Why does audio in AE suck so hard?

[Kevin Camp]

why are you editing audio with a visual effects app?

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

i guess if you were just trying to separate you’re audio from something you had in ae, i would add the comp to the render queue (composition>add to render queue), then from the output module select ‘audio only’.

by default, that setting will render audio to a mov, if you click the ‘audio only’ you can change those settings. from the settings window (after clicking ‘audio only’) under format, i would choose wav and set the sample rate, depth and channels accordingly.

also, i’m not sure what the source of your audio is in your comp, but i would stay away from compressed audio in ae… ae will accept an mp3, but they will often cause issues as you work with them. i’ve heard cs5 works better with many compressed formats, but i still avoid many of them.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Russell Levenson]

Sorry, that was confusing. I meant to say I am just working with audio in AE… not editing it. I mean I am trying to match audio with a graphic, but it just gets so messed up I have no idea what to believe when it comes to audio.

[Kevin Camp]

making sure you have the update is a good idea.

but there are a few tips for working with audio…

1. i mentioned this one — avoid compressed audio, use wavs.
2. if you have a layer with audio selected in the timeline, type ‘LL’ (2 quick L’s) to show the wave form. you can drag the bottom of the wave form to enlarge it in the timeline.
3. you can add layer markers in real time while previewing audio. select the audio layer, then hit the decimal on the numbers pad (this will play only audio from the current position in the timeline), then hit the * on the numbers pad to add a marker when you want to mark an audio event. –note, you can have any layer selected, and it will add markers to that layer, i just usually add them to the audio layer.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Peter Berdovsky]

Audio in AE is simply AWFUL.
It occasionally plays back (during render previews) at the wrong speed.
It takes an awkwardly weird time to play (render previews) even without any video over it.
And sometimes (intense time stretch) it crashes renders (perhaps unless the buffer is increased).

The truth is we need AE to let us edit to precise audio events, in the business of making music videos complete and utter accuracy and speed of previews is very important.

And I just don’t see that in AE.

I have 0 solutions here.

Just more griping.