How do I add sound to exe

[giljones]

I have bee making AV's using two projectors ets for about 20years. Have recently purchased the latest version 4.44 of PTE and am ok producing fade and dissolve but am completely lost with how to add sound. Can someone walk me through the basics, how do I introduce audio via my computer, how do I know where the beginning and end of a piece is, how do I set the length of music to match

the pics etc etc. etc. Your help will greatly assist one who is confused. I am based in the UK. Gilbert Jones

[davegee]

Hi Gilbert,

Basically, go to Project Options/Music and add your MP3 file there.

MP3's are the prefered files but WAV's will work. You should have the music file in the same folder as the images for best results.

Allow around 8 seconds for each image for example you will need a piece of music around 8 minutes long for 60 images.

Tick "Play Background Music" and untick the "Random Order" and "Repeat" boxes.

Click on the "Main" tab and then tick the "Synchronise Slideshow..." box

Click on "Close Slideshow after last slide"

Click OK and go to "Timeline"

In the Timeline click on "Timed Points"

In "Timed Points" click on "Arrange All Points"

Provided that your music is long enough etc your images should now be equally spaced along the Time Line with gaps of more than 300ms between the grey bits.

Click OK and then Click on Preview

That should allow you to get started and then get back to us?

DaveG

[giljones]

Thank you very much for your most helpful comments. Can I ask a further question which will I'm sure display my ignorance , how do I create MP3 files? Gilbert

[Ken Cox]

For starters see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3

ken

[davegee]

To create MP3 files you could use the excellent (and free) AUDACITY from:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows

You will also need to download and install the LAME MP3 Encoder from the same page.

If you are using ROXIO EZ CD Creator or similar you should be able to extract tracks from Copyright Free CDs as WAV files or record from LPs, Cassettes etc and then use AUDACITY to join them together and export as a single MP3 file for use in PTE.

DaveG

[Ken Cox]

Gilbert

once you have mp3 basics digested see

how to rip a cd with windows media player

at

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=how+to...+with+wmp&meta=

at this point in your learning curve take a music cd that you own and rip it with windows media player - make sure you save the files as mp3 - you will have to rename the resulting files so keep the case with the titles handy

when you master this, and learn how to insert the music files into your show and

you are going to go commercial/public will be time to look for royalty free music

see Barry Beckham's collection -- he is a member of the forum and his music is available

www.beckhamdigital.co.uk

http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/royaltyfreemusic.htm

do a search of the forum for royalty free music -- it is a subject that has quite a few entries

good luck

ken

[ContaxMan]

at this point in your learning curve take a music cd that you own and rip it with windows media player - make sure you save the files as mp3 - you will have to rename the resulting files so keep the case with the titles handy

You'll need media player version 10 - earlier versions don't have "ripping" built-in.

[davegee]

Can I add to all of the above by saying that the best advice for best quality audio is to:

Extract audio from (Royalty Free) Cds as WAV files. (This requires something like NERO EXPRESS or ROXIO EZCD 8).

Then use AUDACITY or AUDITION to edit or join WAV tracks together, trim etc and add effects.

Then EXPORT as MP3 tracks for use in PTE.

WAV tracks are UNCOMPRESSED and comparable with TIF photographic files.

MP3 tracks are COMPRESSED and comparable with JPEG photographic files.

If you open an MP3 and work on it and then re-save it you apply further compression and therefore will eventually introduce artifacts and possible corruption to the file.

Start with and work on the original WAV file(s) and export to MP3 only when you are sure that you have exactly what you want.

DaveG

[giljones]

Can I add to all of the above by saying that the best advice for best quality audio is to:

Extract audio from (Royalty Free) Cds as WAV files. (This requires something like NERO EXPRESS or ROXIO EZCD 8).

Then use AUDACITY or AUDITION to edit or join WAV tracks together, trim etc and add effects.

Then EXPORT as MP3 tracks for use in PTE.

WAV tracks are UNCOMPRESSED and comparable with TIF photographic files.

MP3 tracks are COMPRESSED and comparable with JPEG photographic files.

If you open an MP3 and work on it and then re-save it you apply further compression and therefore will eventually introduce artifacts and possible corruption to the file.

Start with and work on the original WAV file(s) and export to MP3 only when you are sure that you have exactly what you want.

DaveG

Thanks for all your helpful comments. Gilbert

You'll need media player version 10 - earlier versions don't have "ripping" built-in.

Thanks for your very helpful comments Gilbert

Can I add to all of the above by saying that the best advice for best quality audio is to:

Extract audio from (Royalty Free) Cds as WAV files. (This requires something like NERO EXPRESS or ROXIO EZCD 8).

Then use AUDACITY or AUDITION to edit or join WAV tracks together, trim etc and add effects.

Then EXPORT as MP3 tracks for use in PTE.

WAV tracks are UNCOMPRESSED and comparable with TIF photographic files.

MP3 tracks are COMPRESSED and comparable with JPEG photographic files.

If you open an MP3 and work on it and then re-save it you apply further compression and therefore will eventually introduce artifacts and possible corruption to the file.

Start with and work on the original WAV file(s) and export to MP3 only when you are sure that you have exactly what you want.

DaveG

Thanks for all your helpful comments. Gilbert

[giljones]

Hi Gilbert,

Basically, go to Project Options/Music and add your MP3 file there.

MP3's are the prefered files but WAV's will work. You should have the music file in the same folder as the images for best results.

Allow around 8 seconds for each image for example you will need a piece of music around 8 minutes long for 60 images.

Tick "Play Background Music" and untick the "Random Order" and "Repeat" boxes.

Click on the "Main" tab and then tick the "Synchronise Slideshow..." box

Click on "Close Slideshow after last slide"

Click OK and go to "Timeline"

In the Timeline click on "Timed Points"

In "Timed Points" click on "Arrange All Points"

Provided that your music is long enough etc your images should now be equally spaced along the Time Line with gaps of more than 300ms between the grey bits.

Click OK and then Click on Preview

That should allow you to get started and then get back to us?

DaveG

Hi Gilbert,

Basically, go to Project Options/Music and add your MP3 file there.

MP3's are the prefered files but WAV's will work. You should have the music file in the same folder as the images for best results.

Allow around 8 seconds for each image for example you will need a piece of music around 8 minutes long for 60 images.

Tick "Play Background Music" and untick the "Random Order" and "Repeat" boxes.

Click on the "Main" tab and then tick the "Synchronise Slideshow..." box

Click on "Close Slideshow after last slide"

Click OK and go to "Timeline"

In the Timeline click on "Timed Points"

It works! thanks to your help which is much appreciated. Now what? can you offer me any more help . Gilbert

In "Timed Points" click on "Arrange All Points"

Provided that your music is long enough etc your images should now be equally spaced along the Time Line with gaps of more than 300ms between the grey bits.

Click OK and then Click on Preview

That should allow you to get started and then get back to us?

DaveG