Edit audio on part of a clip

[bonalymac]

Hi another stupid newb question

I often want to reduce volume on a part of a video clip. We are frequently doing school shows, and where possible, I try and cut out the louder interruptions such as the school bell ringing during the appluse at the end of a show. We also have one or two kids who are prone to interrupt with fairly loud outbursts due to illness.

In one case now, I have about a 12 second segment of a 5 minute clip that I want to reduce the volume for. As it is audience aplause, its easy to paste a new segment over this.

To do so, I find I am having to enter 4 keyframes for each segment two at the start and end points, and then a further one just either side of these ones say 0.5 second, and then reduce volume for the middle portion.

This seems a failrly long winded solution, and over an hour's recording, gets a bit monotonous. Is there an easier way to do this?

Thanks

[Steve Grisetti]

For better or for worse, I think the method you're using is the best.

You can also right-click on your clip and select Show Properties to open the Properties panel for the clip. In the Properties panel, click on the triangle to the left of the Volume listing to open its property settings.

Then move the CTI (playhead) to the where you want to reduce the volume and move down the volume slider. Move the CTI to the end of that segment and move the slider back up again. This will automatically create your keyframes.

[Bill Hunt]

You could also do Track Keyframing with the Audio Mixer. I know that it works a bit differently, than the one in PrPro does, so I'll let Steve, or someone else step you through its exact operation, rather than give you details that will likely not translate directly. Basically you ride the Gain pot in the Audio Mixer, to setup automatic Keyframing, as you listen and watch. There are Keyframes, but they appear in the Track Keyframes, not in the Clip Keyframes. Since the "Sends" are automatically calculated, it takes a lot of the "hand-work" out of the process.

Otherwise, you are doing it, just as i'd probably do it.

Hunt

[JohnnyO]

Bill's right. The Audio mixer is prabably easier to use. But you will get a lot of keyframes made that way.

Try it out.

[bonalymac]

I can't make that work for me. That was why I was having to put an extra keyframe in.

If I do your suggestion (unless I'm doing something wrong) then all I get is the first section at zero volume, the bit in the middle between the two keyframes shows volume rising from zero to max, then remaining at max. This is not want I want, so I was having to insert two more keyframes. Am I doing it wrong?


Colin

[bonalymac]

You could also do Track Keyframing with the Audio Mixer. I know that it works a bit differently, than the one in PrPro does, so I'll let Steve, or someone else step you through its exact operation, rather than give you details that will likely not translate directly. Basically you ride the Gain pot in the Audio Mixer, to setup automatic Keyframing, as you listen and watch. There are Keyframes, but they appear in the Track Keyframes, not in the Clip Keyframes. Since the "Sends" are automatically calculated, it takes a lot of the "hand-work" out of the process.

Otherwise, you are doing it, just as i'd probably do it.

Hunt

I posted my last reply before I saw this. I'll try this option tomorrow and see if I can master it. Don't need instructions, I'm quite happy to play with the mixer and find how it works. I learn more that way.

Thanks to all

[Bill Hunt]

It's really pretty easy, but as JohnnyO suggests, you WILL get many more Keyframes. Do not know if PE allows one to set the "smoothing" of Keyframes added this way, but in PrPro you can. Also, I know that the Audio Mixer in PE is different (works basically the same, but with fewer options for automation), than the one in PrPro. Still, it should work fine.

I use the one in PrPro to do full DD 5.1 SS to fully locate my Audio sources. In PrPro, there are several different "Sends," that dictate exactly how the automation will work. I *think* that in PE, one must ride the gain for the entire Duration. In PrPro, I can set the Send to Touch, and when I am past the point I wish to control, just let go, and the pot will return to the setting for that area.

Remember, to see/manipulate these Keyframes, one must turn on Keyframe display for the TRACK, as they do NOT appear in the Clip(s). Be prepared for a bunch. Also, check Edit>Preferences, to see if PE will allow one to do Keyframe "smoothing," to space out these Track Keyframes a bit, so you will not have quite so many.

Good luck, and I'll now go play with PE's Audio Mixer, to make sure that what I've suggested will work, like in PrPro.

Hunt

[bonalymac]

The number of keyframes is of absolutely no concern to me if I don't have to create them manually. If the software wants to create 1 a second or more, I can live with that. What I was trying to avoid was the manual creation of "extra" keyframes.

Anyway I'm now off to have a look at the Audio mixer.

I'll have a look for some tutorials first. Not sure if there's one on the main MUVIPX site, but thats first stop after this post.

Unfortunately my version of PrEl in a Snap is version 2, so that's no help, but I enjoy the challenge of finding out new skills. You learn far more doing it yourself (albeit with tutorials to help).

Thanks

Colin

[Chuck Engels]

Here is everything in the product section on Audio
http://muvipix.com/products.php?searchphrase=audio

There is a tutorial on the Audio Mixer in there too

[bonalymac]

Thanks to everyone for their replies to this.

Managed to cope with the Audio Mixer. First time I used it I thought it was too fiddly. Second time I tried it I thought the same. After a few more goes I was getting the hang of it tho.

I'm guessing the Level is a logarithmic scale, so minimal change produces a significant drop in vol level. But a few more goes and I started to understand just where to position the controls. Its quite tricky working in real time, but once used to it I like it. Slow mo might have helped.

As you say, there's lots of keyframes, but that really doesn't matter a jot. If I'm not taking time positioning each one manually, the system can create as many as it wants. I've no idea how PrPro works, but this is fine for me in Elements. I like it.

Also downloaded the latest tutorials from the Muvipix site and I've watched afew, some more to come.

So again, thanks to all


Colin