Edit to the Maxx - The Art of the Digital Cut - Part 20by Steve MullenPublished on Jun 7, 2007 9:38 AM 
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Part 17 - Video Effects, Pt. 2 |
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In this Lesson, you will learn how to work with audio.
To see an audio level plot:
· Find the FastMenu (hamburger-icon) button located at the left-bottom edge of the Timeline.
· Click the FastMenu (hamburger-icon) button and check Sample Plot.
Displaying an audio plots slows panning of a Timeline, so if you do not need to see them, simply cancel plot visibility:
· Click the FastMenu (hamburger-icon) button and uncheck Sample Plot.
Whole-clip Audio Level/Pan Adjustment
Many times you will need to raise or lower the level of a whole clip. You can use Avid’s
Audio Mixer for this function.
You can also use the Mixer to “pan” a clip between the Left and Right audio channels. The default pan position for a clip “centered” between the two channels.
Assumingly you have started this editing session by entering the Extract/Splice-in mode by clicking the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline it’s now necessary to exit this mode. (You need to be in neither the yellow nor red Segment mode. In order words, Non-Segment mode.)
· So, if you are in Extract/Splice-in mode, switch to Non-segment mode by clicking the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline.
· If you are in Lift/Overwrite mode, switch to Non-segment mode by clicking the red Segment: Lift/Overwrite button at the bottom of the Timeline.
1. Issue the Toolset > Audio Editing command to use the 2-channel audio mixer. It will appear as shown below.
The audio mixer is shown below.
2. If the audio tracks are carrying stereo audio, place the blue Position Indicator over the clips to be adjusted.
If the audio tracks are carrying stereo audio, then you need to adjust the audio level equally for both tracks.
· Gang Tracks A1 and A2 by clicking both Gang/Ungang button shown above circled in yellow. The buttons will turn green.
· Use the A1 slider to adjust the ganged stereo audio level.
· Leave Track A1 set at L100 so this Track’s audio is 100% on the Left output Channel. You can see the Pan position circled in green, above.
· Leave Track’s A2 set at R100 so this Track’s audio is 100% on the Right output Channel. You can see the Pan position circled in blue, above.
· Of course, you can position a Track to any position you want from Left to Right. Click and hold the Pan button (circled in green or blue, above) and use the slider to pan as desired. Zero is centered between the Left and Right output Channels.
3. If an audio Track is carrying monaural audio, place the blue Position Indicator over the clip to be adjusted.
Note: if two monaural clips are above and below each other, you can adjust the two clips independently at the same time.
If an audio Track is carrying monaural audio, then you will want to adjust only one Track.
· Use the A1 slider to adjust the Track’s audio level. Or, use the A2 slider to adjust the Track’s audio level.
· Leave Track A1 set at L100 so this Track’s audio is 100% on the Left output Channel. (You can see the Pan position circled in green, above.) Or, leave Track’s A2 set at R100 so this Track’s audio is 100% on the Right output Channel.
· Of course, you can position a Track to any position you want from Left to Right. Click and hold the Pan button (circled in green or blue, above) and use the slider to pan as desired. Zero is centered between the Left and Right output Channels.
4. When you are done working with audio, issue the Toolset > Source/Record Editing command.
5. Click the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline.
Within-clip Audio Level Adjustment
By placing “nodes” along an audio track, you divide the track into segments. (A node is also called a Keyframe.) Each node can be raised or lowered. The “level” of the node defines the audio level at this point. This is called rubber-band setting, although Avid calls it “Auto Gain.”
Assumingly you have started this editing session by entering the Extract/Splice-in mode by clicking the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline it’s now necessary to exit this mode. (You must not be in either the yellow or red Segment mode. In order words, you want to be in Non-Segment mode.)
· So, if you are in Extract/Splice-in mode, switch to Non-segment mode by clicking the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline.
· If you are in Lift/Overwrite mode, switch to Non-segment mode by clicking the red Segment: Lift/Overwrite button at the bottom of the Timeline.
1. Enable Auto Gain:
· Find the FastMenu (hamburger-icon) button located at the left-bottom edge of the Timeline.
· Click the FastMenu (hamburger-icon) button and check Audio Auto Gain.
2. Select the A1 and/or A2 audio track that will get nodes (both if stereo).
3. Place the blue Position Indicator where you want a node. Because you are in Non-segment mode you do not need drag the PI from the TC track. You can place the mouse-pointer anywhere in the Timeline and the PI will leap to that position. Likewise, you can drag the PI.
4. Create a node:
· Press n
OR
· Click the Toolbar Fast Menu (hamburger-icon) button and then click the 2nd button in the bottom row: the purple triangle Keyframe button.
5. A triangle will appear under the blue Position Indicator.
6. Adjust gain by dragging a node up or down.
7. A keyframe can be slid sidewise by clicking on it and dragging while holding down ALT (PC) or Option (Option).
8. A keyframe can be deleted by clicking on it and pressing DELete.
When you are done working with audio, click the yellow Segment: Extract/Splice-in button at the bottom of the Timeline.
Audio Strategies
Avid crippled FreeDV by limiting it to two audio tracks. They had to know that DV camcorders record stereo audio, which requires two tracks. They had to also know that most folks would want to add stereo background music. With only two tracks, there is no way to have music and camcorder sound at the same time. Nor, can you have narration and stereo music or stereo camcorder sound at the same time. Given, the stereo world of DV and music, four tracks is the minimum an NLE should have.
The simplest solution to this unfortunate limitation is to not layer two types of sound. Try long audio cross-dissolves to “mix” camcorder and music when you want to transition between these audio types.
Alternately, when you want to transition to music, try a J-cut to start music before the end of a video clip. When you want to transition from music to camcorder audio, use cuts or a very quick cross-dissolve.
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Steve Mullen owns Digital Video Consulting that offers eBooks on HD production. Currently, DVC (www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c) offers two eBooks: the Sony HDV Handbook and the JVC ProHD Handbook. In March, DVC will offer a new title: the Sony V1/FX7 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $2599) Handbook. And, in July, DVC will release an eBook on “Low-cost High-Definition DVD Creation.