Getting soundbite region for VocAlign Project 3

[TnMike]

I'm demoing VocAlign Project 3 standalone with DP 9 and I think it's going to be great. I am running VocAlign Project 3 at the same time as DP, and the built-in menu in DP for VocAlign works great.
However, I can't seem to "set guide" by selecting a vocal soundbite phrase without double clicking on the soundbite in the sequence editor to expose the raw soundbite (black waveform on white background). This works great to set for "guide" file but I have to have the same selection region to set for the "dub" track. There are no selection markings when in the raw waveform so I am having to guess when I select the dub track waveform.
Is there a way to highlight a raw soundbite selection (double clicking on the waveform in the sequence editor until it is a black waveform on a white background) and copying the selection so to paste it on to another track? Am I making sense? It doesn't work with VocAlign by simply highlighting the waveform in the sequence editor. VocAlign seems to need the raw soundbite waveform (black with white background).
I'm sure I'm overlooking something simple...thanks in advance for your help...
Mike

[davidh]

Just a thought - are you trying to align stereo soundbites?
I had the same problem as you the other day when someone for whatever reason sent me some stereo vocal files instead of mono. I found then, that for stereo tracks, Vocalign would not accept either the guide or dub by simply selecting a soundbite in the SE or TO. If the soundbites are mono you can select the soundbites fine that way without having to double-click the soundbite as you describe.
You CAN set the guide and dub from stereo soundbites by double clicking as you suggest, however despite the Vocalign documentation saying that it will align and spot by processing only the left channel of a stereo soundbite, that doesn't seem to work here. Stick with good ol' mono - and maybe also remind people who use other DAW's that vocals should be recorded in mono anyway

[TnMike]

Thanks for the info. David, but I record vocals in mono (don't know why in stereo unless for an effect of some sorts). Selecting waveforms in the sequencer editor only seems to work if they are split up in the rest of the track. In other words, if I want to select certain phrases in a lead vocal that needs the harmony tightened up, both the lead vocal and harmonies need to be sectioned out as separate soundbites in the sequence editor. Just highlighting the phrase doesn't seem to work (it would be great if it did). It has to have the yellow box around the separate soundbite. My merged lead vocal now has to be cut into separate soundbites in order to select certain phrases...and the harmonies as well.
I hope I'm making sense and I hope it is something simple I am overlooking. I am running DP 9 on Intel Mac Pro Yosemite and VocAlign Project 3.1.4.
Thanks again for any help...Mike

[davidh]

My merged lead vocal now has to be cut into separate soundbites in order to select certain phrases...and the harmonies as well.

Hi Mike
Yes you are correct - the phrases you wish to align need to be separate soundbites, ideally the guide and dub soundbites being the same length. It's actually a pretty quick process once you get used to it, especially if you assign some DP key commands to the Vocalign menu items in DP's Audio menu and use DP's default Cmd-Y ("Split") across several tracks to create matching soundbite lengths for use as your guide and dub tracks.
Cheers
David

[TnMike]

Thank you David,
I appreciate you letting me know this information. I have been using VocAlign for a few days now and it IS getting easier cutting up the soundbites. It seems like you know a lot about using VocAlign with DP. I have another question if you don't mind...
If I select a soundbite (lead vocal phrase) that I want to use as my guide, and harmony #1 as the dub, do I have to erase the harmony #1 from the "dub" track after I align it (in order to copy harmony #2 into the "dub"?) In other words, does the "copy dub" function "ADD" to the dub file, or replace it?

Also, I haven't checked yet, but I am guessing there are "write in" key commands for the VocAlign menu functions?

Thanks again,
Mike
DP 9.01 Intel/Mac Pro Yosemite

[davidh]

I'm not sure what you mean by "copy dub" function, but yes, when you choose "Align and Spot Audio", the source soundbite you choose for the dub gets automatically replaced in it's DP track by the newly aligned version of itself. Remember if you have several stacked harmonies, to save time you can set the next dub and align it in one operation by using VocAlign's "Set Dub, Align and Spot Audio"

Re key Commands - choose "Commands" from DP's Setup menu. Scroll down to very near the bottom of the list to find the VocAlign items to which you can assign your own key commands. See DP manual pp 93/94.

Also, have you read this by the way?
http://www.synchroarts.com/AppSupport/V ... former.htm