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SmartSound Sonicfire ProHe Shoots, He Scores!By Peter BohushJULY 2001 -- Sonic Desktop Software, maker of SmartSound for Multimedia, has made its nearly perfect software even better with the introduction of SmartSound Sonicfire Pro. Most noticable in this new product is the ability to import QuickTime movies to view the video as users build their audio effects and music. This gives editors real-time previewing of the video and music.
Until SmartSound for Multimedia came along, editors and producers had two choices for adding music to their productions: hire a composer to create custom music, or purchase some buy-out music and fade it out to fit the length of the music cues. SmartSound changed that with their software that allows users to create music of many styles to specific time cues. A lite version of SmartSound, called Quicktracks, ships with Adobe Premiere 6. Sonicfire Pro greatly improves on SmartSound’s audio editing capabilities. Users can cut blocks of SmartSound music files; edit multiple segments of audio and video, leaving silence in between; import and edit their own music files; and export just the music or the complete with music and the sound from the QuickTime movie – effectively performing a final audio mix right in Sonicfire Pro. Music, Maestro!Using the Maestro process, Sonicfire Pro’s soundtrack-building wizard, users indicate preferences such as style, theme and timing of the music cue. Sonicfire Pro offers several choices to preview – all built to the exact length specified by the user – from the user’s SmartSound music library. There are more than 30 music CDs available, with more introduced each four to six weeks. Getting through the Maestro process takes only a few minutes – mostly spent listening to the various music arrangements the software creates. When a user exits the Maestro and enters the Editor screen, a custom soundtrack is imported in the length specified. Many times the only step left is to export the file as a WAV or AIFF to import into a non-linear editor. With an imported QuickTime video file, editors can preview the Maestro’s arrangements and make changes to the timeline placement and the audio files, ensuring that the exported file is perfect for inclusion into the final project. New FeaturesIf a user wants to refine or change the music soundtrack, the Editor allows complete editing of the music blocks used in the soundtrack. Sonicfire Pro builds the music cues from the blocks of music within each library. (Users can even mix and match libraries in the Editor to create custom music.) The music blocks are segments of longer pieces, which the software can manipulate to create the unlimited number of custom music soundtracks. Introduced in Sonicfire Pro is volume rubber banding. Users can now Command (or Control)-Click on the volume band to create handles which can be moved up or down to modify the volume within the music segments. Since there is no dB level indicator in Sonidfire Pro, this feature is not as accurate as it is in NLEs such as Premiere or Final Cut Pro, but is useful in many situations. Unlike SmartSound for Multimedia, which allowed users to work on only one music cue at a time, Sonicfire Pro adds a markers feature that allows for multiple soundtracks within the same project file. So an entire video sequence can be scored and exported as one audio file. Users can import and edit their own music files, too, including MP3. Sonicfire Pro will automatically edit non-SmartSound music files to fit any time frame. Users can also cut and fade their own music files manually in the timeline. A Sound SolutionI found Sonicfire Pro to be robust, feature-packed and a real time-saver. In fact, I have scored several projects almost entirely with SmartSound and Sonicfire Pro. The music libraries offer a diversity of musical styles and arrangements that can suit features, shorts, corporates and commercials. There are about 40 music cues in my movie Geezers, from ragtime to big band, rap, Texas rock and tear-jerkers, and the SmartSound libraries filled almost all the music needs. There are some quirks to Sonicfire Pro, as in almost all software products. I was at times confused in the new interface whether I should be working in the Soundtrack or Blocking tabs – it wasn’t always clear what each of these sections was for. The name of the project doesn’t appear in the user interface when in Editing mode. Instead, the generic Timeline appeared in the header. I had to search the help file to find out how to create handles in the volume band. A link under the Window menu led to my installed version of Quicktracks – and opened it up within Sonicfire Pro for a double dose of confusion. (What was I creating? What file format should I export from Quicktracks Score Movie wizard?) Note: SmartSound CEO Kevin Klingler wrote me that this "feature" was being removed from future versions. And exporting always includes the audio from the imported video file – unless you manually turn down the audio slider or click the (unlabeled) checkbox in the video window prior to export. Sonicfire Pro utilizes QuickTime’s exporting capabilities, so it could be a plus or minus that a user will be faced with a myriad of exporting choices, including export as self-contained QuickTime movies, audio files and even exporting the sound file as a picture! Still, Sonicfire Pro leads the way for soundtrack editing. No other product comes close to offering the power, versatility and creative freedom of Sonicfire Pro. For productions that can’t hire a composer and orchestra, Sonicfire Pro is the only way to score. SmartSound Sonicfire Pro from Sonic Desktop Software, is available for Macintosh and Windows in two versions. The standard Sonicfire Pro package is $349 and includes the application as well as the Dimensions Audio Palette of music, featuring a wide range of musical styles, and The Edge Series Volume 1: Techno/Dance. All music is 44.1kHz source. The Sonicfire Pro bundle is $499, and includes the standard package plus two additional music CDs, Maximum Action and Scoring Essentials Audio Palettes. -30- Peter Bohush comes in two versions, also. The Standard version for home use includes mowing the grass and taking out the garbage. The Pro version includes writing, directing and consulting services for corporate clients and is available online at www.WriterDirector.com.
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