Thread: 5.1 Audio Fun

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This year we decided to go back to a 5.1 soundtrack so we could do some fun things with sound. 4 of our skeletons will have their voices coming out of separate speakers mounted in their chests, and the animated raven that Buckaneerbabe made will have its own speaker and separate sound. We got it all working and I decided to try and get a preview of how it would work in the haunt. I moved the speakers out by each prop on the workbench in the garage but I took the raven speaker and hung it up high above the workbench. We called the kid out to show her how we were progressing. She stood at the bench and watched and when the crow crowed, she immediately looked up. The crow is going to be mounted on top of one of our graveyard pillars and it should be fun to see people react to the animated raven. We did 5.1 sound a few years ago for a couple of years and nobody really commented on the way the voices came from each prop. This year, I think it might be different. Well, I hope so anyway.

BTW, 5.1 audio is so much easier to do with free software (Audacity) than it was back when we did it before.

That sounds cool! Get a good video of your haunt to share with us.

I'd love to know more about how you set it up. Sounds really cool.

Yes very! I want to try this out now!

My version of audacity always saves my sounds to a single track..... how to you save it in 'stereo'?

Question: In using Audacity how are you getting true 5.1 surround sound? I think what you are doing is simply designating a speaker to a track. I have looked at Audacity and cannot see it is capable of anything more than that, if that is what you are calling 5.1.

Can you please clarify just what you are able to do?

PMT

Originally Posted by Lynn

My version of audacity always saves my sounds to a single track..... how to you save it in 'stereo'?

On the side bar to the very left, you should have the ability to choose mono or stereo tracks when recording......

Hi,

To get 5.1 mixing in Audacity you need to have the latest version of the software (starting at 1.3.13) . Go to "Edit","Preferences","Import/Export" and tick the box that says "Use custom mix" .

Hope that helps with getting started.

What I'm calling 5.1 sound is 6 sound channels. Channel 4 is the bass channel so voices don't really come out well on it, but the other channels 1,2,3,5,6 all have separate and distinct sound capability. So, while it may not be "true" 5.1 sound, it does essentially the same thing.

Originally Posted by theundeadofnight

Hi,

To get 5.1 mixing in Audacity you need to have the latest version of the software (starting at 1.3.13) . Go to "Edit","Preferences","Import/Export" and tick the box that says "Use custom mix" .

Hope that helps with getting started.

After you have set your preferences to use custom mix, you can then record your separate channels. Audacity records two channel stereo when I record, but I "split" the track into mono and then delete one of them since they are the same. (I'm using a mono microphone). You can't have more than 5 distinctly separate voice/sound channels and you will need a total of 6 before you go to export your tracks. For example, lets say you have 3 separate voices/sounds you want to come out of 3 separate speakers.

ch1: Prop one voice/sound
ch2: Prop two voice/sound
ch3: Prop three voice/sound
ch4: blank
ch5: blank
ch6: blank

You will choose "export" from the file menu
Then name your file and select "other uncompressed" from "save as type" and click on "options" and select Wavex, Signed 16bit PCM

Next you will get a window that allows you to change meta tags, I just click ok on this screen.

Next a screen will pop up that shows the tracks mapped to export channels. You can change this by clicking on the boxes and changing the lines drawn between the tracks and channels. Remember, channel 4 on this screen is mapped to the bass channel.

Here are a couple of screen shots from what I've been doing

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