Where did my audio go?

Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/23/2024, 1:10 PM

I'm about to give up on Movie Studio. Every time I go to do something it fails.
First it took me 30 minutes to figure out the Text editor to change the color of my text and I still don't know how to work that with any certainty, what is the circle and triangle with the separate dot things? Why can't it be simple?

Now I went to record some voice over and kept the last take, but when I played it back it had a couple of things wrong so I wanted to re-do it, but it is nowhere to be found. I am working in storybook mode, because that is easiest for me. But there is no audio track under the video like there was in Video Easy. I tried clicking all kinds of things to make it appear, but no luck. I switched to timeline mode thinking that would do it, but no and what a mess that mode is! I will never use it.

The book shows where the audio track is below the video, but it must be a different version of Movie Studio than what I have (I have the newest 2025 Platinum). The book doesn't go over steps and details very well.
I had to scrap the entire thing instead of just re-doing the audio.
Maybe the audio track only shows if one is adding music (not going to happen as far as I know) and not for voice over.
If there is a secret to this please let me know.

Also does anyone know of college courses or something in how to use Movie Studio or something I can take for one to two semesters to learn how to do this, just the basics? I can't learn it by watching YouTube, I do not have a photographic memory. The program certainly is not intuitive at all, by any stretch.

I'm getting of the opinion, that I should not be attempting YouTube. It is super hard. It looked fairly easy on paper keeping it real simple, but there may be no such thing as simple when it comes to that.

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Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/26/2024, 10:38 AM

I have started watching the tutorial videos. I watched the ones on the Magix site and they are just advertisements and don't really show or explain anything. The ones here you guys referred me to are better, but so far I fount the Getting Started #2 too fast at first and was going to ask how to slow it down, but then I watched all the way through to the end and the speed made sense. I am focused on the weeds while the video is really an overview. I'm always doing that, "focusing on the weeds or the trees and missing the forest".

Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/26/2024, 12:20 PM

I have watched the getting started videos where I learned that I can make the Timeline mode to where I can see it, yay! I think that bit may have been resolved now. Although, I am still deathly frightened of it. Too many buttons and such. First thing I am doing is reducing it to four tracks and even that may be too many.

However, watching the first basic editing tutorial was not such a good idea on my part. Judging by what was shown I learned that Timeline mode appears to be far too difficult to work in for me, it is super confusing. About 96% of what was shown I will never be needing or doing. The only useful thing is having the audio (voiceover) on track #2 (provided I can edit within the program by just deleting the voiceover I did and re-recording) and the fade in/ fade out bit. Not to mention the "undo" button, which if I try working in Timeline mode will wear out, because it will be the only thing I end up using and I will never finish a video. The rest may have well been in a language I do not speak. I will never be making such complicated "movies" an will not be burning to a disc. I have no desire to become a Hollywood movie editor or whatever. I have zero interest in trying to edit or do anything with voiceover audio in a separate program (Magix Music thingy, Audacity, SoundForge Audio Cleaning Lab, etc.) and then trying to put it back in or whatever. To me that is physically impossible.

Suffice it to say I will be asking more detailed questions about stuff, only those things I need to use.

I'm only doing simple stuff: Single photo with voiceover in real time individually in a small group or single shot and maybe linking 2 or 3 photos together in one "movie" or something.

Screen shots or preferably screen video with me talking about the program I am showing. (I have a screen recorder program and I will need to figure out how to get what I do in it into the video editor, but that's later). Unless one can record ones screen (very simply) in Movie Studio itself with voiceover in real time.

The only other thing I'm doing (which will be the majority) is shooting actual video with a camcorder in real time where everything will be embedded and no way to edit separately and just loaded into the editor put a title to it (maybe an intro, maybe not) and maybe a still photo or two inserted someplace if needed and possible and that's it. No voiceovers or anything, not even royalty free music (I'm not trying to make super entertaining videos, but rather more serious science type ones nobody will likely want to watch anyway). Just WYSIWYG. If there are any mistakes with those then it will be re-recorded from scratch. The Movie Studio would be primarily used to save in MP4 format for posting (which with recent news I heard about "a change to the algorithm", may not happen until next year?) Provided I'm still around.

johnebaker wrote on 6/26/2024, 2:22 PM

@Eric-Elliott

Hi Eric

. . . . record ones screen (very simply) in Movie Studio . . . .

This is possible, however depending on which program you are using and wanting to record you may be better off using a dedicated screen recorder.

Which screen recorder do you have?

I have 3 different screen recorders to handle various 'issues/conflicts' depending on what application I am recording on screen.

John EB

Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/26/2024, 2:45 PM

@Eric-Elliott

Hi Eric

. . . . record ones screen (very simply) in Movie Studio . . . .

This is possible, however depending on which program you are using and wanting to record you may be better off using a dedicated screen recorder.

Which screen recorder do you have?

I have 3 different screen recorders to handle various 'issues/conflicts' depending on what application I am recording on screen.

John EB

I think I have a couple, but I have the latest, Ashampoo's Snap 16 I just got last month or so. I have not had a chance to look at them as I am not near ready to do those videos. One I plan on doing is showing the cataloging program I use, but that will be down the road.

Gid wrote on 6/26/2024, 2:56 PM

I have watched the getting started videos where I learned that I can make the Timeline mode to where I can see it, yay! I think that bit may have been resolved now. Although, I am still deathly frightened of it. Too many buttons and such. First thing I am doing is reducing it to four tracks and even that may be too many.

@Eric-Elliott I guess you never bothered to watch my video in my last comment...

Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/26/2024, 4:06 PM

I have watched the getting started videos where I learned that I can make the Timeline mode to where I can see it, yay! I think that bit may have been resolved now. Although, I am still deathly frightened of it. Too many buttons and such. First thing I am doing is reducing it to four tracks and even that may be too many.

@Eric-Elliott I guess you never bothered to watch my video in my last comment...

True, I have not, YET, but I will. I was watching the Getting Started ones and decided to go on to the first "editing" one while I was there. I'm watching yours next chance I get though. It takes me a bit to take in all the info you and John and others have given, it is quite a bit. I have printed out your comments as well so I can follow along.

Eric-Elliott wrote on 6/27/2024, 10:41 AM

Hi Gid,

I watched your video and looked at the pics. I like how one can use the mouse to resize the timeline tracks (I will be using that like crazy). I also see that using the mouse for placement and such is not much different from what I do in Audacity. That said, for nearly everything else I do prefer the keyboard.

I also love the "undo" button as shown in the tutorial vids, I will be using that a lot I'm sure.

As for recording voice over separately, I do not have two cameras or a way to do that and it would be near impossible for me to sync it up even if I did. I have to do voiceover in real time in the same program. (I don't do Smartphone, they are awful at everything, useless. I hate them. I have one by force, but I rarely even power it up. Mine doesn't do video anyway = not enough memory for more than 60 seconds and takes the worst pictures ever). I'm extremely old school, if I could have an old push button or dial phone I would. I like tasks to have separate tools, the right tool for the right job. I'd rather have a closet full of one trick ponies than a device that does everything. (I think that is also why I love steampunk so much).