wave forms vs meters

[Craig Alan]

On the mixer I use the output level of the tone oscillator is in dBu at LINE level. 0 dBu.

As for color correcting exposure (Luma levels). I try to keep my deepest blacks a hair above 0 and the brightest highlights a hair below 100 with the widest dynamic range as possible. Then I play with mid tones which includes human skin tones to create a look. Then I might color correct I’m terms of hue and saturation. Then I recheck the overall Luma levels.

I understand that digital audio doesn’t clip until it does. So maybe distortion is the wrong term. But I do know that I can find the sweet range on even a consumer level camera. And some are better than others and they are all helped by using a mixer. Though you can’t bypass the cam’s poor preamp altogether, you can keep it turned down and rely more on the quiet preamp of a good mixer. However there is no exact way to calibrate the mixer to a camera that does not allow for -20 calibration. I know, for example, on the Canon HV40s That 0 tone out the mixer works pretty well if you calibrate at -12 or a bit lower. And also if you keep the mixer peaks to about +4. This gives you extra headroom. I also find it depends on the mike being used, how close to the source, and again monitoring with headphones.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Craig Alan]

Jeff this has been very helpful and I appreciate it.

I actually do have a Flanders monitor with a Black magic card which I use for color correction. I’m disappointed that I can’t use it for Aperture. Or monitoring QT movies after exporting them.

Didn’t occur to me that it would be helpful for audio as well. Are the audio meters on the Flanders of good quality? I love it for the visual features.

I am connected to the black magic card on SDI 1.

How do I bring up the audio meters on the Flanders. I have LM-2140W.

I can call Flanders tomorrow if need be.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Jeff Markgraf]

Not at my system now, but it’s in the menu. My preset #3, I think, has the audio meters along with a histogram. I went into the menu, meters, audio and changed the audio display from the default 12 or something channels to just 1& 2. I also turned off the histogram. So it’s just 2 vertical meters in a grey overlay. On mine, there are convenient markers at the -18 level and at the -6 level. Pretty handy. Fast rise and slow decay, just like the pros! I would trust them more that the FCPX meters.

[Craig Alan]

Well I got the meters to display two channels but not sure how to turn off histogram. I think I’ll call customer support and have a tech guy talk me through the menu system.

But nothing is registering on the meters. Maybe a FCP preference?

The meters read from -60 to -10?

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Noam Osband]

I’ve been doing more audio editing with FCP X and I got to Creative Cow to look up this precise question, why it might be read in the timeline waveform but not clipping in the audio meters.

I’ll be honest….I read the thread and it seems like there is no answer, other than the fact that perhaps there is a limiter that leads the timeline waveform to go red while my meters don’t clip.

I guess I’m asking for the bottom line from those who would know better: should i ignore the timeline waveforms and just go by the audio meters? I’m using good headphones and it doesn’t seem to be clipping in those cases when the meter is good but the waveform is red.

[Craig Alan]

Yes use the meters for actual levels but the wave forms allow you to
Key frame small increments of adjustments. That is right click on volume bar and key frame it. Then use range tool to select the adjusted area and click the ? Key to play the selection only while you watch the meters and listen while th headphones. Seems like Fcp x is all about using different windows at once

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Noam Osband]

I guess what’s weird is that it seems the colored waveforms are useless then, right? What’s the point of them?

[Craig Alan]

well the waveforms in general do indicate the relative volumes within a clip but the absolute levels are indicated by the meters. I wouldn’t mind all that if they would add a feature to normalize and/or add a limiter and or broadcast safe filter (vocab?) to the entire timeline or selected portion.

Mac Pro, macbook pro, Imacs (i7); Canon 5D Mark III/70D, Panasonic AG-HPX170/AG-HPX250P, Canon HV40, Sony Z7U/VX2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; FCP X write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.