Rob Forsythe
Forum Replies Created
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[Jonathan Sheehan] “but what about the reverse shots of everyone….htat included the audience….and I don’t think it was prefilmed…..”
My best guess:
Since she would have been singing to a recorded track (or at least the song would be syncing to a recorded CLICK-TRACK), it would be a simple matter to HAVE synced pre-recorded Reverse Angle(s) (in green screen) and just cut to a live switcher effect where the pre-recorded reverse of the subject(s) (in color) was chroma-keyed over LIVE (maybe) audience shots (with the color removed from the live camera images) in real-time.All this stuff is kind of like a magician “revealing his tricks”.
Its really mysterious and fascinating BEFORE you know the gag,
and usually a disappointing let-down AFTER you find out how deceptively simple
the set-up really works. -
[Matt Larson] “Now if there was only a way to keep my tone media set at -20 instead of having to adjust it every time…”
The way I accomplish this to create a project called (are you ready?) “New Project”.
I set up all the windows, presets, and bin headings the way I prefer.
I have a “clean” Timeline with :30 of Bars & Tone, a generic slate (even a version with an animated countdown).
I save the project in this “ready” condition and LOCK the file in the Mac’s “Get Info” window.
This keeps this “master copy” from being accidentally modified.Then, when I want to begin a new project I go to my FCP Documents Folder and double-click this “New Project” and, after FCP opens, I immediately “Save As” the REAL name of my project.
When you do this, you’ll automatically have both your original “New Project” locked file and the Newly-named unlocked (ready to edit) version. -
Mr. Jones has it right.
You can use iTunes to resample CD and mp3 audio.
QT PRO works as well… but iTunes can be faster, after the initial set-up presets:
iTunes> Preferences > Importing > AIFF> Custom> 48.000 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo >OKOnce these are set, you won’t have to set them again.
Put a CD in the Mac, open it up in iTunes, click once on the track you need, and choose:
Advanced> Convert Selection to AIFF.Works VERY fast and stores new 48 kHz file in the iTunes library. You can just “drag and drop” this new file (.aif) onto your open Browser.
I know some use FCP directly to re-sample their CD audio to 48 kHz, but I find the iTunes approach a good one (and the imported/converted CD file stays on the HD independent of FCP.)
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This link reveals all the basics:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/basic_ps.html
VERY IMPORTANT:
If you re-position graphics or any video image in FCP, make SURE the VERTICAL setting for each KEY-FRAME (start, stop or hold) is always a EVEN INTEGER (Even Whole Number). Examples: 4, not 3 / -144, not -143.27 / 336, not 335.62 / 12 not 11.
The positioning settings/info (as well as many other settings) are found under the “Motion” tab in the Viewer.
Vertical position is the number in the RIGHT window in the area called “Center” (the horizontal position is displayed in the LEFT window).I sometimes forget to check this and I can end up with images that look fuzzy when in-position.
This info applies to re-positioning anything on the Timeline: moving video, freeze-frames, internally-generated titles, and imported graphics.
It can be quite detrimental to the quality of your final output to not double-check this every time you reposition and/or re-size an image.
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[Tom Matthies] “Bring in your footage with Log & Capture audio set to “Ch1 + Ch2″, edit to timeline as usual. Make sure you don’t pan your audio tracks to center. Leave them panned left & right. Output back to tape as usual.”
Well, Tom, that’s ALMOST correct. 😉
If you want to leave the audio SPLIT (without making further pan adjustments)
you should set the Audio Capture to “Stereo”.That will capture the two audio tracks separately and “leave” them panned far Left and far Right (“split”) on the FCP timeline.
If you set the Audio Capture to “Ch1 + Ch2” that will capture them separately but automatically pan both tracks full CENTER (mono).
You’d NEED to manually pan them to Left & Right during the edit.A small but important distinction.
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This list contains about everything to try to enable:
a. External Monitor VIDEO and AUDIO via FireWire
b. Viewing in the Canvas window on the computer screen
c. Being able to record on the external FW DV deck or camcorder..Try things in this order until you find the “cure”:
1. Make sure you have only ONE FireWire deck, camcorder, or DV capture “card” attached to the computer at a time. Any more than one DV device can cause loss of signal and control.
2. Make sure you have View (Menu) > External Video> All Frames set.
(If the ALL FRAMES option is grayed-out… jump to step 6 below and continue.)
3. Make SURE your Canvas window (right window) in FCP is set to “Fit to Window”… AND that it has not been “pushed off” the edge of the computer screen.
4. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu (Box Icon with broken sides) is checked on Image or Image+Wireframe… NOT just Wireframe.
5. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu is checked on RGB… NOT just Alpha.
6. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Easy Setup… is set for DV-NTSC (or DV-PAL, if that’s where you are).
7. Some camcorders/decks work better under “FW (NTSC/PAL)” -or- “FW (NTSC/PAL) Basic” control (in the capture settings). Try either setting to see which works best for your device.
8. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings > A/V Devices (tab) > Mirror on Desktop > must be CHECKED. (If not, playing video will not appear in the Canvas.)
9. Make sure the “Log and Capture” Window is CLOSED and not just “hidden” behind other windows.
10. Turn off the power to the Camera/Deck/Converter Box, then turn it back ON.
11. Make sure the camera is in VTR mode… or the deck is in DV (DV, iLink, or FW) input.
12. On a Sony camcorder or deck, make sure the menu setting “A/V > DV Out” is set to OFF.
13. Re-check that your FW cable is well-connected at both ends (or try a new cable).
14. Important: Quit FCP, then Restart FCP.
15. Now again, make sure you have View > External Video > ALL FRAMES set…If it still does not work. “Trash” the FCP Preferences on the Mac
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html“FCP Rescue” is a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences.
It will also restore your user settings afterwards.Download:
https://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14729>Then, start again at my “step 1” above.
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This list contains about everything to try to enable:
a. External Monitor VIDEO and AUDIO via FireWire
b. Viewing in the Canvas window on the computer screen
c. Being able to record on the external FW DV deck or camcorder..Try things in this order until you find the “cure”:
1. Make sure you have View (Menu) > External Video> All Frames set.
(If the ALL FRAMES option is grayed-out… jump to step 6 below and continue.)
2. Make SURE your Canvas window (right window) in FCP is set to “Fit to Window”… AND that it has not been “pushed off” the edge of the computer screen.
3. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu (Box Icon with broken sides) is checked on Image or Image+Wireframe… NOT just Wireframe.
4. Make sure your CANVAS View Menu is checked on RGB… NOT just Alpha.
5. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Easy Setup… is set for DV-NTSC (or DV-PAL, if that’s where you are).
6. Some camcorders/decks work better under “FW (NTSC/PAL)” -or- “FW (NTSC/PAL) Basic” control (in the capture settings). Try either setting to see which works best for your device.
7. Make sure your Final Cut Pro (menu) > Audio/Video Settings > A/V Devices (tab) > Mirror on Desktop > must be CHECKED. (If not, playing video will not appear in the Canvas.)
8. Make sure the “Log and Capture” Window is CLOSED and not just “hidden” behind other windows.
9. Turn off the power to the Camera/Deck/Converter Box, then turn it back ON.
10. Make sure the camera is in VTR mode… or the deck is in DV (DV, iLink, or FW) input.
11. On a Sony camcorder or deck, make sure the menu setting “A/V > DV Out” is set to OFF.
12. Re-check that your FW cable is well-connected at both ends (or try a new cable).
13. Important: Quit FCP, then Restart FCP.
14. Now again, make sure you have View > External Video > ALL FRAMES set…If it still does not work. “Trash” the FCP Preferences on the Mac
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html“FCP Rescue” is a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences.
It will also restore your user settings afterwards.Download:
https://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14729>Then, start again at my “step 1” above.
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“Normalize” can be just as problematic to add “wholesale” to a poorly-recorded clip, in its own, way as is a compressor.
For the most part, “normalize” examines the whole clip and sets the HIGHEST PEAK to a given level, allowing the rest of the track’s levels to remain (differences and all) unadjusted.
This is useful if the entire track is recorded correctly (within itself) but the general peaks don’t match OTHER complete clips in maximum level.Normalize is effective if you are, say, taking several CD cuts from various albums and making a “mix disc” and you want all the varied cuts to have a “normal” peak level throughout the CD.
You don’t want to disturb the dynamics (relationship of high-to-low-levels) WITHIN each cut, but you don’t want the peak level of any cut to be vastly different than the others.However, the way I interpret the situation in the case of this thread: TWO different voices are recorded TOGETHER on one track with one being LOW in level and the other much HIGHER.
Any kind of “automatic filter” applied to try to force BOTH of these situations to “match in level” would need to be set so BROADLY that the filter’s automatic operation would reveal itself in audible pumping and/or distinguishable background-level changes.
One possible “fix” would be to create a “stack” of filters customized for the lower-level voice.
The stack might include an EQ or roll-off to lessen the amplified background noise, and a Normalizer (if you like) or even the Compressor (that is actually adjusted to specifically address the unique conditions of the lower voice). Once these are set, they can be added to MANUALLY- determined slices of the audio track. If any of the transition-points are still “rough”, an audio dissolve could be added at the cut-points). -
[Ray Lane] “It would be great if there was a simple plg that did all the “rubber banding” of the audio volume, and normalized all the audio to the required level.”
Unfortunately, software is not quite smart enough to “just KNOW” what we want it to do.
That’s why compressors PUMP… they try to make ALL the audio the “same level” by (in effect) “rubber-banding” ALL of it to within the specs you set up.
If you want the gain to be adjusted in an “intelligent” way, a real-live PERSON must make the decisions.
An alternate way to make this go faster is to SLICE the CLIP every time person “B” (the “low-level” person) is talking (making each person speaking a distinct clip unto itself.)
Then, adjust the level for that person on the first clip, and “Paste Attributes” for each additional clip of person “B” speaking.If you need more than +12 db, you can add the Audio Filters > Apple > AUPeakLimiter and adjust the “Pre-gain” to any level you want.
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Yes.
Compressor/Limiter.
But you will be much better-off MANUALLY adjusting for EACH voice as Compressors tend to have noticeable audible “pumping” artifacts.
If you want to try the Compressor:
Add the Compressor/Limiter Audio Filter to a clip and click it into the viewer “Filters” window.
As a starting point, adjust the Settings to my “all 2’s” formula:
Threshold (db) -20
Ratio 2
Attack Time 20
Release Time 200
Preserve Volume CHECKED (very important!)Now click the viewer to display the actual audio track and set the Level to “2” or “3.”
Now, when you play the track it should be at a “more consistent” level.
You can play with my “all 2’s” formula if you want, but its a good starting point for compressing the levels without a lot of compressor “pumping.”
The “Threshold” setting will affect the clip the most… as you slide left, it brings more of the low levels UP.
The actual volume adjustment now comes from the “Level” slider on the actual audio track (and you can key-frame that if you want.)