Smartsound Quicktracks Problems

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:11 pm

I have had VS 11.5 Plus installed for some time now. Other than the usual small complement of 15 music samples, I can't find the additional music files that should be in the Audio tab Smartsound library. (I hope I'm describing this correctly). Although there is a SSQT entry in the control panel, I tried repairing it there but that didn't help.

Suspecting that the SSQT folder is disfunctional, I dug deeper & found I have two of them - one each in C: & D: partitions. The one in C: was installed in January 2010 while the one in D: was back in 2008. There is a library of about 2 dozen sds music files in both of them. I can't explain exactly how this happened but believe it did when I recently repaired/reinstalled VS on the C: partition.

Regardless, can some one guide me through the steps to fix this mess now?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 10:55 am

Try rebuilding your Smartsound Libraries

Ulead VideoStudio
1. Open VideoStudio.
2. Click the "Audio" button and select the "Auto Music" tab.
3. Click the "SmartSound Quicktracks" button.
4. In the resulting window, click the "About" tab.
5. Click the "Rebuild SmartSound Database" button and click "Yes" to the warning message.
6. Once the process is complete, go back to the "Auto Music" window and search for the title of the song.

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 4:02 pm

Hi Steve, Thanks for replying.

As you suggested, I tried rebuilding the Smartsound Libraries. Although it appeared that the rebuild might be doing some thing, I never saw anything streaming in the progress bar (as if some thing was loading).

Regardless, I still don't get anything in the the Auto Music Library &/or Music window slots when the scope is set to Owned, Local or Mounted. However when scope is set to All, for "Purchase" music samples appear in the Auto Music Library & Music Windows.

In one of your earlier posts you indicated that the Library folder should be in the following path. C:>Documents & Settings>All Users>Application Data>Smartsound Software. I checked for its presence but it wasn't there. After a bit of digging I found that it is actually in the "All Users WINDOWS" folder, not All Users.

Searching further I found that although there is a SS Music Library folder full of sds files in the C: drive, it's not in the path indicated above. It's in C:>Smartsound Software>Quicktracks> Library.

That looks like it could be a problem but I'm unsure just how to deal with it. Please tell me how to get the music files into the right folder.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:00 am

Did you add the folder paths to Smartsound?

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:26 pm

Steve,

I tried to but couldn't figure out how to do it. If I go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Application Data\SmartSound Software Inc, there are two Smartsound folders. In one of them there are sub folders "Sounds" & "Libraries. "Sounds" has only one mp file called "rain". The "Libraries" has three sxl files. I don't see anything in either folder that looks like music.

On the other hand, if I go into the C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio 11\Content\Audio folder there are a number of mpa music files. I tried using this path to add that folder to Quick Tracks but it will not load. By the way, my Quick Track folders heading isn't prefaced by Smartsound.

Would you please tell me where the music libraries can be found & how to get them into Quick Tracks?

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:10 pm

Hi Richard

First of all i don't have VS 11, but will try to follow the issue using VS 10.

Have you ever been able to access the Smart Sounds Auto Library? if not then it may be an installation problem.
It may be easier to perform a Clean Install.

So lets start from the beginning:-

1 / select the 'Audio tab' from the top menu.
2 / select the 'Auto Music tab,
If you do not see the 'Auto Music tab' press the 2 down arrows at the top of the screen.
If this is the first time, VS will scan the pc and import the Smart Sound Files.
3 / select 'Scope as 'Owned'
4 / select Library as 'Full Spectrum 22k' this option has been with VS since time began, well a long time....................

Is there anything above that doesn't seem to work.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:11 pm

You also need to bear in mind that SmartSound uses its own very proprietary formats, and does NOT use the audio extensions you would be most familiar with (e.g. .mp3 or .wav). The SmartSound music files use the .SDS extension... so there is no point in trying to force it to add other formats to the SmartSound library...

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:45 pm

Trevor, Thanks for the reply.

Have you ever been able to access the Smart Sounds Auto Library? if not then it may be an installation problem.

Yes, no problem doing so.

So lets start from the beginning:-
1 / select the 'Audio tab' from the top menu.
2 / select the 'Auto Music tab,
If you do not see the 'Auto Music tab' press the 2 down arrows at the top of the screen.

Auto Music Tab opens OK

If this is the first time, VS will scan the pc and import the Smart Sound Files.

This is not first time but I don't recall ever seeing it scan.

3 / select 'Scope as 'Owned'

Selects OK no problem.

4 / select Library as 'Full Spectrum 22k'

No such library. When I first tried to get it going, it was blank. After "fiddling" with it I was able to get a "User" library. I have one wav. sound file in there called "raining" in there & does play.

Is there anything above that doesn't seem to work.

Yes - me! I don't understand where to find the sound &/or music files libraries. Additionally, how to load them into a "Full Spectrum 22k" library. Barry said that VS uses proprietary sds files. I have a bunch of them in a Quick Tracks Library. Their extension is 22k.sds. My question is: what do I do with them?

metmot · Post by **metmot** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:47 pm

rckowal wrote:Steve,

I tried to but couldn't figure out how to do it. If I go to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Application Data\SmartSound Software Inc, there are two Smartsound folders. In one of them there are sub folders "Sounds" & "Libraries. "Sounds" has only one mp file called "rain". The "Libraries" has three sxl files. I don't see anything in either folder that looks like music.

On the other hand, if I go into the C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio 11\Content\Audio folder there are a number of mpa music files. I tried using this path to add that folder to Quick Tracks but it will not load. By the way, my Quick Track folders heading isn't prefaced by Smartsound.

Would you please tell me where the music libraries can be found & how to get them into Quick Tracks?

As Ken said, all your music files will be .sds

Search your hard drive for *.sds What you find will be your music files. Then you have to point to them as Steve said, but within the smartsounds tab in VS, not anything to do with file manager. That's what Steve is illustrating, a tab in VS smartsounds, not in file manager. I can see the confusion as Steve started his demo a layer or so deep into the process and might have confused you on how to arrive there. Then rebuild the libarary as Steve shows in the first tab of the Smartsounds manager in VS. Hope this helps.

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:50 pm

Ken Berry wrote:You also need to bear in mind that SmartSound uses its own very proprietary formats, and does NOT use the audio extensions you would be most familiar with (e.g. .mp3 or .wav). The SmartSound music files use the .SDS extension... so there is no point in trying to force it to add other formats to the SmartSound library...

Ken, Thanks for the tip.
Please see my reply to Trevor. I have sds files but don't know what to do with them.

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 2:29 am

Hi Metmot, Thanks for jumping in.

As mentioned in my reply to Trevor here, I can see the sds files. I just can't figure out how to get them into the correct folder for use with Smartsound. When I try to do so, they never end up in the Auto Music tab.

metmot · Post by **metmot** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:44 am

rckowal wrote:Hi Metmot, Thanks for jumping in.

As mentioned in my reply to Trevor here, I can see the sds files. I just can't figure out how to get them into the correct folder for use with Smartsound. When I try to do so, they never end up in the Auto Music tab.

It makes absolutely no difference where on your hard drive they reside. You simply have to find them and then tell VS where to look for them in the menu Steve showed. 22k.sds is not the actual sound files. They will have a name like "showtime 22k.sds" I guess myself and others are having a bit of difficulty understanding what exactly is the issue with your setup based on how you are describing it. It sounds like you may not have the library installed which is the key to unlocking the sound files if you will. If you have correctly entered the path to your sound files in the VS setup and don't see them the problem is with the library file itself. Try removing all libraries and then starting from scratch by executing the .sdi file with VS running. It should then see the new library and prompt you to install it.

If all that fails, buy VS x3. It seems to handle the smartsounds in a more automatic fashiion.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:28 am

Hi

At least we found the problem.

If re-building the Smart Sound libraries does not work ( Steve¡¦s second image) and you've followed the other advice then you may be best to re-install the program.
1 / Running the install shield may give you the option to ¡¥Repair¡¦ try this option first.

2 / Using VS 10¡¦s installation files I see two files relating to Smart Sound
Quicktracks.exe
and
Full Spectrum 22k.exe

If VS 11 is similar you should have these files.
Running each file should install the Smart Sound.

3 / Otherwise uninstall and reinstall the VS 11 program, when uninstalling also uninstall SmartSoundQuicktracks.

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:42 pm

Hi Trevor,

I think we're on the right track now. I suspect my Smartsound & Quicktracks installations have probably gone bad. They were installed on this PC in 2008. Since it wouldn't work right, VS11.5 had to be re-installed this January 2010. SS & Qt were not. In between, VS sat in the box unused & some what forgotten.

Frankly, at the time I reinstalled VS11.5 I didn't even know there was a SS or QT utility. Or that they were essential to accessing the music & sound files.

Regardless, I found this old post of Steve's that explains in great detail how to setup SS & QT: http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... s&start=30
I'll give that a go but if it doesn't fix this mess then I will do a clean uninstall/reinstall of both VS discs (program & extra contents) so SS & QT, as well as VS11.5 will all be squeaky clean.

In the meantime, thanks again for your help Trevor

rckowal · Post by **rckowal** » Mon Mar 01, 2010 3:48 pm

Metmot,

I've had as much difficulty trying to explain what I was going through as you all had in trying to understand me.

The big problem was that I lacked an understanding of the basics of how SS, QT & VS11.5 have to work together. My post back to Trevor here should help greatly to clarify things.