I’m in the process of revamping an animation studio project, and I keep realizing that I need a piece of recording software that has one specific feature: Recording to multiple files simultaneously!
The purpose is to have multiple voice actors record together. One says their lines while holding a button, then another says theirs while holding a button, etc. Depending on which button is being held, the audio gets recorded to a different file. Any other files record silence until their button gets pushed. This will allow individual voice actors to have their lines recorded to one file per actor, all synced up for mixing later. Right now, it’s being tried out with a hardware setup, but it is VERY clumsy, and the results are not as good as they need to be.
Does anyone know software that does this? Or can someone code something easily (or inform me how to code it or have someone else code it)?
Edit: I know it can be done with editing, but for larger projects, that’s a lot of added work we’d like to find a shortcut through, hence the multi-recording thing. I sadly lost my audio guy due to some COVID-19 related funding issues…
Respectfully, I suggest that you shouldn’t do it that way. You’re making it too complicated.
If it were my task to record actors simultaneously to separate tracks, I would consider recording all of them at once, all starting at once, stopping together. They are already in sync. Do your edits later. Life is simpler for you. Never let the actors control the mute button. It just adds another opportunity to make a mistake, like not getting the recording you thought you were capturing. People will forget to hold their buttons down. On that you may rely.
But this assumes you have the equipment to handle separate incoming streams of audio; do you? Software can’t do much for you if you don’t have equipment that can handle the multiple simultaneous inputs.
I noted the word simultaneously above. Unless this is a one-time-only performance, like a live stage production, the best method would be to record each actor separately, not in real time, and simply have another actor (or you) read the lines that prompt each actor’s lines, so each actor has someone to react to. This is how productions usually handle multiple voice actors, I think. Life is simpler for everyone one in the process, too. Scheduling is easier. You can do that with simple software & inexpensive hardware.
Thanks, but the workflow I’m working on works best with what I described. Don’t get me wrong, the other ways do work, but there are a lot of things to consider, such as single VAs doing multiple characters, and the way editing fits into the pipeline we’re establishing. The things you mentioned are more or less in use now (for testing, though), but this newmethod looks very clearly to be the way forward.
Midi devices connected and remoting the software interface or osc message. Man you have to dig in music software forum.
But the good news is that everything is free in ubuntu studio. And full off tools.
I was thinking that “the button” was just on a single keyboard, like some main person pushing 1, 2, 3, etc. to signify individual voice actors being recorded. The big deal is really just getting each VA’s audio file to line up, otherwise I can juryrig something. I want to be able to set up a recording studio anywhere with as little gear as possible, preferably just a laptop and a mic in some soundproof room.
Ubuntu is sweet, man. I still feel dirty using Windows, but I need a new Ubuntu rig, and that takes some casssshhhh…
Ah, so only one person needs to be pressing the button(s) that select an actor’s voice? Still don’t see the advantage vs. recording all tracks the same length, but, if it works for you, that’s what matters.
If what you really need to know is here’s where a different actor started talking rather than here’s where Alice started talking then you can probably just mark the file as it’s being made. Field recorders do that. I think Audacity and Audition will do it.
Ardour looks good for this. I am so glad you asked this question, because I haven’t tried Ardour till yesterday. It has timeline markers, so you can do my marker idea, or do it how you’d like.
I’m essentially just trying to cut out an editing step. When working with large dialogue scripts, that editing can take a long time. Something that allows it on the fly would be great for me. But maybe I have to juryrig something. Audacity does have some of the needed features, just not the full package. Oh well…
You need something that can handle multiple mic inputs and multiple mics such as an USB audio interface or mixer with usb connection. Use the mic switch to turn on and off or control the mixer level/mute if you want but you should just not worry about it and just keep all recordings going simultaneously for syncing and no one wants that distraction of worrying about the switch rather than the performance. Any DAW should work, which one depends on how much you are willing to spend. However a free bare bones option for audio recording is Audacity. You may already have something, but you need extra hardware and depending on how many inputs you want to record.
Correct me if I’m wrong: You want to have all actors recording in one place and at the same time to different files? This may be hard as actors have obligations that can be difficult to reconcile. The easier way is to ask each of them to record their lines at home and email you the output files for editing them e.g. with Audacity.
Been using Reaper for a while doing music, pretty sure it will do as you want. You can have one mic hooked to all the tracks or if using a USB interface have multi mics to different tracks. Its a free program.
{edit} crap… give me a min, will convert video to play here…
You can also import a video clip and watch it as you record your voice overs (so they stay in sync). Cant remember the video formats it excepts. As you seen i the example, when you punch in and out, they are individual punchs (so for this example 8 files where recorded), so you can also edit them with effects or shift them around then. In the end you can render out each track as its own file or do a final mix down and render out all 4 tracks as singe file.