which is fantastic (do not even consider Magix Video Sound Cleaning Lab). It comes with additional effects tools. MEP Plus/Premium and AML also allow VST plugins to be used, and I use an Equalizer from Melda.

jerancampy22 wrote on 2/23/2016, 9:24 PM

Thanks for your response. I will try and answer all your follow up questions. I am using MEP 20116 "Plus" I can't say that I know anything about the Mercalli 4 plug-in... I have seen it in the effects area but don't know what it does. Haven't seen anything at all about HDR either so I am lost there as well.

I am running Windows 10 on an AMD A4-3400 with Radeon HD Graphics 2.70 Ghz 8 GB Ram and 64 bit system with an x64 based processor.

My wife and I host a podcast so we have XLR mic's plugged into our XENYX Q1202 USB Mixer which is connected to the computer via USB through a ASIO4all driver I believe. Then the output from the computer (the earphone out) goes to the #5 input on mixer and we have headphones split out of the phones jack n the mixer.

Under settings in listed "Wave Driver" and "Speaker/Headphones IDT Driver" Buffer #8 Multitrack size #16384 and preview size 4096

jerancampy22 wrote on 2/23/2016, 9:25 PM

Hi,

I presume that you mean MEP 2016 and not 16, as 16 is quite old. Are you using the basic version or Plus/Premium? There is a big difference and you should go for either Plus or Premium. Having the Mercalli 4 plugin is worth the price difference between Plus and Premium. Basic doesn't even have HDR, which I use extensively.

What are your OS and computer specs?

What is the setting under File, Program settings, Playback tab, Audio Playback? Driver, Output device and buffers?

1. In the record dialogue, when you click on Play while recording, the timeline should play the video and audio. If it doesn't, make try the other setting - Wave driver, not Direct sound, or vice versa.

2. I don't have a problem with the Play in loop (in the Movie settings) switching itself on. I leave it on anyways. Unless I missed something, it only works if you set a range and then click on the "Range playback" button on the transport controls. When Play in loop is checked, the range loops, unchecked, play stops at the end of the range. No big deal.

3. This likely depends on what you are using to record with. If you are using a mic plugged in to the mic in port on your computer sound card, that is the worst possible quality (sorry, the built-in mic on a portable is worse). Your sound card may also cause problems, as it has to record and playback at the same time. You should at least be using a USB mic. I use an external sound card interface, M-Audio M-Track with an XLR mic plugged into it. I also monitor through it.The M-Track comes with an Asio driver that is automatically activated when I start the computer. I get no noticeable latency, and my recordings are quite clear. Occasionally I have to change the buffer size. My mic is not that great and I get a bit of hiss, so occasionally I use my wife's pro mic, which cuts out almost all perceptible hiss.

MEP has very good audio mixing, cleaning and mastering tools. The difference in audio capability between MEP and Pinnacle is enormous. The Izotope Music and Speech cleaner that now comes with Pinnacle Ult is pitiful. MEP Plus/Premium come with Music Editor 3, which allows you to do much more with the audio than the basic built-in audio tools. Etc.

And, if audio is really important and you need to do some deep cleaning, like spectral cleaning, Magix has Audio & Music Lab 2016 (AML) which is fantastic (do not even consider Magix Video Sound Cleaning Lab). It comes with additional effects tools. MEP Plus/Premium and AML also allow VST plugins to be used, and I use an Equalizer from Melda.

I am running Windows 10 on an AMD A4-3400 with Radeon HD Graphics 2.70 Ghz 8 GB Ram and 64 bit system with an x64 based processor.

Under settings in listed "Wave Driver" and "Speaker/Headphones IDT Driver" Buffer #8 Multitrack size #16384 and preview size 4096

browj2 wrote on 2/24/2016, 9:15 AM

Hi,

Looks like a good setup; don't know why you're getting pops and crackles. Do you hear these as well when you play back through the computer sound card to external speakers? Did you try recording into a different program, even the Windows recorder if it still exists? Results? Did you try different mics?

As for the impact of Windows 10, I'll leave that for John E. Baker. I'm still on W7.

HDR Gamma selectively lightens very dark areas without increasing brightness of less dark areas. Brightness raises everything, including blacks, making them gray, thus HDR Gamma does a much better job. You have to try it to really see the details come up that you would not see properly using brightness.

Mercalli 4 is a stabilization plugin. If you have shaky video, for example, handheld video rather than on a tripod and video taken while moving - walking or riding a bike, this program smooths it out. MEP has a program built-in that does minor stabilization whereas Mercalli handles tougher movements. I use it a lot with just the default settings. Again, you have to see the difference to properly understand.

Back to your problem, maybe you could record a short sample and upload it to Dropbox with a link here, so that we can hear what is happening.