Audio in a match framed clip is zero'd out

In FCP 6, when I match frame back to a clip, the volume of the source clip, in the viewer, is at zero. Even when I've previously adjusted the volume of the master clip.

A small thing, but it's driving me nuts since much of my audio was recorded very hot, and I've lowered the master clip audio to about -9 on many of them.

Any one else experiencing this? I hope it's user error or something I can adjust. It'd be ridiculous if this is "just the way it is in FCP." I've been using it for years, but haven't noticed. Maybe my source audio has never been this hot.

Thanks,
Garret

My config:
FCP 6, OS 10.4.9, 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Mac Pro, 5 GB RAM, 1.8 TB RAID 5 Firewire drive (half full), QT 7.1.6, Decklink HD Extreme capture card, HDLink

This is happening because the piece you had stuck into the timeline was an affiliate clip of your old, unmodified audio. Next time, adjust the level before cutting the clip into the timeline. I just tried this and my Match Frame calls up the master clip with level adjustment intact.


www.derekmok.com

Oh, and learn these shortcuts too. With these under your belt, even if you hadn't adjusted your master clip, changing audio in the timeline is a breeze.

OPTION-APPLE-L: Modify - Levels
- Select any number of clips in the timeline, press this and enter "+NUMBER, Return" or "-NUMBER, Return" to adjust all the clips by a certain number of dBs. The great thing is that if you had used keyframes to change the levels, all keyframes go down by the same number without changing their relative relationship. Or, choose "Absolute" in the dialogue window and enter a number to set all the clips at a certain level -- +4dB gain, for example.

CONTROL ,: Pan Left
CONTROL .: Pan Center
CONTROL /: Pan Right
CONTROL =: +1dB
CONTROL -: -1dB
CONTROL ]: +3dB
CONTROL [: -3dB


www.derekmok.com

my preference is for:

Control [ and ] to lower / raise by 3db
Control - and + to lower / raise by 1db

(i can hardly hear 1db differnce, so i go for 3 first up)

beauty of these is a can play & monitor while tweaking.
don't know if you can do that with the levels window open


nick

Derek and Nick, thanks.

I agree with you about the handiness of those keyboard shortcuts. I use Control [ and ] constantly, all day.

My problem is happening on some clips (not all!) that had the audio adjusted before I cut them into any sequence.

It's an intermittent problem. So I paid attention to the name of the clips that load into the viewer. They were different for what should be the same file. Which got me thinking that maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm working in a couple different projects?

One project is for my sequences, one project is for my assets. (I'm starting a feature doc, and trying to keep project file sizes down. What do you guys think of this approach?)

As a test: I put a music clip, "Yes Ma'am," from the Asset Project in the viewer, with both channels at -6. Name at top of viewer window says "Yes Ma'am in Assets."

I then cut that track into a sequence that lives in the Sequence Project. I match frame the "Yes Ma'am" clip that's in the sequence: the clip that loads in the viewer has both channels at 0 and the viewer window name is "Yes Ma'am in Sequences." -- But the "Yes Ma'am" file actually lives in the Assets project.

It's the first time I've worked in two projects like this, so maybe I'm simply discovering FCP behavior that's typical when working between two projects?

Thanks,
Garret

My config:
FCP 6, OS 10.4.9, 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Mac Pro, 5 GB RAM, 1.8 TB RAID 5 Firewire drive (half full), QT 7.1.6, Decklink HD Extreme capture card, HDLink

> Which got me thinking that maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm working in a
> couple different projects?

Could well be. When you move/copy clips from one project file to another, it breaks the clip affiliation with the old master clip.

> One project is for my sequences, one project is for my assets. (I'm starting a feature doc, and
> trying to keep project file sizes down. What do you guys think of this approach?)

Makes sense to me if you have a lot of clips and your project-file size gets bloated. Just make sure you have a strict, systematic backup and filing system for those project files.


www.derekmok.com

my aspproach is to have one project,
and keep ALL the rushes in it,
plus ONE version of the cut.

even this could get too big for you, but on a feature Doc i cut it worked.

when you need to start making changes, and if teh project file size is gertting towards some up-most limit for you, duplicate the project (or save as) and continue working in that.


how big do you want to projects?
on another feature i worked on last year, there were so many rushes, (built into multiclips with linked multitrack audio - thats gonna cause bloat!) we had to break it into small collections of scenes.

we'd start thinking about splitting a project when it got to the 80MB range.


nick

I have a tutorial DVD that talks all about how to organize your FCP projects...especially large ones.

click on the link below my name (www.lfhd.net) and you'll see it on the right.

(shameless plug)


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Helping people. You should be ashamed.


www.derekmok.com