Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 562)

562 Part VIII Audio Mixing
Audio Mixing Features
You can use Final Cut Express HD to create a finished audio mix for your movie in the
following ways:
 Adjust audio levels and pan using clip overlays in the Timeline or Viewer. (See
“ Adjusting Audio Levels in the Timeline ” on page 601.)
 Add keyframes to precisely control level adjustments over time.
 Add audio filter keyframes to change filter parameters over time. (See Chapter 50,
“ Adjusting Parameters for Keyframed Effects ,” on page 719.)
Mixing Your Audio in Other Applications
If you want to mix or process your audio in another application, you can export
individual audio files, one for each track in your sequence.
Monitoring Audio on External Speakers
Final Cut Express HD can send sequence audio to the main audio outputs on your
computer (either the built-in outputs or a third-party audio interface) or to a DV device
(via the FireWire port). You can connect external speakers to one of these audio
outputs to precisely monitor your audio while you mix. For more information, see
Chapter 41, “
Setting Up Audio Equipment ,” on page 567.
Overview of Audio Sweetening in Final Cut Express HD
Once you finish editing your movie, you need to sweeten the soundtrack, which means
adding additional sound effects, music, narration, and so on. You can create multiple
audio tracks in your sequence to organize your audio, and add markers to indicate
where specific sound and musical accompaniment is required.
Categories of Post-Production Audio
Post-production sound is broken down into the following categories:
 Dialogue: Actors speaking onscreen, voiceover, or narration.
 Automatic dialogue replacement (ADR): Dialogue recorded during post-production to
replace missing or problem production dialogue. Also referred to as looping or
automated dialogue replacement.
 Foley effects: These effects capture the sounds of humans interacting with their
environment. The movements of actors onscreen are re-created by Foley artists while
the sounds are recorded and later placed in sync with the picture. Foley effects
include footsteps, punches, clothing rustle, silverware or glass on tables, and so on.