How to Use Sound Files in Maya - a Guide for Animators

Sine wave. Image: Wikipedia

Maya is a wonderful piece of software but its audio tools are not especially sophisticated. You only get one audio track, and it will only accept certain kinds of audio files (wavs and iffs).  So, how exactly should an animator approach the use of audio files in Maya? Below is our handy guide which should answer most of the vital questions.



What kind of sound files can you use in Maya?

1. wav files
2. .iff files


How to load sound files into Maya:

1. Copy the sound file to your Maya project audio folder

2. File/import/wav

3. In the Maya timeline, right click on the sound file and select it.


How Do You Adjust the timing of the Audio in the timeline?

1. Right click in the timeline on the audio file, select the options box

2. Change the offset values to adjust the audio timing.

3. Adjust the Offset. +10 to advance 10 frames. -10 to regress 10 frames.


How do you delete sound files?

1. Window/animation editors/trax editor

2. Select the audio file and delete it.


How do you edit a audio or sound clip? (You cannot do this in Maya)

1. Online: www.aviary.com/tools/audio-editor. Allows you to edit sound files online.

2. Quick Time Pro is simple to use and good for editing clips.

3. Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro


Where can you find free sound effects online?

1. www.findsounds.com

2. www.freesound.org

3. www.moviewavs.com


How Do You Convert a MP3 file into a wav?

1. www.media-converter.com will convert .mp4 files to .wav

2. Adobe Sound Booth


What If Maya doesn’t like your wav file?

1. Try opening the file in Quick Time Pro, or Premiere, and exporting it as a new wav file.

2. Go to www.media-converter.com and export it as a new wav file, or an .iff file


I want to record a voice-over. What shall I do?

1. Garage Band is good. Go to the podcast settings, and select male narrator.

2. You can use the microphone in your computer, but it is better to buy an external mike; you will get much better quality.


Why Doesn’t my Audio Work in Maya? – Troubleshooting Guide

1. Have you copied the sound file to your project folder?

2. Is it a .wav or a .iff file? If one kind does not work, try converting into the other

3. Have you tried converting it online using www.media-convertor.com?

4. Have you tried adjusting the offset?


For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK. Find out why we're giving free laptops to all our students, and why we give all our students free access to videos at Lynda.com. Also, see what financial assistance might be available to you. Learn which is better for animation, a PC or a Mac? Get hold of a copy of a map so you can find your way around campus, and learn about motion capture at Bucks.  

Sound designer Scott Benson Explains How to Mix a Movie in 72 Hours, and How Sound Designers can work with Animators at Bucks

Bucks sound design student Scott Benson just recently finished mixing and editing the sound on a feature film  - all done within 72 hours. We asked him how he managed to pull of what looks like an insurmountable task, and also how our animators can get the best out of collaborating with sound designers to make great films here at Bucks.

The Confusion of Tongues

Bucks: You just recently finished mixing and editing the sound on an entire feature film - tell us about it!

Scott: yeah I have literally just finished! It's been one of the most demanding yet satisfying projects I've worked on to date, The idea behind it was that a whole feature film could be shot and edited within 72 hours. And, having personally stayed up for 60 or more of those hours, I'm proud to say that it's not impossible!

The Crew

I personally mixed the whole feature film as well as cleaning up all the audio and placing appropriate sound design where needed. The film was shown in the Imax cinema in Birmingham the same day it was finished, which was the most scariest thing ever, because i hadn't heard the sound after it had been rendered to picture. To my great relief it all went perfectly in my eyes; there were a few bits and bobs out of place here and there, but that is to be expected!

Sound Designer at work at Bucks

Bucks: What software did you use?

Scott: The software that I used was completely Pro Tools (Warren Bassett, my lecturer, would be proud of me!) Before starting at Bucks I had never used Pro Tools or even really wanted too, as I much preferred Logic, But when it comes to audio post production, in my eyes, nothing can hold a candle up against Pro Tools.

Bucks: How big a challenge is it to mix an entire feature film?
Scott: Mixing a whole feature film under normal circumstances is a huge undertaking in its own right, usually calling for a team of mixers each having their own jobs, but doing it with in 72 hours, that's crazy. But, as they say, pressure creates diamonds, and that couldn't be more true for this project. I really surprised myself at how well I worked and how fast! Even though it was constant non-stop mixing, I'd do it again in a heart beat!


Bucks: What should animators at Bucks do if they are hoping to collaborate with a sound designer?
 
Scott: When looking for a sound designer, there are a few main things to look for I think, and they are: 1. keenness and contactability. Now, it's all fine and dandy having the best sound designer in the world, but if they're not going to keep in contact with you then what's the point? Having someone who is keen will help to ensure the project's smooth running and completion on time.

The second would be, obviously - skill. Most sound designers will have worked on a sort of show reel, even if if its just muting their favourite films scenes and playing around with them. That's what I did; I didn't have much of a show reel when I started Uni, so I made one!

And finally, ask around, being on an animation course I'm sure plenty of your peers will have worked with sound designers and they'll know which sound designers collaborate well!

Scott Benson

Bucks: What is the single most important thing to know about sound design?

Scott: The single most important thing to know about sound design....this is a tough one, because I could go on for hours about technical specs of certain methods of additive synthesis. But, at the end of the day, knowing that won't get you a job, yes granted it'll help, but if you don't apply yourself you wont get anywhere, you can have all the knowledge and graduate with a 2:1 but if you haven't made contacts and built up your people politics you'll fall flat on your face. It's as simple as that, I can see it on my course, there are so many gifted students who could do so much, but they're not always applying themselves.

So, in my opinion the single most important thing to know about sound design is to know how to find work and make contacts who will last and grow alongside you, because without that, there is no sound design!

For more about the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK. Find out why we're giving free laptops to all our students, and why we give all our students free access to videos at Lynda.com. Also, see what financial assistance might be available to you. Learn which is better for animation, a PC or a Mac? Get hold of a copy of a map so you can find your way around campus, and learn about motion capture at Bucks. And find out about how our online video tutorials work 

Student showcase - James Hatton takes Monty for a stroll

Recently our first year Animation and Visual Effects students completed their second formally assessed animation exercise. This time the project was to animate a series of walk cycles, combining different character walks into one shot. The brief included sound effects and music, collaborating with sound designers to create a miniature short film.

Many students came up with very imaginative work, understanding that as an  animator it is necessary not just to be technically good but also to be entertaining. Good animation combines creativity with technical prowess - after all, animators are actors with a pencil - or a mouse.

Monty - a green pea with legs - and a great way to learn animation

Above is one of the most successful films - a short submission by James Hatton, titled "Monty's afternoon stroll". It uses the excellent Monty rig by Raveen Rajadorai, a great little free rig, perfect  for learning the essentials of character animation. The action is well timed, funny, tells a short story and has great music and sound effects.

Here at Bucks we encourage all our students to master the technical skills involved in making great animation, but we also want our students to be story tellers as well. Good animation, even at its most simple, should tell a story that engages the viewer. James's film pulls off this trick, taking a basic animation brief and turning it into a charming miniature film.

---Alex

(Editor's Note: For more impressive work done by our students and recent graduates here at Bucks, check out Ben Gray's Moonbeam, and the architectural visualisations of Sabah Masood. Also take a look at the work of Andy Thomas here, see our latest commercial project for Rocketseed, our short film done for a global aid agency, and take a look at the excellent work of designer Monika Dzikowicz, architectural visualisation specialist Krsytof Michalski, Alex Whitfield and the 3D artwork of Mike Swan.)

How do animators work with sound designers? Six rules for success

A sound designer hard at work at Bucks

One of our students' tasks in their first year of studies is to work together with a sound design student, collaborating together on an assessed project. But why collaborate? Why should our animators not do their own sound design? The answer, of course, is that when you join forces with other students who are experts in their fields, you tend to get a better result than you would achieve alone.

One of the very best things about studying at Bucks is the first-rate facilities that we have in the Gateway building, bringing together students of different disciplines to create excellent work. The tricky bit, however, is finding a way to work together successfully. But then, this is good practice for a career in digital media - almost all of our students' projects will be collaborations of one kind or another. Finding a way to get the best work out of yourself and your colleagues forms a major part of building a long and successful career.

Gateway - our media hub, opened in 2010

So how, in practice, does an animator get the best out of such a collaboration? And what does an animator need from a sound designer? Below are six rules for a successful collaboration.

Rule No 1 - Figure out what you need
What sound work is needed for your film? Do you need sound effects? Voice narration? Music? If music, does it need to be an original composition (lots of work) or some library music (much less work). If there is voice narration, you will need to find an actor, and record their voice(s). You don't have access to the sound studios, but the sound design students do, so they can help you there. Start off by making a list of what you will need.

Rule No 2 - Figure out what you want the sound designer to do
Your sound designer's first question will be "what do you want me to do?" The best way to answer this is to show him/her your rough animatic, cut to (ideally) the correct length. The animatic will show exactly what will happen in the film, and what sound work will be needed.  It need not be finished animation, but it should show what you have in mind. Agree up front the scope of the sound work and what you are looking for.

www.freesound.org

Rule No 3 - Add in some rough sound yourself
One good way to help the sound designer is to rough some audio in yourself (you will have to do this in Premiere). Free sound effects can be found online at www.freesound.org and other websites. You might pick some music that you like (even if it is not what you intend to use in the final edit), and drop that in to your animatic. The more work you sketch in, the easier it is for a sound designer to take what you have done and improve on it. And the more specific you are, the more likely it is that the sound designer will understand the brief and give you what you need.

Home of the Bucks Media Collaborations Page

Rule No 4 - Find the Bucks Media Collaborations Page 
The Bucks Media Collaborations Page is a great place to start looking for for a sound designer. Or indeed any artist at Bucks. In fact, you can find just about anyone you need - actors, dancers, musicians, camera operators - all the disciplines at Bucks are represented here. For a full description of how it works, see this post.

What if no-one at the Bucks Media Collaborations Page responds to your request? If you're not having any luck, send me an email and I will contact one of the lecturers in sound design. There are always ways and means of finding someone to help out.

Rule No 5 - Leave plenty of time for the sound designer to do their work
Remember that the sound designer will need you to have completed your work in good time so that they can do theirs. If you are used to finishing your animation late on Sunday night for a Monday morning hand-in, think again. Find out in advance how much time the sound designer will need to complete the job, and then make sure you hand over your finished movie file in time. No-one likes a rush job.

Rule No 6 - Don't panic when things go wrong
Whenever you collaborate with other individuals, things tend to go wrong. Typical problems include misunderstandings about the scope of the work, failure to deliver work on time, confusion about deadlines, and general miscommunication.

Good advice from Douglas Adams

When these things happen (and they will) rest assured you are not the first person to experience this.  All group projects experience problems. Part of the purpose of the exercise is to get our students used to the idea of working in groups - preparing you for reality of workplace collaborations. The only way to overcome these difficulties is with patience, good humour, clear direction, and lots of cups of tea.

(Editor's note: for more on collaborations, see this post. For more on the Bucks Media Collaborations Page, see this article. And to find out more about how to work successfully on group projects, check out this piece. )

Recording voice talent - a dummy's guide

Frank Gladstone directs actors in the sound booth

Every animator will eventually, at some point, find him or herself directing voice talent for a film project. Whether it’s a short film, a personal project, or a piece of animation for a client, you will eventually need your characters to speak. And for this, unless someone else does it for you, you will need actors.

So how does an animator or director go about recording voices? And how do you get a decent performance from an actor? Especially if you’ve never ever done it before? Follow the steps below - and you won’t go wrong.

Step 1. Find a proper sound booth

Yes, you can record something rough on your Mac or PC with a Microphone, but if you want some audio that actually sounds good, something suitable for broadcast, you need a booth. There is a reason why film-makers pay good money for a Soho recording facility – the sound quality is way better. But you’re a student – you’re broke. So what to do?

Luckily for our students at Bucks, we have state-of-the-art sound booths in abundance. Book them through the room booking system, get your self a technician (or better yet, a student) who knows how the press the right buttons, and you’re on your way. You can even take a tour here.

Sound booth at Bucks

Step 2. Find the right voice talent

This is the trickiest bit, but also the most important. Most people freeze up in front of a microphone. Even your friends who are funny, who do great voices in the pub after a few drinks, even they freeze up, and sound like a wooden cardboard character, reading their lines like a robot.

Luckily, Bucks again comes to the rescue. Put out a call on the Bucks New University Facebook Media Collaboration page – and find yourself an acting student who does voice-over work. Mostly, they’ll be pleased to get the experience. After all, we all need stuff for our demo reels.

Sound booths are located in the Gateway building, marked number 10 on the map

Step 3. Get Samples

Pro actors will have samples of their work online, doing different voices, in different styles. By way of example, check out the vocal work of Lizzie Waterworth-Santo here - she does the voice for Horrid Henry. Student actors most likely will not have this kind of online resource yet (though they should), but you can always ask them to email you some sample wav files.

Or, you can meet prospective voice talent in a quiet room (there are almost always some classrooms free at Bucks) and get them to do a few lines into your PC or laptop, just to check that they are right for the part. 90% of getting a good result on the day is casting the right person. Does the voice suit the role? Actors won’t be offended (or shouldn't be) if they aren’t right for the part; they understand the nature of the business.

What you don't want to do is waste a lot of time recording the wrong person in the booth. So get some good samples up front, and then pick the person who sounds right for the part.

Voice actors need this

Step 4: Recording day

Once you’re in the booth, make sure you get your voice talent a glass of water. Voice over work can be tough on the vocal cords. Be appreciative that they are helping you out.

Next, ask the talent to read all the lines all the way through, just once, to warm up. Give them some direction first. Typically, you want the voice-over to sound perky and conversational, like someone in a pub telling their friend about some great new idea. What you don't want is the sound of someone reading lines in a flat, listless way. Again, check out Lizzie's website for guidance. What style do you want? When the actor does their first read-through, tell them you're not recording them (but secretly do anyway - you might get some great takes). Then give them some notes.

After that, have the talent do each line read in groups of three, leaving a short gap in-between. Experienced actors will give you 3 different reads to choose from. Less experienced ones will give you the same line read 3 times. It shouldn’t matter though – if you have cast the right person, you should get a good result.

What if you don’t like the way they read the line? Should you do it for them? Well, yes…and no. When you record professional actors, don’t ever do the line for them. They’ll be offended. And if it’s a big star – they might be so offended they'll never work with you again. But with newbies, or your pals, it’s fine. We amateurs need more guidance. Whatever it takes to get a good result.


5. Recognition and credit

One last word. Whoever helps you out, whether it’s a sound technician or an actor, take down their full name. Good film-makers give credit where it’s due. Nothing burns your bridges faster than forgetting to give credit on your final cut.

---Alex

The Martial Art of Kendo by Lydon Fleisig

Lydon Fleisig is studying animation at Bucks in his final year, and has just completed an excellent short film, The Martial Art of Kendo, for one of his final year projects. 

Animation is a lot of work and Lydon pursued his goal with dedication and tenacity, finishing his film on time and getting the job done with considerable flair. He was also able to utilise some of the many other film-making disciplines here at Bucks, such as sound design and acting talent, to provide voice-over skills and audio effects.

One of the best things about studying at Bucks is the opportunity to collaborate with other disciplines. Film-making is a collaborative medium and every film-maker is only as good as the people he or she works with.

We're proud to showcase Lydon's film. Many congratulations to him on the successful completion of a very skilled piece of work.

---Alex

Calling All Animators! Bucks Sound Designers Want to Help You With Your Films!

Sound Design Studio

One of the best things about Bucks is how many departments we have specialising in different aspects of Film and TV production. One of the most interesting departments is sound design, where we have talented students working with state-of-the-art facilities to do excellent work.

Sound designers...waiting for animated films...

Best of all from an animators' point of view, they are delighted at the prospect of helping out with sound design on our animated films. Animated film projects tend to be short, so this kind of collaboration works very well from a sound designers' point of view.

And sound design is not the only department which animators can collaborate with. Here's a link to the super-useful Bucks Media Collaborations page on Facebook where you can find all kinds of resources for collaborating on film projects.

Sound Recording Equipment....animators wanted

And the equipment at Bucks is some of the best in the country. The Gateway building cost £60m, is virtually brand-new, and hosts all sorts of film-making resources - Green Screen, Sound Design, Sound Recording Studios, Actor, Dancers. They are all there, waiting for your films.

---Alex

(Editor's note: For more on the Bucks Media Collaborations Page, see this article. To find out more about how to work successfully on group projects, check out this piece. )