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Please Assist – Audio
Hi,
OBJECTIVE: SEND DVD SCREENERS OUT TO ACQUIRE INTEREST IN PROJECT.
Been on this project for years and need to finish it. 2 hr. movie. feel like i’m in the desert on my last leg needing a drink and seeing mirages.
All audio levels are between -6 and -12. There’s bass boost throughout cause original editor and i both thought a fuller sound would be helpful. The movie sounds perfect in fcpx and sounds fine after exporting to dvd and playing on computers. When dvd is played on new hd tv there’s various places where it sounds like there’s too much bass thus that little skakey sound in the audio comes up.
1. What i’m really looking for is something in or outside of fcpx that would allow me to GLOBALLY NORMALIZE OR BALANCE OR EQUALIZE THE ENTIRE PROJECT SO THAT THAT SHAKEY SOUND WILL NOT OCCUR WHEN PLAYED ON TV. ALOT OF TIME HAS BEEN SPENT PEN TOOLING EACH AUDIO CLIP FOR OPTIMAL SOUND. IS THERE ANYTHING AVAILABLE THAT WOULD DO THIS?
2. Are there any rules to live by while editing audio to make sure that it sounds good on tv since if it sounds good on tv it’ll most likely be fine on computer, but if it sounds good on computer there’s no telling if it’ll sound good on tv. How do you get rid of this guessing game since you can’t gauge it in fcpx even when levels are between -6 and -12.
If I go usb or pc audio out of computer and into HD tv will that give me an accurate sound as i edit from the tv??? Will it be the same sound as hdmi coming out dvd player into hdtv?
Thank you for your help! joe
joseph zabrosky
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6 Replies
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Create a compound clip of either the whole project, or just the audio if you prefer. Apply a low-cut/low-pass filter to the compound clip. Export again.
As to rules… get some decent studio monitors so you know what you’re listening to and accept the fact that you have no control over the end user’s listening environment. Listen to it on as many speakers as you can. Not only does speaker quality vary widely but you have no idea what weird ‘enhancement’ they may have turned on.
I personally usually cut off bass at about 60hz for broadcast if it’s mostly music and 80hz if it’s all spoken word. Not a rule, just a preference.
Jeff Kirkland | Video Producer | Southern Creative Media | Melbourne Australia
http://www.southerncreative.com.au | G+: https://gplus.to/jeffkirkland | Twitter: @jeffkirkland -
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your help!
1. Relative to the lowcut/lowpass filter would that give the same effect as using limiter in Logic in fcpx?
2. When you say lowcut / lowpass the only low i see in fcpx in the effects browser are aulowpass, aulowshelp and lowtech. I take it you’re referring to aulowpass?
3. Would this filter be applied only to dialogue or entire mix (dial, music, se)?
4. I’m new to fcpx and am not an expert audio person. I know I can bring up the graphic equalizer and adjust visually via the ten points from bass to treble, but when you say you cut off dialogue at 60hz, in the graphic equalizer, are you saying on the horizontal axis, the second point on the left of the ten points in the graphic equalizer is flattened or is moved down to 0db?
Thanks again for your help, joe
joseph zabrosky
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Joe,
When you are rolling off the low end the filter is referred to as a High-Pass/Low-Cut filter.
In FCPX set up the Channel EQ as follows:
In this example the “Q” value is 0.83. This controls the roll-off slope.
Also, have a look at bx_cleansweep. It’s a free hi-pass/low-pass plugin by brainworx.
-paul.
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Hi Paul,
To clarify, I wanted to give it a try in fcpx so i exported the mix as a wav and set graphic equalizer as close to what you recommended for the entire 2 hr clip. In fcpx i don’t have the ability to gauge or go as low as you go in your software, thus i can’t set the Q value to .83 as you did but can visually set it up similar to what you did.
This will be my best bet at limiting bass distortion on HD tvs while keeping a fuller sound via the bass boost that was applied throughout project?
Would the below shape in terms of doing away with my original bass boost that was applied to most clips.
Seems it would be best to go into the specific clips where there’s distortion and messing with those while leaving the non distorted clips as is.
Thanks, joe
joseph zabrosky
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Hi Joe.
There are many variables regarding when and how to apply the EQ. One scenario might be applying EQ on a clip by clip basis before you mix down. And then in the so called “mastering” stage, apply global EQ to the mixdown. The latter is generally done much less aggressively. So it all depends on what you are dealing with.
And just to be clear – the Channel EQ that I displayed in my previous post is located in the FCPX Effects Browser/Audio/EQ/Logic. Give it a try:
Now from a personal perspective I would be dealing with similar issues outside of FCPX, and in fact before I mixdown/export. I always handle the processing of clips individually. A somewhat aggressive rolloff might be suitable on a problematic clip but not necessarily suitable on the entire mix.
-paul.
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Paul,
That .83 is a good shape. It works well. Is it like a standard? I coupled it with a remove low frequency filter in fcpx and it seems to be taking the distortion out globally without me having to mess anymore with single clips and giving the sound i sought. Thank you so much i really appreciate it. If there’s anything else you do to sweeten the final mix please share. Thanks again. joe
joseph zabrosky
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