Narrated Powerpoint and Captivate

[rizakag]

Even though I've owned a copy of Captivate for a couple of years (I have version 2), I have really never used it.  I have had to edit a couple of videos done by someone else, but I haven't worked with it extensively.  Times are changing though, and now I think more people are going to want to use Captivate to post and share what are basically narrated Powerpoints.  I really don't think that the numerous subject matter experts, many of whom have limited computer knowledge, will be purchasing their own copies of Captivate.  Obviously I'll need to upgrade to the current version, but... we're having a meeting on this subject soon, and I'll need the answer to this question.

Can the subject matter expert narrate a PPT presentation, using a USB microphone and PPT and then give the finished file to someone who has Captivate to add finishing touches, add other components (such as video clips) and publish?  Basically not everyone will have Captivate and the subject matter experts will need to narrate their own presentations using tools they have available.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I just tested this workflow by recording some narration in PowerPoint, then saving the deck and importing into Captivate.

I have to admit that I was totally shocked at the low quality of the audio PowerPoint gave me. It came into Captivate without issue when I created the project. But when I listened to it in the Captivate preview, it was full of static. I wondered if something about the import process was at fault. So I returned to PPT and previewed. There was static there too!

I returned to Captivate and recorded. HUGE difference in quality! My voice was crystal clear when recorded using Captivate.

Note that I'm not a Power User of PPT, so there may be some settings I failed to change because I didn't know about them. If they exist, they might have allowed me to achieve a different result.

Just thought I'd toss out my own findings. Hopefully others will chime in to offer their own experiences too!

Cheers... Rick

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[JohnstonUser]

If the PPT audio is giving you fits, there's always the option of letting the SME record in a third-party program like Audacity, which gives you extensive control over audio quality and is easy to import into Captivate.  Audacity is also open source, so there aren't massive licensing hassles with multiple installs. 

In my own adventures in audio recording, I've notice that environment makes huge difference.  A real studio is obviously the best (I assume; I've never actually had one available.), but there's also huge differences between one meeting room and another because of racket from outside traffic, heating and cooling systems, induced "buzz" from flourescent lights, etc.  "You never realize how noisy the world is until you try to record." 

It will pay to do some scouting around yourself to find the best location before bringing your SME's in for a final "take."