YARG!!! Yet Another Re-authoring Guide

[CHF01]

I also a having problems with Aften with audio files over 2 hours: the program stops encoding after a certain percentage. The AC3Enc engine works great though. I just ripped Godzilla (the QuipTracks riff) following Bairmans instructions without issue. I used BeLight UI for both the AC3 to WAV conversion and vice versa. I opted to add commentary to the C, LF and RF channels only. The results were great on my home theater system. Thanks Bairman for the helpful info. 

[Bairman]

You're welcome.   

I haven't run into any problems with Aften and long audio files yet.  In fact, I just reauthored Pirates of the Caribbean and The Day After Tomorrow this week (using build 703) and they're both over two hours long and worked just fine.

[CHF01]

Yeah, I'm not sure what the deal is. I tried mulitple versions and couldn't get past 89.54% complete. Having 5.1 sound is AWESOME. 

[CHF01]

Hopefully someone can help me with an issue. I've mixed the 5.1 audio files and compiled them into one AC3. Here's the commands I used to separate the files, and merge them back together:


"L:\Rifftrax\Tools\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "l:\Projects\Godzilla\AudioFile_81.ac3" -output "l:\Projects\Godzilla\AudioFile_81-New-" -6ch -logfilea "L:\Rifftrax\Tools\BeSweet\BeSweet.log" ) -azid( -s stereo -c normal ) -ota( -hybridgain )

"C:\Program Files\BeLight\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "L:\Projects\Godzilla\godzilla.mux" -output "L:\Projects\Godzilla\final.ac3"  -logfile "L:\Projects\Godzilla\godzilla.log" ) -ac3enc( -b 384 -6ch )

The problem: the surround right speaker is 'dead': no sound at all in that channel. I checked the source AC3 file on the same DVD (I always have two audio files on my re-authors, one for the Rifftrax and one without) and it plays perfectly on my home system, all channels work properly. Does anyone know why my surround right channel is not providing sound with the Rifftrax audio AC3? I've checked everything I can think of...the wavs, the AC3 source file, the media. I've tried different DVD authoring tools: IFOEdit, ReJig, DVD Shrink with DVD Decrypter. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...I'm stumped. 

[Bairman]

It sounds like you're having the same problem I did initially... the channels are all mixed up.  The "silence" you're getting in the SR channel may actually be the LFE channel and it might have to do with the output format you selected in BeLight.  I have to select WAV to get the correct channel order, even though I'm making an AC3.  See the relevant section of the guide.  Try reencoding your AC3 using WAV as the output format and see if that works.

P.S.  Hmm... maybe selecting AC3 as your output format instead of WAV is what caused your problem with Aften too?

P.S.S.  Or... if you did select WAV as your output format, maybe you need to select AC3 since you're using ac3enc instead of Aften for encoding.  It could be that the mapping problem is with Aften and not BeLight.

[Bairman]

Crap... double posted.  Why can't I delete this?

[CHF01]

Thanks Bairman. I'm trying the BeLight AC3 output format now, with the AC3Enc engine for compiling the wavs. The application is pointing to the LFE channel now, instead of the SR channel that the wav output format points to. I've edited the command line to point to the MUX file instead of the wav. I'll let you know how things turn out in a moment....

[CHF01]

Ok, I got it to work!

1) I created a MUX file using BeLight; the output format as AC3
2) after making the MUX file, I closed BeLight and re-launched
3) File/Add Files; locate the MUX file
4) Output Channels: 5.1  AC3nc Engine/384 kbps bitrate
5) The command prompt line for making the compiled 5.1 audio AC3 file was:
"C:\Program Files\BeLight\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "L:\Projects\Godzilla\godzilla.mux" -output "L:\Projects\Godzilla\final.ac3"  -logfile "L:\Projects\Godzilla\godzilla.log" ) -ac3enc( -b 384 -6ch )

All channels are working, all systems go! Thanks a million Bairman for the assist. 

[Bairman]

[CHF01]

This is really cool. You can get creative with each individual channel, in terms of voice over volumes. Some channels have very little audio flux, so you can tone the RT track down to being slighly audible. I never mess with the LFE subwoofer wav.

Once again, thanks Bairman for the invaluable guide. 5.1 audio is best for the Rifftrax experience, IMO. 

[Bairman]

It's always good to see another enjoying the RiffTrax 5.1 experience.  I've tried a few different configurations, but I always return to placing the commentary in the rear channels.  Having the riffers "sitting behind me" seems much more natural since there are no silhouettes on the screen like with MST3K and Cinematic Titanic.

[CHF01]

Good idea! I'll try that out with The Day After Tomorrow.

[Troxartas]

I apologize in advance, I'm quite the novice when it comes to reauthoring DVDs.  Am I supposed to demux a 2ch. audio AC3 file along with the 6ch. file or not?  You say to only select the 6ch. file in DVD Decrypter but then later under the Goldwave section, you say that after mixing the 2ch. file with the rifftrax, you need to do it with the other six.  ?    Also, when mixing with Voice Over, do I need to mix all six files the exact same way, and then silence the channels I don't want?  Any help you could give would be awesome!

[Bairman]

Am I supposed to demux a 2ch. audio AC3 file along with the 6ch. file or not?

You *can* demux the 2ch AC3 from the DVD if you wish, but that's not how I do it.  I manually downmix the 6ch AC3 into a 2ch WAV *in addition* to splitting the 6ch AC3 into six mono WAVs.

Also, when mixing with Voice Over, do I need to mix all six files the exact same way, and then silence the channels I don't want?

It's done *during* the mixing process.  Mix them all in the same manner, but for channels where you want the RiffTrax to be silent, set the voice volume of the plug-in to -40 dB (off).

[Troxartas]

Thanks Bairman, I'll attempt again now!