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"normalizing" final audio tracks?

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"normalizing" final audio tracks?
by mortimer heathcliff on Jul 16, 2007 at 8:20:11 pm

do you guys normally do something like this on a final edit? that is, running your entire mixed-down audio track (sans music) through something like the "normalizer" in Soundtrack Pro, or do you just adjust each clip individually (which is what i do). someone had told me they normalize their audio before mastering, but it looks to me like the normalizer in STP just adjusts the entire clip up or down depending on your liking, rather than bring up the quiet, and drop down the loud, which is what he was making it sound like...

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by Michael G on Jul 16, 2007 at 8:43:20 pm

If you are sending an OMFi to sound post then they won't want you to normalise clips. When you put level adjustments and various FX like EQ in the FCP timeline then the clip remains unprocessed for sound post, just the way they like it.

Processes like normalise render a new clip. If you do this then you might find yourself up all night replacing clips with original audio to make the OMFi for the sound post people.

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by John Pale on Jul 16, 2007 at 10:41:00 pm

You want to use the compressor and limiter filters for that.

As said earlier, don;t do this if you are having a mix done by an audio guy. Leave everything unadulterated or he will want to kill you.

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by Jamibo on Jul 17, 2007 at 1:36:58 am

Some places have audio depts and some don't. I came from Avid where there was a normalize effect to drop onto your clip. Worked well. I thought I heard something about the new FC2 having it, but I can't confirm. Could be an upgrade in STP.

I'm looking for a better solution too, as most clients don't account for audio sweetening, but expect it anyway.... the normalize effect was a down and dirty fix that I miss in FC.

Good luck and let us all know if you find a solution.

Jason

greydogfilms.com

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by Bret Williams on Jul 17, 2007 at 2:46:42 am

Normalize? All that does is find the absolute loudest part of the waveform and raise the level of the clip so that that point is zero. Tends to raise every clip a different amount, which isn't that useful. Just because someone emphasized a word doesn't mean you want that clip particularly lower.

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by mortimer heathcliff on Jul 17, 2007 at 4:11:41 pm

i'm doing my own final mixdown, and merely taking it to a post house to drop it all to an HDCam master. just curious how you all finish your own audio mixes, if you adjust clip by clip (which is what i've traditionally done) or do you do any final overall adjustments in STP? also, like someone else mentioned here, maybe the "normalize" function i had heard about is in the new FCS 2 and actually does bring the highs down and the lows up to a predetermined level. THAT would be ultra cool if true!

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by walter biscardi on Jul 17, 2007 at 4:19:37 pm

[mortimer heathcliff] "also, like someone else mentioned here, maybe the "normalize" function i had heard about is in the new FCS 2 and actually does bring the highs down and the lows up to a predetermined level. THAT would be ultra cool if true!"

I just looked at the audio filters and don't see any sort of Normalize filter in there. I think that's still in STP and it does work quite well in there.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
http://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! http://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! http://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by PDPost on Jul 17, 2007 at 6:30:26 pm

Hi all,

The new Normalize function directly in FCP6 is located in Modify > Audio > Apply Normailze Gain.
-Pat

G5 Quad 2.5 Desktop with 4GB Ram, 500GB HD & Fiber Card ~
30" Cinema Display & 17" Sony SVGA ~
Swift Data 200 Internal 1.6TB SATA II RAID 0 ~
AJA Io LA ~
Final Cut Studio ~
Sony UVW-1800 Beta-SP ~~~

P D Post Productions, Inc. ~
TV~DVD~VHS~CD~WEB
for Corporate Communications, Commercials, Infomercials, Television Programs, Family Occasions since 1983 ~
E-mail PD@PDPost.com ~
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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by John Pale on Jul 17, 2007 at 6:31:48 pm

Again...I would avoid normalize and use compression and limiter filters in STP or FCP. They do more of what you describe you want done, than normalizing which is a different thing.

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Re: "normalizing" final audio tracks?
by PDPost on Jul 17, 2007 at 7:09:22 pm

Hi all,

I agree with you, John. I saved the Compressor/Limiter filter with four pretty solid default parameters in my Favorites folder and I drop this onto all of my SOT and VO tracks so that they punch better.

I never use Normalize unless I have something that was definitely recorded too low and I need to get it, non-destructively, to a respectible level. Then, I may or may not use the Compressor/Limiter filter (depending on how it sounds).

I was just pointing out where the Normalize feature exists in FCP6 because Walter had mentioned that he couldn't find it.
-Pat

G5 Quad 2.5 Desktop with 4GB Ram, 500GB HD & Fiber Card ~
30" Cinema Display & 17" Sony SVGA ~
Swift Data 200 Internal 1.6TB SATA II RAID 0 ~
AJA Io LA ~
Final Cut Studio ~
Sony UVW-1800 Beta-SP ~~~

P D Post Productions, Inc. ~
TV~DVD~VHS~CD~WEB
for Corporate Communications, Commercials, Infomercials, Television Programs, Family Occasions since 1983 ~
E-mail PD@PDPost.com ~
Website http://www.PDPost.com ~
Business/Cell Phone (847) 275-5671

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