Audio question (newbie!)

mkraftdet · Post by **mkraftdet** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:36 pm

Hi...

I am doing a video show, where I have video and pictures...I want to play audio during the pics and have no MP3s playing during the video, how do I do that? thanks@!

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:54 pm

Welcome to the forums,

VS comes with a very unique audio tool, called SmartSound. It can auto-trim the music to fit your video. It will have a beginning, middle and end, so it will not sound chopped up.

Now using the auto-trim function, it will only trim it to the total duration of your project, starting from where you have the playhead located in the time line. That's not the end though...

Determine the duration your pics are playing. Go to the Auto Music tab, find a tune that you want to use, then make sure the auto trim box is unchecked. Don't want it to auto trim. Now in the duration box, enter the duration that your pics play. For instance if your "slideshow" is 1:20:10 (which in video time is read as 1 minute, 20 secs, 10 Frames). Enter that figure into the duration box. Make sure your playhead is at the starting point of your slide-show (pics), then press add to time line. Viola music fits your pics, and does not extend into your video.

Then if you are somewhat serious about video editing, you can use Smartsound's SonicFire Pro 4.0. It does a fantastic job of placing high-quality music with your videos, plus with their Strata-series music, you can really customize the music, by altering the intrumentation, to set different "moods". It has what's called Mood Mapping..

mkraftdet · Post by **mkraftdet** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:12 pm

THANKS....I can change the time, and select the music, but he ADD TO TIMELINE is greyed out!

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:48 pm

Now comes the "thousand questions" to you..

Not really a thousand, but....

What version of VS are you using? Does it have an SE in the name. Clicking on the ? and selecting the About... will provide that information.

Have you used the Smartsound music before? If not maybe it was not installed properly, or there may be a conflict with Quicktime. Oh, by the way, do you have Quicktime Player installed? VS should have installed this, as Smartsound uses the QT Player.

The Add to Timeline will be grayed out, if the Auto Trim is checked. Make sure to clear the check in the box beside it.

mkraftdet · Post by **mkraftdet** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:52 pm

No SE...version 11 PLUS

Ultimately, what I want to do, is have MP3's play over the entire show, but during video clips, I dont want to hear the MP3, but would like it to come back up when video is over during the pictures.....

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 7:02 pm

Ok, that's a bit different than what I was thinking...

You just need to go into Audio View (that speaker icon at the top of the timeline), or theres an icon on the tab that says Audio View. Then highlight your MP3 clip.

You should see a line running through the audio clip. This is the "rubber band". Place your mouse over it, and it should change to a black arrow. Click once to apply a "key frame". Move over to the duration you want to take for the fade-down, click again to add another key frame.

Now hovering your mouse over the key frames, will change the cursor to a hand. Grab the key frame and drag it down. Move over to where you where you want the music to start fading back up, add key frame, then a second at the duration you want the fade up to last, add key frame. Then grab that key frame and drag it back up to the center...

Oh one more thing...
If you make the changes to the audio, and then just hit play, while in Clip Mode, you will not hear the changes. You need to be in Project Mode to hear the changes made to the audio.

mkraftdet · Post by **mkraftdet** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:07 pm

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it worked!!!!

Post by **Ron P.** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:23 pm

Glad it worked, and happy to help..