Sony Vegas 6 Manual

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Automating 5.1 surround projects
5.1 surround is available only in the full version of Vegas software.
In a 5.1 surround project, you can automate the center channel’s volume and surround panning using 
keyframes. For more information, see Working with 5.1 Surround on page 209.
Automation recording modes
Automation recording allows you to edit envelope and keyframe settings by using the controls in the Vegas 
interface. When combined with a control surface, you can create fades and adjust control parameters with a 
level of control that only a tangible control can provide.
Automation recording is available only in the full version of Vegas software. In Vegas Movie Studio and Vegas Movie 
Studio Platinum software, you can insert volume, mute, and panning envelopes and edit the envelopes in the 
timeline.
Automation recording is available for the following settings:
 Audio track envelopes (using the controls in the track header).
 Audio track effect parameters for automatable effects (using the controls in Audio Plug-In window).
 Surround panning keyframes.
 Video track envelopes (using the controls in the track header).
 Video track effect parameters (using the controls in Video Track FX window).
 Parent track overlay mode plug-in settings (using the controls in Parent Track Overlay window).
 Track-level mask generator plug-in settings (using the controls in Video Mask FX window). 
Note: If you want to thin envelope points after recording 
automation, you can select the 
Smooth and thin automation 
data after recording 
check box on the External Control & 
Automation tab of the Preferences dialog or right-click the 
envelope and choose Thin Points from the shortcut menu.
Recording automation settings
1.Add an envelope or automatable/keyframeable effect to a track. 
For automatable audio track effects, you must add and effect automation envelope for each parameter you 
want to automate.
2.Click the Automation Settings button  in the track header and select Show Automation Controls.
3.Click the Automation Settings button and choose Automation Write (Touch) or Automation Write (Latch) 
from the menu.
Automation Recording 
ModeTrack IconDescription
Automation Write (Touch)Envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. 
When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the 
existing envelope points/keyframes are unaffected.
Automation Write (Latch)Envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, 
and recording continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the 
control, the controls current setting overwrites the existing envelope points/
keyframes. 
						

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4.Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button  to start playback.
5.Adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe you want to adjust.
During playback, adjusting a control will create envelope points or keyframes at the cursor position. As 
long as youre adjusting the control, new envelope points/keyframes will be created for each change of the 
play cursors position. 
6.Click Stop  to end playback and stop recording automation.
Editing sections of your recorded settings in Touch mode
In Touch recording mode, envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. 
When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the existing envelope points/
keyframes are unaffected.
Use Touch mode for touching up sections of your recorded automation settings. 
1.Click the Automation Settings button  in the track header and select Show Automation Controls.
2.Click the Automation Settings button  and choose Automation Write (Touch) from the menu. The icon in 
the track header is displayed as a 
.
3.Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button  to start playback.
4.When youre ready to start editing, adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe 
you want to adjust. Envelope points/keyframes are updated at the cursor position, and when you stop 
adjusting the control, the original settings are preserved.
5.Click Stop  to end playback and stop recording automation.
Overwriting recorded settings in Latch mode
In Latch mode, envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, and recording 
continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the control, the controls current setting 
overwrites the existing envelope points/keyframes.
Use Latch mode to overwrite automation settings with new values. 
1.Click the Automation Settings button  in the track header and select Show Automation Controls.
2.Click the Automation Settings button  and choose Automation Write (Latch) from the menu. The icon in 
the track header is displayed as a 
.
3.Click to position the cursor in the timeline, and click the Play button  to start playback.
4.When youre ready to start editing, adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe 
you want to adjust. 
Envelope points/keyframes are updated at the cursor position until you stop playback.
5.Click Stop  to end playback and stop recording automation. 
						

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Editing individual envelope points or keyframes
Editing individual envelope points or keyframes gives you fine control over your recorded settings.
1.Click the Automation Settings button  on the track you want to edit and select Show Automation 
Controls
.
2.Click the Automation Settings button  and choose Automation Write (Touch) or Automation Write (Latch) 
from the menu. 
3.Select the parameter you want to edit:
 For a track envelope, select the envelope tool  and click the envelope point you want to edit. You can 
right-click a point and choose 
Properties from the shortcut menu to display an effects property page.
 For a keyframe, click the Expand/Collapse Track Keyframes button  to expand track keyframe rows, and 
then double-click a keyframe to open its property page. For more information, see Using video effects on 
page 241.
4.Adjust the control that corresponds to the envelope point or keyframe you want to adjust. The selected 
envelope point/keyframe is edited, and all others are unaffected. 
For track envelopes, you can also edit the envelope directly in the timeline.
Setting the automation recording mode for a track
1.Click the Automation Settings button  in the track header and select Show Automation Controls.
2.Click the Automation Settings button  and choose a command from the menu to choose the automation 
mode.
ModeTrack IconDescription
OffAutomated parameters are ignored during playback.
When you switch to Off mode, the control setting from the cursor position is 
used as a static setting, and the envelope/keyframe is dimmed to indicate that it 
is unavailable.
ReadThe envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control reflects 
the envelope/keyframe settings at the cursor position. 
Adjustments to the control are not recorded.
Automation Write (Touch)The envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control follows 
the envelope/keyframe settings during playback and when you position the 
cursor.
Envelope points or keyframes are created only while a control is being adjusted. 
When you stop adjusting the control, automation recording stops and the 
existing envelope points/keyframes are unaffected.
Automation Write (Latch)The envelope/keyframe value is applied during playback, and the control follows 
the envelope/keyframe settings during playback and when you position the 
cursor.
Envelope points or keyframes are created when you change a control setting, 
and recording continues until you stop playback. When you stop adjusting the 
control, the controls last setting overwrites the existing envelope points/
keyframes. 
						

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							8
CHP. 8WORKING WITH EVENTS
CHAPTER171
Working with Events
Events are windows into media files in a project and are the most basic unit of editing in Vegas® software. 
Media files that are inserted into the timeline are automatically contained within an event. Trimming and 
editing an event does not affect the source media file in any way.
Setting event switches
Event switches are important functions that are used to determine the basic behavior of events. You can set 
switches for a single event or multiple events at the same time. 
1.Right-click an event.
2.From the shortcut menu, choose Switches, and choose the desired switch from the submenu. 
Active switches have a check mark next to them. Choose an active switch on the menu to turn it off.
Tip: You can also set switches in the Edit menu, in the Edit 
Details window, or by right-clicking an event and choosing 
Properties.
Mute
Use the Mute switch to mute an event. This prevents the event from playing back. 
Lock
The Lock switch locks an event to prevent it from being moved or edited.
Loop
You can loop an event so that you can extend it along the timeline by dragging the right edge of the event. 
Notches appear in the top of the event to mark where the media in the event ends and then repeats.
Selected event 
before loopSelected event after
loop is applied
Drag the right edge
to extend the event Looping notches
8 
						

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For video events, turning off the Loop switch makes the last frame repeat for the duration of the event 
beyond its original length, creating a freeze frame effect (as in the middle example below). The Loop switch 
is enabled for the event in the last example below
.
Invert phase (audio only)
This feature is available only in the full version of Vegas software.
This switch inverts the audio event at its baseline, in effect reversing its polarity. Inverting an event, while 
creating no audible difference, is occasionally useful for matching transitions when mixing audio on separate 
tracks or fine-tuning a crossfade. 
You can also phase invert a track. If a track is inverted and you invert an event on the track, the event is 
doubly-inverted (restored to its original state). For more information, see Phase inverting a track (audio only) on 
page 148.
Normalize (audio only)
You may normalize an event to maximize its volume, based on the waveform’s highest peak, without clipping 
the event during playback. 
Recalculating the normalization
When you normalize an event, the event is 
analyzed and the volume is raised based on the 
waveform’s highest peak and then adjusts the 
rest of the event accordingly. If you have 
adjusted the edge of an event to exclude the 
(formerly) highest waveform peak, you may 
want to recalculate the event’s normalization.
1.Right-click the event to display a shortcut 
menu.
2.From the shortcut menu, choose Properties. 
The Properties dialog opens.
The original three frame clip.
Looping is off. The elongated event repeats (freezes) the final frame.
Looping is on. The entire event repeats.
Selected event 
before normalizeSelected event after
normalize is applied
Highest peak used
for normalization
Highest peak used
for recalculating the
normalizationEvent edited after
normalization  before editing 
						

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3.Click Re-calculate to normalize the event again. 
Tip: You can set the maximum decibel level used to calculate 
the event during normalization. For more information, see 
Audio tab on page 333.
Maintain aspect ratio (video only)
Video and image files of various sizes and formats can be included in a single project. The project itself may 
have a different frame size aspect ratio from the source media files. This is not a problem, but you must 
specify how these differences are handled. If the length-to-width ratio of the source media and the project’s 
frame size are the same (e.g., source media at 320x240 and project frame size of 640x480), no aspect ratio 
distortion occurs. If the ratios are not the same, the source material may become distorted (stretched or 
compressed). By maintaining the aspect ratio of the original, the video is kept from becoming distorted by 
letterboxing or pillarboxing around the edges. This is the default setting.
Reduce interlace flicker (video only)
This switch can be useful in cases where the source material didn’t originate as video and contains extremely 
high spatial or temporal frequencies. When you watch the rendered (interlaced) output on video of this sort 
of media, you may see flickering or crawling edges if this switch is not applied.
Resample (video only)
Resampling allows Vegas software to interpolate frames in an event when the frame rate of a media file is 
significantly different from the project’s frame rate. Resampling may solve some interlacing problems and 
other jittery output problems. For more information, see Resampling video on page 232.
Three options are provided for event-level resampling:
Smart resample: Only resamples the event when the event frame rate does not match the project output 
frame rate. This can occur either because the event has a velocity envelope or because the frame rate of 
the original media is different than the project frame rate. 
Smart resample is the standard setting.
Force resample: Always resamples the event, regardless of its frame rate or the project’s frame rate.
Disable resample: Does not resample the event. 
						

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Accessing event properties
The properties of an event are automatically determined based on the properties of the source media file. In 
addition to the event switches (mute, loop, etc.) described in the previous section, event properties include 
playback and undersample rates for video and pitch shifting for audio.
1.Right-click an event to display a shortcut menu.
2.From the shortcut menu, choose Properties. The Properties dialog appears.
The first tab in the dialog, either Audio Event or Video Event, contains the properties that are exclusively 
related to your Vegas project. The second tab, the 
Media tab, contains many properties that are an inherent 
part of the media file itself. 
In addition to the event switches discussed in this chapter, event properties on the Audio Event/Video Event 
tab include the following:
 For video events, the Playback rate box sets the rate of playback. For example, a playback rate of 1 plays at 
normal speed, while a playback rate of 0.5 plays at half speed. For more information, see Time compressing/
stretching events on page 129.
 For video events, the Undersample rate box allows you to simulate a lower frame rate. For example, an 
undersample rate of 0.5 plays the event at half its original frame rate. Each frame plays twice as long as in 
the original media file, creating a strobe effect.
 For audio events, the Time stretch/pitch shift section of the dialog allows you to change the pitch, duration, 
or both pitch and duration of an audio event. For more information, see Pitch shifting audio events on page 
127.
Adjusting audio channels
A stereo audio event has two channels: right and left. You can adjust how these channels are played by right-
clicking an event, choosing 
Channels from the shortcut menu and choosing one of the following commands 
from the submenu:
Both plays both channels in stereo. This is the default setting.
Left Only plays only the left channel. Playback is mono and is centered between the two channels.
Right Only plays only the right channel. Playback is mono and centered.
Combine adds the two channels into a single channel and divides the level in half to prevent clipping. 
Playback is mono and is centered between the two channels. 
Swap exchanges the right and left channels (stereo playback).
You can also pan from one channel to the other using either the multipurpose slider or a pan envelope. For 
more information, see Adjusting stereo panning on page 145. 
						

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Copying and pasting event attributes
You’ve set up one event exactly the way you want it, and now you want to apply the same attributes to 
another event. A quick way to copy the attributes of one event and paste them onto another is provided. 
You can copy and paste multiple event attributes, including:
 Properties (pg. 174), including audio pitch shift (pg. 127) and video playback rate (pg. 129)
 Switches (pg. 171)
 Video event plug-ins (pg. 241)
 Cropping (pg. 223)
1.Click the event with the attributes you wish to copy and click the Copy button ().
2.To paste the event attributes to multiple events, select the events. For more information, see Selecting 
multiple events on page 96.
3.Right-click an event and choose Paste Event Attributes from the shortcut menu. The attributes are pasted 
onto the selected event(s).
Using audio event envelopes (ASR)
You may apply envelopes to individual events. Envelopes, also known as ASRs (attack, sustain, and release), 
give you the ability to control an audio event’s fade-in, fade-out, and overall volume level. 
Note: Event envelopes only affect an event. Track 
envelopes affect the entire track. For more information, see 
Composite level automation (video only) on page 161.
Tip: If you want to display fade lengths in selected events, 
select the Event Fade Lengths option on the View menu.
When you add an event to your project, handles are added that are used to set the envelope. As you use 
these handles on audio events, a volume envelope appears indicating how the event is being affected. 
Audio eventEnvelope
handlesenvelope 
						

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Setting an audio event’s volume
When you place the mouse pointer at the top of the event, the pointer changes to a hand cursor () that you 
can use to lower the event’s overall volume.
1.Place the mouse pointer at the top of the event.
2.When you see the envelope cursor (), drag the volume envelope 
to the desired level. As you drag, the event’s decibel level is 
displayed.
Note: When you have multiple events selected, the gain of 
all selected events is adjusted simultaneously.
Setting an event’s fade in and out
The event handles allow you to change an audio event’s fade in and out volume. You can also change the 
type of curve that the event uses to control the volume’s fade in or out.
1.Place the mouse pointer on a handle (upper corners of the event). The pointer changes to the envelope 
cursor (
).
2.Click the corner of the event and drag to create a fade.
To remove a fade, drag the end of the fade curve back to the edge of the event.
Changing an event’s fade curve
You can set the shape of the fade curve (fast, linear, slow, sharp, or smooth) that an event uses to raise or 
lower the volume over time. To access the different fade curves, right-click anywhere in the event’s fade-in 
or fade-out region and choose 
Fade Type from the shortcut menu.
Tip: If you use the same fade curve frequently, you can set it 
as a default for all new audio event envelopes. For more 
information, see Editing tab on page 349.
Volume line
Decibel level
Fast
Linear
Slow
Smooth
Sharp
Right-click to select
the fade curve type