## Inspiration

As musicians, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our ability to physically perform pieces together in bands, orchestras, and small ensembles. Meeting in online video calls to perform is also difficult due to issues with audio lag. Another option is to record videos individually and then manually edit them together which is a very laborious and painstaking process. This inspired us to create Musync: an app that synchronizes recordings via an easy-to-use interface and efficiently integrates them into a polished video.

## What it does

Each musician creates a Musync account and joins a "class". The lead musician can then upload a lead recording (or a metronomic click-track) for the class to play along with. Each member records himself playing an individual part (while listening to the lead recording with headphones), then uploads the video file to Musync. Our app synchronizes the parts by listening for a distinctive clap at the beginning of each recording. The final output is a synchronized music video which features the musicians on the screen (grouped by instrument).

## How we built it

To create this application, we used Bulma for our frontend CSS framework, Google Cloud Services for our backend, and the ffmpeg file editing library to manipulate the video and audio files. To process the recordings, we start by splitting the mp4 video from each user into a video and audio part. For each of the audio files, we detect the distinctive clap by analyzing spikes in volume and trim the audio and video files at the clap time so they are all synchronized. Then, we overlay the trimmed audio files into a master audio file and arrange the trimmed video.

## Challenges we ran into

One of the hardest part of developing this application was trying to use ffmpeg and the google cloud server because of the time it took to load dependencies each time we loaded the application to test the functionality.
## Inspiration

Our project was inspired by people who don't learn the "old school" way. Some people learn best by reciting things out loud, but the problem with that is sometimes it's too quiet to talk, and sometimes it's too loud to talk.

## What it does

Our project is a website that allows you to create a group with your classmates/coworkers, in which you can record video of yourself silently mouthing out whatever lecture or book you're reading, allowing you to pay full attention without worrying about writing notes, a loud environment, or an environment in which you're not allowed to talk. Our project reads your lips and puts it into text, creating notes for the video you take. Then, with your notes, we summarize your key points and build a quiz so you can focus on the important parts of your work.

## How we built it

For the front end of our website, we used React JS and Chakra. We used Auth0 to create an account system for our project. We used Symphonic Labs' API to read your lips and convert your silent words to text. We used MongoDB to save all your notes to a database in your group. We then used a Cohere API to summarize the key points of the text and make a quiz out of it. We also used an Open AI API to convert mp3 files to text, in case you wanted to record a lecturer or friend speaking, and then convert it to notes and quizzes.

## Challenges we ran into

We tried to get live video transcribing with Symphonic Lab's API using Open CV, but since Open CV was giving us frames of the video, Symphonic Lab's API wasn't able to transcribe it. Instead, we switched to allowing users to record their videos on the site, immediately download them and upload it for transcribing.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are very proud of combining all the complicated API's to create a complete and flowing product, something that all of us will definitely be using for school.

## What we learned

This was our group's first time using more than one API for a project, but it ended up with a website that performs a useful and complicated function, and we will be using multiple APIs in the future!

## What's next for Studying with Hack the North
## Inspiration

Jay, one of the members of our team, has volunteered for the Suicide Helpline in Calgary for 5 years. He is personally very attached and committed to this field and is really passionate about it. The rest of the team has all been affected directly and/or indirectly by depression and suicide.

## What it does

Provide activities, motivational quotes, cute cat and dog pictures, and even provides a hot link to a suicide helpline to help individuals when they need it the most.

## How we built it

Using Android Studio and thus coding in Java.

## Challenges we ran into

Too many to list. This is our first time making an Android application, so even basics of setting up Android Studio (which took 3 hours!!) was challenging. But ultimately, we fought through it with no sleep and got a good project done!

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

Finishing our first Android Studio project!! :)

## What we learned

How to use Android Studio and work as a team.

## What's next for Smile4Real

Continue to improve the product and help tons of people if possible!