Adding Sound Effects and Music to an Animation

[Hailfire]

For all of you animators out there, I was wondering how you add music and sound effects to an animation using 3dsmax. I've searched through the help files but it doesn't give me precisely what to do to add a sound file. Thanks for the help.

[Alexander McGee]

Theyre is no realy good way to do it in Max.

I suggest using a post-render editing studio thingie. I prefer Sonic Foundry's Vegas Video, Adobe Premiere, Avid X-Press, and a few others.

[Tyler Olds]

Originally posted by magnasmific
Theyre is no realy good way to do it in Max.

I suggest using a post-render editing studio thingie. I prefer Sonic Foundry's Vegas Video, Adobe Premiere, Avid X-Press, and a few others.

Here is what i found on the help file for playing a basic track (source: User Reference on 3ds max 5)

However like magna said, the best and most recomended thing, is to use a differant program. You'll be able to do a whole lot more with your sound option this way.

[...............]

or if you are tight on money- use NanDub or Cinelerra...

[Ryan Dognaux]

I discovered Adobe Premiere this year, and will probably make music in Acid and edit it in Premiere.

[djcapelis]

Heh, and of course, I also have to mention my favorite program, blender. Which is actually an animation program, but unlike MAX also includes tools for post-processing with completely functional sound and video editors. So you can also edit your sound not just add it to the video output.

Cinelerra and VirtualDub are also good tools. In terms of sound editing, audacity and ardour might be good ideas.

[Hailfire]

Yeah, I do have Audacity and I find it very useful also. Thanks for all the info anyways. I'll look into the programs all of you mentioned.

[rrockafellow]

The only way to edit sound within the 3ds max environment is through a plugin.

the main reason you would want sound in 3ds max would be to animate to the beat of the music. It really isn't for producing final audio for production.

Pro Tools is another audio editor.
http://www.digidesign.com/ptfree/

[Hailfire]

I went to the website you specified and they don't have a version for Windows XP. Also, is there a program that you suggest as far as adding sound effects?

[PhatalEphekt]

Originally Posted by djcapelis

Heh, and of course, I also have to mention my favorite program, blender. Which is actually an animation program, but unlike MAX also includes tools for post-processing with completely functional sound and video editors. So you can also edit your sound not just add it to the video output.

Cinelerra and VirtualDub are also good tools. In terms of sound editing, audacity and ardour might be good ideas.

Blender is awesome!, but in 3dsmax, to add sound you can only add one track, and it starts at frame 0, so if you want pauses there has to be silences in the .wav file, so it gets annoying trying to time it correctly.

I strongly recommend Adobe Premiere(sp) if you can get your hands on it

[Salik Syed]

i have to say...the simplest easiest way of doing it is just doing it in premiere...

[djcapelis]

Originally Posted by Hailfire

I went to the website you specified and they don't have a version for Windows XP. Also, is there a program that you suggest as far as adding sound effects?

Oh, if you were refferring to ardour and cinelerra they're both linux based and not ported to windows. Nor will they likely ever be... ALSA and JACK support holds back ardour, cinelerra won't because they won't likely feel like it...

As for adding sound effects... I'd use audacity or ardour (which ties into quite a few plugin architectures...). That doesn't help you much, but if you browse around sf.net a bit I'm sure you could find something, I was looking at csound earlier... maybe that would help?

[bainbane]

premier is the most simple thing you can do, although personally I like working with soundforge... or if you have pro tools thats even better, albeit sorta overkill

[Koko Ed]

We use Adobe Premiere for editing sound effects (found easily online) and music is made by Acid Express which you can get for free. The kids just love it. It's so fun.

[djcapelis]

Originally Posted by bainbane

premier is the most simple thing you can do, although personally I like working with soundforge... or if you have pro tools thats even better, albeit sorta overkill

How would you know if you? I doubt you've tried every tool. Never say most until you have.

Besides, simple is different for every person. I find switching into one another window in blender and adding the sound file to my animation in a few clicks quite simple myself...