IMPORTANT: If you can not create Realaudio files, then you must download and install the optional Realaudio plugin from Acoustica @ http://www.acoustica.com/
From the "File" menu, select "Mix Down To" and then select "RealAudio File…" from the submenu. Pick a name for your new RealAudio file.
What is RealAudio™ ?
RealAudio is an audio format, which is highly compressed and small, allowing for real time streaming of audio over the Internet. RealAudio is a proprietary technology owned by RealNetworks, Inc. The latest version of RealAudio is called G2. Its main feature is called SureStream, which allows for multi-rate RealAudio files.
Exporting to RealAudio™.
One of the convenient features of Mixcraft is the ability to instantly render the session into a RealAudio file. Simply select Save As.. from the File menu and change the file type to RealAudio™. Select a filename and select the Save button. This brings up the following dialog… There are several factors to consider.
SureStream vs. Single Rate
SureStream is RealNetwork’s multi-format file. It’s the most important feature of G2. You can create a SureStream file that will work with people connecting through a LAN, in addition to people with bit-pushin’ 28.8 modems! The people with the higher speed connection will be served higher quality audio, while the people with the lower speed connection will be served the "less than perfect" audio. You can have up to six target audiences.
What’s the catch? You need a RealServer G2 for playback! (Your ISP may have a RealServerG2 already setup.)
o Pressing ‘Preview’ will automatically render the first 5 seconds of the session with the selected codec .
o Pressing ‘Fine Tune ’ will bring another dialog, which allows you to fine-tune the selected codec in case the preset codecs don’t sound good.
o Selecting the "Create RealPlayer 5 Compatible Clip" will allow the older RealPlayer 5.0 players to play the clip. It will make the clip slightly larger.
o Single rate files can also be created. These files can also be streamed via a traditional web server, just as if you were downloading a file.
o Pressing ‘Preview’ will automatically render the first 5 seconds of the session of the current codec.
o Pressing Fine Tune will bring another dialog, which allows you to fine-tune the current codec in case the preset codecs don’t sound good.
Target Audience
Who is the target audience? Perhaps, you have a lot of corporate visitors with LANs, but you also have 56K modem users. You might select 2 target audiences (56K Modem and Corporate LAN).
You can select up to 6 different target audiences if you are creating a SureStream. If you are creating a single rate file, you can only select one target audience at a time.
Content Type
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Is your masterpiece music or voice? Or is it voice with background music? If the stereo separation is an important part of the piece, you might select "Stereo Music". The most important test is to simply listen to how it sounds in the various settings. The preview feature makes it very easy to do this. Take advantage of it.
If you are going to eventually include this with a RealSlideshow™ or a RealVideo™, you should uncheck the "Audio Only?" checkbox which will adjust any selected codecs. (It will lower the bit-rates to accommodate other data being downloaded.)
Render All or Selection
One of the cool features of Mixcraft™ is that you can render selections anywhere in your session. Select some sounds and press the RealAudio button. Now you can press the "Render Selection" radio button, which will enable you to render the current selection! This can be very handy if you are curious how a particular segment sounds, but you don’t want to render the entire one hour piece!
Clip Information
This is the information that is stored with the clip. The name of the clip will default to the name of the main Sound Group. The copyright and author information will default from the Miscellaneous information tab in the Preference dialog.
RealAudio Fine Tune Dialog
If you choose to fine-tune a codec, it will bring up this dialog (fig17b). You may choose a different codec and preview it. The bit-rate, frequency response, compatibility information and a detailed description are displayed as you switch between different codecs. It will not allow you to exceed the maximum bit-rate for the target audience you are tuning.
Note: It may take awhile for the RealAudio file to be completely rendered, depending on the power of your computer and the length of the session. You may hit the cancel button to escape a lengthy encoding.
Creating the RealAudio File (.ra)
After you are happy with the settings, you should press the Save button on the main RealAudio dialog. Pick a filename and press "Save". It may take awhile for the RealAudio file to be completely rendered, depending on the power of your computer and the length of the session. You may hit the cancel button to escape a lengthy encoding. By default, after it is finished encoding, it will play the newly rendered file.
Optimizing your sound for RealAudio™
You may be wondering, "how can I improve the way that my RealAudio files sound?" The rule of thumb is to not make your Sound Groups too quiet. If you feel they are too loud, simply turn your speakers down. You will notice substantial improvements if the volume levels are kept as high as possible.
If you have an external editor that can "compress" the sound, this may also help for RealAudio conversion. This is not the file type compression. This is referring to dynamic amplitude compression. Basically it takes the low parts of your sound and makes them louder, as well as taking the loud parts and making them quieter.
Uploading it to the Internet.
Mixcraft™ does not upload or publish the file to the Internet by itself. You will find that most WEB page creation programs have this type of feature built in. You may also choose to use a ftp program to upload the RealAudio file.
Check the "Links" page on Acoustica for some links to sites that have useful information on uploading RealAudio files!