Thursday, July 16, 2009
Congratulations!
We saw some extraordinary work today. Thank you all for creating unforgettable images and sounds. I feel lucky to have had the chance to work with each of you.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
DVD Authoring Tutorial
EXPORTING YOUR VIDEO FROM FCP 5.1.2
1. We’re going to export our movie to Compressor because it’s the best encoder, and it will give us the best quality DVD image.
2. In your timeline, get your project to look exactly as you would like it appear on the DVD. Go to Mark IN to mark the start, and Mark OUT to mark the end. Then Render ALL – Both.
3. Go to FILE menu, EXPORT, USING COMPRESSOR
a. Once selected, FCP will launch Compressor itself, and you will see the Control windows come up on the screen.
b. In the BATCH window at the bottom of the screen, will see a box labeled SETTING.
i. Click the pop-up menu box with the arrows on it.
ii. You will see a window appear that lists a number of different encoding options.
iii. If you’re project is under 90 minutes, then I suggest that you use the BEST QUALITY 90 MINUTES OR LESS
1. This provides the highest quality image possible.
2. Feel free to experiment with other codecs, but I have found this to be the only one worth its sale.
iv. Once you select BEST QUALITY, a second window will appear asking which elements of the project you’d like to encode.
1. First select your audio. Usually AIFF
2. Reopen window and select your video, MPEG2
b. Now we must select a destination for the encoded files.
i. Click on the pop-up window labeled Source next to each of the entries we made earlier, AIFF and MPEG2.
ii. From here you will select a folder into which the compressed and encoded files will go. I suggest labeling this folder “YOURNAME_PROJECTNAME_DVDENCODES”
c. Now look up to the right at the window labeled INSPECTOR
i. Check to make sure that you are encoding in the proper format (either NTSC or PAL)
d. Click SUBMIT.
i. This will open another window (BATCH MONITOR), and you will see the progress of your project as it is being encoded.
We can now quit Final Cut Pro.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DVD STUDIO PRO
Plug and Play Disc with no Menu (for festival entry)
1. Launch DVD STUDIO PRO
2. Pull-down WINDOW, CONFIGURATIONS, BASIC
3. I recommend saving your project right away
a. Place it in the same folder as the earlier files, and label it similarly
4. Go to Pull-down menu, FILE, IMPORT, ASSET
a. A pop-up window will appear
b. Find the folder you created while exporting from FCP/COMPRESSOR
c. Select both the AIFF and the MPEG-2 file that you exported (use shift select.)
d. Select IMPORT
5. Go to the tab labeled GRAPHICAL, click on it and press delete.
6. Pull-down WINDOW and select ASSETS
a. Brings up a window with the assets you imported.
b. Shift select these
c. Drop them into the icon labeled TRACK 1
7. In the GRAPHICAL Window, click on the large gray area,
a. To the right (or sometimes left) of that, you will see a window labeled, Disk.
b. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS WINDOW CHANGES AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR PROJECT ARE SELECTED.
i. Pull-down FIRST-PLAY
ii. Select TRACKS AND STORIES
iii. Select your video project
iv. Select TRACK 1
c. In this window you can also select how the remote reacts when activated. For a Plug and play disc I leave it as not-set.
8. Press the button at the top of the screen labeled SIMULATOR. This will show you how your disc will react once burned and placed in a DVD player.
9. If you are satisfied with the results, insert a blank DVD-R. I recommend using DVD-R’s, as they are the most flexible DVDs to work with.
10. If a pop up box appears, asking you what to do with the disk, click IGNORE.
11. Click BURN, and your disc will be created.
a. Make sure to select the destination folder we created earlier.
b. Remember to save your session.
EXPORTING STILL IMAGES FROM FCP 5.1.2
I. You may want to create a menu for your DVD utilizing a still from your project, or you may want to include a photo gallery of still from your project on your DVD.
a. In order to do this we go back into FCP and choose a frame we want to make a still image of.
b. Once the PLAYBACK head is over the frame, select the pull-down menu FILE, EXPORT, USING QUICKTIME CONVERSION
c. Once the EXPORT window opens, go the format tab, and pull-down to select STILL IMAGE. Directly under that tab, select JPG 29.97
d. Click SAVE (MAKE SURE THIS FILM GOES INTO THE SAME FOLDER AS YOUR ENCODED ASSETS.)
II. These files are exported out of FCP at a very low resolution. (72 D.P.I.) If you were to want to use these files as promotional stills you would have to go into Photoshop and complete the following functions.
a. Resize the image, by changing the D.P.I to at least 300 and setting the print size appropriately (Usually around 4x6)
b. De-interlace the image by selecting FILTER, VIDEO, DE-INTERLACE.
c. Resaving.
III. For use as a DVD file though, the 72 D.P.I. export will work fine as most projectors cannot handle anything higher anyway.
We can now quit Final Cut Pro.
DVD STUDIO PRO
MULTI-TRACK DISKS WITH MENU
I. The process to create a DVD with multiple tracks is similar in many ways to what we have already learned. There are some key differences though.
II. For this disc you will import multiple assets. This can be done all at once, or over a couple of passes through the pop-up windows. You will bring in the AIFF and MPEG-2 file for each of the film/video projects that you wish to include, as well as any still images that you will have as either part of the disc itself or for use as background menus.
III. Launch DVD STUDIO PRO and Pull-down WINDOW, CONFIGURATIONS, Extended.
IV. I recommend saving your project right away
a. Place it in the same folder as the files you exported with Compressor, and label it similarly
V. Go to Pull-down menu, FILE, IMPORT, ASSET
a. A pop-up window will appear
b. Find the folder you created while exporting from FCP/COMPRESSOR
c. Select both the AIFF and the MPEG-2 file that you exported (use shift select.)
d. Select IMPORT
VI. Repeat the steps above to import other any other video and sound assets you would like to include on the DVD.
VII. You can then import the jpeg image you exported from FCP for use as the image on your Menu screen. Import this jpeg as an asset, just as you did with the MPEG-2 file for video and the AIFF file for audio.
VIII. Once you have imported all of the assets you intend to use, you need to create a track icon in the GRAPHICAL VIEW for each menu item.
a. This is accomplished by clicking on the ADD TRACK button at the top of the screen.
b. Once you have one track for each asset that is not being used as a menu item, you can place the Paired-Track Asset Items each into a Track Icon.
c. Also, you can drag and drop the still image you intend to use for your menu into the Menu Icon.
d. Also, it should be noted that for every menu page you intend to have, there needs to be a separate Menu Icon added to the GRAPHICAL view.
IX. Select the grey area between your icons and set your disc menu buttons.
a. In this instance FIRST PLAY should be set to your Menu #1.
b. Go through and set all the buttons to the appropriate functions.
X. Click on the first Menu icon (under the GRAPHICAL TAB) to activate it.
a. You’ll notice new options are available in the right lower hand window (the Menu window).
b. Click on the menu tab of the Menu window.
c. You need to make a BUTTON for every object that you wish to link to. In this case, we have two PROJECTS or videos so we need to make 2 buttons.
d. You make a BUTTON by clicking and dragging in the menu field as it is open in the center window.
e. Make two of similar size.
f. Now click on the menu image again, outside the button areas.
g. You need to go to the menu tab in the right hand window and set your defaults.
h. Now click on BUTTON 1
i. Set your target, the track you want it to play.
ii. Type text in the text box that will title your piece.
iii. (I often use CENTER, INCLUDE TEXT IN HIGHLIGHT, and HIGHLIGHT SET 2)
iv. Go to the advanced tab and make sure that the disc buttons are set to navigate how you want them to.
v. Repeat for BUTTONS 2 or 3 (if you have 3 buttons)
XI. You’ll notice that as you set your targets for each BUTTON, lines were drawn in the GRAPHICAL VIEW Window. These lines represent how the various pieces of your disc are connected, the arrows representing which way the flow happens.
a. Now I want to click on each asset and set the parameters for them separately.
i. At this point, you want to tell the DVD where you want it to jump as the piece completes it’s run.
ii. 9 times out of ten, you will go to the menu.
Press the button at the top of the screen labeled SIMULATOR. This will show you how your disc will react once burned and placed in a DVD player.
If you are satisfied with the results, insert a blank DVD-R. I recommend using DVD-R’s, as they are the most flexible DVDs to work with. If a pop up box appears, asking you what to do with the disk, click IGNORE. Click BURN, and your disc will be created.
TOAST
I. Pros and Cons
a. Drag and Drop makes it easy
b. Toast will accept MPEG-2 files (like the ones exported from compressor.)
c. Uses its own encoder—which some people say is very good
II. Creating a DVD in Toast i
a. Drag and drop a video into the window.
b. Make sure DVD Video is selected in the left hand slide-out screen.
c. Choose automatic encode—BEST
d. Make any menu selection you desire.
e. Do you want it to be plug and play? Select that option.
f. Press the silver button at the bottom right of the screen.
III. Most effective ways to use Toast.
a. The way I most often use Toast is if I need to make a really quick DVD of a project.
i. I can then just export a QuickTime (Final Cut Pro) movie (which is much quicker than exporting from Compressor.
ii. Drag that into Toast
iii. Select Auto-play
iv. Burn the disc.
b. A second option, and one that might be a little easier than the DVD Studio Pro Model demonstrated earlier is as follows.
i. Export your project through Compressor as discussed earlier.
ii. Launch Toast.
iii. Click CUSTOM ENCODING in the left pull-out screen.
iv. Double click on the information that is below it.
v. In the pop-up window that appears, select REENCODING, NEVER.
vi. Go into the folder containing your “.m2v” and “.aiff” files. Make sure that the names of these files are exactly alike (other than the suffix)
vii. Drag these two items into Toast
viii. Select Auto-play
ix. Burn Disc.
By following the steps outlined in “III” you will have created an auto-play DVD with the higher quality Compressor encoding, but you have avoided the DVD-Studio Pro interface.
1. We’re going to export our movie to Compressor because it’s the best encoder, and it will give us the best quality DVD image.
2. In your timeline, get your project to look exactly as you would like it appear on the DVD. Go to Mark IN to mark the start, and Mark OUT to mark the end. Then Render ALL – Both.
3. Go to FILE menu, EXPORT, USING COMPRESSOR
a. Once selected, FCP will launch Compressor itself, and you will see the Control windows come up on the screen.
b. In the BATCH window at the bottom of the screen, will see a box labeled SETTING.
i. Click the pop-up menu box with the arrows on it.
ii. You will see a window appear that lists a number of different encoding options.
iii. If you’re project is under 90 minutes, then I suggest that you use the BEST QUALITY 90 MINUTES OR LESS
1. This provides the highest quality image possible.
2. Feel free to experiment with other codecs, but I have found this to be the only one worth its sale.
iv. Once you select BEST QUALITY, a second window will appear asking which elements of the project you’d like to encode.
1. First select your audio. Usually AIFF
2. Reopen window and select your video, MPEG2
b. Now we must select a destination for the encoded files.
i. Click on the pop-up window labeled Source next to each of the entries we made earlier, AIFF and MPEG2.
ii. From here you will select a folder into which the compressed and encoded files will go. I suggest labeling this folder “YOURNAME_PROJECTNAME_DVDENCODES”
c. Now look up to the right at the window labeled INSPECTOR
i. Check to make sure that you are encoding in the proper format (either NTSC or PAL)
d. Click SUBMIT.
i. This will open another window (BATCH MONITOR), and you will see the progress of your project as it is being encoded.
We can now quit Final Cut Pro.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DVD STUDIO PRO
Plug and Play Disc with no Menu (for festival entry)
1. Launch DVD STUDIO PRO
2. Pull-down WINDOW, CONFIGURATIONS, BASIC
3. I recommend saving your project right away
a. Place it in the same folder as the earlier files, and label it similarly
4. Go to Pull-down menu, FILE, IMPORT, ASSET
a. A pop-up window will appear
b. Find the folder you created while exporting from FCP/COMPRESSOR
c. Select both the AIFF and the MPEG-2 file that you exported (use shift select.)
d. Select IMPORT
5. Go to the tab labeled GRAPHICAL, click on it and press delete.
6. Pull-down WINDOW and select ASSETS
a. Brings up a window with the assets you imported.
b. Shift select these
c. Drop them into the icon labeled TRACK 1
7. In the GRAPHICAL Window, click on the large gray area,
a. To the right (or sometimes left) of that, you will see a window labeled, Disk.
b. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS WINDOW CHANGES AS DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR PROJECT ARE SELECTED.
i. Pull-down FIRST-PLAY
ii. Select TRACKS AND STORIES
iii. Select your video project
iv. Select TRACK 1
c. In this window you can also select how the remote reacts when activated. For a Plug and play disc I leave it as not-set.
8. Press the button at the top of the screen labeled SIMULATOR. This will show you how your disc will react once burned and placed in a DVD player.
9. If you are satisfied with the results, insert a blank DVD-R. I recommend using DVD-R’s, as they are the most flexible DVDs to work with.
10. If a pop up box appears, asking you what to do with the disk, click IGNORE.
11. Click BURN, and your disc will be created.
a. Make sure to select the destination folder we created earlier.
b. Remember to save your session.
EXPORTING STILL IMAGES FROM FCP 5.1.2
I. You may want to create a menu for your DVD utilizing a still from your project, or you may want to include a photo gallery of still from your project on your DVD.
a. In order to do this we go back into FCP and choose a frame we want to make a still image of.
b. Once the PLAYBACK head is over the frame, select the pull-down menu FILE, EXPORT, USING QUICKTIME CONVERSION
c. Once the EXPORT window opens, go the format tab, and pull-down to select STILL IMAGE. Directly under that tab, select JPG 29.97
d. Click SAVE (MAKE SURE THIS FILM GOES INTO THE SAME FOLDER AS YOUR ENCODED ASSETS.)
II. These files are exported out of FCP at a very low resolution. (72 D.P.I.) If you were to want to use these files as promotional stills you would have to go into Photoshop and complete the following functions.
a. Resize the image, by changing the D.P.I to at least 300 and setting the print size appropriately (Usually around 4x6)
b. De-interlace the image by selecting FILTER, VIDEO, DE-INTERLACE.
c. Resaving.
III. For use as a DVD file though, the 72 D.P.I. export will work fine as most projectors cannot handle anything higher anyway.
We can now quit Final Cut Pro.
DVD STUDIO PRO
MULTI-TRACK DISKS WITH MENU
I. The process to create a DVD with multiple tracks is similar in many ways to what we have already learned. There are some key differences though.
II. For this disc you will import multiple assets. This can be done all at once, or over a couple of passes through the pop-up windows. You will bring in the AIFF and MPEG-2 file for each of the film/video projects that you wish to include, as well as any still images that you will have as either part of the disc itself or for use as background menus.
III. Launch DVD STUDIO PRO and Pull-down WINDOW, CONFIGURATIONS, Extended.
IV. I recommend saving your project right away
a. Place it in the same folder as the files you exported with Compressor, and label it similarly
V. Go to Pull-down menu, FILE, IMPORT, ASSET
a. A pop-up window will appear
b. Find the folder you created while exporting from FCP/COMPRESSOR
c. Select both the AIFF and the MPEG-2 file that you exported (use shift select.)
d. Select IMPORT
VI. Repeat the steps above to import other any other video and sound assets you would like to include on the DVD.
VII. You can then import the jpeg image you exported from FCP for use as the image on your Menu screen. Import this jpeg as an asset, just as you did with the MPEG-2 file for video and the AIFF file for audio.
VIII. Once you have imported all of the assets you intend to use, you need to create a track icon in the GRAPHICAL VIEW for each menu item.
a. This is accomplished by clicking on the ADD TRACK button at the top of the screen.
b. Once you have one track for each asset that is not being used as a menu item, you can place the Paired-Track Asset Items each into a Track Icon.
c. Also, you can drag and drop the still image you intend to use for your menu into the Menu Icon.
d. Also, it should be noted that for every menu page you intend to have, there needs to be a separate Menu Icon added to the GRAPHICAL view.
IX. Select the grey area between your icons and set your disc menu buttons.
a. In this instance FIRST PLAY should be set to your Menu #1.
b. Go through and set all the buttons to the appropriate functions.
X. Click on the first Menu icon (under the GRAPHICAL TAB) to activate it.
a. You’ll notice new options are available in the right lower hand window (the Menu window).
b. Click on the menu tab of the Menu window.
c. You need to make a BUTTON for every object that you wish to link to. In this case, we have two PROJECTS or videos so we need to make 2 buttons.
d. You make a BUTTON by clicking and dragging in the menu field as it is open in the center window.
e. Make two of similar size.
f. Now click on the menu image again, outside the button areas.
g. You need to go to the menu tab in the right hand window and set your defaults.
h. Now click on BUTTON 1
i. Set your target, the track you want it to play.
ii. Type text in the text box that will title your piece.
iii. (I often use CENTER, INCLUDE TEXT IN HIGHLIGHT, and HIGHLIGHT SET 2)
iv. Go to the advanced tab and make sure that the disc buttons are set to navigate how you want them to.
v. Repeat for BUTTONS 2 or 3 (if you have 3 buttons)
XI. You’ll notice that as you set your targets for each BUTTON, lines were drawn in the GRAPHICAL VIEW Window. These lines represent how the various pieces of your disc are connected, the arrows representing which way the flow happens.
a. Now I want to click on each asset and set the parameters for them separately.
i. At this point, you want to tell the DVD where you want it to jump as the piece completes it’s run.
ii. 9 times out of ten, you will go to the menu.
Press the button at the top of the screen labeled SIMULATOR. This will show you how your disc will react once burned and placed in a DVD player.
If you are satisfied with the results, insert a blank DVD-R. I recommend using DVD-R’s, as they are the most flexible DVDs to work with. If a pop up box appears, asking you what to do with the disk, click IGNORE. Click BURN, and your disc will be created.
TOAST
I. Pros and Cons
a. Drag and Drop makes it easy
b. Toast will accept MPEG-2 files (like the ones exported from compressor.)
c. Uses its own encoder—which some people say is very good
II. Creating a DVD in Toast i
a. Drag and drop a video into the window.
b. Make sure DVD Video is selected in the left hand slide-out screen.
c. Choose automatic encode—BEST
d. Make any menu selection you desire.
e. Do you want it to be plug and play? Select that option.
f. Press the silver button at the bottom right of the screen.
III. Most effective ways to use Toast.
a. The way I most often use Toast is if I need to make a really quick DVD of a project.
i. I can then just export a QuickTime (Final Cut Pro) movie (which is much quicker than exporting from Compressor.
ii. Drag that into Toast
iii. Select Auto-play
iv. Burn the disc.
b. A second option, and one that might be a little easier than the DVD Studio Pro Model demonstrated earlier is as follows.
i. Export your project through Compressor as discussed earlier.
ii. Launch Toast.
iii. Click CUSTOM ENCODING in the left pull-out screen.
iv. Double click on the information that is below it.
v. In the pop-up window that appears, select REENCODING, NEVER.
vi. Go into the folder containing your “.m2v” and “.aiff” files. Make sure that the names of these files are exactly alike (other than the suffix)
vii. Drag these two items into Toast
viii. Select Auto-play
ix. Burn Disc.
By following the steps outlined in “III” you will have created an auto-play DVD with the higher quality Compressor encoding, but you have avoided the DVD-Studio Pro interface.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Final Cut Pro / Basic Instructions for Creating Text
1. At the top of the Canvas window, you will see 3 drop down menus. Click on the one farthest to the right to see a drop down menu appear. Scroll down and select “Show Title Safe”. This will active the Title Safe overlay, which lets you know where it’s safe to place your text in the frame. Be sure all text falls within the innermost or smallest blue square. Otherwise, your text will fall off of the edge of a TV screen or computer screen when your video plays.
2. Go to the Effects Tab in the Browser. Open the “Video Generators” bin. Within this bin, scroll down to open the “Text” bin. Within the Text bin, there are many types of text to select. For basic text, select “TEXT” and double click on it to bring it into the Viewer.
3. Once the text is in the Viewer, you’ll need to get a feel for how long you would like your chunk of text to be. Mark an IN point to begin, and then hit PLAY until you feel like the piece of text will be long enough. Then Mark an OUT point. Click in the center of viewer, and drag this chunk of text into the Timeline at the beginning or end of your project.
4. If you would like your text to appear over a shot within your video, drag the text clip into the Timeline to V2 or Video Track 2. Make sure the video clip is on V1 or Video Track 1. Your text clip should always be placed on a track above the video clip you wish to use. Be sure to check the Canvas to see that the text is legible over all areas of the video image. If white text
doesn’t work, change the text color to something that will contrast better with the video image.5. Next, double click on the text clip in the Timeline to make it active in the Viewer. Go to the Control tab of the Viewer to make changes to your text. Click in the box with “Sample Text” and delete these words. Type in your own text. If you want to create multiple lines of text, be sure to hit the RETURN key on the keyboard whenever you’re ready to start a new line.
6. Scroll down within the Control tab to select a Font and Size. Be sure to make your text at least as large as 24 to be sure it will show up on a TV screen.
7. Look over at the Canvas to see the position of your text within the frame. It should fit within the smallest blue square or “Title Safe” box. To move the position of the text around in the frame, go back to the Control Tab and click the “+” or origin key. Once you’ve clicked this “+”, you can click down on your text in the Canvas and move it to your desired position.
8. If you’re using white text on a black background, go to the Motion Tab of the Viewer. Scroll down to “Opacity” and click the arrow to open it. Here you want to move the opacity slider to change the opacity of the white text from 100 to 88. White letters at 100% opacity are too bright for many TV screens.
9. I recommend fading your text in and out for a smoother transition. You can do this manually by placing key frames on the clip of text in the Timeline with the pen tool.
10. If you like the pacing you’ve established in one chunk of text, and you want the rest of the text clips to follow the same pace, just highlight the original chunk of text and copy (Apple C) and paste (Apple V) the clip multiple times to create a series of identical text chunks. Any fades you’ve made with keyframes will remain the same. Simply type in new words for each new instance of text.
11. Some text types such as “Typewriter” and “Scrolling” need to be rendered. You will see a red line above the text clip in the Timeline, if this is the case. Hit Apple R to render the text.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Final Cut Pro Audio Editing
On the Audio Meter -
You’ll see a yellow light and a red light.
The yellow light is the Peak indicator - it will hang at the loudest moment of your recorded sound.
The red light is the Clip indicator – it will let you know when your sound has reached or exceed 0db.
Basic Rules:
-Never let your Clip indicator light up
- Dialogue should fall between -6db to -12db
- Middle Ground Sound or Sound FX between -3db to -18db
- Background Sound or Music around -18db
Why go so low? Because when you have a music track combined with an FX track, the audio levels will rise. So you need to leave some headroom.
The final mix of Foreground, Middleground, and Background tracks together should peak no higher than -3db.
________________________________________________________________
1. Below are three types of audio that can exist in Final Cut Pro:
STEREO
Both channels have been captured as a stereo pair. Stereo pairs are always linked - so anything applied to 1 Track applies to both. Waveforms for both channels appear in a single audio tab.
MONO 1/2 or CH. 1 / CH. 2
Both channels have been captured, but are distinct + can be adjusted independently of each other.
MONO
The audio consists of a single audio channel.
-To convert 2 audio clips to Stereo Pair -
Select the clips in the Timeline, Choose MODIFY ^ Stereo Pair + the viewer will then show them as a Stereo Pair screened together in the window.
To Adjust or Edit Audio:
1. Double click the Audio Track(s) of a clip in the Timeline to bring them up in the Viewer … or double click a clip in the Browser to bring it into the Viewer, and select the Audio Tab(s) in the Viewer.
2. Next, listen to your sound and look at the Audio Meter, which you can move around. You don’t ever want your audio to clip. This is indicated by the red lights or Clip indicator at the top of the meter. When the audio clips, it means the sound you recorded is overmodulated or recorded too high.
3. After I monitor my sound with the Audio Meter, I may decide that the levels are too high or low. By using the Level Slider in the Audio Tab of the Viewer, I can adjust the sound levels by moving them higher or lower in decibels. Then I will play my sound again, watching the Audio Meter to see if the change is any better.
4. Remember that you can use the pen tool (keyboard shortcut P) to create keyframes along the level bar in the Audio Tab of the Viewer or directly on an Audio Track in the Timeline. You can use keyframes to create fades in or out, as well as to dip out a glitch in recorded sound.
5. Generally speaking, your audio should begin before your image appears. Remember to overlap audio, creating crossfades between new sounds. You don’t want have audio tracks that cut out suddenly without a smooth transition to the next audio track or sound. The quickest way to accomplish this would be to use Automatic crossfades. Go to the Effects Tab in the Browser, and select the Audio Transitions bin. Then highlight and grab Crossfade +3db icon and drag and drop it on the beginning or end of the Audio Track you want to fade in or out.
Audio Filters
AUgraphicEQ:
To access a good equalization filter, go to the Effects Tab in the Browser. Click on the Audio Filters bin, and open it up. Scroll to the Apple Filters bin, and select AUgraphicEQ. To apply it to an audio clip in the Timeline, highlight and grab the filter’s icon and drag and drop it over the Audio Track you want to filter.
This filter divides the audio spectrum into 31 frequency bands, ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. You can set the frequency for each band. This filter is especially versatile because it applies equalization in 31 bands of your clip simultaneously, rather than requiring you to apply multiple filters. This emulates the EQ controls that most mixers provide.
The best way to pinpoint the frequency of a problem sound in your audio is go through each of the 31 frequency bands individually. If you go through each frequency band and boost the gain, you can find the most noticeable sound problem(s). Then lower the gain until the sound is best. If you have excess hiss in your audio clip, try focusing on the higher frequencies. If you have booming or excess bass to remove, focus on the lower frequencies.
Filters in the Final Cut Pro bin (within the Audio Filters bin):
Hum Remover - A notch filter that allows you to compensate for various types of hum interference by screening out a specific frequency.
Vocal DeEsser- dampens the “S” or hiss sounds in speech or other sounds.
Vocal DePopper- takes the “P” out of potatoes, or eliminates popping sound in speech.
*If you want to apply the same filter settings to multiple clips or to the rest of your sequence, highlight the clip with the filter settings you’ve already set, then hit Apple C on the keyboard. Then select or highlight any other clips you want to inherit these same filter settings. Next, hit Option V on your keyboard. A Paste Attributes box will open and allow you to select Audio Filters. Do this and hit OK, and all of the audio clips selected will be filtered identically.
You’ll see a yellow light and a red light.
The yellow light is the Peak indicator - it will hang at the loudest moment of your recorded sound.
The red light is the Clip indicator – it will let you know when your sound has reached or exceed 0db.
Basic Rules:
-Never let your Clip indicator light up
- Dialogue should fall between -6db to -12db
- Middle Ground Sound or Sound FX between -3db to -18db
- Background Sound or Music around -18db
Why go so low? Because when you have a music track combined with an FX track, the audio levels will rise. So you need to leave some headroom.
The final mix of Foreground, Middleground, and Background tracks together should peak no higher than -3db.
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1. Below are three types of audio that can exist in Final Cut Pro:
STEREO
Both channels have been captured as a stereo pair. Stereo pairs are always linked - so anything applied to 1 Track applies to both. Waveforms for both channels appear in a single audio tab.
MONO 1/2 or CH. 1 / CH. 2
Both channels have been captured, but are distinct + can be adjusted independently of each other.
MONO
The audio consists of a single audio channel.
-To convert 2 audio clips to Stereo Pair -
Select the clips in the Timeline, Choose MODIFY ^ Stereo Pair + the viewer will then show them as a Stereo Pair screened together in the window.
To Adjust or Edit Audio:
1. Double click the Audio Track(s) of a clip in the Timeline to bring them up in the Viewer … or double click a clip in the Browser to bring it into the Viewer, and select the Audio Tab(s) in the Viewer.
2. Next, listen to your sound and look at the Audio Meter, which you can move around. You don’t ever want your audio to clip. This is indicated by the red lights or Clip indicator at the top of the meter. When the audio clips, it means the sound you recorded is overmodulated or recorded too high.
3. After I monitor my sound with the Audio Meter, I may decide that the levels are too high or low. By using the Level Slider in the Audio Tab of the Viewer, I can adjust the sound levels by moving them higher or lower in decibels. Then I will play my sound again, watching the Audio Meter to see if the change is any better.
4. Remember that you can use the pen tool (keyboard shortcut P) to create keyframes along the level bar in the Audio Tab of the Viewer or directly on an Audio Track in the Timeline. You can use keyframes to create fades in or out, as well as to dip out a glitch in recorded sound.
5. Generally speaking, your audio should begin before your image appears. Remember to overlap audio, creating crossfades between new sounds. You don’t want have audio tracks that cut out suddenly without a smooth transition to the next audio track or sound. The quickest way to accomplish this would be to use Automatic crossfades. Go to the Effects Tab in the Browser, and select the Audio Transitions bin. Then highlight and grab Crossfade +3db icon and drag and drop it on the beginning or end of the Audio Track you want to fade in or out.
Audio Filters
AUgraphicEQ:
To access a good equalization filter, go to the Effects Tab in the Browser. Click on the Audio Filters bin, and open it up. Scroll to the Apple Filters bin, and select AUgraphicEQ. To apply it to an audio clip in the Timeline, highlight and grab the filter’s icon and drag and drop it over the Audio Track you want to filter.
This filter divides the audio spectrum into 31 frequency bands, ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. You can set the frequency for each band. This filter is especially versatile because it applies equalization in 31 bands of your clip simultaneously, rather than requiring you to apply multiple filters. This emulates the EQ controls that most mixers provide.
The best way to pinpoint the frequency of a problem sound in your audio is go through each of the 31 frequency bands individually. If you go through each frequency band and boost the gain, you can find the most noticeable sound problem(s). Then lower the gain until the sound is best. If you have excess hiss in your audio clip, try focusing on the higher frequencies. If you have booming or excess bass to remove, focus on the lower frequencies.
Filters in the Final Cut Pro bin (within the Audio Filters bin):
Hum Remover - A notch filter that allows you to compensate for various types of hum interference by screening out a specific frequency.
Vocal DeEsser- dampens the “S” or hiss sounds in speech or other sounds.
Vocal DePopper- takes the “P” out of potatoes, or eliminates popping sound in speech.
*If you want to apply the same filter settings to multiple clips or to the rest of your sequence, highlight the clip with the filter settings you’ve already set, then hit Apple C on the keyboard. Then select or highlight any other clips you want to inherit these same filter settings. Next, hit Option V on your keyboard. A Paste Attributes box will open and allow you to select Audio Filters. Do this and hit OK, and all of the audio clips selected will be filtered identically.
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