作者：George Hufnagl

简介

当制作包含有限音频空间的项目时，如手机应用、浏览器游戏或包装电子设备/玩具时，压缩出尽可能多的空间，以满足或超出项目预期非常必要。从音频设计师的角度来看，这能够通过各种方式压缩音频文件实现。当处理包含沉默间隔或调回重复音频的线性音频时，我们可以通过在Pro Tools session中编辑内容节省宝贵空间，输出结果文件及session数据配合编程工作。虽然辨别和编辑这两个元素的过程各不相同，但他们的执行功能基本一致。在文章第一部分，我将主要谈论入门指南，保持组织性，辨别及移除沉默间隔。

入门指南

必要条件：

* Pro-Tools（游戏邦注：本指南基于Pro Tools 9）

* 线性音频（如会话）

* Playlist Dividers和Mutes（你可以自己创建的简短沉默文件）

* 访问电子表格软件（本指南采用Excel表格）

* 互相理解的程序员

本指南所用的例子是旨在帮助孩子通过背诵学习德语算数的项目。这由28个不同音频文件构成，包含会话和音频效果。只由会话构成的文件模式如下：

音频文件例子1：“Eins. / Zähl bis / eins. / Eins. / Wow!”

音频文件例子2：“Zwei. / Zähl bis / zwei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Gut gemacht!”

音频文件例子3：“Drei. / Zähl bis / drei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Drei. / Super!”

翻译：

音频文件例子1：”One. / Count to / one. / One. / Wow!”

音频文件例子2：”Two. / Count to / two. / One. / Two. / Well done!”

音频文件例子3：”Three. / Count to / three. / One. / Two. / Three. / Great!”

不考虑沉默间隔或重复音频，项目音频总数超过3分半钟。查看下图：

pic 01 from gamasutra.com

由于没有足够空间容纳音频总量，寻找方式削减内容非常必要。

通过“Playlist Divider”保持组织性

当着手这类项目（游戏邦注：在此多个音频文件在单个音轨中进行编辑）时，要辨别文件开头和结尾非常困难。因此，我利用最近创建的“Playlist Divider”。这是放置于各独立音频文件初始的无声界限，旨在维持session和结果文件的组织性。查看下图：

Playlist Divider from gamasutra.com

“+”符号用于将Playlist Divider保存在REGIONS文件列表的顶部位置，便于访问。下面是它在Pro Tools session中的应用范例。查看下图：

Implemented Playlist Dividers from gamasutra.com

文件的中间系列似乎是独立的，但它们都是同个文本行的组成要素。通过Playlist Divider，“Drei. / Zähl bis / drei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Drei. / Super!”行将脱离其前后内容。待到输出session时，这一组织方式将是格式化信息的关键。

更替沉默间隔

边注：虽然经历此编辑过程，但我建议维持“SHUFFLE”模式，以在移除和替换沉默间隔时保留空间的完整性。

假设项目的音频获得执行许可，那么现在是时候该辨别和移除沉默间隔。由于我需要替项目节约空间，我将沉默间隔设定在10毫秒，或是更大间隔。这些间隔能够同新创建的文件“Mutes”替换，这是与移除间隔时长相同的虚拟沉默文件。查看下图：

Dummy “Mutes” from gamasutra.com

和Playlist Divider一样，文件名初始的“_” 用于将Mutes保存于REGIONS文件列表的顶部，便于访问。

边注：在移除沉默音频的过程中，你有若干选择：

* 利用“Strip Silence”编辑工具。这是自动批量移除沉默音频的绝佳方式。若你采用这一方式，你需要执行另一步骤，突出文件之间的当前空白空间，以判断在此放置什么长度的Mute。查看下图：

“Strip Silence”和间隔时长 from gamasutra.com

* 若你想要在编辑单个音频文件上享有更多决定权，不妨选择Pro Tools的“Selector Tool”。这样你就可以手动突出及剪切沉默音频，将其替换成Mutes。

下面是个采用此过程的音频范例。查看下图：

包含沉默间隔的原始音频 from gamasutra.com

移除沉默音频，以Mutes替代 from gamasutra.com

假设移除的是超过500毫秒的沉默音频，我连续堆放Mutes以填补额外空间（例如，500ms+125ms）。配合各种沉默音频情形非常耗时，所以我发现从Mutes的基本调色板着手简单许多，然后根据需要创建内容。

这一过程会持续循环，直到所有文件都完成，这一过程之后的编辑文件外观如下：

pic 02 from gamasutra.com

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Saving Space with Linear Audio in Pro Tools (Part 1)

by George Hufnagl

This blog was originally posted on Creating Sound. Additional information about the author and website can be found at CreatingSound.com

INTRODUCTION

When working on projects with limited audio space, such as apps for mobile, browser-based games or packaged electronics/toys, it is often necessary to squeeze as much out of that space as possible in order to meet or exceed the expectations of the project. From the standpoint of the sound designer, this is likely achieved through compressing the sound files in various ways. However, when working with linear audio that contains gaps of silence or recalls repeated audio, precious space can be saved by editing within your Pro Tools session and exporting the resultant files and session data for programming. While the processes for identifying and editing these two elements are different, their functionality in implementation is essentially the same. In Part 1, I cover the process for getting started, staying organized, and identifying and removing silent gaps.

GETTING STARTED

What’s needed:

* Pro-Tools (This tutorial is conducted in Pro Tools 9)

*Linear audio (e.g Dialogue)

* Playlist Dividers and Mutes (Short, silent files that you can create yourself, or download this .zip file)

* Access to spreadsheet software (This tutorial uses Excel)

* An understanding programmer

The example in this tutorial refers to a project I worked on that was intended to help children learn to count in German through repetition. It consists of 28 different sound files, comprising both dialogue and sound effects. Of the files that consist of only dialogue, many follow this pattern:

Sound File Example 1: “Eins. / Zähl bis / eins. / Eins. / Wow!”

Sound File Example 2: “Zwei. / Zähl bis / zwei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Gut gemacht!”

Sound File Example 3: “Drei. / Zähl bis / drei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Drei. / Super!”

Translation:

Sound File Example 1: “One. / Count to / one. / One. / Wow!”

Sound File Example 2: “Two. / Count to / two. / One. / Two. / Well done!”

Sound File Example 3: “Three. / Count to / three. / One. / Two. / Three. / Great!”

Without regard for silent gaps or repetitious audio, the sum total of the audio for this project would have been over three and half minutes. See below:
Since there was not enough space to accommodate that amount of audio, it was imperative that I find a way to cut down.

STAYING ORGANIZED WITH THE “PLAYLIST DIVIDER”

When working on projects like this in which multiple sound files will be edited within a track, discerning where files begin and end can be difficult. Therefore, I use a newly-created file I call the “Playlist Divider.” This is a silent demarcation placed at the beginning of each separate sound file to keep the session and resulting documentation organized. See below:

The “+” sign is used to keep the Playlist Divider at the top of the REGIONS file list for easy access. Here is an example of its use within the Pro Tools session. See below:

The middle series of files appear to be separate, but they are all part of the same line of text. With the help of the Playlist Dividers, the line “Drei. / Zähl bis / drei. / Eins. / Zwei. / Drei. / Super!” stands apart from the others that precede and succeed it. When it comes time to export the session, this organization will be key in formatting the information, which will be addressed later in this tutorial.

REPLACING SILENT GAPS

Side Note: While going through this editing process, I recommend staying in “SHUFFLE” mode to retain the integrity of the space when removing and replacing silent gaps.

Assuming the project’s audio has been approved for implementation, it’s time to start identifying and removing the gaps of silence. Because of the amount of space I needed to save for this project, I accounted for gaps of silence starting at 10 milliseconds and greater. These gaps are identified and replaced with newly-created files called “Mutes,” which are just dummy, silent files of nearly the exact same length as the removed gaps. See below:

Like the Playlist Divider, the “_” at the beginning of the filename is used to keep the Mutes at the top of the REGIONS file list for easy access.

Side Note: When in the process of removing the silence, you have a couple options:

* Use the “Strip Silence” edit tool. If unfamiliar with it, there is a great explanation of how that works here. In short, it’s a great way to remove silence en masse through automation. If you follow this route, you will need to take an additional step by highlighting the now empty space between files to determine what length of Mute to put in its place. See below:

* If you want more control over editing individual sound files, select Pro Tools’ “Selector Tool.” You can then manually highlight and cut the silence and then replace it with Mutes.

Let’s take a look at an example of audio that was treated with this process. See below:

For instances where more than 500 milliseconds of silence was removed, I stacked the Mutes contiguously to make up for the extra space (e.g. 500ms + 125ms). Accommodating for every instance of silence is time-consuming, so I find it easier to start with a basic palette of Mutes and build as needed.

This process is repeated until all files are complete, after which the edited files may look like this:（Source：gamasutra）