Narrating slideshow

[tom95521]

It might be a good idea to make slideshow narration easier for novice users like myself. The Record Voice Comment is currently a modal window. The record button does not preview the slideshow so a person must talk without watching the slideshow (or start the preview then jump back to record voice comment ). It might be easier if the record button also started preview and also add an option to go to the next slide (button or cursor key). This would over ride existing transition timing. To stop recording maybe allow the escape key to work. I'm not sure if it's possible to record audio and preview full screen. Any existing audio tracks would be muted when recording microphone audio.

Thanks,

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

It might be a good idea to make slideshow narration easier for novice users like myself. The Record Voice Comment is currently a modal window. The record button does not preview the slideshow so a person must talk without watching the slideshow (or start the preview then jump back to record voice comment ). It might be easier if the record button also started preview and also add an option to go to the next slide (button or cursor key). This would over ride existing transition timing. To stop recording maybe allow the escape key to work. I'm not sure if it's possible to record audio and preview full screen. Any existing audio tracks would be muted when recording microphone audio.

Thanks,

Tom

Hi Tom

I've added voice overs to at least 25% of the shows in my database & what you are suggesting sounds (no pun intended) OK in theory, but would be very difficult in practice. Firstly you would have to memorise exactly what you want to say. Then trying to get some expression into your voice if you are telling a story, while concentrating on using the controls in PTE IMO can't be done. Re erasing other audio while recording your voice, I would assume could be got over by using a separate track for your voice? If you are going to have a musical background to the VO, you would have to either add that later, then either, set the level to the lowest level when the voice is being heard so that it doesn't intrude, or set the fades in the music post VO. The way I've been doing it with the last few shows based on monlogues or songs I've done, is if the VO is self produced, have a typed script on the screen, start Audacity in record mode & make the VO. If I make a mistake or bloop, shout stop, then re-do it, shouting stop enables me to easily edit out the bloops. Once I've edited out the bloops, I enhance the sound, removing any clipping, or spurious noise, then when the VO is as good as I can get it, add the music, set the fades where the vo comes in, then I mute the music, export the VO into the show via the add audio & fine trim the appearance of the slides via the timeline. Once I'm happy with that, go back to the Audacity recording, un-mute the music & export the whole kit & caboodle back into the show, after deleting the original VO. Sounds a lot of work but once you've done one, it's relatively easy.

I think what you are suggesting is similar to what can be done in Power Point. I can well see it would be used by lecturers, preparing a lesson, especially if the was a feature in PTE to show the cursor & allow it to create simple lines or circles as the show/lecture progresses.

In Peters last show, he said "The soundtrack was assembled and mixed entirely in the Timeline" see , maybe he could explain how?, I assume he pre recorded the VO's separately? I tried doing what you suggest with my test show, both with starting the mini player after initiating the add audio comment, & running the miniplayer then trying to initiate the add audio comment & neither work. For those who haven't tried anything on the same lines, you have to first tick the add audio comment or record voice in the settings / toolbar tab, see screen shot.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[PGA]

In Peters last show, he said "The soundtrack was assembled and mixed entirely in the Timeline" see , maybe he could explain how?

Firstly, it is essential that those highlighted words are read carefully and properly understood. The soundtrack was assembled - not recorded - in the Timeline. Let's just step back a moment and look at how I approach the whole operation of producing an AV sequence. The images I use are, typically, captured as RAW files by my digital cameras, prepared in Lightroom to TIFF files, passed to Photoshop Elements where they are prepared to JPEG files. It is these JPEGS that are then passed to PTE for the sequence assembly. Similarly, my sound files are captured as WAV files either by my Zoom H4 digital recorder or by CD track rips. These files are then prepared in Audacity and exported as WAV files. It is these WAV files that are then assembled in PTE.

I can see where Tom is coming from but I'm not 100% convinced that his workflow is the one that will yield the best results. If you are sat in front of your computer while doing a voice recording, you run the risk of capturing all the extraneous sounds that your computer makes: discs powering down when energy-saving mode kicks in, cooling fans starting/stopping, etc. If you forget to turn down your loudspeakers you will also record every "ding" that signals newly arriving e-mails, software updates, etc.

But there is, I believe, an even bigger weakness in Tom's proposed workflow. Once you add voice-over to a sequence, the pace of the voice-over dictates the entire timing of the sequence. It would be wrong, in my opinion, to try and fit your voice-over to the existing timing of the slides.

I feel that a better workflow would be to build the sequence using fixed times (say 4-6 seconds) simply to get the images in the preferred order. Then write a script (in Word for example) of what you want to say. Record this outside of PTE. Then remove all the "out-takes" and clean up what's left. Export each part of the script as a separate WAV file. Then re-build the sequence, attaching each sound file to the correct slide, adjusting timings as you go. At the end of doing that, you will know how long your sequence runs (don't forget to add time for your title slides and any credits at the end). Knowing the total length you can now start looking for suitable pieces of music that match the mood and fit the length.

regards,

Peter

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Just had a look at the Add Audio comments section of the new on-line help & it does say you can record audio comments when running the mini player, but I can't find anywhere it shows how, when I tried either with the mini player running then clicking the record button, or clicking the record button and then trying to start the mini player, it wouldn't start?

Yachtsman1.

[davegee]

This procedure has been documented elsewhere a while ago.

Say that, for instance, you want to record a voice over starting at "Slide 15".

Start the Mini Player at Slide 12 (ish).

Immediately start the Voice Record Function.

When Slide 15 appears start the narrative.

Stop the Narrative.

Trim the Comment in Project Options/Audio Tab or in the Audio Track and add the necessary Envelope etc.

DG

P.S. The Voice Comment is Linked to the Slide which is current when the STOP button is pressed. This can be UNLINKED via the Right Click Menu and Linked to a different Slide if necessary by moving the Cursor and re-linking.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

HMMMM it worked that time, don't know why it didn't before. Maybe if that procedure was in the manual I wouldn't have asked the question?

Yachtsman1.

[davegee]

Don't mention it.....my pleasure.

The Online Help is being developed to provide information about the nuts and bolts of the software.

At the bottom of the menu is a section called "Techniques and How To".

Anyone wishing to write an ilustrated, properly constructed How To is welcome to participate in the project.

It is on our "To Do" list.

DG

[Guest Yachtsman1]

If it's on "Our " to do list, is there any point anyone else doing it?

Yachtsman1.

[tom95521]

I just wish there was an easier method to add voice track to a slideshow. Just preview the slideshow, look at each image and talk. When the person is done describing one image click next slide and talk, etc. Nothing scripted, nothing timed, just watch and talk. I know this workflow is not for advanced users. Watch and talk is for people that don't want to know how it works.

Thanks,

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I just wish there was an easier method to add voice track to a slideshow. Just preview the slideshow, look at each image and talk. When the person is done describing one image click next slide and talk, etc. Nothing scripted, nothing timed, just watch and talk. I know this workflow is not for advanced users. Watch and talk is for people that don't want to know how it works.

Thanks,

Tom

Tom Post 5 explains how, I'm sure if I wanted to use that method you could.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1

[tom95521]

Hi Eric,Yes I could but it doesn't mean that the software could not be made more user friendly (double negative, ouch).Thanks,Tom

[jevans]

Tom,

I have added a section to the online help document in the "Techniques and How to" section called "Basic AV creation". In that section I describe how a provide my narration. The technique is very similar to the one described by Peter above. although it is certainly possible to create narration directly in PTE, I never would do it that way. Again the reasons for this have been mentioned previously in this post. Have a look at the article under "Commentary".

Jeff