MV_Concat - Special Instructions

Using MV_Concat to Split, Reduce, or Make Selections of Messages/Projects

NOTE: The MegaVoice people use the word "message" to describe a completed unit of audio - the Gospel of John, or the whole New Testament, or a set of AIDS awareness lessons, or a even a bracket of songs could be considered a message. The authors of MV_Concat chose to use the word "project" to describe the same thing.

MV_Concat was designed as a tool to easily join individual MegaVoice projects (for instructions on doing this, run MV_Concat and click Help > Instructions). However without too much effort MV_Concat will facilitate the joining of selections from various individual projects, and also will facilitate the splitting of large projects into a couple of smaller projects. The latter case might be needed if one has some legacy small-memory MV players and would want to par down a message to fit that limited player.

Note that above I wrote "without too much effort". The process isn't as automatic as the MV_Concat join operation, but requires a little prior manual manipulation of the messages/projects to be acted up by MV_Concat. Essentially what must be done first is the deletion of files in the MV-processed project(s) leaving only those sound portions that you want in the final product. So for a "split" or paring down of a single project, take out the files you don't want leaving the minimized project, and for a joining of selections from various projects, take out the parts from each project you don't want in the final joined product.

So now, in some detail...

General Rules

An MV project is identifiable by the <project name>.mvh file contained in the same folder as all the audio files that have the 'books', 'chapters' and 'verses'. All those files have .bin at the end of them. If they have .wav or anything else you are in the wrong place!
Work on copies of the original MV-processed projects.

Leave the 'book' name file in each folder (can be blank) and make sure you have the appropriate 'chapter' level files associated with the 'verses' you leave. If you must, you can leave a level out, but the arrow button won't work at that point! An example:

	01511-1pe001-tn_C.bin                 <--- book
	01511-1pe001-tnC001_C.bin             <--- chapter
	01511-1pe001-tnC001F0001_C.bin        <--- 'verses' associated with chapter
	01511-1pe001-tnC001F0002_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC001F0003_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC001F0004_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC002_C.bin             <--- another chapter, etc
	01511-1pe001-tnC002F0001_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC002F0002_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC002F0003_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC002F0004_C.bin
	01511-1pe001-tnC002F0005_C.bin

You must provide a an empty destination folder that starts with the underscore character. E.g. "_Reduced John", or "_2nd half Acts" or "_Selections from Hebrews & James".

Split / Reduce

A split operation has two functions:
1) To split a larger project into two or more projects.
2) To reduce the size of a project into a single smaller project.
The two functions are essentially the same.

To split into two or more small projects:
• Make a couple of copies of the original folders.
• Delete complementary files in both (or more) of the folders.
• Run MV_Concat on both of them individually.
Result = two (or more) projects with correct, but complementary file structure.

To reduce to one cut-down project:
• Delete the files you don't want.
• Run MV_Concat to build the correct file structure.
Note:
» When running MV_Concat with only one project (which is what you are doing in the above cases) you will get an error telling you so, but asking you whether you want to proceed anyway. Answer in the affirmative.
» Because you have deleted files from folders, MV_Concat will object with a further error message. Choose the offered option to ignore all future errors and all will be well.

Join Selections from Multiple Projects

To join selections from multiple MV projects:
• Make sure you are working on copies of the original MV-processed project folders.
• Delete the files you don't want from the various projects, leaving the ones you do want.
• Run MV_Concat to build the correct file structure, adding all the modified projects that contain the selections. Because you have deleted files from folders, MV_Concat will object with an error message. Choose the offered option to ignore all future errors and all will be well.

Questions of clarification should be communicated via the Feedback form.