MC110 Lesson 7: Editing and Mixing Audio

What is the keyboard shortcut for adding a mono audio track?

Ctrl + U windows

or Command + U Mac

What is the keyboard shortcut for adding a stereo audio track?

Ctrl + Shift + U (Windows)

or Command + Shift + U (Mac)

How do you move synced audio segments to a different track?

Activate lift overwrite tool and press the up and down keys

What are the two ways to open the audio tool?

go to Tools > Audio Tool or press Ctrl + 1 (Windows) or Command + 1 (Mac)

What button in the audio tool resets the current maximum peak measurements and stops internal calibration tone playback?

The Reset Peak (RP Button)

What buttons in the audio tool switch the meter displays for each channel between input levels from a source device and output levels to the speakers and record devices. I indicates input and O indicates output.

The In/Out toggle buttons

What button in media composer contains options for customizing the meter displays and for setting and playing back the internal calibration tone?

The Peak Hold Menu (PH Button)

What part of the audio tool displays a range of values that you can conform to your source audio’s headroom parameters?

Volume Unit (VU) Scale (analog)

What part of the audio tool dynamically tracks audio levels for each channel?

Meters

What does it mean if audio is in the green on the meters in the audio tool?

That the audio is below the target reference level (The default reference level is -20 dB on the digital scale).

What does it mean if audio is in the yellow on the meters in the audio tool?

That the audio is within normal headroom range, above the reference level to approximately -3dB on the digital scale.

What does it mean if audio is in the red on the meters in the audio tool?

Red is for peaks approaching overload, between -3 and dB and and 0 (zero) dB on the digital scale

What do the thin green lines (at the bottom) of the meters in the audio tool indicate?

They indicate signals below the display range

What part of the audio tool displays a fixed range of values from 0-90 decibels (dB), according to common digital meter standards?

The digital scale

With a clip loaded into the source monitor what do you use to adjust levels before cutting the clip into the timeline?

The audio mixer

How do you apply a a levels adjustment to multiple clips in a bin at once?

Select the clips in the bin and go to Clip > Audio > Apply Gain. Set a Gain value and click OK. 

How do you duplicate an audio segment in the timeline?

1. Activate the Lift/Overwrite tool.

2. Drag the audio segment, add the Alt or Option key, and drop it in the desired location.

How do you nudge an audio segment?

Select the segment with the Lift/Overwrite tool and press the trim keys — M, Comma, Period, and / — to nudge in single or multiple frame increments.

How do you slip an audio segment?

Park the position indicator on the video frame you're trying to align the sound to, ensure the audio clip's track is active, and use the trim keys — M, Comma, Period, and / — to slip to earlier or later content.

How do you save a timeline view?

Click the View menu at the bottom of the Timeline — labeled as Untitled by default — and choose Save As

What are the two ways to access the audio mixer?

By activating the audio workspace and and through the tools menu

Which feature in the audio mixer contains a list of options that speed up audio mixing- for example, Set Level on track global?

The Fast Menu

What function in the audio mixer displays the pan value and lets you adjust L-R pan in a stereo mix?

The Pan value and knob

What function in the audio mixer lets you select the audio mixer’s mode- auto (for key framing) clip (segment clip gain), or live (for live mixing).

audio mixer mode buttons

What function in the audio mixer lets you adjust multiple sliders to simultaneously boost or cut levels across multiple tracks?

The Group Button

What function in the audio mixer lets you adjust clip gain or volume level and displays current track levels during playback?

The volume level slider

What function in the audio mixer displays the current level adjustment at the position indicator’s location and, when clicked lets you type a new value?

The Volume level display

What function in the audio mixer lets you enable tracks for applying fast menu options

The Track selection menu button

What function in the audio mixer lets you boost or cut output level for the sequence and displays the same overall levels as the audio tool during playback?

The master fader

What is the term “rubber-banding audio” describing?

Key framing audio levels

What are the two keyboard commands for adding a keyframe?

Press the ‘ (apostrophe) key or Ctrl + Shift-click (Windows) or Shift + Command-click (Mac) when the pointing finger appears in the segment

When you click a keyframe what color does it turn, letting you know that it is ready for adjustment.

It turns pink

When you add pan keyframes to the timeline how do you know if you’re adjusting to the left or to the right?

the top of the track equals 100% left and the bottom of the track equals 100% right.

How do you snap to the volume decibal lines while dragging keyframes?

Hold the Ctrl key or Command key while while dragging the keyframe up or down

What are the three ways to select multiple keyframes in an audio track?

To select multiple keyframes either:

• Click a keyframe and Shift-click additional keyframes.

• Set IN and OUT marks around the group and click a keyframe.

• Lasso to select a group — Hold Alt or Option to lasso from inside track(s).

What is the keyboard command for adjusting pan and volume keyframes?

• If adjusting volume, the keyframe moves in 1 dB increments.

• If adjusting pan, the keyframe moves in 1 percent increments.

How do you move a keyframe earlier or later in an audio segment?

alt or option drag it left or right

How do you delete a keyframe in an audio segment

select one or more and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (Mac).

If you disable Volume in the Audio Data menu, Media Composer hides the keyframes. What does it apply instead to segments containing keyframes?

It displays a a small pink triangle at the base of each segment containing keyframes.

What parameter control in the audio ducking feature tells Media Composer the minimum dialogue level that triggers ducking on the music tracks —  for example, the default -25 dBfs, triggers ducking when the dialogue track(s) register -25 dB or higher on the Audio Tool's digital scale

Threshold

What parameter control in the audio ducking feature tells Media Composer how much to cut (attenuate) the music level — for example, -18 dB lowers the music level by a greater amount than entering a value of -14 dB

Attenuation

What parameter control in the audio ducking feature tells Media Composer how fast to cut and then boost the music level — controls the distance between keyframes, so 24 frames ramps slower than 12 frames

Ramp Time

Media Composer’s Audio EQ tool is a 3-band equalizer that lets you make targeted adjustments to which of a clip’s frequencies?

A clip’s bass, midrange and treble frequencies.

Where do you find the Audio EQ tool?

Under tools

Which function in the Audio EQ tool plays the EQ affected clip from in to out- or press option + 6?

The audio loop play button

Which function in the Audio EQ tool contains a list of options that speed up the EQ process- for example a list of presets like female voice with presence and telephone EQ “A”

The fast menu

Which function in the Audio EQ tool affects all high (treble) frequencies from 6 kHz to 20 khz and higher. Click the turnover point value- 15 khz default- to change the high shelf’s center frequency

High Shelf control

Which function in the Audio EQ tool affects a range of frequencies between the low shelf and the high shelf. Click the bandwidth value- 2 Oct default to change the range of frequencies affected by a parametric midrange slider adjustment?

Parametric Midrange Control

Which function in the Audio EQ affects all low frequencies from 240 Hz to 50 Hz and below. Click the turnover point value- 50 Hz default to change the low shelf’s center frequency?

Low Shelf Control

Which function in the Audio EQ tool sets the parametric midrange adjustment’s midpoint?

The EQ range slider

Which function in the Audio EQ dynamically updates to show each EQ adjustment?

The EQ parameter graph

What is an octave?

A doubling of a sound frequency for example, 60 Hz to 120 Hz is one octave.

What is the frequency range of the human voice?

from 100 to 5,000 Hz

Adjustments to what frequencies most notably affect the sound of the human voice?

Adjustments in the 1 to 3kHz range

What Hz do mechanical rumbles and hums tend to sit below?

500 Hz

Hisses and squeals tend to sit at how many Hz?

At 8 kHz and above

What kind of EQ should you generally aim for when dialogue or narration is to be played over a soundtrack?

A thinner-sounding EQ — that is, less bass and more treble and midrange. The Female Voice with Presence and Male Voice with Presence presets create this effect.

What appears on the timeline segment when you make an adjustment or apply a preset?

The EQ Effect Icon

Whenever an EQ preset hides the 3 band controls how do you bring them back?

By clicking the override with default EQ button that appears

How do you apply an EQ adjustment to multiple clips?

set marks (if needed) and choose Set EQ - [Global or In/Out, etc] from the Fast menu.

What are the three ways to remove a an EQ from a segment?

You can use the fast menu, a segment tool or the Remove Effect button to remove an EQ effect from a clip.

While working in the Audio workspace, you accidentally close the Audio Mixer tool, how can you quickly restore the default or saved layout? (Using default Interface settings)

Alt or Option-click the Audio workspace button

You adjusted a sound effect’s level in the Audio Mixer tool and want to apply the change to copies of this effect but not other sound effects on the same track. How can you accomplish this?

Set IN and OUT marks around the sound effects you want to adjust, park the position indicator over the adjusted segment, and select Set Level on Track – In/Out from the Audio Mixer’s Fast menu

What tool auto-adds keyframes to music and reduces its volume when narration is present?

Audio Ducking

Which tool contains presets for adding presence to a male or female voice? Where do you access these presets? 

Audio EQ tool, Fast menu

You drag the Low Shelf control slider in the Audio EQ tool to make a bold change. How can you reset the Low Shelf control? 

Alt or Option-click the Low Shelf slider