Is there a way to automatically adjust an audiotrack when there's voice-over?

[Daniel Raebiger]

I FOUND IT!!! AHHHHHH IT WORKS SO ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!!

-> http://www.twistedlemon.nl/site/inde...d=19&Itemid=32

AND: ITS freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


*dancing*

[Eric Shepherd]

Awesome!! :)

[Seth Bloombaum]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baren

Or for that matter just some usable plugins in FCP without having to open soundtrack or Logic.
I asked our editor why he couldnt just apply some compression/limiting to raise & even out a dialog and he let me know it was too time consuming to open the track in Soundtrack etc etc.
As audio is such an intregral part of any project,those tools SHOULD be built into the program... or at LEAST some third party solution!

Originally Posted by Eric Shepherd

Glenn, you're saying there's no way to compress audio levels in FCP without switching apps?!

Although not the most straightforward to adjust while listening, FCP has a couple of serviceable compressors. Just select the audio and open the filters submenu. (this is from memory, I don't have FCP at home).

[Eric Shepherd]

It just seems weird they wouldn't share all the plugins between apps.

[Mike Peter Reed]

FCP will indeed "see" any installed third party Audio Units, however it falls down on execution since (to the best of my knowledge) FCP cannot display the AU native GUI - you just get lines of parameters, no graphical buttons and knobs :-(

GarageBand does automatic ducking built-in, surely it can only be a matter of time before they include it in the Pro apps?!

I do miss Sony Vegas, but then that started out as an audio app at Sonic Foundry so it's not a big surprise it caters well to the audio guy who wants to edit pictures.

Does Avid on OS X do automatic ducking on vocals?

[Eric Shepherd]

I wouldn't know, I'm not a fan of Avid/Digidesign's policy of "If you want good performance, buy our $30,000 version instead. Native CPU's are just not powerful enough!" So annoying :)

[Colin Willsher]

Sorry, we seem to almost have two threads going now - that's my fault!

For me, the compressors and many other audio plugins in FCP are really quite poor and sound (as well as look) dreadful compared to those shared by Logic and Soundtrack Pro. It's also that much harder to achieve the desired effect as there are no visual references or meters.

Yes, FCP will see external audio units plugins but strangely not those native to Logic and STP. And a number I've tried aren't recognised at all by FCP.

As has been mentioned, I'm sure we can't be too far away from a situation were deep and professional audio editing and mixing is properly integrated. It's a real nuisance right now.

Another question if I may. Being mainly a composer and Logic user, I've literally only just started using Soundtrack, so I may have missed something but it appears that when doing 'round-trip' audio edits by sending individual clips to the waveform editor, you can only send mono files. This seems another bizarre 'feature'. Processing two halves of a stereo file in separate passes is crazy! Please tell me I'm wrong.

Thanks

C

[Ty Ford]

Hello Eric,

While ducking actions of some software can be helpful, it seldom does a really great job. It's sort of like shooting with autofocus.

Ducking doesn't look at the freqency content. A music track with horns usually interferes more with voices than one without, for example.

I suggest using mix automation instead. If you do have changes later, you redraw the automation at the changed areas.

Regards,

Ty Ford

[Daniel Raebiger]

ok, while the plugin posted by me a few posts above seems to work in preview mode, premiere fails during rendering on every occasion. the plugin itself works great in audition tho. so there's an extra step needed: export the voice and music track, load it into audition, apply the effect, render it, put the final .wav into premiere. kinda sucks but better than adjusting trillions of keyframes evertime a customer wants a last minute edit^^

[Eric Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Colin Willsher

Sorry, we seem to almost have two threads going now - that's my fault!

For me, the compressors and many other audio plugins in FCP are really quite poor and sound (as well as look) dreadful compared to those shared by Logic and Soundtrack Pro. It's also that much harder to achieve the desired effect as there are no visual references or meters.

Yes, FCP will see external audio units plugins but strangely not those native to Logic and STP. And a number I've tried aren't recognised at all by FCP.

As has been mentioned, I'm sure we can't be too far away from a situation were deep and professional audio editing and mixing is properly integrated. It's a real nuisance right now.

Another question if I may. Being mainly a composer and Logic user, I've literally only just started using Soundtrack, so I may have missed something but it appears that when doing 'round-trip' audio edits by sending individual clips to the waveform editor, you can only send mono files. This seems another bizarre 'feature'. Processing two halves of a stereo file in separate passes is crazy! Please tell me I'm wrong.

Thanks

C

Wow, that just sounds like an ugly mess!

I wonder if the plugin that only show up in those apps would appear in anything else? I know some PC apps have Direct-X and VST plugins that only work in those apps and are either hidden or pop up an error 'this only runs from within application ____' if they are visible and accessible.

[Eric Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Ty Ford

Hello Eric,

While ducking actions of some software can be helpful, it seldom does a really great job. It's sort of like shooting with autofocus.

Ducking doesn't look at the freqency content. A music track with horns usually interferes more with voices than one without, for example.

I suggest using mix automation instead. If you do have changes later, you redraw the automation at the changed areas.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Hi Ty,

I agree with you 100%.. For standard, smooth background music though, ducking can work well. Even dance music would work fine. For stuff with trumpets, just listen to the Latin radio stations (they all seem to share the same voiceover guy ;) I guess they just duck the stuff with horns a bit lower.

I've been working in the audio and video industries for about 18 years and normally don't do much with ducking. It can be useful for a quick thing here and there though :)

[Eric Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Daniel Raebiger

ok, while the plugin posted by me a few posts above seems to work in preview mode, premiere fails during rendering on every occasion. the plugin itself works great in audition tho. so there's an extra step needed: export the voice and music track, load it into audition, apply the effect, render it, put the final .wav into premiere. kinda sucks but better than adjusting trillions of keyframes evertime a customer wants a last minute edit^^

Oh that stinks! I didn't try rendering with it. On my system, if I dbl click the plugin (to open it), my screen turns fully grey. The pointer is visible and if I hit Alt-F4 or Alt-Tab, I can get back Premiere and my desktop and all. But there's no visible plugin. I found if I right-click and pick 'Edit', it appears fine. I tried it in Sonar 6 to be sure and it works fine in there.

There must be something out there that works directly in the timeline...somewhere.. :)

[Martin Mayer]

OK, so what's wrong with the confusingly-named (not!) Compressor/Limiter Audio Filter, BUILT-IN to FCP?

Maybe it's not good enough for your editor, but that's another issue. Does he even know it exists?

[Eric Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Martin Mayer

OK, so what's wrong with the confusingly-named (not!) Compressor/Limiter Audio Filter, BUILT-IN to FCP?

Maybe it's not good enough for your editor, but that's another issue. Does he even know it exists?

Well, sometimes people are confused when you change the suffix on a word and don't realize it's the same basic word? :)

[Daniel Raebiger]

Originally Posted by Eric Shepherd

Oh that stinks! I didn't try rendering with it. On my system, if I dbl click the plugin (to open it), my screen turns fully grey. The pointer is visible and if I hit Alt-F4 or Alt-Tab, I can get back Premiere and my desktop and all. But there's no visible plugin. I found if I right-click and pick 'Edit', it appears fine. I tried it in Sonar 6 to be sure and it works fine in there.

There must be something out there that works directly in the timeline...somewhere.. :)

there has to be, we aren't the first guys to want this, right? i think the VST interface from premiere simply is crap.