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Audio Post Workflow
Hello all, I’m wondering if any of you out there in the blogosphere would care to indulge a small-time editor with your best post audio workflow for FCPX.
Meaning, I’m working on a feature film that I wrote, which is now in post production, we are cutting in FCPX but our audio will need some sweetening to clear up pops and hums and wind in the background. And frankly the auto tools in FCPX just make the dialogue sound tinny. For an example of the tinny audio I’m referring to, please watch our teaser:
https://vimeo.com/user2597804/review/50855255/261208b65c
Any advice on what workflow, and what programs work best with FCPX in regards to round tripping audio would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
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6 Replies
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Many people use X2Pro to send their mix, with roles (and since version 2.0 also Audio Handles etc.) to Pro Tools. I don’t need it at the moment, but the software has gotten very good reviews:
https://www.x2pro.net -
FCPX has extremely good Logic plugins for audio sweetening, but you need to know how to use them,relying on the auto functions won’t get anywhere near the same results, there are also some preset eq’s in the inspector that you can change that can be very good.
If you need interchange with ProTools then X2Pro is very good, we recently used it on a feature and there were no problems with it at all
Steve Connor
‘It’s just my opinion, with an occasional fact thrown in for good measure” -
I have found X2Pro to be problematic for my workflows. I use Xto7 to send the sequence to FCP 7 and then generate an OMF for my favorite ProTools folks. Most of the time this works. Sometimes I’ve found Xto7 has trouble with the FCP X XMLs specifically related to audio. So, double-check to make sure everything is there in the FCP 7 sequence. I’ve had to match-frame files in 7 to edit in the right sync audio a few times.
The second option is to export audio tracks as roles in FCP X. You lose handles, but most of the time it works well if you get very granular. For example, creating and designating numerous subroles for dialogue, SFX, music, etc. Make sure to strip out everything you’ve done to the audio, though, before you export roles. Also, this is NOT a transparant process. I have had some audio issues with files in X that were not audible in 7 or Pro Tools. So, exporting the audio as roles, when there were audio artifacts, passed along the problems, even though the original seemed fine in the other applications.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “I have found X2Pro to be problematic for my workflows. I use Xto7 to send the sequence to FCP 7 and then generate an OMF for my favorite ProTools folks. Most of the time this works. Sometimes I’ve found Xto7 has trouble with the FCP X XMLs specifically related to audio.”
Hi Oliver
Could you explain what issues you have had with X2Pro?
When using Xto7 for this workflow as you suggest I have had quite a few problems not least of which is that the XML generated by FCP X is itself defective (incomplete, scrambled, etc.) in ways that are unpredictable, to me at least. (This same issue has obviously given me problems with X2Pro.) Have you found this to be the case at all?
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com -
Hi Simon,
“Could you explain what issues you have had with X2Pro?”
X2Pro didn’t work for my workflow, but my testing was limited to the beta. It seemed to work OK for the things it could do, but that didn’t properly fit my needs.
My files are generally QT media with embedded sync audio, plus AIFFs for music, VO, SFX, etc. My Pro Tools mixer wanted AAF files with linked, trimmed (not embedded media). Some of their process worked for embedded files. Some worked best for double-system sound with audio as WAV files. So it’s not that it didn’t work, but rather couldn’t do what I needed.
In the end it was easier to send to 7 and then export an OMF. As far as Xto7, I know Philip and Greg have wrestled with this all along. Sometimes you get a really solid translation and then other times sync audio is completely gone or scrambled or randomly placed 11 hours down on the timeline!
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
Thanks for clarifying.
[Oliver Peters] “X2Pro didn’t work for my workflow, but my testing was limited to the beta. It seemed to work OK for the things it could do, but that didn’t properly fit my needs.
My files are generally QT media with embedded sync audio, plus AIFFs for music, VO, SFX, etc. My Pro Tools mixer wanted AAF files with linked, trimmed (not embedded media). Some of their process worked for embedded files. Some worked best for double-system sound with audio as WAV files. So it’s not that it didn’t work, but rather couldn’t do what I needed.”
I’ve generally found the latest version (or rather the latest beta of the latest version) did everything I wanted but I maybe need to run a few more tests from what you’re saying. Unlike you, I was finding it a lot more reliable than the Xto7 route which I have also used but never with 100% success and frequently disastrous (as in effectively unusable) consequences.
I think it’s fair to say that there still isn’t a wholly reliable workflow despite the best efforts of these two third parties over more than a year.
Simon Ubsdell
http://www.tokyo-uk.com
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