Incease volume of MPEG-1?

[Tinnes]

Hey, I have started using Flask to convert my .vob files into Mpeg-1 using the Panasonic Plug-in. This gives nice results visually but the audio is really quiet. Does anybody know any way of increasing the audio level of Mpeg-1?

Thanks

Tinnes

[Eric VanHeest]

You can extract the audio from the DVD (assuming the source is DVD) using utilities such as AC3DEC.exe, and apply normalization before using that WAV file as the input to the MPEG encoder. I've never used Flask, but I assume it must have a way to use the audio from a separate WAV file; if not, there are plenty of encoders that do.

[Tinnes]

That would be good but unfortually Flask doesn't support separate streams (as far as I know anyway), and is the only util I've found that can directly convert a .vob file into Mpeg-1 using the Panasonic plug-in.

I was planing on doing something like that and using VirtualDub to stick them together, but it doesn't support video direct stream copy on Mpeg files.

If you know of anything that does then please, enlighten me.

Thanks again

Tinnes

[This message has been edited by Tinnes (edited 17 September 2000).]

[Eric VanHeest]

I extract from the VOB file using mpg2avi to a HuffYUV compressed set of AVI files, then do my editing in VirtualDub (there's always something I need to "fix" anyhow in the source file; trailers, previews, what have you). The audio I grab with AC3Dec and use Cool Edit to process separately. I've never tried to convert VOB to MPEG-1 (I don't want MPEG-1 anyhow, I use other miscellaneous formats), so I haven't been in the market for MPEG-1 programs. Anyhow... if you extract the VOB to something uncompressed first, things become much easier. (What, everyone doesn't have 240 GB of free drive space??

[RBryant]

I prefer to use Sound Forge, because instead of normalizing, which is technically what you want, you should change the average RMS of the audio so the increase in volume is more realistic and more consistent. I notice that most VOB files have an RMS around -30. And most speech has an RMS around -10. So, I just change the RMS to -10 and use automatic dynamic recompression so the 1 or 2 seconds of the movie that are loud enough to clip won't do so. I use it to open up video clips all the time. Hope this helps.

Garrett

[Tinnes]

Yeah the only problem with that is the HUGE amounts of disk space it takes. At the min I am struggling with the bare minimum of space (6 GB dedicated partition of an 8 GB drive). How I long for a big Hard Disk, to never worry about running out of space. That day will come, oh yes someday.

Thanks again guys, but as there is no magical program that will do it for me without me having to mess about with different streams and have the biggest HD in the know universe, I think I'll just sit closer to the speakers.

P.S. I spent about a million years looking at other codacs, methods and doing test after test to try and find the best choice for my needs. In the end I went back to the first one I found, good old reliable Mpeg-1. Also my computer can play it back ok, which is always good.

[Eric VanHeest]

Cool Edit also does RMS shifts; it's under "Dynamics Processing." I'll have to try that and see if it sounds better.

[Pytkin]

Try Waves L1 Ultramaximalizer plugin in Sound Forge ... Its best way to shift up RMS of signal .. Muuuuuch better , than internal Sound Forge's Normalize function with dynamic recompresion ..

[IvanP]

I've tried RMS shift in Dynamics Processing of CoolEdit. Unfortunatelly I'm a "total amateur" on audio field. Can anybody explain what parameters are important and what important and reasonable values has to be set if I want to increase volume of mixed dialog/music sound track. (In CoolEdit Dyn. Proc. dialog)

I've increased RMS only from 0-10. All other parameters was as default. Sound is louder and clear but in dialog part I can hear quiet high frequency noise (tone).

thanks

Ivan