FCPX messing with GarageBand files

[Devrim Akteke]

Hi,

Not an active Garage Band user but I remember you can set it up as 48Khz in Project Setup Window. And did you export it as an AIIF or WAV or mp3. All should be ok but mpeg encoding and decoding may cause a problem. At least I remember problems in the past. And if it is 44.1, did you make your FCP timeline 44.1, too?

[Kent Wiley]

Thanks for your reply, Devrim. As far as I can see, and from what I’ve read elsewhere, GB does not allow 48 kHz resolution files. So it’s not an option. I would have done that at the start, if I could have. The files were exported in all formats (WAV, mp3, AIFF, AAC), and all of them are messed up. The FCP project was started months ago in 48 kHz, and all my other sound files are at that rate, so it’s not an option to change there. Any other ideas?

[Doug Metz]

“I’ve brought a few pieces of sound from GarageBand into FCP 10.7.1 and they are being mercilessly modified. The files sound fine in every other player: Finder; Audacity; VLC; Quicktime.“

Hey Kent,

Can you clarify what ‘mercilessly modified’ entails?

Do you have a copy of Media Info or Invisor?

[Kent Wiley]

Hi Doug,

I do not have either of those apps. Hard to describe how the files sound different. How to write about sound? Pinched? Distorted? But how…Not very helpful. Missing frequencies. The problem lies within FCP, it seems. Everywhere else, they sound fine. I’m going to create a FCP project that is 44.1 kHz and import the GB files, see if that changes anything.

[Doug Metz]

What you’re describing sounds like phase cancellation, maybe due to misinterpretation by FCP as to what’s actually in the file.

The reason I mention those two apps is that they give far more detailed information about the contents of your media files. Invisor is only $5, and will be more useful than you think.

In any event, this section of the user guide details how to change the channel configuration, and when/why you might need to:

https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/configure-audio-channels-verc1fab5f6/mac

support.apple.com

Configure audio channels in Final Cut Pro for Mac

In Final Cut Pro for Mac, change the audio channel configuration, view and listen to audio components, and enable or disable audio components.

[Kent Wiley]

Whoowho! That was indeed the solution. Changed the configuration to “Reverse Stereo” and it sounds fine. I know about the channel config but never thought to look over there for music. Many thanks Doug. I think you’ve saved me from buying Logic.

[Doug Metz]

Awesome – glad I could help!

[Kent Wiley]

But I wonder about the page of the guide you linked to. It shows even as far back as FCP 10.5 there is an option for mono, stereo, and surround. I’m still running 10.7.1 and there is no surround option, but there is the reverse stereo. When the audio is imported and selected in the browser, these options change?

[Doug Metz]

Yes. Since you’re looking at the properties of an individual clip, FC shows you available options based on what’s in the file, as opposed to your projects where you get to determine the output (whether you have the channel coverage or not).

You can import surround / multi-channel audio files (many of the included SFX are surround files).

Edited because the Cow’s reply box totally hogs the screen and won’t let me review the message I’m replying to while I type.

[Kent Wiley]

Good to know.

Yeah, what’s w/ the Cow’s reply box that won’t allow viewing the message you are responding to? Mine goes almost totally white beneath the reply box.