Locate the sound clip you want to work with
1. Launch the "Sound Effects" Vol. 1, Vol. 2, or "Music
Loops" Browser. If you are on a PISD networked workstation these
icons are located in the "Multimedia" or "Classroom
Tools" directory from your district desktop window.
One of the benefits of using any of the sound effects or music loops
from this particular FTP publishing group set, is that you may use
them, "royalty free" (copyright-friendly) in your classroom-based
multimedia projects, as this is part of the license agreement included
with them.
After the sound clips "browser" is launched your window
should look similar to this:
2. With a pair of headphones or speakers properly attached to your
workstation, use the "search" feature of the sound clips
browser, or navigate through the alphabetical listing, to try out
the various clips.
3. When you locate a sound clip or music loop that you would like
to use or work with, click the "Save" button, located in
the upper right hand corner of the browser's windows. Remember, before
clicking the Save button, first, give your sound clip a short file
name. (So you can remember what it is later.) Do not use any spaces
in the name. Second, be sure that you "navigate" to the
location (drive and/or directory) that you wish to save the file
to. (So you can find it later.) You may want to create a new directory,
like "my audio clips" or "sound files", on your "h:
drive", for saving your sound clips to. When you have selected
the location you want to save to, click "Save"!
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4. Your file is now ready to work with using Audacity or Sound Companion and/or
ready to insert into applications like PowerPoint, HyperStudio, Premiere Elements,
Flash, etc. If you want to edit or combine the sound file with another,
you will want to open Audacity or Sound Companion and continue with
the instructions below. Many times, the sound clips, from the FTC
collection, are ready to insert directly into applications without
editing. For detailed instructions on inserting sound clips into
applications, see the section of this Web site, called, Inserting
Clips.
Working with a selected sound clip
1. Start Sound Companion. It is a sound tool
that is located in the "Multimedia" or "Classroom
Tools" directory on your desktop. |
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After launching the program, maximize its main window by clicking
on the hollow box in the upper right hand corner of the window. Your
desktop should now look similar to this:
2. Go to the File menu and select "Open". Navigate to
the location that the sound file was saved to. Highlight the file,
and click the "Open" button. The Sound Companion window
will now look similar to this:
3. You may want to change the "Sound Format" in order
to save file space. In the Sound Companion main window, go to the Sound menu
and select Sound Format or click on the "settings" box
in the lower left hand corner of the window. Depending on the use
and nature of the sound clip you are preparing, choose the settings
you would like to use. To see some recommended guidelines refer to "settings" on
the Intro & Terms page in this Web site. When done with the
settings, click the Ok button to close the Sound Format window.
4. There are several effects and techniques that can be applied
to sound clips using "Sound Companion". When you are finshed
with applying any changes to the file, proceed with saving it. Remember,
if you want to preserve your original, then choose "Save As" and
give your edited file a different name.
Saving the File
5. Depending on the speed of the computer you are working on, and
how long your sound clip is, don't be surprised if you see the "hour
glass" for a few moments, while Sound Companion processes the
recorded clip. When it is done you will see a screen similar to this:
6. To test (hear) your file, make sure that you have some headphones
or speakers set up and plugged into the correct port (spkr out) on
your computer's sound card (located at the back of the computer).
You also may need to adjust the Windows "Volume" slider,
by clicking once on the sound icon  in
the lower right corner of your desktop and adjusting. (Some headphones/speakers
also have their own volume controls to adjust as well).
7. When ready to listen, click the cursor once,
at the beginning of the "yellow" sound clip (wave),
and then click the black triangle-shaped Play button
at the lower left of the Sound Companion window.
Note: You can start the playback of a sound file, from any
position along the sound wave. Just click the cursor at the
point you want to start listening from. Also, you may want
to here only a certain "portion" of your sound
clip. Do this by highlighting the portion of the sound wave
you wish to hear and then clicking the play button. |
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8. Your file is now ready to insert into applications like PowerPoint,
HyperStudio, VideoWave, etc. For detailed instructions on inserting
your sound clips into applications, see the section of this Web site,
called, Inserting Clips.
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