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Audio Setup for Video Editing

CodgerPunk

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I am a believer that good video production is lead by the Audio tracks. Even on Youtube, most users can forgive poorer quality video but will move to a different video if the audio is low in volume, has crackles, pop, or other audio defects.

I am looking for a good DAC/AMP to edit with that will keep my listening more neutral and allow me to edit for the larger number of listeners, even the people without more of a DAC than a built-in sound card. So I don't want a lot of "flavor" since most users probably won't have a matching system where they are listening. I prefer to Headphone edit with my Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro headphones, and give the final product a couple of listenings with the speakers (Currently Klipsch, but I am adding some more neutral speakers for 2.1, and keeping the Klipsch for 5.1)

I am considering both the Schiit Stack with the Heresy and the Modi 3 or;
The Topping D50s, A50 Headphone Amp but I am not sure how useful the P50 linear power supply or the PA3 power amp would be for my use case.

If anyone has a better suggestion in the $200ish USD price range I will also entertain them.

Thanks in advance.

AJF
 

deanepersson

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Good choice. The components you chose are nice and relevant. I've seen many people use them
 

617

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I am a believer that good video production is lead by the Audio tracks. Even on Youtube, most users can forgive poorer quality video but will move to a different video if the audio is low in volume, has crackles, pop, or other audio defects.

I am looking for a good DAC/AMP to edit with that will keep my listening more neutral and allow me to edit for the larger number of listeners, even the people without more of a DAC than a built-in sound card. So I don't want a lot of "flavor" since most users probably won't have a matching system where they are listening. I prefer to Headphone edit with my Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro headphones, and give the final product a couple of listenings with the speakers (Currently Klipsch, but I am adding some more neutral speakers for 2.1, and keeping the Klipsch for 5.1)

I am considering both the Schiit Stack with the Heresy and the Modi 3 or;
The Topping D50s, A50 Headphone Amp but I am not sure how useful the P50 linear power supply or the PA3 power amp would be for my use case.

If anyone has a better suggestion in the $200ish USD price range I will also entertain them.

Thanks in advance.

AJF
DAC and amp will make almost no difference regarding the tonality of what you hear. And by almost difference I mean, no difference.

Your headphones and speakers are where you should be looking to make improvements.
 

Ricardus

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I wouldn't worry about your setup at all. Edit in earbuds. I think the best use of your time and energy would be learning how to use the audio tools in your editor/DAW. In fact I would export the tracks to a more capable DAW with better plugins perhaps. The audio tracks in most YT videos are awful. They're either too quiet with FAR too much dynamic range swing, or wildly over-compressed and give me ear fatigue. The audio for most YT creators is an afterthought it seems.

People send me audio tracks for sweetening, and I do some tasteful multi-band compression and EQ as needed. But as an audio guy who has worked in studio and been mixing records for more than two decades, yeah, the audio in most YT vids is abysmal. Learn the tools.
 
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617

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The youlean loudness vst with a good maximizer plugin should get your track up to the proper LUFs value.

There are some good dialog plugins out there for removing clicks and even reverb.
 

Ricardus

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If the plugin has the word "maximizer" in it, it's best avoided. Get a good compression plugin from a good company and learn to use it, and what the controls do.
 

Herbert

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NEVER Mix with headphones, no matter what kind!
You will tend to mix subtle details too low.
My last film had releases on international film festivals, in cinemas and is streamed:


but it´s sound (originating from 50 discrete tracks) was edited and mixed
on a setup most forum members would be ashamed of:
Just the better version of the JBL Control 1 hooked to an early SMSL Digital Amp,
fed by a dongle Dac hooked to a 27' Imac.

Why? Because you will sit close to the speakers and
the mids is the most important in Mixing for film and TV.
Editing dialogue is crucial in Surround because you do not have ambient sounds
in the centers (where dialogue is located) to mask the edits.
Still the JBL Control 1 were sufficient to reveal any weaknesses in sound editing and mixing.
I even do not have a subwoofer - I did control the bass listing to my 2-way Reference 3A speakers.

I also mix Surround "deaf" (on Apple`s defunct Soundtrack Pro")
Because I only have a Stereo setup, I could only
listen to Mixdowns and guess the level of the Surround channels by muting / unmuting them.
But when checking the DCP prior to the premiere, everything in the cinema sounded like I wanted
But it is a documentary with only ambience in the Surround channels and almost on FX.

Here is the trailer, stereo:

So don´t worry much about your setup... Just a good pair of nearfild 2-way speakers
is sufficient an Amir has many awarded with a golfing panther.
 
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Jim Shaw

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I find headphones to be useful for those times when speakers are inappropriate. I use a new pair of closed-back AKG 371s, much discussed elsewhere on ASR. It takes a mighty good pair of monitor speakers to equal the frequency and dynamic range of these. I rarely do serious music videos, and I've never finished editing and watching the product saying, "I wish I hadn't used headphones." I do try to always use speakers for an audition before uploading.

I use DaVinci Resolve, and its Fairlight audio facilities are astonishingly good. A steep learning curve, though. I hardly need a DAW anymore but have one kicking around for music recording. Occasionally, I'll use Audacity on the laptop to prep audio files before they go into Resolve -- you know, leveling, a little compression, noise reduction, filtering for intelligibility, and that sort of use.

Since I occasionally must travel, portability is important. So, I use the same inexpensive but highly rated USB-C dongle for either (the same) headphones or as input to an Aiyima A07 to drive speakers. On travel, using the same dongle gives me the same range and quality at home or away. No nasty surprises.

Video editing isn't an audiophile activity. It's an audience presentation activity. One doesn't need DC-to-light, doomsday dynamics. Intelligibility is of utmost importance, not the tiny triangle in the percussion section. :)

-Just one man's view.
 
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kemmler3D

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If the plugin has the word "maximizer" in it, it's best avoided. Get a good compression plugin from a good company and learn to use it, and what the controls do.
Disagree, just don't set the threshold too low like a doofus. Maximizers are almost all compressors of different types anyway, they just tend to have fancier release timing or something like that.

As for your setup - DT880 is more than enough, your DAC / AMP choices are also more than enough. (If you are mixing on HPs which is controversial at best) - If you want to get really serious EQ your headphones flat. That will do 100x more than any HP amp selection you might make.

From that point turn your attention to getting better at critical listening, EQing your audio, and audio mixing concepts in general, that's what will ACTUALLY make your output better. Plenty of incompetent producers and audio mixers have expensive gear, but it's said you can mix on trash equipment if you know what you're doing, and that's at least half true.
 

Herbert

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You also need to be very careful with maximizers when delivering to aac.
For the moment I do not remember the technical background,
but -3dB headroom is a must.
But they are useful because mixes for the cinema are allowed to be very dynamic.
So a maximizer or good limiter helps to even things out for streaming and home cinema.
 

617

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This is what I use:

And to monitor LUFS:

I think davinci/fairlight has automatic loudness setting in the export pane but I can't remember now.
 

Ricardus

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NEVER Mix with headphones, no matter what kind!
You will tend to mix subtle details too low.
Bah. You can mix on almost anything if you know what they're doing.

Don't listen to the film guys on audio. Listen to them on film.

LEARN YOUR TOOLS. That's all that matters. It takes a long time to really learn to use and hear compression. So I don't care if you're mixing on a 100K system. If you don't learn the tools properly it'll be garbage.
 

Ricardus

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Disagree, just don't set the threshold too low like a doofus. Maximizers are almost all compressors of different types anyway, they just tend to have fancier release timing or something like that.
Or... OR... and I'm just spitballing here. Buy a real plugin and learn to use it.

His setup doesn't matter ONE IOTA if he doesn't have the skillset to actually mix the audio. I'm completely baffled by talking about the gear at this point.
 

Herbert

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Don't listen to the film guys on audio. Listen to them on film.
Ever heard of Walter Murch?
Bah. You can mix on almost anything if you know what they're doing.
I posted references proving my work. What are yours?
 
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Jim Shaw

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Don't listen to the film guys on audio. Listen to them on film.
And don't listen to audiophiles on making film audio.
(Actually, don't listen to audiophrenics on much of anything.) :)
 

Ricardus

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And don't listen to audiophiles on making film audio.
(Actually, don't listen to audiophrenics on much of anything.) :)
Agreed. Listen to audio professionals. People who have actually made some records and know how to use the tools.
 

Jim Shaw

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I find headphones to be useful for those times when speakers are inappropriate. I use a new pair of closed-back AKG 371s, much discussed elsewhere on ASR. It takes a mighty good pair of monitor speakers to equal the frequency and dynamic range of these. I rarely do serious music videos, and I've never finished editing and watching the product saying, "I wish I hadn't used headphones." I do try to always use speakers for an audition before uploading.

I use DaVinci Resolve, and its Fairlight audio facilities are astonishingly good. A steep learning curve, though. I hardly need a DAW anymore but have one kicking around for music recording. Occasionally, I'll use Audacity on the laptop to prep audio files before they go into Resolve -- you know, leveling, a little compression, noise reduction, filtering for intelligibility, and that sort of use.

Since I occasionally must travel, portability is important. So, I use the same inexpensive but highly rated USB-C dongle for either (the same) headphones or as input to an Aiyima A07 to drive speakers. On travel, using the same dongle gives me the same range and quality at home or away. No nasty surprises.

Video editing isn't an audiophile activity. It's an audience presentation activity. One doesn't need DC-to-light, doomsday dynamics. Intelligibility is of utmost importance, not the tiny triangle in the percussion section. :)

-Just one man's view.
Further to this thread, look at this recently uploaded YT from Audio University. Kyle has a way of explaining 'headphones vs. monitors very clearly and succinctly. Audio University is an excellent source for all things audio recording.
 

Willem

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I agree that for video, audio quality is far more important than what people realize. One part that contributes potentially most is a good microphone. Proper professional ones can be very expensive, but just below that there are some really good options such as the Sennheiser me3 headset mic or their mke600 shotgun.
As for the electronics, Julian Krause has some very good videos.
 
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