Help make this section useful (tips for riffing)

[fireyf]

I'm trying my hand at iRiffs, and I was wondering how people accomplish the 3:2 pulldown for PD downloads.  I'm using Windows Movie Maker (the version before it became Live Move Maker, and took out the commentary option).  It exports WMV at 30fps.  It's my understanding that it deinterlaces, but it will still be 30fps.

Does anyone know of any software (preferably free) that does a reliable conversion to 24fps (and maybe to a more flexible format, like xVid)?  I tried MediaCoder, but the audio ended up out of sync.

Actually, you want the videos to be 29.97fps (NTSC).  I'm not sure why the faq page tells you that you have to do a 3:2 pulldown.  Most of the stuff I've seen on archive.org is already 29.97fps.  Someone correct me if I'm mistaken.  Super is a great transcoder if you need one.  Good luck.

[mikelesq]

I was looking at this page:

http://www.rifftrax.com/iriffs-video-tips

It seemed odd to me, too.  The only reason I could think for a 3:2 pulldown is if the file is going to be burned to DVD, and I don't think most people do that (and the burning software usually does the pulldown anyway). 

[mr.b.natural]

I was looking at this page:

http://www.rifftrax.com/iriffs-video-tips

It seemed odd to me, too.  The only reason I could think for a 3:2 pulldown is if the file is going to be burned to DVD, and I don't think most people do that (and the burning software usually does the pulldown anyway). 

Actually you would be surprised by how many viewers burn DVDs of iriffs and Rifftrax.  I like to use AVS Video Converter myself.  Last I heard Roninfox uses it too. 

I get FPS but what exactly is "pulldown?"  With my converter software I just set up a profile that matches the iriff specs and use that to convert the video file that comes out of my video editing software.  No trasncoding required.  You know, when things are working that is.    

[SJP]

I'm not an expert on pulldown, but from what I understand it's the process of taking something that is technically not NTSC (like the 24 fps film standard) and pausing a frame here and there in order to make it run at the 29.97 fps NTSC video standard.  Not sure how it works, but it's how you get a movie to run in its proper timecode when the source doesn't fit the standard you are rendering to.  PAL has pulldown, too, but the methods are named differently.  I do know some of it involves how interlaced video works and takes advantage of the "draw every other line" effect (which I never even noticed until I started working with video...thanks, knowledge!  *Shakes fists*).

All I know is, when I convert interlaced video to progressive, videotaped stuff looks horrible...it loses that smooth flow that video should have, and looks like the ugly bastard child of film and video combined.  I don't know if that's a pulldown effect or not, but it's a rant that I had to get off my chest.

[Indomitus]

http://www.projectorpeople.com/resources/pulldown-3.asp

As point-and-click as most things are these days, I imagine that any 3:2 pulldown would be handled automatically in most off-the-shelf software.  I know with Vegas, I can mix any framerates I want in a single project and it will handle the conversion seamlessly.  (I've mixed PAL and NTSC before)

[fireyf]

I'm not an expert on pulldown, but from what I understand it's the process of taking something that is technically not NTSC (like the 24 fps film standard) and pausing a frame here and there in order to make it run at the 29.97 fps NTSC video standard.  Not sure how it works, but it's how you get a movie to run in its proper timecode when the source doesn't fit the standard you are rendering to.  PAL has pulldown, too, but the methods are named differently.  I do know some of it involves how interlaced video works and takes advantage of the "draw every other line" effect (which I never even noticed until I started working with video...thanks, knowledge!  *Shakes fists*).

All I know is, when I convert interlaced video to progressive, videotaped stuff looks horrible...it loses that smooth flow that video should have, and looks like the ugly bastard child of film and video combined.  I don't know if that's a pulldown effect or not, but it's a rant that I had to get off my chest.

I think what it does is it duplicates every so many frames to make it 29.97.  The way the faq is written is confusing because it says you'll have to do a 3:2 pulldown on 29:97fps which is backwards.  Anyways, here's a page that attempts to explain it. http://www.projectorpeople.com/resources/pulldown-3.asp

[mikelesq]

The way the faq is written is confusing because it says you'll have to do a 3:2 pulldown on 29:97fps which is backwards.

OK, that makes sense.  I started with a DivX copy that was offered as an option because it worked better with WMM, and looking at it in VLC it's 30fps.  Other stuff that I've downloaded from there is mpeg4 (the most common codec at archive.org), and looking at them, the frame rates vary, including 24fps, probably because they're coming from film as opposed to video.

[fireyf]

Okay, maybe someone can help me figure this out.
So I finish recording in Premiere.  I take all the narration files that are in the narration line and piece them together in Audacity and it comes out 12 seconds longer than the narration in Premiere is.  I check all my files and redo them a good 5 or 6 times and every time it comes out this way.  So I try selecting all the wav files and it turns out that collectively they are in fact longer than the narration in Premiere which is using all of these files and should be the same length.  So now I have a fully recorded riff that I recorded with playback and it STILL doesn't sync up. Any ideas of what I can do with this?  I already tried changing the tempo to the pasted together tracks are the right length and everything is still in the wrong place.  I'm getting really annoyed because I've worked really hard on this and it's starting to look like it won't work.  Help anyone?  Free copy of this when it's done to whoever can solve this.

[mikelesq]

I use Sony Vegas, but can you export the audio as an MP3 or WAV only, and that way you'll have one long file in Audacity instead of several segments?  Then in audacity you can clip them if you need to selectively compress, amplify, etc.  If the exported audio file is the same length as the video, it should be in sync. 

Again, not sure if this is a solution that works for you, but it's generally how I get my narration into Audacity to work with it.

[fireyf]

I use Sony Vegas, but can you export the audio as an MP3 or WAV only, and that way you'll have one long file in Audacity instead of several segments?  Then in audacity you can clip them if you need to selectively compress, amplify, etc.  If the exported audio file is the same length as the video, it should be in sync. 

Again, not sure if this is a solution that works for you, but it's generally how I get my narration into Audacity to work with it.

I can't seem to find an option to do that in Premiere.  Figures I pick the one that sucks.  Basically all the narration is in wav files.  Upon closer inspection I'm noticing that the file runs longer than it does in Premiere.   Ex: The first narration in Premiere runs 0:02:39.22 but in Audacity it runs 0:02:39:957 .  Compound differences like that over 97 files and you get a big jump in size.  Basically, Premiere must be running the file faster than it should be run or it saves it running at a different speed than the track.  Looks like I wasted good money on Premiere when I should have got Vegas.  I don't know if there is any practical fix to this other than to go one file at a time and change the tempo on them to make them the right length.  Gah, this is a nightmare!

[fireyf]

I use Sony Vegas, but can you export the audio as an MP3 or WAV only, and that way you'll have one long file in Audacity instead of several segments?  Then in audacity you can clip them if you need to selectively compress, amplify, etc.  If the exported audio file is the same length as the video, it should be in sync. 

Again, not sure if this is a solution that works for you, but it's generally how I get my narration into Audacity to work with it.

I can't seem to find an option to do that in Premiere.  Figures I pick the one that sucks.  Basically all the narration is in wav files.  Upon closer inspection I'm noticing that the file runs longer than it does in Premiere.   Ex: The first narration in Premiere runs 0:02:39.22 but in Audacity it runs 0:02:39:957 .  Compound differences like that over 97 files and you get a big jump in size.  Basically, Premiere must be running the file faster than it should be run or it saves it running at a different speed than the track.  Looks like I wasted good money on Premiere when I should have got Vegas.  I don't know if there is any practical fix to this other than to go one file at a time and change the tempo on them to make them the right length.  Gah, this is a nightmare!

My apologies.  It appears I was in too much of a hurry.  I could, in fact, export the file.  I just had to be a little sneaky about what I told Premiere I was doing. You sir have earned yourself a free riff!  It is 0.12 seconds long but I doubt that will be noticeable to anyone but maybe Data who has a built in chronometer.  Once I have my sync lines in and cleaned up the sound a bit I'll upload.  Just PM me your rifftrax username so I can grant you a copy.

[mikelesq]

Can anyone recommend a good headset, preferably around (or under) $50, for recording?  My Plantronics is adequate, but I'm thinking I could spend less time fiddling in Audacity if I had a better record quality.

[LucasM]

Can anyone recommend a good headset, preferably around (or under) $50, for recording?  My Plantronics is adequate, but I'm thinking I could spend less time fiddling in Audacity if I had a better record quality.

Wow... I was thinking this exact same thing, and was going to post it when I got a bit closer to recording.  [My script is coming along very well, taking a brief break from transcribing my 'spontaneous riffing' recording right now.]

So, here's another person chiming in: any hardware recommendations anyone?

[fireyf]

Can anyone recommend a good headset, preferably around (or under) $50, for recording?  My Plantronics is adequate, but I'm thinking I could spend less time fiddling in Audacity if I had a better record quality.

Wow... I was thinking this exact same thing, and was going to post it when I got a bit closer to recording.  [My script is coming along very well, taking a brief break from transcribing my 'spontaneous riffing' recording right now.]

So, here's another person chiming in: any hardware recommendations anyone?

I use a Microsoft Lifechat LX-3000.  They're probably up to 4000 or something now.  It has better quality than the Logitech one I had before (which was horrible).  It has an EMI blocker on the cord so you don't get that annoying hum from the power cord on the computer (laptop in my case); or it is at least greatly diminished.  I still go through and silence between all the talking but overall it is a vast improvement over what I had before.  My only complaint is that one day I picked it up and the microphone was dangling off by the wires as the joint had inexplicably broken just sitting there.  I hold it in place with scotch tape but other than that it really is pretty good.  I got it for about $40 I think but you might be able to get it cheaper online than at Best Buy.

[mr.b.natural]

I use a Genius HS-04A Professional Stereo Headset that I got for $20 at BUY.com through Amazon.  If you check my samples you can see the results for yourself.  I also use them for Skype and I'm told they are very loud and clear.  The sound through the headphones isn't amazing or anything but the mic seems to be pretty good.  You won't want to use them for listening to music or anything but for good and cheap recording I have been very happy with them.  The folks at Horriffic expressed interest in this headset when I explained about them in an earlier post elsewhere on the forum.  I don't know if they ever got them.