FCP Filters

I find FCP's audio filters incredibly complicated and difficult (at best) to understand. I have an interview that sounds very tinny and needs some serious bass to round it out. You would think there would be something called "bass" in one of the filters. Any idea which filters will allow me to simply add bass to an audio interview bite? Thanks.

Uh...EQ.


www.derekmok.com

In your effects tab go to AUDIO FILTERS, then the Final Cut Pro folder, then pull out the plugin "3 band equalizer" and drop it on your sound. Now mess around with the Low Frequency and Low Gain settings. Heat for 3 minutes and serve.

If you want to mess around some more, try "Parametric equalizer". Heh heh.

There's also a Compressor/Limiter which might help too.

If you're still stuck and filled with boiling hatred for the FCP sound filters, send me a message and we can talk on the phone. I am male, heterosexual and hate long walks on the beach.

Best

Harry.

Well, that was easy. Audio is a science unto itself. Thanks. Worked great!

Good news ... another satisfied customer.

H.

Here's where I get into Soundtrack Pro if I'm not sending the audio out for sound mixing. I'll do levels, then export an AIFF, and run it through StrkPro for noise removal, EQing and compression.



www.strypesinpost.com

I wrote up a guide to Final Cut Pro's audio filters a while back.

Part 1: [www.digitalrebellion.com]
Part 2: [www.digitalrebellion.com]

My software:
Pro Maintenance Tools - Tools to keep Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro running smoothly and fix problems when they arise
Pro Media Tools - Edit QuickTime chapters and metadata, detect gamma shifts, edit markers, watch renders and more
More tools...

To all:
I followed the video tutorial to the letter in attempting to compress the film down to a smaller size. The only thing I got out of the exercise was an aiff. file and a Dolby file; the movie itself was nowhere to be found. So, rather than dick around with Compressor, I tried a friend's program called Pavtube HD Video Converter, and the results blew me away. It reduced my 37 GB film down to a very good quality 1.07 GB, staying with the 640x480 dimensions. Don't think I'll be using Compressor again. The program was unbelievably simple to use; the results were incredible, and apparently it only cost $99.

PavTube? It relies on anonymous spam for promotion. There are multiple reports of poor quality; I have yet to see a reliable, objective 3rd party say anything good about it. It's also suspected that sellers of this software would share your personal information with other spammers.

You're doing something wrong with Compressor. It's not that complicated to use, and most people don't have problems producing a workable pair of files (video and audio) for DVD.


www.derekmok.com

What video tutorial? Jon's tutorial was in using the Audio filters. It is a pretty good guide, considering that I rarely touch the FCP audio filters.

Delphinus, no offense, but you should get proper training if you plan to use FCP properly. And try to avoid posting about spamware, as most of them (I am sure Pavtube belongs in that category) are low quality and rely on paying search engines and spamming forums to sell their wares. I am sorry you got duped, but that happens if you don't invest time into learning a software properly.



www.strypesinpost.com

My Dear Delphinius,

If you want to learn how to compress your movie in "Compressor", all you have to do is post a request for help here with extremely specific details about your original file and I am sure that some kind person will post a step by step guide for your personal case.

These things are always a little daunting when one first opens the program, but if I can use Compressor in its most basic form, then so can you.


Best wishes,

Harry The Idiot.

Sorry gang, I must have respnded to the wrong email. The audio problem was an earlier issue that you all helped greatly with. However, yesterday's request was regarding a problem with using Compressor, and LAFCPUG gave me a link to a Youtube video tutorial on using the program. Just so you know, I had some HD PAL files come in from Isreal and I used Pavtube HD Video Converter to convert them to NTSC and the results were spectacular. I had forgotten about this program, so I used it again yesterday instead of Compressor and, again, great results. Not sure what you have heard about this converter, but, so far, my results have been great. The person who owns the program told me that they have never been contacted again by Pavtube, so not sure what you mean about their using personal information.

If it was HD to start (16:9) wouldn't it have been brought down to 640x360
and not 640x480 (which is 4:3)?



Delphinus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To all:
> I followed the video tutorial to the letter in
> attempting to compress the film down to a smaller
> size. The only thing I got out of the exercise was
> an aiff. file and a Dolby file; the movie itself
> was nowhere to be found. So, rather than dick
> around with Compressor, I tried a friend's program
> called Pavtube HD Video Converter, and the results
> blew me away. It reduced my 37 GB film down to a
> very good quality 1.07 GB, staying with the
> 640x480 dimensions. Don't think I'll be using
> Compressor again. The program was unbelievably
> simple to use; the results were incredible, and
> apparently it only cost $99.

My project is a theatrical documentary film that is being edited in 4:3 SD. Much of the material was shot in this format, other material was shot in HD, HDV, Hi8, and miniDV. Such is the way of historical films. When I received the HDV PAL material, I imported it into Pavtube HD video converter and converted it to NTSC (beautiful results). Then, I import the NTSC files into FCP and increase the size to have the image fit a 35mm template (the final film will be transferred to 35mm film for theatrical release). The Pavtube HD Video Converter can convert any format to any format, including PAL to NTSC and NTSC to PAL. I did not expect much but was shocked at how good it looked. I needed compression in order to put the film on Vimeo to have feedback from the underwriters and scientific advisors. Vimeo will only allow clips up to 5 GB, and Pavtube HD Video Converter reduced the film from 37 GB to 1.07 GB. Does that make sense?

Stan you sound like a spammer.

First you ask about DVD compression (Best Quality 90 minute 4:3 is a DVD setting MEPG-2 + AIFF) now you are advocating a well known app that we have frequent spammers extolling its virtues for which no FCS user needs to spend $99 on.

Now you are talking about a file for Vimeo - sorry but I get the feeling you aren't being entirely straight with us.

Regarding your MEPG-2 and AIFF issue:

The video I linked to you was correct - the documentation for Compressor IS correct.

If you require help from the forum in future - try following the advice!

Please don't come back with a curve-ball that is totally unrelated!



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Go to

www.earthviewsproductions.com

to see if I am a "spammer" or not. I am an honest film producer who gets stuck in the muck and myre of editing now and then and needs help getting out. You guys have been incredibly helpful, even if my questions and inquiries seen innane at times. Frankly, many FCP editors I know of have similar problems with audio, video, FCP, compression, etc. Everyone does something for the first time. Before you pass judgement on someone, know that they are making an honest attempt to finish their project and in states of confusion (and sometimes panic) they may ask questions or seek guidance in areas that seem pointless. I have been working on this project day and night for a year and as I get close to finishing it, I have to make sure everything is perfect.
Is that an honest enough answer for you?

Sorry Stan I'm sure you aren't a spammer - however you have led us merry chase! Coming full circle only to big-up an app for which we have delete many advertising posts (sometimes several spam posts per day).

Moreover the app you are advertising and using is not being used for the purpose of your original question which was how to export for DVD.

This was your original post: [www.lafcpug.org]

The guys gave you correct information there.

Then you asked in another thread a similar question: [www.lafcpug.org]

For which I myself linked a video of how to do it. Short of coming to your house and doing it for you or speaking directly like a call-centre I'm not exactly sure what else we can do.

Then you say your issue was resolved by this app and its for Vimeo????

You can see how we would be suspicious.

Apologies if you took offence; but:

1. please contain your posts to the thread you start and follow it through so you don't end up wasting the Mods valuable time with multiple posts asking the same question.

2. if you need other help with another issue THEN start a new thread if it warrants it. Such as what you finally enlightened us with which would be: "How do I compress for Vimeo (under 5GB)".

3. shhh - don't mention that Pav thing - we are fed up of having to delete bad Eurasian translation spam of pseudo questions/answers about how great it is.



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Stan, the reputations of PavTube and Aunsoft are insidious...which is why the "spammer" suspicion arose. These two companies frequently have their spammers post glowing reviews of their own products under false names, without identifying themselves as the makers. (If you Google them, you'll find at least a dozen websites that have reported spam from these two companies)

There are some gaps in your knowledge that you can fill by reading some manuals, but you should also get some instruction from a technically adept editor. There are some basic points you need to clear up -- for example, you were using DVD presets to create a web-bound movie, which is entirely the wrong approach. (That's what "90 minutes" meant -- to fit 90 minutes onto a standard 4GB blank DVD) And since we thought you had intended to make a DVD, it skewed everything.

Compressor would have been perfectly capable to do what you were really trying to do (create a web movie), as would the free, proven, legitimate freeware MPEG Streamclip.


www.derekmok.com

This is certainly my fault, guys. As I approach the conclusion of this project I was getting Strong requests (demands?) from the foundations that supported it (we are non-profit) to "show us what you got". I originally wanted to burn DVDs for them but Toast Titanium would not burn the disks. Just as I found the problem, it was suggested I just put it into my Vimeo account under a private listing and send out the password. But a 37 GB movie can't fit in a 5 GB Vimeo limit. Never having used Compressor before, and having no time to find someone to give me a quick tutorial, I burdened you guys with my problem. I apologize, and will not do that again. I learn quickly, but I first have to be taught. Even though I have used FCP for the past 12 years, there is still lots to learn.
THANK YOU ALL for your experience and guidance.

Hey no real harm done - we are here to help and I can assure you it is as frustrating for us as it is for you when we cannot help or our advice doesn't seem to solve the issue!

So - is there anything you need right now?



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

> I originally wanted to burn DVDs for them but Toast Titanium would not burn the
> disks.

Try DVD Studio Pro. That's where those MPEG-2s and AIFF/AC3 files come in handy. And I'm throwing out a wild guess that your Compressor action didn't fail -- but you didn't wait for it long enough. The audio files are made much more quickly, but a feature-length MPEG-2 encode would have taken hours. Did you check the History window to see the encode job? Or run Batch Monitor (which, since Compressor 3, has been a separate application) to see the job?


www.derekmok.com

Here is how you get it into DVDSP. Simple as @#$%&.

[strypesinpost.com]

Compressor is really not too hard to use, and is very versatile, once you get the hang of it.



www.strypesinpost.com

Hey Strypes, Do you have a website for StrkPro? I've googled it but nothing much comes up. I'd like to take a look at it? Thanks,

I try not to write much on audio as that's not my area of specialization, but I guess I could do a couple. What do you want to do in soundtrack?



www.strypesinpost.com

Better noise removal. I'm not real happy with soundtrack. I do a lot of interview type footage just voices. After I run it through the noise removal, It sounds like there are from Mars. There must be other filters I can run it through to fix that?

Russ,

The other day I bought a little $39 program made by Izotope called Music and Speech Cleaner. It's very easy to use, does not produce the bubbling effect that one can get with Soundsoap and Soundtrack Pro and its only drawback is that it is not a plug in.

I was looking for something quick and easy that did not necessitate firing up ProTools.

It's downloadable and works fast.

It did very well at removing a lot of background sound from some reality show stuff I am shooting/cutting where there is a ton of material and little time to fix it. Like most of these things, if you overdo it on the settings you will begin to hear the processing, but it doesn't do the Men From Mars thing.

Best

Harry

Harry,

I just downloaded Music and Speech Cleaner and gave it a test run. You are right, it does not change the pitch (Men From Mars thing) very much at all.

Good find, thanks!

Russ

> You are right, it does not change the pitch (Men From Mars thing) very much at all.

Pitch? You never want to be messing with pitch unless you want chipmunks or some old bull kind of comedic sound. You're talking about EQ.


www.derekmok.com

> You're talking about EQ.

I guess you're right, EQ. I wasn't sure what to call that "Men From Mars thing" that happens when you turn up the "noise removal" knob. Maybe "Little Men From Mars!"

For "Men from Mars" read "people talking under water" effect that one can get by overdoing SoundSoap or the noise reduction in Soundtrack Pro.

Glad it works for you.

Best

Harry.