Audio 6db louder in Browser than in project

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

I have noticed this also. It’s been in FCPX for a long time and I haven’t found any documentation on it.
It seems that FCPX also wants to protect the user of clipping. Sometimes the meters don’t go beyond 0 in a project unless you really make audio WAY too loud.
It’s often handy but it’s not really transparant why or what it’s doing and it should. I can imagine it driving people nuts.

Anyone have more explanation?

[Bret Williams]

I’ve never noticed either. Except of course for the fact that once it’s in the timeline I usually delete a channel or bring down music by 20db. Neither of which changes the audio in the event.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I’m with Bret.

The clip in the Event can have a different level in the Project.

If you are saying they are both at 0 but somehow louder in the Event?

[Nick Toth]

If you play back a mono clip in the browser it will be about 6 db louder in the browser than in the timeline EXCEPT if you change its channel configuration in the inspector from MONO to LEFT or RIGHT. Of course, then the audio is panned left or right.

I’m not sure of the reason for this. I would think it would be louder or the same in the timeline since it would be “DUAL MONO” with the MONO setting.

I know that certain audio mixers will “dip” a mono signal when it’s panned to the center versus full left or right. There are also mixers which compensate by keeping the level the same throughout the pan.

It appears that FCP X follows the former model.

anickt

[James Bayliss-smith]

[Nick Toth] “I know that certain audio mixers will “dip” a mono signal when it’s panned to the center versus full left or right. There are also mixers which compensate by keeping the level the same throughout the pan.
“

I work in news and often pan different audio left or right as a work around to split the tracks before sending. In FCPX you definitely loose volume after you have panned by at least 6db so I don’t think it compensated at all. Not sure how that observation relates to my initial observation. Any ideas? Its defiantly not due to ‘losing’ a track of audio as I’m working in a 1 track mono source

thanks

[Nick Toth]

What if you change its channel configuration in the inspector from MONO to LEFT or RIGHT. Then the audio is panned left or right and doesn’t lose any level.

anickt