audio preview

[Walter Soyka]

Hit the period key on the numeric keypad to preview audio. The asterisk key will add markers during playback if you wish to mark out the beats.

You can scrub audio by holding the Control key (Command on Mac) while dragging the playhead.

You can view the waveform by hitting LL after selecting the clip with audio in the timeline.

When I need to match something to audio, I usually cut an animatic first in an NLE, then refer back to it by frame number in AE.

Also, make sure the audio isn’t compressed — AE seems to work best with linear PCM audio (WAV or AIF, or wrapped in an AVI or MOV).

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Michael Volkening]

Thanks for the quick response. I do the same thing with uncompressed quicktime animatics in fcp or avid and sync to them. I thought after all these years I should learn another method. That being said, I am sorry to report the period trick did not work. From the ‘text’ part of the keyboard, nothing happens. From the numerical keypad it crashes AE. After 5 crashes in a row, I returned to my animatic, to continue this another day. Deadline approaching……

mikey

Avid Xpress Pro Mojo 5.6.7
WindowsXP 2002
HP Workstation XW8000
2.80 Ghz
2.0 GB RAM

[Michael Volkening]

I will mention it (again). It’s not my system- I am a freelancer. (I have 8G on my own system, albeit a mac) The last time I asked for more RAM, I was told Windows XP uses a maximum of 2 Gigs.

Avid Xpress Pro Mojo 5.6.7
WindowsXP 2002
HP Workstation XW8000
2.80 Ghz
2.0 GB RAM

[Walter Soyka]

[Michael Volkening] “I will mention it (again). It’s not my system- I am a freelancer. (I have 8G on my own system, albeit a mac) The last time I asked for more RAM, I was told Windows XP uses a maximum of 2 Gigs. “

I’m sorry to read about what you have to work with. The XW8000 was state-of-the-art in 2002. And you mentioned it’s running AE v6.5, which was released in 2004.

Windows XP (32-bit edition) can access up to 4 GB of RAM, with some trickery, but that’s a lot of work to put into an 8-year-old dinosaur for a small benefit.

Hopefully, the company that has contracted you will simply replace this with a modern workstation sometime, or recognize that their freelancers may be more efficient on their own machines. Good luck!

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Frederic Lumiere]

Is there a way to replay the same RAM preview (which will play the audio as well) that has already been rendered (green bar)d without triggering the RAM Preview rendering again?

Basically I do a RAM Preview. Interrupt it. Press the Space Bar and the audio plays with the rendered video. It automatically rewinds to the start of the playhead position and if I press the space bar again, the RAM preview plays in realtime with no audio.

You would think that if the video and audio has been rendered and nothing has changed, it should be able to play the audio as many times as you need.

Perhaps there is an option to turn this on?

Thanks,

F

Frederic Lumiere
Producer
Lumiere Media

[Walter Soyka]

[Frederic Lumiere] “Is there a way to replay the same RAM preview (which will play the audio as well) that has already been rendered (green bar)d without triggering the RAM Preview rendering again?”

Just RAM preview again. Hit 0 on the numeric keypad to start RAM preview. If AE starts rendering additional frames, hit 0 again to interrupt it and start playback.

If RAM preview is rendering frames that you don’t need to see right now, you could adjust the work area.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Johnny Yacolca]

Hello,

I would also like to add markers in AE while listening to preview but I’m using an iMac which came with a keyboard that does not include a numeric pad.

How could I got about doing this?

Thanks,

Johnny