Previous topicNext topic

Through Sophie's Lens

Live performances or exported movies created with Magic.
Post Reply
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

This is an original song I wrote and recorded in my studio. For the video I used Magic for various elements which were then captured using Fraps and edited using Premier and mixed with other sources. My goal with my videos is to create lightly animated lyric videos. I an new to this but quickly getting caught up in it.
I go by dotb music otherwise I am Scott Harris.

Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Magic »

Very nice, but out of curiosity, why are you using Fraps as opposed to exporting a movie directly from Magic? You'd get better quality.
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

When I try to export I haven't found a way to trigger the play head for audio files that I have loaded. The audio inputs are modulating some of the magic efx. I figured that there had to be a way to do it but I couldn't figure it out. When you export does it automatically trigger the start of any audio files and videos that you have loaded? If not how do you achieve it?

Eric wrote:Very nice, but out of curiosity, why are you using Fraps as opposed to exporting a movie directly from Magic? You'd get better quality.
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Magic »

When you export does it automatically trigger the start of any audio files and videos that you have loaded? If not how do you achieve it?
Yup, everything should happen automatically, as long as the audio files are set up correctly. Make sure to follow the steps in this post: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=848
Terry Payman
Posts: 710
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:15 am
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Terry Payman »

I'm away from my PC at the moment so can't easily give any links, but perhaps worth mentioning :

In addition to Eric's instructions re Audio, if you used Magic's Playlist for your video be sure to check "Use Playlist" in the Export Dialog else you will just get the current scene in your exported video.

If you haven't yet used the Playlist it's well worthwhile learning, as it can save having to use a subsequent editing process.

Sorry this is rather brief. Perhaps others can elaborate.
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

Thanks Terry. I actually read through most of the manual this morning and things are making more sense. I am just getting my head around playlists and multiple scenes. I am triggering events with midi control now and controlling elements with midi CC messages and recording the midi input so I can polish the transitions . I will post another proof of concept video tonight or tomorrow and perhaps someone can tell me an easier way to approach it. I am trying to do the next video completely in Magic except the lyrics and and logos.

Terry Payman wrote:I'm away from my PC at the moment so can't easily give any links, but perhaps worth mentioning :

In addition to Eric's instructions re Audio, if you used Magic's Playlist for your video be sure to check "Use Playlist" in the Export Dialog else you will just get the current scene in your exported video.

If you haven't yet used the Playlist it's well worthwhile learning, as it can save having to use a subsequent editing process.

Sorry this is rather brief. Perhaps others can elaborate.
Terry Payman
Posts: 710
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 8:15 am
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Terry Payman »

I look forward to seeing more of your work and workflow Scotty.

I expect Your MIDI control approach is much more efficient than entering durations/times numerically into the Playlist.
I found this a slow and tedious task before the new MIDI record facility was available but I haven't had a suitable video project since. I might well be following your lead!
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

Terry I didn't even make it to the play list. I was grabbing frames with fraps, capturing the music and then manually syncing things up in Premier. My approach has been more like scrapbooking than visualization but I have a much better handle on the program now . The contraption I just wired up is under midi control with midi note triggers and control messages fading things in and out.

Terry Payman wrote:I look forward to seeing more of your work and workflow Scotty.

I expect Your MIDI control approach is much more efficient than entering durations/times numerically into the Playlist.
I found this a slow and tedious task before the new MIDI record facility was available but I haven't had a suitable video project since. I might well be following your lead!
skarabee
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:11 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by skarabee »

Midi can improve transitions especially if you can edit your midi CCs in a DAW and then export it as midifile playing together with the audio track.
Nice piece of music, BTW thank you for sharing, hope to see and ear more.
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

Thanks I'm glad you like the music. I am just experimenting now. So i was able to record the midi and it is interesting. Although you hit go it seems to sync the start of the midi recording to the onset of the music. I was wondering how it would keep it in sync as there isn't a way to tell Magic (or is there?) to simultaneously start the midi record and play the loaded audio file. Regardless it worked and I was able to load the midi file and play back the performance. To get controlled transitions I am going to have to send the midi from a sequencer(DAW) which I can manage with the midi loopback device (loopbe) but I am still trying to figure out how to send the audio outs of the DAW to Magic from the RME raydats. I can envisage a solution using a second computer loaded with a DAW easy enough but to do it on one machine would be ideal. Still scratching my head on that one. RME does have a routing system which I never have to use so maybe I will have to dig into that.
skarabee
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:11 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by skarabee »

I don't know wich RME model you have but you should try with the RME Totalmix routing, wich is not really user-friendly... Another option is to export the audio as Wav file to Magic and work only with midi trough LoopBe.
I also have a software midi router, but I still use 2 computers: A laptop for Magic and my main studio computer for audio and midi. My keyboard controller has both 5pin and USB midi out: the 5pin goes to the main computer audio soudcard (Motu), the USB is connected to the laptop. A third midi out link goes from the main DAW (cubase) to the laptop. So I still can have midi live control in Magic, without running Cubase, and when it's time to record some midi automation , I use Cubase.
Scotty_123
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:25 am

Re: Through Sophie's Lens

Post by Scotty_123 »

Thanks Skarabee... so I have a work around... I have a few interfaces connected to my computer and I just took a stereo output from Cubase (Raydat) and fed it into a spare interface to which Magic is connected. That way the audio and Midi (loopbe to Magic) is coming from Cubase. Once I build the transitions using CCs in Cubase I'll export the audio and midi and load them into Magic as a standalone project and render it. This gives me maximum flexibility as I tweak the song a bit everything is still in sync.

This setup allows me to perform each visual transition using my knobs on my controller .... looping until I get it close ... and editing it further in Cubase while monitoring Magic in real time.

I'll post a proof of concept video later tonight. Thanks for engaging with me here, I really appreciate it.
Post Reply