Music Sync

[Guest]

I've noted all the times folks have mentioned that PowerPoint and Sync should
never be used in the same sentence, but still have a question. I have
several presentation that display song lyrics and related still pictures
meant to be in sync with a wav file. Of course the eratic timing on various
machines and even successive plays on the same machine drives me nuts.
Especially the first time I spent hours setting the timing up perfectly on my
home machine only to find that it wouldn't work one the machine where I
needed to play the presentation.

I have learned that by taking out all the automated timing I can play the
presentations successfully on all but the least capable machines simply by
tapping the space bar at the appropriate time. It seems that in the
automated versions, different machines take different times to process
animation in the slides thus making anything based on completion of a
previous slide doomed to fall out of sync with the audio track. However
almost every machine is ready to display the next slide instantly when the
space bar is tapped. If a program existed or could be written to sit in the
backgrouns and create a "space bar pressed" code at the correct intervals
wouldn't that allow sync to be maintained on different machines? If such a
program doesn't exist, I would think it would be very simple to write for
someone with that sort of talent. I don't have any programming talent, but I
work with some folks that do, so I'm hoping to get some opions as to whether
this would work or not, or if in fact some program of this nature already
exists.

JC

 

[Guest]

Have you just got one large wav file?

You might have more luck if you create a wav file for each slide and use it
as the transition sound. As you say this isbnt Powerpoints strngth but it
should help.
--

Did that answer the question / help?
_____________________________
John Wilson
Microsoft Certified Office Specialist
http://www.technologytrish.co.uk/ppttipshome.html

 

[Guest]

Yes, it is one large .wav file that I am using. There are sometimes 30-50
slides that run with a three or four minute presentation. I have never tried
breaking up the file, however in order to be successfull PowerPoint would
need to inaudibly string togther all fifty wave file segments to reassemble
the music. Can it actually do that? I cans see how your idea would work
fine to add a narration to an automated show, but loosing or delaying a chunk
of the music audio would be a glaring defect in the presentaton. I heard
someone refer to this type of presentation as karaoke style and while that
not what I am doing, it accurately describes the task ....music plays
continuously and each slide advances at a precice time after the beginning of
the music.

I love PP and it doess everything I need otherwise. I've been chasing an
answer for this for so long. Thats why I wonedered about the background
program to generate the space bar pressed cue. I will try your idea on a
section of a show and post back here if it works. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[Chris_E]

I have always found it impossible to get any form of reliable sync
between content and audio, no matter how long and hard I try.

I resorted to creation of an animation that emulated the slide
transitions, using Adobe Premier Pro to create an AVI (converted later
to Flash). This way I am able to sync sound to 'slide' content with
absoute precision. Then I simply embed the movie (AVI or Flash) in the
PPT and have it auto-run on transtion to that slide. This makes the PPT
much larger but its exactly how I want it.

This level of AV production is not for the faint hearted though - my
project for a 10 minute sound track, with specific slide builds and
changes at define times through the music took a couple of hours to
perfect!

Good Luck

Chris

 

[Guest]

I have always found it impossible to get any form of reliable sync
between content and audio, no matter how long and hard I try.

I resorted to creation of an animation that emulated the slide
transitions, using Adobe Premier Pro to create an AVI (converted later

I have only Premier Elements, but at least you can adjust the change points
without playing the entire production from the beginning. Elements only
allows TV resolution, so the graphics don't look quite as good, I don't know
about the Pro version.

I have done some music and slides with Premier Elements and with Pin.
Studio, so perhaps it is time to give up on PowerPoint

JC Ohio

 

[Chris_E]

I guess it all depends on who the PPT is for. If its for your own use,
then its your choice if you give up on PPT or now.

My work if for other businesses who deman PPT but with specific content
that PPT cannot address easily.

Chris