• Adobe After Effects

  audio spectrum/waveform

  Posted by Mats Andersen on May 13, 2008 at 7:46 pm

  Hodwy Cow!
  Im using the audio spectrum and waveform filters to generate graphics from an audio file.

  Then I move this composition into a new comp to zoom into the waveform. I want to zoom close to waveform to generate an abstract form that pulses with the music – but the quality gets distortet, and when I press the continously rasterize the size jumps back to 100%

  Any ideas ?

  Sincerely
  Mats Andersen

  Simon Bonner replied 17 years, 11 months ago 2 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Simon Bonner

  May 13, 2008 at 10:10 pm

  The coninuously rasterize switch is also known as the collapse transformation switch. It sounds like you are collapsing transformations here – try zooming in the precomp rather than the main comp, then you would not need to scale up inside the main comp at all.

  Simon Bonner
  
  youtube.com/simonsaysFX
• 

  Mats Andersen

  May 13, 2008 at 10:53 pm

  I did that first – but in the precomp when I zoom the layer with the audio spectrum filter (an adjustment layer) nothing happens …
• 

  Simon Bonner

  May 14, 2008 at 9:17 am

  Scaling up an adjustment layer will not scale up the effects it produces, it will just scale up its area of influence.

  I’ve had a quick go at replicating your problem, and I think the only solution might be to add the audio track to a new comp with large dimensions, add a solid layer above it, precompose both layers, add the effect to the precomp, then nest this precomp into your main comp. That way it will be large to begin with and you won’t need to scale it up.

  So, to clarify, you will have:

  1) a main comp (normal dimensions) with precomp 1 in it.
  2) precomp 1 (large) with precomp 2 in it: the effect is added to precomp 2.
  3) precomp 2 (large) with a solid layer and the audio file in it.

  Finally, it’s worth mentioning that you should only use uncompressed audio in AE as the programme doesn’t always work well with compressed formats like MP3.

  Simon Bonner
  
  youtube.com/simonsaysFX
• 

  Mats Andersen

  May 14, 2008 at 11:41 am

  This worked – but increases rendering time a lot.
  There is always something 😉

  Thanks!
• 

  Simon Bonner

  May 14, 2008 at 11:48 am

  Yes, it’s a shame the effect isn’t rendered as a vector. If it’s too slow, you could work with the comp resolution turned down to half/third.

  Simon Bonner
  
  youtube.com/simonsaysFX

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