Premiere Elements 7 and Audio issue

[daveMatth]

Hello guys,

I am helping a friend work out her issue with Premeire Elements 7 and the video files she try to use with the program.

When we put video clips in the Timeline (i.e. MOV, MPGs which came as sample files in Vista), we do not get audio. Just video.

The strange thing here is that when we close the Premiere Elements 7 program, we cannot play this MPG or MOV either by usign Windows Media Player or Quicktime. We have to restart for us to playback these files using these players.

We tried using sample AVI files which came from Premiere ELements 4 but we get the error saying:

windows found driver device IDT high audio codec error code

Just want to figure my next action tomorrow when I do some troubleshooting again.

You think it may have something to do with the sound card drivers?

I made some google-search and found some IDT related things which also points to updating the IDT drivers from the Dell website but I haven't tried that option yet.

Just want to find if there are some other things I could other than updating the sound card and IDT drivers on her computer.

[Juergen D]

This may be a long shot, but I just recently ran into some audio problems with my new Vista machine. This was not in connection with Premiere Elements, which I do not own.
It turns out that Microsoft omitted HAL (a Hardware Abstraction Layer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_abstraction_layer)) from Vista, on which some audio applications seem to rely.
I remedied the situation by downloading and installing OpenAL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAL).

Juergen

[ATR]

daveMatth

I would definitely attempt to update the audio drivers first. Use the Premiere Elements 7 Sample Files to check that out whether that worked or not.

If that works, we can explore the .mov and .mpg files that you say that you have from Vista. Compatibility between them and Premiere Elements may be another issue.

If updating the audio drivers does not solve the problem, then you could explore other possibilities.

ATR

[ATR]

Add on....

From personal experience, please make sure that there is an option to roll back to previous driver version if the update is not the right one.

If we need to explore other areas, please do the troubleshooting with the Premiere Elements 7 Sample Files since there can be a variety of codecs in the file extension showing .mpg or .avi.

ATR

[daveMatth]

Juergen,

I will try that suggestion if updating the audio and the IDT drivers fail to work later on.

As always ATR, you never fail to do a follow up in every issue posted in this forum. Will look into that matter as well.

The funny thing about Premiere Elements 7 is that it never put a Sample Files folder inside the Program files folder. Version 4 has it but not on the version 7. I will try to check the CD installer if it has a separate folder which I can copy later on.

Will update you as I feel that the issue could be related to my friend's new Dell computer.

Thank you again guys!

[ATR]

daveMatth

Until I get the scoop on what happened to the Sample Files for Premiere Elements 7, why not copy to a USB jump drive the Sample Files Folder in Program Files of Premiere Elements 4, transfer that to the Program Files of your friends Premiere Elements 7, and see if that helps troubleshooting related to file type?

I went on a search mission for Adobe Photoshop Elements/Premiere Elements Sample Files

Photoshop Elements 6
Program Files/Adobe/Photoshop Elements 6/Tutorials

Premiere Elements 4
Program Files/Adobe/Sample Files

Photoshop Elements 7
Program Files/Adobe/Photoshop Elements 7/Samples

Premiere Elements 7
Still have not found them in Program Files or Application Data.
I did come across some interesting .png files (not the Sample Files .avi that I was looking for). Program Files/Adobe/Premiere Elements 7/Presets/Logos.

To be continued.........

ATR

[grubba_rr]

I am also having this problem. The video and audio will play using quicktime but when trying to use the same clips in Premiere Elements 7 I do not get audio. Now I just got a new DELL made just to work on HD video and photo editing. The video/audio are coming off a Canon 5D Mark II with HD video. The file type is .mov and standard video.

newbeeee

[grubba_rr]

small up-date. down in the time line there is a video 1 and a audio 1. the audio 1 show media (music, talking, ect.) Still no sound.:twisted:

[ATR]

There are a lot of possibilities.

Is that QuickTime that you are using the latest version?

Have you tried updating the audio drivers?

Have you seen this recent thread here about your camcorder and its Video/Premiere Elements? What project preset are you using and so on?

Let us start with this and see where that takes us.

I will be watching for your progress.

ATR

[ATR]

Add on...

Forgot to ask, is the problem just with this Canon video clips or with all video clips placed on the Premiere Elements 7 Timeline?

Have DV AVI video given you the same result?

ATR

[grubba_rr]

well I do have the new QT, it is a brand new dell so i hope the drivers are up 2 date. but I will check. I have read the threads and that is why I got the new QT. Now as for the project presets, I am using NTSC-DV-Standard 48. when I click on the change setting I do not have any options. I only have a 5d mark II so i have no other video to try. It worked ok on my last comp just really slow. slow old comp. thank your for the help. I am a NEWBEE at this stuff.

[ATR]

We are all always learning with these programs.

Just to clear away the audio drivers from the possible cause list, it is important to verify that you do indeed have those audio drivers up to date.

Unfortunately I still have not found any sample DV AVI that came with Premiere Elements 7. However, think about downloading one of the sample .avi for the Casio EX Z850 and bringing that into Premiere Elements 7 Timeline and see if you get playback of video and audio. The .avi from this Casio is not DV AVI. It is AVI MPEG4, but I know that it will work for this test. It was the quickest sample file that I could find. I have this Casio camera and edit its AVI MPEG4 with Premiere Elements 4 or 7 without problems.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-z850_samples.html

If you do come across a DV AVI file for testing, by all means use it first.

Please et us know what is happening.

ATR

[grubba_rr]

This might show my lack of knowledge about computers but the audie driver thing is messing me up. How do i know if my is "Microsoft DirectX 9 or 10 compatible sound and display driver " or not.

[ATR]

Basically, we need to put a name on what audio driver you now have and then try to find its properties and updates.



Let me know if any of the following are helpful in dealing with updating your computer audio drivers:

http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/pc-troubleshooting-update-your-sound-drivers/166332

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/downloads/en/drivers_help?c=us&l=en&s=gen

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3c057647/2

I have Windows XP Professional, two routes to get audio driver information:
Control Panel
Sounds and Audio Devices
And
My Computer
Properties
Hardware
Device Manager
Sound, video, and game controllers

Try to get your basic information together on what your audio drivers are now. Also, you could check out Dell details with Dell T/S. After that, we could see what we can put together if Dell does not put it together first.


ATR

[vidordiy]

Installed Premiere Elements 7 on XP (SP3) machine after using other editing software for several years, including a previous premiere version.

Trial project in 7 with ONE clip (Dolby 5.1 surround) from Sony dvd cam was forced into its timeline track choice. Five channels showed in the audio mixer pane, and test DVD render seemed to play with surround effect.

Attempt to bring in any additional clips with surround would not show or play any of their sound when placed on timeline, or played in preview pane.

Audio tracks were blank (missing) and silent, although same clips play fine in MS media player, Intervideo, Nero and other software players, and will render to DVD (in stereo - no surround) in Nero and older version of Premiere. Computer (HP with mother board audio) sound is set up only as stereo, but hardware should not stop software from performing as advertised, and rendering 5.1 to DVD.

Exercise so far brings great waste of time and a little money. Seem like I should write this off as a waste of time, give up on surround sound, and go back to the reliable Nero or earlier Premiere.

[ATR]

Although Premiere Elements 7 lets you import 5.1 channel sound, Premiere Elements 7 does not support the export as 5.1 channel sound for DVD-VIDEO!!

Since you did not mention the model of the Sony camcorder involved, I will go on your description Sony DVD camcorder which records audio as 5.1 channel.
In other words, your video has MPEG2 compression and your audio is 5. 1 channel sound.

How did you get the DVD content (MPEG2/VOBs) ripped from the DVD disc and into Premiere Elements 7? Did you use the Get Media category of "DVD (Camcorder or PC DVD Drive)", followed by use of the Media Downloader?

What project preset are you using for your project? Is the end product going to be a DVD-VIDEO of the Timeline contents?

I would expect that the 5.1 channel audio went to a audio track above audio track 3 and that your MPEG 2 video went to video track 1. That is normal for Premiere Elements 7. The only time that you are going to get video with 5.1 channel sound to Video Track 1/Audio Track 1 is when:
1. You have the project preset on one of the AVCHD 5.1 channel presets
and
2. You bring in AVCHD video with 5.1 channel sound file onto the Premiere Elements Timeline.

Premiere Elements 7 as well as its earlier versions do NOT support export of 5.1 channel sound DVD-VIDEO. So, whatever you are now burning to DVD-VIDEO in Premiere Elements will end up Dolby Digital Stereo, not 5.1 channel sound.

You may need to convert your MPEG2/5.1 channel video to DV AVI before bringing it into the Premiere Elements Timeline. This can be true for Premiere Elements 7 as well as the prior version(s). In fact, even if this video had Dolby Digital Stereo instead, often Premiere Elements users with different versions have had to resort to the VOB-DV AVI conversion workaround.
http://www.squared5.com/

As for the prognosis, optimistic but guarded. I do not believe that an earlier version of Premiere Elements is going to resolve this issue. Keep the reliable Nero, keep Premiere Elements. RX, convert your MPEG2/5.1 channel sound to DV AVI with MPEG Streamclip and bring that DV AVI version into Premiere Elements.

Please let us know if any of that helped.

ATR

[vidordiy]

Thanks, ATR.
You are a wealth of information.

The Sony camera is a DCR-DVD403 NTSC. A little bit old, but It captures
decent consumer-level standard definition video. The video is normally
brought into the computer by Sony software called "Picture Package"
which downloads over USB to an .MPG file. I believe your analysis
of MPG2 with 5.1 audio is correct.

Then, in premiere, I just "get media" from the computer hard drive. The
camera can turn the mini-DVD into a playable disc of .VOB files but
I seldom use that feature. Sony's import software also offers an
"audio conversion" option which Sony says changes the audio into
a "different" format. Not much help there, but I believe the
"different" format is plain vanilla stereo, and the non-convert option
retains the 5.1 audio channels in the .MPG result. The camera has the
"Dolby 5.1 digital creator" logo.

The project was set up for NTSC/Hard disk.../Widescreen/48khz. Your
AVCHD suggestion sounds like a good possibility. That particluar
project was scraped in disgust, but If memory serves, when
dropped onto the timeline, the audio was forced into track 5. (Audio
Mixer showed it on the far right.) Don't remember on which track
the video landed.

The end product WAS intended to be a DVD of the time line. I am
very dissapointed to learn elements 7 will not pass through Dolby 5.1
surround sound. I know, I know, its not that simple.

Did not mean to imply that previous version of premiere produced
5.1 surround, just that it did not kill or drop the audio. Could just
bring in the Sony .mpg files and drop them on the timeline. Guess it
downmixed them to stereo or ignored the rear/bass sound channels.

Don't get the point of converting .MPG/.VOB to .AVI. The conversion
would not improve the video quality, although it might speed up the
rendering process. The conversion to .AVI will result in a larger
file. A lot larger, but storage is easily expandable these days.

Also: I tried one quick AVCHD project first thing, just for fun. Using
similar Sony .mpg (SD) files burned a playable DVD. With limited HD
capabilities just now (TV only), I couldn't make a good evaluation,
but the DVD probably captured all the quality this little Sony
camcorder puts out.

Much thanks ATR. You have given me some hope and provided valuable
information, leads, links and reason not to dump premiere v7 just yet.

[ATR]

Not much help there, but I believe the
"different" format is plain vanilla stereo, and the non-convert option
retains the 5.1 audio channels in the .MPG result.

Since you are going to end up with Dolby Digital Stereo in the Premiere Elements export, why not go the “plain vanilla stereo” route and avoid the way Premiere Elements will be dealing with the 5.1 channel audio flavor? Most of the Sonys that I have heard of do not offer the alternative sound, and you are confined to 5.1 channel audio.

….when dropped onto the timeline, the audio was forced into track 5. (Audio Mixer showed it on the far right.) Don't remember on which track the video landed.

I would be very interested to know which track the video landed on. I suspect that it would have been Video Track 5 since the audio was linked to the video. But, what project Premiere Elements 7 preset did you select beforehand?

The only time that you are going to get video with 5.1 channel sound to Video Track 1/Audio Track 1 is when:
1. You have the project preset on one of the AVCHD 5.1 channel presets
and
2. You bring in AVCHD video with 5.1 channel sound file onto the Premiere Elements Timeline.

An important point to make about my quote is that in the scenario you are bringing AVCHD into Premiere Elements.

AVCHD MPEG4 AVC/H.264
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD#Overview

HD MPEG2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2

But you have MPEG2 standard 4:3 or standard widescreen 16:9

The conversion of MPEG2 VOBs to DV AVI by a program such as MPEG Streamclip is necessary for some to avoid problems of getting the file into Premiere Elements, not just quality issues. Have you thought about bypassing your camcorder software, taking the DVD disc into the DVD tray of your burner, and using the Premiere Elements 7 Get Media, category for PC DVD and its associated Media Downloader to bring (rip) the VOBs from the DVD into Premiere Elements 7 Media?

My usual suggestions include explore and experiment, but I think that you are there already. Unless you have found something that is working for you to get your project done satisfactorily, then consider:
1. Using Stereo option of your camcorder
2. Converting the DVD content directly to DV AVI with MPEG Streamclip, and then bring the DV AVI version onto the Premiere Elements 7 Timeline.


Please keep us updated on your progress. Never give up.

ATR

[vidordiy]

Another test confirmed ATR's advice. Picking an AVCHD setting provides
some 5 channel audio tracks on the timeline. But bringing a Dolby 5.1
surround sound .MPG clip into premiere 7 cannot be reliably done.

From the computer's hard drive, I brought in 27 (Sony-created
Dolby 5.1 .MPG) clips at once. This was into a new, AVCHD-setting
project. I waited for the indexing and "conforming" to complete.
Then I dragged each individual clip to timeline 1. This timeline
showed the 5.1 legend to the left of the audio timeline.

Of the 27 clips, 14 showed matching audio/video sections
on the timeline. The rest showed a blank audio section. Not just
silent, but the view of the audio line was as if no clip had been
placed there.

And here's something strange. Of the clips with matching video/audio,
a few were silent when played in the premiere monitor, although
windows media player played them with sound.

On further investigation, Windows media player played a
representative sample of these clips, each with its sound.

Back in premiere, per ATR, I presume when a clip actually played sound,
that the sound was stereo, not surround. But looking at the audio mixer,
while playing one of the clips that actually has sound, showed
independent activity on the 5 level indicator bars! There's more than
an empty stub behind some of the upcoming features.

All this with .MPG clips, which ATR adises to avoid by converting to
.AVI. But I see we are working at cross purpose here. I would like to
produce a DVD with surround sound and ATR would like to see me
get clips with audio into premiere 7.

If I take a step back and look at the big picture, I see my whole
problem stems from misreading or misleading specs.

On the box, I read the import/export of high-definition (AVCHD),
Dolby digital, .MPG (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4), and the burning
to blue-ray and a score of neat, advanced features. I concluded
that burning to a hi-def blue-ray disc would surely include
surround sound.

Apparently not so. And I hadn't considered that importing certain
unspecified MPEG-2 clips has additional, (and un-noted) restrictions.
So the main reason I bought version 7 is moot.

I could have put up with the web-centric annoyances and clumsier
(simplified?) tools to gain 5.1 surround sound. Without it, I see
no point in wasting more time with premiere 7. Perhaps I will
take another look when I venture into HD.

For now though, its back to my older but reliable version of premiere
and other reliable editors. My surround sound will have to depend on
some other editor/authoring software.

Premiere 7 gets un-installed and goes on the shelf with some of my other "educational" software.

Thanks, ATR, for your patience, knowledge, expertise and
excellent advice.

[Barb O]

If I take a step back and look at the big picture, I see my whole
problem stems from misreading or misleading specs.

On the box, I read the import/export of high-definition (AVCHD),
Dolby digital, .MPG (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4), and the burning
to blue-ray and a score of neat, advanced features. I concluded
that burning to a hi-def blue-ray disc would surely include
surround sound.

Apparently not so. And I hadn't considered that importing certain
unspecified MPEG-2 clips has additional, (and un-noted) restrictions.
So the main reason I bought version 7 is moot.

I could have put up with the web-centric annoyances and clumsier
(simplified?) tools to gain 5.1 surround sound. Without it, I see
no point in wasting more time with premiere 7. Perhaps I will
take another look when I venture into HD.

For now though, its back to my older but reliable version of premiere
and other reliable editors. My surround sound will have to depend on
some other editor/authoring software.

Premiere 7 gets un-installed and goes on the shelf with some of my other "educational" software.
.

vidordiy

Are you aware that -
Depending on when you purchased Premiere Elements 7, you might be able to get a refund from Adobe.

For info about refunds, see
http://www.adobe.com/go/tn_15327

[ATR]

vidordiy

For now though, its back to my older but reliable version of premiere and other reliable editors. My surround sound will have to depend on some other editor/authoring software.

If your decision is made, I respect your choice. It is unfortunate the you did not realize that Premiere Elements 7 or other versions do not support 5.1 channel sound export. I knew that was true for an end product of DVD VIDEO and did a double check for other exports from Premiere Elements. In each check I found Stereo and not 5.1 channel sound.

But I am puzzled by the quote above. What were the "older but reliable version of premiere and other reliable editors"? What are their features that are drawing you back? Surely, in the case of older version of Premiere Elements, there is no export for 5.1 channel sound.

Have you found software that will export your 5.1 channel sound? If you would like, I will search to see if I can find one. When and if I find one, I will post my finding here.

My success in your projects.

ATR

[ATR]

That should have been Much success in your projects. It is getting late.

ATR

[namerow]

I'm a premiere elements 7 neophyte. Shot home video using canon powershot A570 IS and dumped onto hard drive folder as MVI files. Imported clips, however last few seconds of audio on each clip was not there. Had to convert the MVI clips to MP3 format sound. Then re-imported the MVI clips, deleted the MVI audio track, imported the MP3 sound, and synched it to the clip. What's up with that?

[ATR]

Namerow

From the camera specifications, you will see that your camera is delivering video with a file extension of AVI, not MVI. Further, the video format is MotionJPEG AVI (640 x 480). The specifications do not detail the audio format.

So what does that all mean in terms of your issue. You have a file that is not compatible with Premiere Elements Timeline. What do we do about it? One possibility is to convert the file from MotionJPEG AVI to DV AVI with one of the free converters.
Check out the suggestions in the following link:
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/415317?tstart=0

I will continue to answer your question here. But, in the future please start your own new thread so that it does not get lost at the bottom of another.

If you have not already, I would try copying your video to the hard drive again. Bring it into Premiere Elements 7 (project preset: NTSC DV Standard), Get Media Files & Folders and then drag it to the Timeline. Then Render the Timeline by pressing the Enter Key of the computer main keyboard. Playback the Timeline in the Edit Mode Monitor. Is the video/audio OK? If so, then do not bother about file conversion for now, but do include the Rendering process and let me know what the end product looks and sounds like. What are you creating: a video file under Share/Personal Computer or a DVD-VIDEO under Share/Disc/Disc?

ATR
(also, if the workaround that you described works for you, go with it, but do explore the alternatives and then decide on your best workflow)
(also, you could take your video into the free gspot software and try to determine/confirm the codecs used
http://www.headbands.com/gspot/v26x/quick_start.html )

[namerow]

Thanks, ATR. The PRISM converter worked just fine and got me through. ANd apologies for not forumming properly. Am new to this game and will make sure I'm on target next time around.

[ATR]

namerow

I tend to find you wherever you are, but it makes it easier to find you if you post in the Premiere Elements Forum with your Premiere Elements questions.

That Prism software does the conversion, but has the limitation that it does not have an option for aspect ratio, that is, you end up with 4:3 with no choice for 16:9 for the DV AVI.

But, it sounds like you are making progress. That is great. Keep up the good work, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.

ATR