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Syncing audio to the visuals

I would like to use VideoScribe to create training videos. Unfortunately, I have found it to be incredibly difficult and time consuming to have the audio match the visual components. Creating one long audio file that matches each visual element is a nightmare (and then when someone wants to make one change to the visuals the whole long audio file after that change needs adjusted...). Is there any way to assign different audio files to each visual item?

The recommended method is to
1) write the script
2) make your audio file, and then
3) tailor your scribe elements to match the audio.

The software is sort of designed to be used with that type of work flow.

I think that only pre-existing sound effects can be assigned to individual elements.

-Mike (videoscrbe user)

 

Thanks. Unfortunately, scripts and visuals frequently change throughout the review process. I am wondering if it might somehow be easier to combine (and then edit) audio and exported video in a separate video editing program?

Ah yes, that's a good idea. I think other users have mentioned using something like adobe premiere or after effects.

-Mike (videoscribe user)


 

I agree with Brian. Syncing an aujdio file with VideoScribe is a NIGHTMARE. I'm seriously beginning to experience byer's remorse. How can you sync audio without a timeline where you can see the audio file along running parallel with the visuals? (like in Camtasia)? 

Hi,
Videoscribe works best when you edit the timing of the visual elements to match the timing of your audio and not the other way around. Recording the audio last, especially using the built-in recorder, is a less efficient and more difficult way to proceed.

Recommended process:
1) write your script and revise it until it reads great.
2) record your audio (if you don't have audio editing software, use  audacity, which is free, along with the LAME plugin for saving mp3s). Edit it until it sounds great, then save it as an mp3
3) import your voiceover and then add/edit elements to match the timing of the audio until it looks great.

If you insist on recording the audio last, you should probably still use an audio editing program to record and edit your audio. Videoscribe's built-in recorder is acceptable only for the simplest most basic recording efforts. you can preview the scribe in videoscribe while recording your audio, then fine tune the audio and save it as an mp3.

-Mike (videoscribe user)


 

Mike,


I did follow that process exactly and I did eventually get the job done. I was frustrated when I wrote what I did but after going through the process, I think now that I will get more proficient as I do it again and again. Actually, I'm quite satisfied with the final result. I'm hoping it won't always take me like 24 hours. Surely, I'll get faster.


Wbat would help immenselhy would be to have a button that -- after selecting several elements -- you could click and it would add up the time in those elements. Then I could more easily calculate how much "pause" time I need to add.


Anyway, I got it done and it looks great.


Thanks

Hi, I am also finding it very frustrating trying to sync my audio track with the visuals. I am following the workflow that Videoscribe suggests, but it is still very hit and miss. I have my audio track open in Audacity and I'm using that timeline to calculate the approximate number of seconds I need to compress my visual animations into for each section of the audio track and then going into Videoscribe and clicking into each element and adjusting the time (0.5 seconds is the smallest adjustment I can make). It's a very time consuming and inaccurate way to sync audio and visuals. Every other video editor has a timeline which allows you to see the audio track and drag the visual components to precisely the right point without all the trial and error. This seems to me to be a massive flaw in the Videoscibe offering. I'm a new user (but reasonably experienced video editor) just finishing my first scribe video. I like how easy it is to create vector animations, but I am so disappointed with the editing tools, to the point that I am beginning to regret my purchase. I will end up having to import the whole video into Premiere Pro so I can tweak it to get the timings right. Videoscribe - are you planning to develop a proper timeline with separate tracks?

Hi.

I believe that .1 seconds is actually the smallest increment of time videoscribe allows. click on the .5 and type .1, .2, .3 or whatever you want.

Hello Mike, thank you, you're right! I discovered that right after posting my comments. I spent a long time syncing visuals and audio within Videoscribe today (should have been a quick job!) and finally got the result I wanted, but after rendering at 30fps, the video and audio were out ouf sync in the exported file! The video was faster than the audio, even though they were fine in the editor. The result was slightly better exported at 25fps, but still not acceptable as it needs to be synced precisely, and ideally exported at 30fps. So, I'm now exporting the visuals only and will try adding the audio in another editor. It's a shame that the editing capability is so limited in Videoscribe, as the end result looks really nice. IMO what it really needs is:

 - Proper multi-track timeline

 - Ability to drag video elements on the timeline, and, within each element, adjust animation speed, pause and transition times to sync with the audio track (if it could be done really simply this would be a game changer)

 - Ability to zoom in and out, select multiple assets on the timeline, ripple delete

 - Ability to apply some simple effects to the audio e.g. fade in/out. The music track just stopped abruptly at the end of the video.

I noticed from another thread that I'm not the only one to have problems with audio and visuals being out of sync in the rendered file. Audio rate is 44100Hz so it's not that. 


Hello Kathryn, we do have an issue with some projects drifting slightly out of sync in v3.3 of VideoScribe and the development team are working on a fix for this for v3.4. If this is a major issue for you I would suggest downgrading to v3.2.1 which did not have this issue. You can find that in the previous versions section of https://www.videoscribe.co/Download.


Thank you Barry. In the end I exported the video without the audio track and finished off the video in another program. It actually didn't take that long, and the end result was good, so I'll just stick with the current version. Are there any plans to improve the editing capabilities of Videoscribe?

Hi Kathryn, I'm glad to hear that things have worked out for you. There aren't any immediate plans for this, but we haven't ruled it out. There are a few requests for these features out there, feel free to give the link a follow if you're interested: https://help.videoscribe.co/support/discussions/topics/1000037385

We have just released v3.4.0 of VideoScribe and this includes a fix for the difference in timings between the preview and final video within VideoScribe v3.3. Upgrade to the latest version of VideoScribe to make the most of this new addition.  

If I had any idea of this issue of audio and visual sync, I would have not made the purchase. Now, I feel like crying inside.


I wrote a script created an audio file and now going through loops to fix it.


Videoscribe sucks for that, I wanted to start a youtube channel but now I guess nothing is going to happen.


Now that I have paid for an annual subscription I am going to try again and again until I die making the first scribe.


I will not renew the subscription and will definitely make a log of all the challenges that I would face during my annual subscription ( current) and will start a campaign to let people know.


:(


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