Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- audio [2022/12/27 17:11] – created nightmarelyra
+++ audio [2025/07/08 00:39] (current) – nightmarelyra
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 :!: WORK IN PROGRESS :!:
+====== ☆ AUDIO ======
-==== Audio Quality ====
+This page will help you with setting up the audio used in-game and for charting.
+------------------------------------------------
+==== ☆ Audio Quality ====
 Its important to use audio that will sound good in game, and be of high enough fidelity where you can actually tell whats going on when charting. Unless no better audio exists, you never wanna go below a 320kbps MP3 in sound quality. Here are some audio sources we recommend:
@@ Line 10: / Line 15: @@
 We highly discourage ripping audio from YouTube unless no other audio source exists. Please support the artists also.
+------------------------------------------------
+==== ☆ In-game Audio ====
+After getting good quality audio of the song you want to chart, you want to import it into Reaper. Simply drag and drop it to an empty audio track in your project. Before editing the audio further we recommend setting up the tempo map.
+------------------------------------------------
+=== Count-in ===
+[[tempomap|Once the audio is lined up properly]], you'll want to add a count-in to your song unless it already has one naturally. In most cases, this means a drum sample going "1, 2, 1-2-3-4" leading up to the first beat of the song.
+If you have multitracks or DIY stems, sampling a hi-hat, ride or stick hit from the song itself usually sounds pretty good. Please do not use the techno hi-hat sample that comes with Reaper, it will sound off for anything that isn't techno.
+If a song has a different time signature than 4/4 to start with, you should try matching the count-in to that. For example, a 3/4 rhythm would be "1, 2, 1-2-3-1-2-3".
+------------------------------------------------
+=== Mixing ===
+If charting a modern fully produced song, you rarely have to do any mixing. However, for older songs and for multi-tracks you might have to make it louder so it won't be drowned out by the crowd effects in-game.
+To make a track louder without making the audio clip and sound bad, click on the **FX button** and add the **"JS: LOSER/MGA_JSLimiter"** effect to it. Set the **"Release (ms)"** slider to 1.0 and the **"Ceiling"** slider to -0.5, then drag the **"Threshold (dB)"** down to increase the volume. For unmixed stems and very quiet audio, -5.0 Threshold tends to be a good volume to make it pop.
+In cases where a part of the song is too quiet, such as a really soft interlude or intro, you can use what is called a **Track Envelope** to make that specific part louder without messing up the rest of the mix. Click the button on the lower left corner of the track with the little **"^"** sign on it, and check the button that says **"Volume"** in the popup menu. Now right click and select **"Create new point"** around the beginning and end of the section you want louder. You'll want 2 points on each side. Then click and drag the green line between the points up to increase the volume of that section. Tinker with it until you're happy with the results.
+If working with multitracks, you can use EQ to make the Bass stem cut more through the mix. Add the **"VST: ReaEQ (Cockos)"** effect to your track, then at the default settings click on the ball that says **"3"**. Then increase **"Gain (dB)"** by between 3 and 6, and set the **"Bandwidth (oct)"** slide to 0.50. This will make the "attack" sound of the Bass stand out more, making it easier to hear in-game when playing.
+If working with entirely unmixed multitracks, we recommend looking up audio mixing tutorials on YouTube or asking someone for help as it is way too much for us to cover on this page. If push come to shove, remember that audio quality always should be the priority over just having multitracks in-game, so if it turns out impossible to mix them well just use them for reference while charting and use the CD mix in Magma.
+------------------------------------------------
+=== Rendering ===
+{{ :wiki_-_render_settings.jpg?400|}}Once everything is done, click and drag your mouse at the top of the screen where the numbers for the beats are, and mark the beginning and end of the song. Then, click **File > Render...** where you'll export your audio. Here are the settings you'll want to use:
+  * **Sample rate:** 44100hz
+  * **Channels:** Stereo
+  * **Resample mode (if needed):** Best (384pt Sinc - VERY SLOW)
+  * **Output format:** WAV
+  * **WAV bit depth:** 16 bit PCM
+Pick a file name and directory and leave the other settings alone, then click the button that says **"Render 1 file..."** to start the render. If you have a modern computer it shouldn't take very long. Once its finished, click the "Open file location" button on the window to see the folder where you put your file. After this, you'll want to put it into your Magma project.
+------------------------------------------------
+==== ☆ DIY Stems ====
+For songs without multitracks available, DIY stems are very helpful for hearing what is going on in the song better, and on rare occasions might even be good enough to use in-game. Here is how to make those:
+=== Full DIY - MVSEP ===
+A website which has the newest modules available, though with a waiting que unless you pay them:
+  - Go to https://mvsep.com/en
+  - Log in, or make an account if you haven't already
+  - Drag and drop your audio, use the "BS Roformer SW" module, select FLAC and then click separate
+  - Wait for it to finish and then download
+=== Full DIY - Demucs ===
+This can be done without waiting for a que, but is not as good as the most up to date MVSEP modules:
+  - Open this website: https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1dC9nVxk3V_VPjUADsnFu8EiT-xnU1tGH#scrollTo=kMKN9BN4r37E
+  - Click the first box that says !pip install demucs. If you get a message saying the notebook is unauthorized, hit "Run anyway".
+  - After it finishes, don't click the second box, it's not important.
+  - The third box has customizable options, including a toggle for MP3 output for the stems (which you want to set to "False" if you want lossless stems), and an option to set Demucs to only output two stems. Click the third box.
+  - Click the next box that says "Useful functions, don't forget to execute"
+  - Skip the second to last box.
+  - Then, click the last box. Now you should get a dialog box prompting you to choose an audio file. Choose the song you want to generate DIY stems from.
+  - And now, sit back. Grab a snack, take a break, and let Demucs do its thing. It'll take a while, so cue Jeopardy theme! After a while, a ZIP file containing your stems should start downloading.
+And there you go, now you've got DIY stems to help you with charting!
+------------------------------------------------
+=== Center Canceling & Isolation ===
+This process requires Audacity, which you can get here: https://www.fosshub.com/Audacity-old.html
+We recommend version 2.3.0
+  - Select all audio (CTRL+A)
+  - Go to Effect -> Vocal Removal and Isolation
+  - Select "Remove Center"
+  - After it's done adding the effect, export as the desired audio format
+Also make sure to do the same with "Isolate Center," which brings out the center channel, which is helpful for bass and snare/kick drums