Author Topic: Simple audio question  (Read 3641 times)

Offline optykmuse

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Simple audio question
« on: December 24, 2013, »
Hi all,
My first post here... I'm feverishly working on getting something going for tonight on my 16 channels of LOR controlled lights.  I purchased a single kit LOR controller and assembled and tested it a few weeks ago.
I just installed Xlights and have found it to be fairly intuitive for the most part, and I've downloaded some 16 channel vixen sequences and converted them to Xlights.  The lights are working as expected, but I don't hear the audio from the music.  I've done the usual bonehead checks (volume control, etc) and still no audio out of the laptop speakers.  BTW, the laptop is running XP.  I have an FM transmitter to connect once I get some audio output from the laptop.

I guess my question is - are the MP3 (or whatever format) audio files part of the sequence file or do they need to be loaded separately??  This is the last hurdle I need to jump to get a show together for the remaining days of the holiday.  I had assumed the audio would be part of the sequence but maybe not...

TIA

Offline Rainlover

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2013, »
The audio files need to be copied to the xlights folder.

John
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Offline dowdybrown

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2013, »
Follow Rainlover's advice and you should be good to go. Post back how it goes. It's always exciting to get your show going for the very first time!

Matt

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Offline Rogelio

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2013, »
Many sequences posted online do not have the audio file with them.  It isd a seperate file.  You will need to get/download the song that goes with the sequence and put it in the Xlights show folder like the others have said.  Merry Christmas.

Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2013, »
Thanks for the replies.  I'll get on itunes and DL me some music!   :)
Just to be sure... MP3 files work?

Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2013, »
Just thought of another question...
How is the audio file married to the Xlights file?  Seems like it would have to have the exact file title or something like that.

Offline keitha43

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2013, »
Usually where you get the sequence from will tell you where to download the exact file the sequence was created with.

Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2013, »
Yea, I thought I had seen that information when I was downloading the sequence files so went back through and checked while I was downloading the music to be sure they were the correct song versions.  Still wondering if song format matters though... iTunes defaults to AAC but can be changed to MP3 if need be.  Does it matter to Xlights which format the audio file is in?

Offline caretaker

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #8 on: December 25, 2013, »
You want to use MP3 with the settings of 44100 HZ 192kbs for best results
Jeff Squires
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Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #9 on: December 25, 2013, »
Well, I found all the audio files, have them in MP3 format, have them in the same folder as the Xlights sequence files, and tried adding them to the playlist.  Still no audio...
Then I took a look back at the conversion log (from when I converted the vixen files to Xlights) and noticed there is a line in the conversion for "media file =" and there is nothing in that line.  I'm assuming the audio file needs to be listed there. 

Does anyone know how to get the audio files attached to the sequence files?  Is there an editor that can open the file to accomplish this?  The converted files are .xseq files, not xml files, but I'm hoping there is a way to edit the .xseq files to add the audio filenames.

The lights look really cool sequencing away out there in the front yard, but I'm sure people are wondering what frequency to tune their car radios to as they watch... like the guy down the street has.   :)

Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Offline onesmoothhead

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #10 on: December 25, 2013, »
Add the audio file to your Original sequence.. Audio, seq and profiles should all be in the same file. Hope this helps.


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Offline Rogelio

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #11 on: December 25, 2013, »
Is your original downloaded file a .vix file? Are you familiar with Vixen?   There are a couple of ways to attach a song to a sequence.  You can edit the .vix sequence in a text editor.  I use notepad.  But you need to be very familiar to do it this way.  And a working example is helpful.
  But The easier way is to open the original sequence in Vixen, click the musical note button at top of page, (next to the time window).  Click "assign audio" button on popup window and select the correct MP3.  save the sequence.  Then convert this new sequence in xlights and put it in show folder.
Hope this helps.

Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #12 on: December 25, 2013, »
Thanks, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do all that but I guess it shouldn't take too long.  Maybe I will be able to add some FM music to the sequences by tomorrow night... I'll post the results!
Thanks again.  Forums are great!

Offline optykmuse

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Re: Simple audio question
« Reply #13 on: December 26, 2013, »
SUCCESS!!  I finally have music along with the lights now!  My wife and son sat out in the car with the radio tuned to the transmitter's frequency and enjoyed the show for a few minutes last night and then we shut off all the lights and went to bed (about 1AM by then).  Everything's set to come on each night through new year's eve, then (bummer) pulled down until next year.  I have a feeling I'll be planning out the next show all throughout the next year though!  My son and I were already brainstorming some ideas for that.    :D

Thanks again for the help and suggestions.  I would have ended the holiday season in frustration if not for you all!
A happy and prosperous new year to you all!