Audio Mixing is Actually Brilliant

[Peter Dunphy]

Hope the next ‘big update’ improves the ease of audio mixing.

Peter Dunphy

2 x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 8 GB 1066 MHz DDR3, ATI Radeon HD 4870, ATTO ExpressSAS R380, Sonnet D800 Raid 5

[Peter Dunphy]

Hi Jim

Couldn’t find a way to PM you. How are you finding Audio Mixing in FCPX now? Has been a few months since your original post. Interested to know if you’re still using it. The bugginess in STP is just too much for me!

Warm regards

Peter

Peter Dunphy

2 x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 8 GB 1066 MHz DDR3, ATI Radeon HD 4870, ATTO ExpressSAS R380, Sonnet D800 Raid 5

[Jim Giberti]

Hey Peter,

First, despite the things about this first generation program that I really hope are addressed in the next update – I really love that I can mix and edit together in real time (as opposed to mixing to a QT with exported audio.)

I’m digging the Logic plug-ins and the ability to cut audio live in the timelineOther nice things are quick fades and levels adjustments with the main bar, handles, the Range tool, option click and directly in the Inspector – pretty wide and fast options.

I also really like the ability to quickly group audio sources into CCs and effecting them universally. There seems to have been some confusion in the original discussion about individual clips maintaining their FX when they were CCed then double clicked to access the individual clips again. The fact that they do retain their FX is what makes mixing in X so smooth so far.

Here’s a quick example of a TV spot and a web film that I’m Mixing/Editing right now. It’s pretty simple audio – 3 characters and a music bed and an added VO on the film.

First I just tweaked all the individual audio clips for each character to set a manual level, most of it with the main bar and some with a little more option clicking for trouble spots. Once each character’s level was set I grouped the clips and Option/G each character and then applied a Logic channel EQ to each CC.

The fourth voice on the film version was done in the studio and already compressed and leveled so I just added a channel EQ.

Now I’ll group all the voice tracks with another Option/G and apply a Logic Multipressor to the master voice mix.

Last I add that CC together with the music track (that I didn’t want the Multipressor on) and put a final limiter on that Master Bus/CC.

It’s really fast, and it’s not like a music mix where I’m always going back and tweaking 20 or 30 tracks individually as the mix progresses. With the average project I get my audio tracks together pretty quickly and if I do have to adjust individual CCs or clips within a CC it’s very fast and because you can do it right in the timeline, very easy.

Hope that helps some.
Ask any particular question and I’ll be glad to answer it if I can.

Jim

[Steve Connor]

[Jim Giberti] “It’s really fast, and it’s not like a music mix where I’m always going back and tweaking 20 or 30 tracks individually as the mix progresses. With the average project I get my audio tracks together pretty quickly and if I do have to adjust individual CCs or clips within a CC it’s very fast and because you can do it right in the timeline, very easy.
“

Even the fact that the waveforms move in real time is a big help, In drama scenes I can do a rough first pass for levels without even playing the edit!

Steve Connor
“FCPX Agitator”
Adrenalin Television

[Jim Giberti]

I agree Steve, that’s one of many little things that make this more advanced and facile than it’s predecessor and that get overlooked in the bigger discussion.

I’m unashamedly pleased with the simplified, comprehensive approach to organization, editing, audio and finishing in one program. FCPX may or may not be a future solution for dedicated editing facilities, but I like it more everyday for our studio.

Looking forward to seeing how they refine it in the new upgrade.

Jim

[Peter Dunphy]

Hi Jim, and Steve,

Thanks so much for your feedback about the audio capabilities of FCPX. If the trial’s still available I will give it a go.

The sooner the new update comes around the better. I have high hopes that Apple will get their act together and try to make amends in FCPX.

Warm regards

Peter

Peter Dunphy

2 x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 8 GB 1066 MHz DDR3, ATI Radeon HD 4870, ATTO ExpressSAS R380, Sonnet D800 Raid 5

[Peter Dunphy]

Do you think the new update has improved the audio capabilities in any way?

Peter Dunphy

2 x 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 8 GB 1066 MHz DDR3, ATI Radeon HD 4870, ATTO ExpressSAS R380, Sonnet D800 Raid 5

[Carlos Huanes]

This is a fascinating discussion. I was just getting my feet wet w Protools before switching from 7 to X. Could anyone point me to a good audio tutorial on what is being discussed here? I’m totally sold on metadata and convinced that Avid and Premiere will eventually look more like fcpx. However, with larger more complex projects I worry that I’m gonna run into organizational problems with audio (or even exporting audio to Protools) that visually are just easier to deal with with rigid tracks and a standard mixer. It sounds like that’s not the case. If there’s a better way I would love to learn it. When I look it up I see only very elementary lessons on the audio portion of FCPX. Insightful post. Thanks!