#Cheap Audio Synch?
8 messages in this thread
I would like to experiment with character animation in the toaster and
would like to add voices synched to mouth movement. My problem is that I can't
at this time spend the money for an AD516. Some other sound boards are in the
$400-500 range, maybe I can consider this but I'd like to find a cheaper
method. I know I'll be sacrificing fidelity.
What's the cheapest method for synching sound to a PAR? I mostly need
voices, I'm thinking I could mix the music and some effects in wild on the way
to the video recorder.
Thanks, Bruce
Bruce,
I'm in much the same boat; buying a PAR, need sound, can't afford the
Sunrise card.
From what I've read and heard here, (Thanks Tony!) Digital Sound Studio
seems like the way to go. There's a review of it in the June VTUser.
Apparently frames from a PAR anim can triger digitized sounds. Not sure
about music files though.
Jeff H…
Jeff,
I was just at the dealer looking at the Digital Sound Studio. It's an
eight bit digitizer and software package. Someone played some eight bit sound
through some bookshelf speakers, and it sounded pretty good. Good enough for
my purposes anyway. I need to learn the process of getting the sounds, putting
them into the computer, and then synching to the animation.
I think that the review in VTU this month was for Digital Sound Track.
Apparently it's software that will allow you to manipulate the sound captures,
but you first need something like the Digital Sound Studio to get them into the
computer to start with. Digital Sound Studio does not seem to refer to PAR
synch capability, but I guess the new version of Digital Sound Track can. DSS
was aprox. $100. and it seems DST is aprox. $50.? So I guess $150. plus tax
could get us into the discount store of synchronized digital audio.
Bruce
Bruce,
Whoops, did I say Digital Sound Studio? I'm somewhat familiar with it
since a friend has it. I've got a Perfect Sound myself. It IS DST that
sysncs to the PAR. I'm a bit surprised you found it for $50. The list
price is $100 and I haven't seen if listed with any of the mail order
companies and of course I can't find it locally. (They all seem to cary
the $1200 Sunrise board though.)
Jeff H…
Jeff,
In the June VTU both DevWare and Creative Computer list the software below
$100. Have you gotten it yet? My local dealer says that they'll have it early
next week. I hope they offer it below list. I've been playing with DSS, it's
a neat package for the price. What's Perfect Sound like? I bought the DSS
before checking out any other 8 bit digitizers.
Also what I didn't realize before is that there is music software that
allow you to compose and play music without a keyboard.
Are you going to use your Digital Sound Track to synchronize voices to
your animations or effects and music?
Bruce
Bruce,
I haven't gotten Digital Sound Track yet. I'll probably be getting it from
my local dealer some time next week.
A couple of friends of mine have DSS and I hear it's pretty good. I
haven't seen it myself though.
How's Perfect Sound? Well, it gets the job done, but other than that
there's not much else I can say about it. I find the editing software a
little awkward. (of course I haven't spent that much time with it)
The big reason I got the Perfect Sound is that the price was right. I
picked it up a couple of years ago for $50. :^)
When I get DST I'll be using it for general purpose sound effects and
voices. If I can find some software to control audio CD's I might even
pick up one of those cheap Creative Computers CD-ROM drives for doing
sounds. A friend of mine has a CD full of all sorts of sound effects.
Between DST and my new PAR I should be able to crank out some pretty cool
anims.
Jeff H…
Jeff,
I don't know if you've gotten your DST yet but you might want to be sure
that what you're getting is the latest version. Version 1.1 is the latest, and
has support for the PAR. You can write scripts to bring in audio effects
automatically. Version 1.0 doesn't have this, you have to hit the buttons on
the fly, or something like that.
My dealer ordered the software but got the 1.0 version and I've had to
hastle around to get version 1.1.
Bruce
Bruce,
My local dealer's supposed to have a copy in tomorrow. I'll make sure it's
version 1.1 before I get it.
Thanks for the tip. I hate buying a program and finding out I'll have to
wait till I get an upgrade to use it. :^(
Finally starting to get enough anims rendered to show off the PAR. Quite a
difference from my DCTV. ;^)
Jeff H…