AFM Audio into VirtualDub?
 

I am working on digitizing a ton of hi-8 tapes and some of them have been encoded with AFM audio. How do I get this into Virtualdub? The non compressed PCM selection in the audio compression settings doesn't work and I don't see any option that would accept AFM. Regular PCM encoded Hi-8 tapes work just fine. I have checked on an external monitor and there is in fact good AFM audio.

Setup:

EVO-9850 in TBC300 into ATI T200 into Virtualdub 1.9.7

Thanks

AFM audio was standard on Video 8 and Hi 8. Unless I misunderstand, just record it in the normal way from the analog audio line out socket. The AFM audio has already been decoded. That's why you can hear it.

That’s what I thought too but it isn’t working.

If you are connecting the red and white RCA to your capture card then make sure select that in Vdub, otherwise select the audio source that is being fed by the camcorder, Vdub doesn't care if it's AFM or linear audio, it's all analog signal and converted to digital by whatever card you are connecting to.

I think that deck has separate outputs for PCM and AFM audio? Unless it falls back to outputting afm audio if there is no PCM audio you may need to switch audio which outputs you are using to get afm audio.

AFM is just the technique to lay down analogue audio on Video8 multiplexed with the video signal.

It sounds great (although the PAL stereo version is a bit of a bodge, NTSC is fine), it doesn't need special handling in software. Just switch to PCM output if the tape has it and record by conventional output or use the AFM as a fall back if there's no PCM.

Most camcorders will switch automatically, manual switching is only available on professional machines from my experience.

Also despite what you may read/be told you can get AFM Mono, AFM Stereo and PCM on both Video8 and Hi8, it wasn't a Hi8 exclusive, I have some standard Video8 tapes with PCM soundtracks.

I see the Sony EVO-9850 looks like a pro deck with separate XLR audio outputs for AFM and PCM. Does the AFM work on any tape? If not there's probably a problem with your deck. Is there AFM audio at the headphone socket?

As I understand it, PCM audio was not routinely available on or recorded by most consumer Video8/Hi8 gear. They were limited to AFM which was recorded as a L+R mono track. Stereo gear recorded an AFM L-R difference track that could be used to generate L and R stereo signals. A few high end consumer VCRs (e.g., Sony EV-S7000) offered the ability to dub PCM audio and playback AFM, PCM, or a mix. (The original Video8 specification also provided for a linear track but that was not implemented in most gear.)