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FCP’s audio meter
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Sorry to be a downer too, but your argument doesn’t stick.
For years I read that you should NEVER trust the waveform/vectorscope in FCP and always should test externally.
Now you’re telling me to 100% trust the audio meters?
Only way to be sure is to have an external,calibrated meter. Full stop.
Secondly if Isobel is delivering her/his (not sure 🙂 to the post-house and they never complained, doesn’t that tell you something?
I’m always for the practical solutions. Why change something that is working.
She/He only ask about why FCP displays the audio incorrectly, NOT what is the correct audio level for broadcast.
Carsten
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I have to agree about the track being hot. In all my years of editing in FCP, I’ve always – and I mean always – had to pull back tracks (some classical or quiet ambient being the exceptions) on import. Most producers use all of the headroom and often compress the **** out of a track – especially dance stuff, and doubly so for ‘radio mixes’. I typically bring them down 10dB to get them in the ballpark – but of course we’re talking broadcast levels. If your sending to a post house don’t worry – they’ll mix to legal spec. FCP’s meters are just being cautious, as for pukka online work you’d never be anywhere near that level anyway. I’d expect they’ll send out with no peaks higher than -10 anyway. You could try bringing it down to this, and turning your speakers up – your dubbing mixer will thank you. Mind you, might spoil that Spinal Tap moment if you want to go up to 11 😉
Jason
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Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes.
Then when you do criticise him, you’ll be a mile away. And have his shoes.*the artist formally known as Jaymags*
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https://www.isobel.supermelody.com/clipping.aiff
There is a little bit of the file. It is mastered for CD so I think the problem is that I didn’t know broadcast level was so much lower than CD level. But as long as it’s not actually clipping – going flat on the waveforms – then I think I’ll leave it this level and let the production house set it to the level they know as standard because the things I’ve been reading about this say that every broadcasting place is different. I will do that test though. That will be a good way to know if there is something that FCP is doing to the audio.
What happens in the case of festivals playing things off of dvd or mini dv? I’m sure the digibeta tape I have made will match the broadcast levels for the tv station but should I be making my levels -10db for dvd also?
I’ve had problems with my audio sounding quieter in a screening program and it can be disappointing…
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You can do this with Soundtrack Pro. Export your tone at 0dB. Drop it into the STP. It will display as 0dB there. Export it back from STP and bring it back into FCP. Open the file in the viewer and it will read exactly the same as the exported file on the audio meters. However when you put it in the timeline and view it on either the regular meters or the mixer meters it will display as exactly the same, except for one difference, when you get to the reimported file the LEDs will light up. The metering will be identical, will never appear to move, but the LEDs will light up as if it’s clipping.
Rob’s point that all music recorded is way too hot for digital video and needs to be reduced is an excellent one. The correct digital video levels should be delivered from FCP, not zero dB out.
All the best,
Tom
Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop” -
Because what’s correct in an audio studio is not correct for digital video. For all we know the engineers in the studio that she’s been delivering the material to have been bitchin and moanin for years that they have to fix her audio. That’s a joke BTW, so take it with a sense of humor, but having been on the receiving end I’ve done my share or bitchin and moanin about stuff that keeps appearing from some people.
All the best,
Tom
Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP6,” “Basic Training for FCS2” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop” -
Isobel-
Thanks so much for posting, unfortunately the link doesn’t seem to work. Do you mind reposting?
Jeremy
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[Carsten Orlt] “Only way to be sure is to have an external,calibrated meter. Full stop. “
True, but the video scopes in FCP analyze one line of video. They have been much better since the release of FCS2 which will analyze the full range of video when parked on one frame. They are still not all that easy to read/see and don’t give you near the feedback from real scopes.
Also, clipping in FCP is indicated by the little dots on the top of the audio meters. When those dots turn red, your playback is clipping.
Jeremy
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I think with a lot of independent music videos the director sends the video along with the mastered record and they put the things together in the post place. I think the people at those studios would have to deal with it a lot and probably have quit the bitchin and moanin by now… Plus it sounds like it’s not a very difficult thing to fix – dropping level by 10db or whatever the standard is for the network. I have learned some good things here today. Thanks everyone!
I guess it could be a good thing that FCP tells you the level is too hot when it’s getting close to clipping… I don’t know, though. If they’re going to put “PRO” in the name it should be that you don’t have something that tells you there is clipping when there is no clipping. It should just be explained somewhere in that broadcast audio needs to be lower in level…
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Nevermind, I got it. The file is aif, not aiff.
Jeremy
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