PicturesToExe and Audacity simultaneous

[ferrolux]

How I do this:see attachment.

Finally I come with a question.

Do you find this a good method?

Is there a trick to start playing Audacity and PicturesToExe together

with the same mouseclick or keystroke?

If not who can help, the audacity community or...?

Regards,

methodPTE_Audacity.doc

[Lin Evans]

It seems like this works except for the difficulties in coordinating your reaction time. I know of no way you can synchronize a single keystroke with both programs.

Since you can precisely begin your sound and place it where you wish with the timeline in PTE I'm not cetain of the advantage of doing it this other way over looking at the precise nature of knowing to the fraction of a second where you are beginning and ending your sound. It seems like your method allows reasonably precise positioning of perhaps voice-overs into a single sound track with the background sound/music using Audacity, so in that way may be somewhat quicker than using individual slide "sound comment" or "customize this slide" in PTE, but I guess it's easier to get your timings for voice-over, etc., within a time frame of a single slide this way.

Best regards,

Lin

[jfa]

Hello Ferrolux

I have used your method of having PTE and my audio editor open simultaneously to try and get accurate timing of the audio mix with the images in PTE previously. It works OK for timing at a second or more and for the occasional point, but when accurate timing is required, (my reactions may not be quick enough), I found it is no substitute for having that function within PTE. Also when a large number of accurate timing points are required in a show or over a number of shows it became very cumbersome.

Also I have tried to run my audio editor on a second PC and run PTE with it to get accurate timing in the audio track with much the same results.

Unfortunately neither is a real substitute for having the ability to accurately adjust the audio timing to the images in PTE.

As far as I know there is no way of synchronising the two applications together with a single keystroke.

[Bernpenguin]

why would you want to do this, simply make sound track, fit into pte, add images to sound track, finished Pen

[fh1805]

Penguin,

Sometimes a sequence requires a complex soundtrack and the precise timings of the pieces of the soundtrack are not known until assembly of the sequence begins; for example, a sequence that involves music all the way through it and that needs voice-over with some of the images but not others. Now, suppose one image, which doesn't have voice-over, is going to carry some fairly complex animations and the following image does need voice-over. The precise placement of the voice-over will not be known until the animation has been built. The precise length of the animation will not always be known until it has been built alongside the music.

We all have different ways of building our sequences. Many of us build sequences of varying length and complexity. What works for one person isn't necessarily going to work for some one else. Even for one individual, what works for one sequence isn't necessarily going to work for all sequences - as I know only too well from my own experience.

regards,

Peter

[ferrolux]

Penguin,

Sometimes a sequence requires a complex soundtrack and the precise timings of the pieces of the soundtrack are not known until assembly of the sequence begins; for example, a sequence that involves music all the way through it and that needs voice-over with some of the images but not others. Now, suppose one image, which doesn't have voice-over, is going to carry some fairly complex animations and the following image does need voice-over. The precise placement of the voice-over will not be known until the animation has been built. The precise length of the animation will not always be known until it has been built alongside the music.

We all have different ways of building our sequences. Many of us build sequences of varying length and complexity. What works for one person isn't necessarily going to work for some one else. Even for one individual, what works for one sequence isn't necessarily going to work for all sequences - as I know only too well from my own experience.

regards,

Peter

Hello,

Thank you very much for answering. I've studied the different options in PTE and watched the forum about this. There are limitations but I don't worry about.

When I make an AV presentation I feel like an artist. I imagine, try, feel, retry...One day I'm happy, another day I question myself.

For an AV presentation of 10 minutes based on 1 piece of music I use PTE like most people do and I like it.

But for longer AV presentations e.g. impressions of a 10 days journey I want to choose for every minute the right music. Trying, saving, exporting as MP3 file. Reopen the project in PTE (is really necessary to avoid error message during export) and so on ....is no practical.

Trying out and positioning at <3/10 s in a first draft is easy with the described method. Further on I make small displacements of the slides and key frames in PTE and avoid to correct the sound file. (to laborious). I make most animations after the generation of the sound track.

If synchronizing PTE and Audacity was a piece of cake I would be very very happy.

Best regards,

[Bernpenguin]

my AV partner and i have a soundtrack built up of over 80 tracks and we can move any voice or sound effect at will, of course we use Audition where we can have up to 128 tracks and usefull they are Pen

[xahu34]

... Reopen the project in PTE (is really necessary to avoid error message during export) and so on ....is no practical....

Hello ferrolux,

You may keep PTE and Audacity open, make your audio editing and testing in Audacity, and then export the actual version as mp3-file using a new name (same directory). Then replace version n by version n+1 via the Music tab within PTE. This is perhaps more comfortable that closing an reopening PTE.

Best regards,

Xaver H.

Munich

[thedom]

Just for information, in my opinion and for my use, the most appropriate software to make my soundtracks for PTE is MP3 Audio mixer.

Even if you change your slideshow (add slides and/or modify time display), it only takes seconds to modify your soundtrack.

When I began to use it several years ago, it was a freeware. Now it's (only) 24.95 USD.

There is free trial version if you want to have a look.

http://www.acoustica.com/mp3-audio-mixer/index.htm

Here are the product features :

- Cut and paste sounds ( MP3s, WMAs, WAVs) quickly and easy!

- Mix, record or overdub as many simultaneous WAV and WMA &MP3 files as you want.

- Fade the volume, pan and playback rate of each sound.

- Lightning fast & intuitive interface

- Import playlists (.M3U & .PLS) to create instant mixes of your favorite mp3s!

- Export mix as a RealAudio G2, MP3 or a WMA file with a click for streaming on the Internet.

- Export mix as a single wav file or multiple wav files for burning a DJ style mix CD.

- Create your own ring tones, assuming your cell phone supports MP3s.

- Create custom MP3s and then 'podcast' them in your pod cast software.

- Mix it up. It's your soup!

[xahu34]

... the most appropriate software to make my soundtracks for PTE is mp3-audio-mixer ...

Just a question: What are the advantages of mp3-audio-mixer over Audacity?

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

[thedom]

Hi Xaver,

In my opinion, MP3 Audio Mixer is for audio what Photoshop is for pictures.

The tracks are like layers and what is the most important you can manipulate them in a non-destructive and fully reversible way.

You can move tracks, increase/decrease/fade in/ fade out sounds by adding keypoints you can change at any time and very quickly.

It's hard to explain.

If you have time, you should try the free trial version to make your own opinion.

[xahu34]

...The tracks are like layers and what is the most important you can manipulate them in a non-destructive and fully reversible way. You can move tracks, increase/decrease/fade in/ fade out sounds by adding keypoints you can change at any time and very quickly...

Hello Dom,

These are features which actually are provided by Audacity, as well. In addition to the features of version 1.2.6, the new version 1.3.5 (beta) also allows to place several audio files into one Audacity track and shift them individually. So, for mixing 10 audio pieces you no longer need to open 10 Audacity tracks.

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

[Tomuk]

Hello Dom,

These are features which actually are provided by Audacity, as well. In addition to the features of version 1.2.6, the new version 1.3.5 (beta) also allows to place several audio files into one Audacity track and shift them individually. So, for mixing 10 audio pieces you no longer need to open 10 Audacity tracks.

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

Hi! Xaver,

I'm loath to use Beta software unless I'm very familiar with previous stable versions.

would you be kind enough to post when 1.3.5 is released as stable, along with any tips and tricks you may have, it would help with the learning curve.

Tom

[xahu34]

Hi Tom,

My impression is that version 1.3.5 (beta) of Audacity runs rather stable. Recently it has been recommended and presented by the best German PC magazine (c't). For an introduction to this software you may look at Peter's (fh1805) guide, see here!

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

[fh1805]

Xaver/Tom,

My User Guide for Audacity is written for v1.2. Once the latest version of Audacity goes fully live I intend to update the User Guide.

regards,

Peter

[Tomuk]

Xaver/Tom,

My User Guide for Audacity is written for v1.2. Once the latest version of Audacity goes fully live I intend to update the User Guide.

regards,

Peter

Peter,

Great news on your intention to re-write, I have problems joining two pieces together (cross fade) giving a seamless join,please say you are going to cover this.

I also have problems with levels and noise reduction but I know this is down to my inability to use the software. any help you can give would be most welcome.

Tom.

[Tomuk]

Hi Tom,

My impression is that version 1.3.5 (beta) of Audacity runs rather stable. Recently it has been recommended and presented by the best German PC magazine (c't). For an introduction to this software you may look at Peter's (fh1805) guide, see here!

Best regards,

Xaver

Munich

Xaver,

Thanks for the info.

I also have access to a copy of Adobe Audition 1.5 but it is rather complicated in relation to Audacity, I think the interface of Audacity is much user friendly.

As soon as 1.3.5 comes out of testing and Peter has completed his tutorial I shall be making the transition.

Tom