Smart Collector

The other day I was in a voiceover live directed session and the director asked me to send both the raw and edited versions of the audio files, each in two different formats. After the session I jumped into my Digital Audio Workstation and began chopping up the session recording. All in, I had 35 audio clips that needed to be exported four times.

Given software constraints this is not as easy as it sounds. I'd have to manually select each one of those 35 clips and add to an export queue, repeating for both versions and both filetypes for a total of 140 clips. That's a lot of clicking, and I wanted to turn this around quickly for the client.

I saved myself the clicking and decided to write a python script that would do everything for me.

When I was in the fifth grade, I started learning how to code. I read a book on the BASIC language, which sounds like it comes with a Pumpkin Spice Latte and contains words like "literally," "I can't even," and "obsessed," but is in fact a real programming language. I wrote a few simple programs, one of which would take the letter grades on my report card and calculate the average.

And thank god I learned how to program! Before this program [a note to readers under 40, programs are old school apps], my poor father would have to calculate the average for himself to award a dollar amount based on the result, but now, through the magic of automation, my program could do the work for him. Surely that was worth an extra few bucks. Due to a persnickety bug, no matter what grades you inputted, it always returned the same result. YOUR AVERAGE IS AN A.

I had no plans to use this knowledge beyond running this little scam. It wasn't exactly top of the list for impressing the babes in my class. "Hey, honey, wanna see some code?" But then, the other day, I thought about breaking it back out.

Not that I could use the exact knowledge, mind you. BASIC couldn't help me in my voiceover editing scenario, but having a minimal understanding of code could. So I wrote a python script—with the help of Chat—to do export. What would have taken me an hour only took me a few minutes. Well, technically it took me two hours to learn how to write the python code and two seconds to click "GO."

There's a story about an algebra teacher responding to a student asking whether he would ever use algebra. "No. Studying algebra is like lifting weights. Chances are, you're never going to need to deadlift a barbell-shaped object outside of the gym, but you might need to lift a couch to help a friend move or a dining room table to help your parents prepare for Christmas dinner." And just as lifting weights keeps your body healthy, studying algebra keeps your mind healthy.

This needs an ending. But that's what editing is for.

Tomorrow!