Adding Audio Voiceovers with Aavelin

Introduction

With the addition of MacroMedia Flash support to the Aavelin, it is now possible to add a voice-over to a page within Aavelin Composer.

A voice-over is essentially a narration for a page. It can be an audible reading of the text on a page, a jingle or song to accompany an advertisement, a supplement to the data presented on-screen, or something else entirely.

Note: Voice-overs require MacroMedia Flash support, which was introduced in version 2.80 of the Aavelin software. Previous versions will need to be upgraded to 2.80. For upgrade information, click here.

For Aavelin voice-overs, audio will either be provided by an advertiser, or recorded directly by voice talent or an appointed individual. For our purposes, all audio must begin as a .WAV file. This file will then be converted to Flash (.SWF) with a freeware application, and inserted directly on to an Aavelin page.

For conversion, we recommend SwiffRec, a freeware utility that handles this conversion. Download, install, and run the SwiffRec program.

Scenario 1 - .WAV file has been provided

If the .WAV file has already been recorded elsewhere and provided for you, it must simply be converted to Flash and inserted into an Aavelin project.

Conversion is very simple. Drag the provided .WAV file directly into the SwiffRec application and on to the marked area.

Click on the 'Test Recording' button to ensure proper audio levels and quality. SwiffRec provides an adjustable quality slider at the top of the program. Any necessary changes not adjustable with that slider will have to be applied directly to the .WAV file by the original author.

Click on the 'Create SWF' button to perform the actual conversion. The time required by this step will vary depending on the size of the .WAV file.

When completed, click on the 'Open Output Folder' button. Copy the 'flashMP3.swf' file to it's permanent home where it will be referenced from within Aavelin Composer. It is also highly recommended to rename the file (highlight and press 'F2' or right-click and select 'rename') as all files generated by SwiffRec will have this name.

Skip down to the final section - Importing Into Aavelin Composer

Scenario 2 - .WAV file must be recorded

Recording your own voice-overs is just as easy. You will need a microphone connected to your PC to capture audio. You will also need to ensure that the correct recording source has been selected, or else the microphone will record only silence.

Double-click on the 'Sound and Audio Devices' (Windows XP) or 'Sounds and Multimedia' (Windows 2000) applet within the Windows control panel. On the audio tab, ensure that the appropriate audio recording device is selected. If you are unsure, consult an IT professional or the documentation that came with your PC.

Click on the 'Volume' button as well, and ensure that the correct input is selected and that the volume is at an appropriate level.

Once levels and the input source have been selected, you are ready to record audio. This can be done with commercial recording software, Sound Recorder (ships with Windows), or directly with SwiffRec. SwiffRec does not allow for any editing to be done with the audio once recorded. If multiple takes will be cut together, or if any processing will be needed after recording, a more sophisticated program will be needed for recording. The recorded file can be used according to the steps outlined in Scenario 1.

To record with SwiffRec, simply click on the 'Record start' button and begin speaking. When finished, click on the 'Record end' button. Click on the 'Test Recording' button to hear what you recorded. To record a new take, click on the 'Record start' button and repeat the procedure. The previous take will be lost after clicking on 'Record start' again.

When satisfied with the audio, click on the 'Create SWF' button to convert the recorded audio to Flash. The time required by this step will vary depending on the size of the .WAV file.

When completed, click on the 'Open Output Folder' button. Copy the 'flashMP3.swf' file to it's permanent home where it will be referenced from within Aavelin Composer. It is also highly recommended to rename the file (highlight and press 'F2' or right-click and select 'rename') as all files generated by SwiffRec will have this name.

Importing Into Aavelin Composer

With the recording and conversion taken care of, the last step is to import the .SWF file directly into Composer. Open your project, double-click on the page you wish to add audio to, and click on the 'Insert Flash' button.

Answer 'Yes' to the audio question to make the voice-over the audio source for this page. Changes to page audio settings (to make use of a background music bed, for example) can be made through the Audio tab in Page Properties.

Double-click on the Flash placeholder graphics, and click on the 'Browse' button. Navigate to the folder where you earlier copied the .SWF file to, and select it.

On the 'General' tab of the Flash object's properties, specify a size of 8x8 (the minimum size allowed by Composer) as shown below. A position of 1,1 will place the object in the top left corner of the screen. Alternatively, you can place the object anywhere onscreen where it's small size will go unnoticed.

Tip: Try placing the Flash object behind a crawl line. When the project is published to the Aavelin system, the crawl line is rendered on top of all other screen elements, rendering the Flash object completely invisible.

About MagicBox

MagicBox, Inc. has been manufacturing Character Generators and Video Messaging Systems, for CATV, CCTV, Satellite and Digital Signage applications since 1992. Customers have expanded from cable to include education, government, hospitality, medical, and corporate applications. Product development is focused on ease of use and integration with other systems. For more information, visit www.magicboxinc.com.

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