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A Tip for Multitrack Editing

October 31st, 2008 by Rob Strobbe | Filed under Video Tutorials.

There are many ways to combine multiple pieces of media in Sony Vegas. Some like to place their media on multiple tracks and split / delete what they don’t need from higher tracks in order to “let through” the lower tracks. Some slice their clips up in the trimmer first. Some even avoid multiple tracks altogether.


In this video posted on Youtube, Bill Myers (username guerillabill) gives a tip on a method that doesn’t involve making any cuts at all: Using Composite Level Envelopes to fade or mute tracks as needed.

10 Responses to “A Tip for Multitrack Editing”

  1. CT Hunnefield | 14/03/11

    That was incredibly helpful! Just purchased Plural Eyes and I’ve never done multitrack editing in Vegas until now. You should have a tip jar here! :)

  2. Rob Strobbe | 6/04/11

    Not a bad idea — maybe I will! ;) I’m glad you found the video helpful.

  3. Mike | 16/04/11

    I like the tutorial. I’m using this method to edit from 3 cameras recording high school lacrosse games. The problem is I have to do this a hundered times per video across 3 cameras and it takes 2+ hours to do a 1 hour game. Is there a keyboard shortcut to set the composit level to 0 or to 100%?

  4. Rob Strobbe | 18/04/11

    No, as far as I know, there aren’t any keyboard shortcuts for working with envelopes. Other solutions I can think of, though:

    1. I believe that envelopes and their points are accessible in Vegas’ script language. If so, someone has or could write a script that adds and moves points based on regions or a set interval or whatever you need. Check the forums at sonycreativesoftware.com.
    2. A quick way to “cut out” a section using this method is to make a time selection and click / drag down on the envelope. Vegas will add the needed four points for you.
    3. Experiment with the envelope brush tool. Insert the composite level envelope and then, to edit it, hold down the Shift and “draw” on the envelope. Vegas adds points wherever you draw. Depending on your settings (see Vegas’ help for more info), Vegas will thin out the extra points after you release the mouse button.

    If your edits are to be all cuts rather than fades, which I would figure in sports footage, I’d use the Mute envelope rather than then Composite Level envelope. That would make things even quicker as Vegas knows that every point is going to be either 0 or 100.

  5. Mike | 22/04/11

    Thanks for the tip. I had been looking for info on the scripting language and I have found a pretty good site. Fortunatly I am a programmer and do a good bit with .NET already so it shouldn’t be too hard.

    I plan on putting together a tutorial on how I’m using it along with my camera setup for events.

    I’ll come back and add a link to it once I have it done.

    Thanks again for the tip.
    Mike

  6. Rob Strobbe | 22/04/11

    Excellent. I’ve been meaning to try some Vegas scripting for ages now, but haven’t gotten around to it.

    Shouldn’t be hard at all. I can’t imagine it would take more than a dozen lines of code, probably less. Looking forward to the tut!

    Rob

  7. Mike | 22/04/11

    Well, Ive come up with another question now that I’m trying to create a script. Is scripting available in the platinum version? So far everything I see refers to Pro and I can’t see any place in the application to select a script.

    Part of what I am trying to do is avoid really costly software for doing something that is completely volunteer.

  8. Rob Strobbe | 22/04/11

    Nope, sorry. There’s no scripting in Vegas Movie Studio. It’s a Vega Pro feature. And as I’m attempting my other suggestions from above in VMS, it’s not behaving the same way as Vegas Pro. Specifically, if I make a selection and drag down on the envelope, VMS is not adding the necessary points. I find it really odd that such a minor (but very useful) behavior is in Pro but not VMS; so maybe there’s a setting somewhere I’d need to change. Edit: I’m reading an old post on the official VMS forum, and others have used this exact same method there. I must be missing a setting somewhere.

    At any rate, VMS does have the envelope brush. (It does not, however, have the Mute envelope.)

    Hmm…

  9. Bill Cannon | 27/11/11

    Trying to paste a finished film to a newly established Vegas Project. The Composite Levels aren’t coming along for the ride. Do you know how to accomplish this “little” task?

  10. Rob Strobbe | 28/11/11

    Off the top of my head I’d say that:

    1. The problem is that composite level is a track-level setting, and tracks aren’t copied / pasted; events are.
    2. The solution would be, if your version of Vegas supports it, to nest your completed film project in the new Vegas project. Just find the old VEG file and drag it into your new Vegas project timeline. Vegas will treat it as an individual event and retain everything from the original project. If you need to alter anything in the original, double-click the nested VEG, and Vegas will open that up to be edited.

    If this isn’t a viable solution, I’d need more info about what you’re working with and what your end goal is. Good luck.

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