Using Keyframes to control vary volume on audio clips

[Chuck Carr]

To Chuck Engels,

Thanks! I got rid of the unwanted gap.

I want to be able to decrease the volume of an audio clip when it competes with the ambient audio of a video clip, then increase it again when the clips ends. I tried to use "key frames" to do this, but it didn't work. How do I know when a keyframe has been installed? I have both blue colours and grey colours on the keyframes screen.

Chuck Carr

[Paul LS]

Resize the audio track in the Timeline for better visibility by positioning the pointer between two tracks and then drag up. Select Volume in the upper left corner of the audio clip. Then, select Volume > Clip Volume. To add a keyframe move the CTI to where you want the keyframe, and click the Add/Remove Keyframe button over to the left of the timeline. Add a second keyframe after the first and then you can drag the second keyframe up and down to set the volume.

Also see the free tutorial on Basic Keyframing over in the free products section, it is at the bottom of the page:
http://muvipix.com/products.php?subcat_id=44

[Steve Grisetti]

If you're using keyframes on your audio, it should be fairly obvious. The yellow horizontal line that runs through your audio clips if their volume level. Keyframes appear as little diamond-shaped dots along this line, and you increase and decrease volume between these dots by raising and lowering the yellow line's level. Is this what you're doing, Chuck?

BTW, what do you mean by decreasing the volume of an audio clip when it competes with ambient audio? You are talking about increasing and decreasing the audio levels of two different clips, relevant to each other, right?

If so, audio keyframing is exactly what you need to do.

If you're talking about increasing the volume of, say, a voice and decreasing the sound of background on the same clip -- that's a very different process, and much more difficult to do.

[Dave McElderry]

Chuck, I see you've already gotten some responses. Here's a more step-by-step approach, if that's what will be helpful. It's one way to do this. It's not the only way.

In the Properties view make sure that you're showing keyframes. Move your timeline cursor to the point where you want to start the change in volume and click on the Add/Remove Keyframe button. This adds your starting keyframe. Now you're going to add a second one. If you want an instant change in volume, move your cursor just one frame to the right. I do this by pressing the right arrow keyboard key once. Then click on the Add/Remove Keyframe button again, and adjust the volume slider (or type in the desired dBs) to the desired volume. If you want a more gradual volume change, position that second keyframe further down the timeline. The volume will ramp between the first keyframe and second. The further apart they are, the longer the ramp time.

To bring the volume back up, move your cursor to where you want the volume to start the change, click on the Add/Remove Keyframe button again. Then move to where you want the volume to be back to normal, set your 4th keyframe, and adjust the volume as desired.

So to recap, if you want to decrease the volume, hold it there for some period of time, and then increase the volume it takes 4 keyframes. The distance between keyframes determines whether things happen faster or slower.

If you want more control along the way, such as making additional volume changes, add more keyframes. If you need to move back and forth between keyframes that you've already set you can jump from one to another with the little left and right arrow buttons beside the Add/Remove Keyframes button. You can click and drag keyframes with the mouse to move them, and if you want to move multiple keyframes at once you can lasso them first and then click and drag.

Hope this helps get you started.

[Chuck Carr]

To: Paul LS, Steve Grisetti and Dave McElderry;

Thanks to you all! I have printed out your comments and am about to implement them.

Steve, Yes I am talking about two different audio clips - one associated with the video clip (the ambient or native sound) and the music audio that I am adding to the project. They overlap and I want to learn how to control the added music.

Best regards, Chuck Carr

[Chuck Carr]

I don't know what I'm not doing. I highlit the audio clip and backed up the clips to where I wanted the audio clip to start to fade.(Two video clips before the end of the audio clip) I then clicked on "fade out" and a keyframe dutifully appeared. As I watched/listened to the audio clip, I saw the keyframe descending, but there was no reduction in volume from the speakers. Help!

Chuck Carr

PS: I have read and printed out the PDF tutorial on Keyframes and read the "fade out" reply in help/online. Nothing's working.

[Chuck Engels]

Any chance you could post a screen shot of the timeline where you applied the fade Chuck?
That would sure help make this easier to figure out.

[Chuck Carr]

Chuck,

Here is the screen shot.

Chuck Carr

[Chuck Engels]

Thanks Chuck.
It would be better if we could see more of the timeline, zoom out a bit, as well as show more tracks.
Also open up the keyframes/timeline in the properties panel would help.

It's hard to tell what's happening in the shot you provided.

[Chuck Carr]

Chuck,

Will do!

Chuck Carr

[Chuck Carr]

Chuck,

I had difficulty including much more data. here's what I have.

The attachments are not being embedded in this message.

[Steve Grisetti]

Chuck, can you widen the timeline and give us a screen shot? We'd like to see all of the video and audio clips on all of the tracks as well as the ticker along the top of the timeline.

My first thought is that your fade is rather long. The shot a few posts up show about three seconds of fade, and you're barely halfway through it! So it could be that the fade is so long you barely hear it.

My second thought is that your fade is on the music track -- the Soundtrack track -- but I don't see any waveforms on the track indicating that there is music on it.

That's why I want to see your whole timeline. It could be that the audio you're trying to fade out is on another audio track -- and that these keyframes are for an empty clip.

[Chuck Carr]

Steve,

How do I widen the track? Yes, I placed the music in the sound track. Should it have gone someplace else?

I increased the length of the fade because I could't hear it, so gave it longer to work.

Chuck Carr

[Chuck Engels]

Chuck, move the audio clip to any open audio track and see if that makes a difference.

Widening the track you just need to zoom out a bit so we can see more of the timeline.
You may need to adjust the size of the timeline panel by clicking on the top edge and dragging up to make more tracks visible also.

[Chuck Carr]

Chuck,

Thanks! I just learned how to control the Timeline somewhat. I will attach the screenshot.

Another Key Frame question. I can use keyframes to pan and zoom in Photoshop Elements. My PREL project contains many jpegs. Can I apply the same pan and zoom functions in PREL or should thay be performed in Photshop and the file imported?