View Full Version : Audio not good on VIMEO and SmugMug


Jason McDonald
August 17th, 2009, 06:18 AM
I captured the video with my XH-A1 and the audio with a Zoom H4n. It was just a spur of the moment thing so no real time to set things up.

On my PC after rendering, I play the file and audio is perfect. I have no issues. When uploading it to VIMEO or SmugMug I get a crackling sound. If you could listen, tell me if you hear it too, give some advice...I'd appreciate it.

Nessun Dorma // On Violin by Aya on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/6118342)

http://www.studiof7.com/gallery/7287292_MkemE#620473550_uGBPC-A-LB

Steve House
August 17th, 2009, 07:18 AM
I captured the video with my XH-A1 and the audio with a Zoom H4n. It was just a spur of the moment thing so no real time to set things up.

On my PC after rendering, I play the file and audio is perfect. I have no issues. When uploading it to VIMEO or SmugMug I get a crackling sound. If you could listen, tell me if you hear it too, give some advice...I'd appreciate it.

Nessun Dorma // On Violin by Aya on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/6118342)

Studio F.7 Photography -- Jason McDonald (http://www.studiof7.com/gallery/7287292_MkemE#620473550_uGBPC-A-LB)

Audio is very hot - pull your levels down a little, heck, pull 'em down a lot. The compression emphasizes any clipping artifacts. Set average levels about -12dBFS with peaks no more than -8dBFS. Set a brick-wall limiter when you render so nothing ever goes over -3dBFS.

Jason McDonald
August 17th, 2009, 10:08 PM
Thank you.

I'm not entirely sure how to do all that. What I did was "Normalize" the sound which boosted the volume quite some. When I rendered it the video played well on my PC which gave me the impression that it would be fine on the sites. Guess not.

Thanks. I will look into what you've written. I'm new to audio.

Steve House
August 18th, 2009, 02:48 AM
Thank you.

I'm not entirely sure how to do all that. What I did was "Normalize" the sound which boosted the volume quite some. When I rendered it the video played well on my PC which gave me the impression that it would be fine on the sites. Guess not.

Thanks. I will look into what you've written. I'm new to audio.

Normalize is not a good thing with music, IMHO. It raises the levels too high and more importantly it removes the dynamics that are part of the musician's performance. The contrasts between loud and soft passages are part of the expressivness in a performance. Normalization attempts to make all portions of the piiece the same - equally loud.