Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 900)

Note: Although the steps described above generally refer to using the controls in the
Audio Mixer to automate your mix one track at a time, these steps can also apply to using
a control surface. For more information about using a control surface, see
“Using a Control
Surface with the Audio Mixer.”
Specifying Audio Keyframe Recording Resolution
Before you start recording keyframes using the Audio Mixer, you must define the frequency
with which Final Cut Pro records audio level and pan keyframes. Final Cut Pro can record
every subtle movement of an audio fader and panning slider or a reduced (“thinned”)
number of those keyframes.
To choose the resolution for audio keyframe recording
1 Choose Final Cut Pro > User Preferences.
2 In the Editing tab of the User Preferences window, choose an option from the Record
Audio Keyframes pop-up menu:
• All: Records the maximum number of keyframes possible while you move a track strip’s
fader or panning slider. The end result is an ultra-precise re-creation of the levels you
set using the Audio Mixer. The drawback to this option is that you might end up with
an extremely dense cluster of keyframes in the audio level overlays of the affected clips
that can be difficult to edit later. Unless you are doing very fast, precise audio mixing,
you may want to avoid this option.
• Reduced: Records only a subset of keyframe information created when you move a
track strip’s fader or panning slider. The resulting audio level or pan overlay in the
Timeline or Viewer is still a fairly accurate reproduction of the levels you set, but the
number of keyframes recorded is much smaller than when the All option is chosen.
• Peaks Only: Records only the minimum number of keyframes necessary to approximate
the levels you recorded when moving a track strip’s fader or panning slider. Keyframes
recorded using the Peaks Only option reflect only the highest and lowest levels that
were recorded. This is primarily useful when you want to record a minimum number
of keyframes to edit later in the Timeline or Viewer.
Recording Audio Level and Pan Keyframes
As long as the Record Audio Keyframes button at the top of the Audio Mixer is selected,
audio level and pan keyframes are recorded whenever a fader or panning slider is adjusted.
Keyframes can be recorded both during playback and when playback is paused.
During playback, keyframe recording begins when you position the pointer on a fader
or panning slider and press the mouse button, and recording continues until you release
the mouse button. The density of recorded keyframes depends on what you specified in
the Record Audio Keyframes pop-up menu in the Editing tab of the User Preferences
window.
900 Chapter 56 Using the Audio Mixer