Sony Vegas 6 Manual

							CHP. 11RECORDING AUDIO
207
Changing where recorded files are stored when starting to record
1.Press  and click the Record button () on the transport bar. The Project Recorded Files Folder 
dialog appears.
Tip: You can also press  to specify the 
location for recorded files when starting to record.
2.Browse for the location where you want to save recorded files.
3.Click OK.
Changing where recorded files are stored in the Project Properties dialog
1.From the File menu, choose Properties. The Project Properties dialog appears.
2.Click the Audio tab to display the project’s audio properties.
3.Click Browse. The Recorded Files Folder dialog appears.
4.Browse for the location where you want to save recorded files.
5.Click OK.
Tip: You can select Start all new projects with these settings 
in the Project Properties dialog to store recorded media source 
files to the same location in every new project. 
Monitoring audio levels
While you’re recording, a responsive meter is provided in the track 
header to monitor the incoming signal level of the selected recording 
device. It is important that you record with the highest signal possible 
without clipping.
A reading of 0 dB is the maximum for a digital signal. Clipping occurs when the incoming signal is too high 
to be represented as a digital value. The result is distortion in the recording. A clipped signal will be 
indicated by a red Clip warning at the top of the meters.
Right-click the meters and choose a command from the shortcut menu to adjust the display of the meters.
Using record input monitoring
This feature is available only in the full version of Vegas software.
If you’re using an ASIO audio device and you want to hear your recording signal with real-time track effects, 
you can turn on input monitoring.
To turn on input monitoring, click the Record Device Selector button ( or ) and choose Input Monitor 
from the menu, and then choose 
Auto or On from the submenu. During recording, your signal will be played 
back with the current track effects chain, but a dry (unprocessed) signal is recorded.
When Auto is selected, you will hear the input monitor signal when playback is stopped and during 
recording. If you’re recording into selected events, youll hear the input monitor signal only when the cursor 
passes over the selected events. 
Shift
Ctrl+Shift+R 
						

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RECORDING AUDIOCHP. 11
When On is selected, the behavior is similar to Auto mode, but you will always hear the input monitor during 
recording—monitoring is not toggled on and off when recording in to a selected event.
Note: Your ability to monitor effects in real time is 
dependent on your computers performance. Effect 
automation envelopes are bypassed during record monitoring. 
						

							12
CHP. 12WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUND
CHAPTER209
Working with 5.1 
Surround
Vegas® software allows you to create 5.1-channel mixes to prepare audio for DVD-Video.
This feature is available only in the full version of Vegas software.
Note: Vegas software plays and mixes uncompressed 5.1-
channel audio. Authoring software such as the Sony Media 
Software 5.1 Surround Plug-In Pack is required to encode 
5.1-channel audio to AC-3 for use in DVD authoring.
What is 5.1 surround?
5.1 surround is a standard format consisting of three speakers across the front and two speakers in the rear. 
The “.1” is a sixth channel called low-frequency effects (LFE) that enhances the bass levels in the mix.
The LFE channel is commonly used in motion pictures to enhance low audio frequencies for effects such as 
explosions or crashes. Audio in this channel is commonly limited to a range from about 25 Hz to 120 Hz. 
Unlike the five primary channels, the LFE channel adds no directional information. Depending on the 
speaker setup and audio levels, the sound assigned to the LFE channel may be routed among the five main 
speakers or to an additional subwoofer.
Left Center Right LFE
Right
Surround Left
Surround
5.1 surround includes five main channels... ...and a sixth channel for low-frequency effects.
12 
						

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WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUNDCHP. 12
Setting up surround hardware
Before you create surround projects, you should set up your system to provide 5.1 surround playback. To play 
a 5.1 surround project, you must have an appropriate speaker setup such as:
 Six powered speakers
 Six passive speakers with a six-channel amplifier
Your system must also have an appropriate sound card setup such as:
 5.1-compatible sound card
 Sound card with three stereo outputs
 Three stereo sound cards
There are several ways to set up your system, depending on the sound card and speaker setup you are using.
Setting up surround projects
You can configure a Vegas project to use 5.1 surround in the Project Properties dialog. You can also choose 
to apply a low-pass filter for the LFE channel. Applying a low-pass filter approximates the bass-management 
system in a 5.1 decoder and ensures that you’re sending only low-frequency audio to the LFE channel.
1.From the File menu, choose Properties.
2.Click the Audio tab.
3.From the Master bus mode drop-down list, choose 5.1 surround.
4.To limit the audio sent to the LFE channel, do the following:
 Select the Enable low-pass filter on LFE check box and enter a value in the Cutoff frequency for low-pass filter 
box. The low-pass filter isolates the audio sent to the LFE channel by limiting it to frequencies lower 
than the value entered in the 
Cutoff frequency for low-pass filter box. 
 Choose a setting from the Low-pass filter quality drop-down list to determine the sharpness of the filter’s 
rolloff curve. 
Best produces the sharpest curve. 
Note: Before rendering your surround project, check your 
surround authoring application’s documentation to determine 
its required audio format. Some encoders require a specific 
cutoff frequency and rolloff, while other encoders require that 
no filter be applied before encoding.
Six powered speakersSix passive speakers with a six-channel amplifier
5.1-compatible 
sound cardConnect powered speakers to your sound card’s 
outputs as indicated by your sound card’s 
documentation.Connect your sound card’s front, rear, and center/subwoofer 
outputs to the appropriate inputs on a six-channel amplifier/
home theater receiver. Connect front, rear, center, and LFE 
speakers to the amplifier.
Sound card with 
three stereo 
outputsConnect powered speakers to your sound card’s 
outputs where you have routed each of the pairs of 
channels. The left channel of the Center/LFE pair is the 
center channel; the right channel is the LFE channel.Connect your sound card’s outputs to the appropriate inputs on 
a six-channel amplifier/home theater receiver. Connect front, 
rear, center, and LFE speakers to the amplifier.
Three stereo 
sound cardsConnect powered speakers to your sound cards’ 
outputs where you have routed each of the pairs of 
channels. The left channel of the Center/LFE pair is the 
center channel; the right channel is the LFE channel.Connect your sound card’s outputs to the appropriate inputs on 
a six-channel amplifier/home theater receiver. Connect front, 
rear, center, and LFE speakers to the amplifier. 
						

							CHP. 12WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUND
211
5.Click OK.
The track list and Mixer window switch to 5.1 surround mode. The Master bus becomes the Surround 
Master bus, which contains faders for each of the six surround channels. Surround panners appear on 
tracks and mixer controls. Tracks routed to mixer controls (busses or assignable effects) do not have 
surround panners; panning for these tracks takes place on the mixer control.
Routing to hardware in the mixer
You must route the surround audio to the correct output in the mixer.
1.From the Options menu, choose Preferences.
2.Click the Audio tab.
3.From the Audio device type drop-down list, choose an audio device type other than Microsoft Sound Mapper 
(such as 
Windows Classic Wave Driver).
4.Choose the playback devices for the six surround channels:
From the Default Stereo and Front playback device drop-down list, choose the appropriate device for the 
front left and right surround channels.
From the Default Rear playback device drop-down list, choose the appropriate device for the rear left and 
right surround channels.
From the Default Center and LFE playback device drop-down list, choose the appropriate device for the 
center and LFE surround channels.
5.Click OK.
Overriding the default device routing
By setting up the device routing in the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog, you have set the defaults for 
surround routing. However, you can override the default device routing at any time using the Surround 
Master bus in the Mixer window.
1.In the Mixer window, click the Audio Device Selector button () on the Surround Master bus. A menu of 
surround channels (
Front L/R, Rear L/R, and Center/LFE) appears.
2.In the submenu, match a surround pair with the appropriate output. 
3.Repeat steps one and two to match each surround pair to the appropriate output.
Track list in 5.1 surround mode Mixer in 5.1 surround mode
Track routed
to Bus Track routed
to LFE Surround
panner
Front L/R  Rear L/R  Center LFE  Surround panners 
						

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WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUNDCHP. 12
Assigning audio to the LFE channel
Once the project is in 5.1 surround mode, you must decide whether a track will provide the “5” (surround 
panning) or the “1” (LFE channel) in 5.1 surround. Initially, all tracks in a surround project are set to 
provide surround panning, but you can assign a track to the LFE channel instead.
You can assign an individual track to the LFE channel or you can route the track to a mixer control (bus or 
assignable effect chain) and assign the mixer control to the LFE channel. 
To assign audio to the LFE channel, right-click the surround panner on the track header or mixer control 
and choose 
LFE Only from the shortcut menu. The track or mixer control is assigned to the LFE channel.
To change a track or mixer control back to surround panning, right-click the LFE indicator and choose 
Surround Pan from the shortcut menu.
Note: Before rendering your surround project, check your 
surround authoring application’s documentation to determine 
its required audio format with respect to the LFE channel. 
For more information, see Setting up surround projects on 
page 210.
Adjusting volume
Adjusting track volume for 5.1 surround projects behaves almost identically to stereo projects. The controls 
in the track headers and Mixer window can function as trim controls that adjust the overall volume of the 
track, bus, or assignable effects chain, or they can adjust volume automation settings. For more information, 
see Track automation on page 155.
Adjusting track volume
You can adjust track volume using the Vo l fader in the track header the same way you do in stereo projects. 
Click the Automation Settings button () on the track header and verify Show Automation Controls is not 
selected if you want to adjust trim levels.
Select Show Automation Controls if you want to adjust volume automation. The fader handle is displayed as a 
 in automation mode.
Right-click the surround panner and choose LFE Only... ...to assign the track or mixer control to the LFE channel.
Track header in trim mode
Track header in automation mode 
						

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Adjusting assignable effects send or bus send levels
You can adjust send levels for busses or assignable effects chains using the multipurpose fader in the track 
header. Click the fader label and choose an assignable effects chain or bus from the menu. The fader in the 
track header can function as a trim control that adjusts the overall send level of the track, or it can adjust 
send level automation settings. 
Click the Automation Settings button () on the track header and verify Show Automation Controls is not 
selected if you want to adjust trim levels.
Select Show Automation Controls if you want to adjust volume automation. The fader handle is displayed as a 
 in automation mode.
Adjusting channel levels
Use the Surround Master bus control in the Mixer window to adjust the individual levels of the 5.1 
channels. The faders in the track bus control can function as trim controls that adjust the overall level of 
each channel, or you can automate the master volume of the Surround Master bus (individual channel levels 
cannot be automated). 
Click the Automation Settings button () in the bus control or bus track and verify Show Automation 
Controls
 is not selected if you want to adjust trim levels.
Select Show Automation Controls if you want to adjust volume automation. The fader handle is displayed as a 
 in automation mode.
Mixer controls in trim mode
Mixer controls in automation mode 
						

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WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUNDCHP. 12
Panning audio
You can pan audio in a 5.1 surround project in two ways:
 Pan tracks individually using the Surround Panner window.
 Route tracks to mixer controls (busses, assignable effect chains) and pan the mixer controls using the 
Surround Panner window.
Panning tracks
1.Click the Automation Settings button () on the track you want to pan and verify Show Automation 
Controls
 is not selected.
2.Double-click the surround panner on the track you wish to pan. The Surround Panner window appears.
3.Adjust the panning settings. For more information, see Using the Surround Panner window on page 216.
4.Close the Surround Panner window. 
Tip: You can also use the surround panner in the track 
header to pan your track.
Double-click to display
the Surround
Panner window 
						

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Panning mixer controls
You may choose to route tracks to busses or other mixer controls (such as assignable effect chains) and pan 
them as a group rather than panning each track individually. 
Note: When you route a track to a bus, stereo (two-
channel) output is sent to the mixer control and the mixer 
control sends 5.1 (six-channel) output to the Surround 
Master bus.
1.Add a bus or assignable effect chain to the project. For more information, see Using the Mixer on page 181.
2.Route tracks to the bus or assignable effect chain. For more information, see Using the Mixer on page 181.
3.Click the Automation Settings button () on the mixer control you want to pan and verify Show 
Automation Controls
 is not selected.
4.Double-click the surround panner on the mixer control to display the Surround Panner window.
5.Adjust the panning settings. For more information, see Using the Surround Panner window on page 216.
6.Close the Surround Panner window.
Tip: You can also use the surround panner on the mixer 
control to pan your track.
Double-click to display
the Surround
Panner window 
						

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WORKING WITH 5.1 SURROUNDCHP. 12
Using the Surround Panner window
Whether you’re adjusting track panning or mixer control panning, you use the same controls in the 
Surround Panner window.
View the Surround Panner window by double-clicking a surround panner on a track header or mixer control. 
Once the Surround Panner window is open, you can dock it in the workspace. For more information, see 
Window docking area and floating window docks on page 24.
Tip: You can also choose Surround Panner from the View 
menu to display the Surround Panner window. Once the 
Surround Panner window is displayed, double-click the 
surround panner for a track or mixer control to view its pan 
settings.
1.Click the speaker icons to mute or include channels. 
Muting a channel ensures that no audio bleeds through a channel. For example, you might want to mute 
all but the center channel when you’re panning dialogue to the center channel.
Tip:  + click a speaker icon to solo the channel. 
2.Drag the pan point to position the sound within the sound field. For more information, see Moving the pan 
point on page 217.
3.Click the center speaker icon to include the center channel and drag the Center fader to apply a gain to 
the center channel.
Applying a gain to the center channel may make dialogue more present in the mix.
Note: When automating panning using keyframes, you 
cannot automate the gain applied using the 
Center fader. For 
more information, see Automating panning on page 218.
4.Drag the Smoothness slider to adjust the smoothness of the interpolation path between panning 
keyframes. The smoothness setting appears only when you are automating panning using keyframes. For 
more information, see Adjusting the Smoothness slider on page 220.
Pan point
= Muted channel
= Active (included) channel Toggle options for constraining
Assign track/bus to LFE channel
pan point movement
Pan type indicator
Ctrl