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Shadeslinger
04-09-2008, 06:44 PM
Hi everyone!

I'm trying to finish a soundbank and I have a question. In ervs tutorial it says after you finish recording your mixdown to open it back up and resample everything in 22khz. However, when I do that, all the sounds in the mix are slowed WAY down. That can't be right can it? I'm sure I'm missing something (probably simple) so if someone could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.:D

I'm using Audacity btw.

xwingband
04-09-2008, 06:59 PM
Simply saving it at 22khz will not do it, that's why it's just slowing it. I know when I did some work I forgot I actually needed to use the resampling tool.

I use Sound Forge, so I can't be much of a help.

Shadeslinger
04-09-2008, 07:18 PM
I knew I missed something.

After reading the online helpbook (I know...maybe read the instructions slinger? *sigh*) it seems there is a button at the bottom left that shows the "Project rate". If you change that to 22khz and save then you're gold.

eastern57
04-09-2008, 07:25 PM
The concept that Erv teaches should work for much more than sound forge - you just have to grab the overall concept:

- make sounds
- mix sounds into single file over hum sound
- cut sounds up into seperate files
- convert to .raw format

The mixing software that Erv offers on his website, takes all the frustration out of lining up the different sampling rates.

The beauty of Erv's software is that regardless of the original rate, his mixing software ultimately "re-records" the entire sequence at the correct rate (22kHz).

"Sequence" - all the sounds played over the hum.wav, recorded into one file (those are the demo sounds posted on Erv's site).

That process makes the blend of individual sounds (poweron, clash, etc.) and the hum dang near seamless.


***As long as you can identify the same functions (cut, paste, fade, whatever) from Erv's tutorial and your own sound mixing software, the actual process should still be simple.***



If anyone needs me to expand on/explain any of that, please, just ask. :)

Angelus Lupus
04-10-2008, 06:57 AM
It's good to know new people are taking up the idea of creating their own soundfonts. Can you tell us what yours is based on?

Novastar
04-10-2008, 07:18 AM
Shade... looking fwd to the new sound font! If you need help--just let me know. Did everyone's answers help?

Shadeslinger
04-10-2008, 11:06 AM
Oh yeah! When X mentioned "resample tool" I searched it in the manual and that's how I found what i needed, so thank you.:)

This is my first try at a soundfont and it's based mostly on sounds taken from the game LOK: Defiance. I call it "Holy Reaver". It's a little diffrent from normal saber sounds, I wanted it to have a higher register of swing and clash (and personally I think the hum is awesome!).
I'm gonna try to post the mixdown at FX-Sabers and if I can do it, I'll post it here as well to get some feedback. The only problem I have is that I can't test it with a CF board because I haven't got mine yet (I have a board coming but I choose to delay for the speaker).

If all goes well, I have 2 more fonts I'm working on. One is a Spaceballs font (for fun) and another is a balls out dark side font called "Havoc". We'll see.:)

Shadeslinger
04-13-2008, 03:53 PM
As promised:
http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/1215812_7laaw/HolyReaver.mp3

Well I think I'm pretty satisfied with it. Let me know what you think. Critcs welcome and thanks for everyones help!:)

Novastar
04-14-2008, 11:08 AM
Ah, EXCELLENT! I like that one quite a bit. It reminds me of the game "Undying"... ever play it? :) It was crazy sick. In more ways than one.

Anyhow... the only thoughts that I have is that since you made the poweron/off, hum, and swings all unique... why not go the same direction for the clashes/lockup? I could tell you DID do a few mixtures for the clashes (very nice!!)... but not on all of them.

It's not so much a gripe, as I think it sounds pretty devilish and fun... but I'd say to kick it into uber-high gear... to really make the clashes unique--even if it meant mixing in UNISON with some of the Ben Burtt clashes.

Great font! A+++ I'd definitely like to put that in my darkside saber... heheh

Shadeslinger
04-14-2008, 01:50 PM
Thanks for the kind words Novastar!

To be honest, I didn't mix ANY of the clash sounds. I downloaded 4 or 5 large banks of SW sounds (from the Jedi Archives I think?) and just picked what clash sounds I liked best(same with blaster and I used the force sound from your package at ervs site). So I didn't really think to mix my own clash...but it's a great idea!

I do have one small question though. When recording the mixdown using ervs mixer, about how high should you have the master volume set? Does it make a huge diffrence how you set it or is it really not that important? I just set mine so no one sound would break into the red on the vumeter, but I'm wondering if I might be able to get more volume out of it.

Oh yeah, and I don't believe I've ever played Undying. Was it a console game?

Novastar
04-15-2008, 01:57 AM
Ah, that explains it... as certain sites have altered some of Burtt's sounds (even past what HE did for the movies). Then again... it's hard to know these days just WHAT is a "new mix" and what isn't, heheh.

Anyhow... but... yes, you really should try mixing the clashes a bit more since I am CONVINCED you will get even MORE of this nice "death reaver" personality out of it. Feels like the breath of death to me... heheh--I like it. Feels like a giant "light scythe" is comin' for your arse!!! :D

When using Erv's mixdown, the volume settings really depend on how you initially recorded or altered the volumes in the original sounds. I will at least say... it seems OK what you're doing... the mp3 sounds fine. Breaking into the red is OK to a point--it all depends on the speaker playing the sounds. As a general rule, I always go to each individual sound and make certain that nothing distorts over the 1dB mark. This is hard to explain, but... just think about preventing the waveform from getting too high... yet at the same time you don't want just a 0.3dB sound the whole time. It'd be too poor a volume and require a great boost from the amp.

If this helps... the value "ATT" is essentially the "attack" that the hum sound will use when another sound is played. In other words, does "hum" dip and slide out a bit and play lower, or not so much, during the playback of a clash or swing or whatever. Altering the ATT value can yield interesting results.

"Undying" was a PC game, written by Clive Barker. It was intense. Scary as all hell. Only game that ever REALLY freaked me out before things like Crysis. lol

I might do a font of THAT one day... Undying. Sweet. :)

Shadeslinger
04-15-2008, 08:46 AM
Ah I see, that's helpful! When I normalized the sounds in Audacity it automatically set normalization at -3db....and I just left it there, ha ha.

So no distortion over 1db, gotcha. Thanks for the help!

SWAT Strachan
04-15-2008, 01:39 PM
I don't know if it's just me, but I can't access the MP3 file, it keeps telling me that it's unable to connect with the server. Is anyone else getting this or is it just some sort of virtual discrimination against us colonial brits? :D.

Ade Kenobi
04-15-2008, 04:04 PM
I don't know if it's just me, but I can't access the MP3 file, it keeps telling me that it's unable to connect with the server. Is anyone else getting this or is it just some sort of virtual discrimination against us colonial brits? :D.


Could be.I get the same.

Novastar
04-15-2008, 06:36 PM
Works for me. Maybe people need a QT interface (quicktime).

Ade Kenobi
04-17-2008, 07:05 AM
Finally got it to download.

Well done. Cool sounds.

Ok. For people like myself and SWAT Strachan who were having trouble getting it to download,I've rehosted it at Rapidshare.

http://rapidshare.com/files/108217859/HolyReaver.mp3.html

Hope that's alright with the author.If not I'll remove the link

SWAT Strachan
04-17-2008, 07:58 AM
Cheers for that Ade :).

Not a bad little sound package that one! I could visualise a pale blue or bright white blade swinging around to those effects, I don't think they'd suit a sith saber though.

If I manage to get a CF4, I think that font would find it's way on to the SD card ;).

Shadeslinger
04-17-2008, 08:28 AM
SWAT: Funny you mention blade color as I'm making this font for my Seraphim hilt.(it has a white led:)) Although I like the sounds I think I'm gonna take Novastars advice and try to put my own tweak on the clash sounds(I think I have an idea what sounds to mix it with, but we'll see.) Plus, there's some other little things I wanna try to tune as well.:)

Ade: Thanks for rehosting the mp3 for me, I appreciate it! I still don't have a problem accessing it but whatever works for ya'll. :)

And again thanks for everyones input, it really helps!

SWAT Strachan
04-17-2008, 08:46 AM
I don't know if you'd agree, but with the clash sounds the 'thing' it seems to be missing in my opinion is a background demonic/angelic shriek! Something like the fury of the heavenly host being unleashed :mrgreen:.

erv
04-17-2008, 02:23 PM
late late me in this interesting discussion

my 2 cents :

- yep, the interest of the mixing utility is to take more or less any (mono) sound and mix them, whatever the rate / quality is
- resultant mixed file is at 44.1 KHz though (not 22K)
- open this file in the sound editor (Sound Forge, Goldwave)
- remove un used silence + save wav
- use the resample too to 22K on the whole file + save (as)
- cut and and paste individual sounds
and here you are !

Novastar
04-17-2008, 03:13 PM
Also... be careful when moving to 22khz regarding the zero-crossing points. If you alter the sounds to 22 AFTER adjusting for the zero-cross... your zero-cross work may be affected.

In other words--save your "I wanna make a seamless loop" work for the VERY last thing you do to the finalized versions of the files for CF.

In SOME cases (not all THAT common)... moving from .wav (or whatever) to .raw can ALSO alter the zero-cross. Not always.

Anyhow--at least that's what I'VE found... :)

erv
04-18-2008, 01:24 AM
so true,
that's why in general I first resample the whole mixed file (also because you save a lot of time instead of resampling individual files afterward), then I start cutting into it.
Ah : just like in the "you suck at photoshop" on youtube (you *need* to see that serie), what's one of the reasons for using sound forge. Like you spent I don't know $500 on this software, heres on reason that "costs" about $200 : auto snap to zero (options or ctrl + B). Makes the selection automatically in the zero crossing. Just make sure you always keep the same convention for the zero crossing on ALL the sound font.
I personnally do like that :
Imagine a sinusoïd wave form, on 1 period, 1 positive wave, 1 negative wave.
- cut the beginning of the contents on a zero point with the wave going UP from 0 (positive wave rising).
- cut the end on a negative wave returning to zero.




Also... be careful when moving to 22khz regarding the zero-crossing points. If you alter the sounds to 22 AFTER adjusting for the zero-cross... your zero-cross work may be affected.

Novastar
04-18-2008, 04:57 PM
Goldwave has an auto snap-2-0... :)

I agree that it's best to move from + to -... or just be CONSISTENT within the same sound font.

But this is for certain everyone: I do not care HOW WELL you do your zero-crossing... you will SOMEtimes (rarely though!) get little clicks from the sounds. It's inevitable due to a mono-phonic device.

This is not to say that you should just say "Ok, well F all THAT! I ain't doin' it!" Oh no. You should zero-cross no matter what... it's just... don't expect a miracle.

erv
04-19-2008, 01:11 AM
one more point, nova is right, you might get little clicks in rare cases, even with zero crossing.
Can't really detail why, but it's when the sound comes to be a multiple (or close) of a SD card cluster size.
Remove 1 period of hum at the end of the sound, still with zero crossing, and it will remove the click.