The best way to edit sound

Zim

Zim

Veteran
I'm using a DVX100b and FCP. Editing on a MacBook Pro. When I listen on the computer it is no big deal but say I make a DVD and have several tracks of the sound can either be to loud or to soft.

What is the best way to handle this beside getting a sound design person (which I hope to have some day)?

I'm thinking one thing that might help is when I do my editing I use speakers, not a head set. Any tips or links would be great. Thanks
 
Hi, Zim. Just to clarify, the issue you're describing (uneven levels) is a mix issue rather than a sound design issue. In the mix, all the tracks cut together by the sound designers and editors are... well... mixed togeter.

For now, reference monitors and room accoustics are a good place to start. Headphones can be useful for editing, but mixing is better done with speakers. And not just any speakers, either: look for a set of reference monitors with a flat response that are appropriate to the size of your room. The growth of the home recording studio market means that there are plenty of decent entry-level compact studio monitors on the market, so you have plenty of viable options.

As for the actual mixing, that's the kind of thing that takes years to learn and a lifetime to master. For now, pay close attention to how your program sounds when compared to other programs, and adjust accordingly. Also, familiarize yourself with some of the tools used during a mix, such as dynamics compression, EQ, and reverb proccessing. Many of these tools are available in FCP, but mixing in FCP is kind of like driving nails with a crescent wrench. Protools is the de facto industry standard for audio post, although there are a number of other software and hardware options available to you.
 
Yes uneven sound levels is what I'm talking about. Going to some music etc and the volume is really loud. Again you don't really notice it on the laptop.
 
If that's the case, then studio monitors will make a world of difference.

Evaluating sound levels on laptop speakers is kind of like colour correcting on a black-and-white monitor.

Don't waste your time with high-end consumer hi-fi or computer speakers marketed towards video editors. Head down to a will-stocked pro-audio dealership and audition some of their reference monitors. Bring a couple of CDs with which you're familiar, so you have a consistent reference point. While you're at it, burn some of your problematic program audio to a CD. Use these discs to audition the various speaker models and look for a set of active monitors that reproduce sounds evenly across the entire frequency range. Avoid speakers that sound muddy or strident. If you'd like a reccomendation, I've always been quite happy with my Yorkville YSM-1p's
 
Then a small pair of active (self-powered) reference monitors are the way to go. The sound chip built into your MacBook isn't a great monitoring output (lots of noise and distortion in there), but it'll get the job done for now. The trick will be to buy or make an adapter cable that'll connect your laptop's 1/8" stereo output to the speakers. Many active monitors (including the YSM1P's I mentioned) come with XLR/TRS combo jacks that'll accept XLR connections, ballanced 1/4" TRS jacks, or unballanced 1/4" jacks. Paw through the cable selection at any pro audio shop and you're likely to find a handy pre-made 1/8" stereo to 2x1/4" mono Y-cable, which'll do the trick quite nicely. Just be shure that you have the right and left speakers correctly cabled. If your shiney new speakers only have XLR inputs, then you may well have some custom cable solderring waiting in your near future. Don't worry, though: custom cables are easy to make and can save you a small fortune.
 
Adding a note ... while out shopping for monitors, drop in at your local Radio Shack and pick up one of their $50 sound pressure meters, preferably the cheaper one with the analog meter instead of the 'digital' model. Not only do you need to be mixing on proper reference monitors but your editing system needs to be calibrated to reproduce specific sound levels at your work position when playing signals of known intensity. By always mixing with the system volume controls set at the calibration point you use the meter to determine, you get that consistency in loudness you're looking for and can adjust relative levels as you mix knowing what the result will be on the final release - the average level will be the same from start to finish, what you want to be louder will be loud without being too loud and what you want to be soft will be soft without getting lost.
 
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SMuir said:
Then a small pair of active (self-powered) reference monitors are the way to go. The sound chip built into your MacBook isn't a great monitoring output (lots of noise and distortion in there), but it'll get the job done for now. The trick will be to buy or make an adapter cable that'll connect your laptop's 1/8" stereo output to the speakers. Many active monitors (including the YSM1P's I mentioned) come with XLR/TRS combo jacks that'll accept XLR connections, ballanced 1/4" TRS jacks, or unballanced 1/4" jacks. Paw through the cable selection at any pro audio shop and you're likely to find a handy pre-made 1/8" stereo to 2x1/4" mono Y-cable, which'll do the trick quite nicely. Just be shure that you have the right and left speakers correctly cabled. If your shiney new speakers only have XLR inputs, then you may well have some custom cable soldering waiting in your near future. Don't worry, though: custom cables are easy to make and can save you a small fortune.
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I've got to disagree here. If you're going to shell out cash on decent reference monitors you don't want to run it off a laptop's headphone jack. If that's the route you go, grab an interface of some kind that'll connect to your computer's firewire or usb jack so then you'll get dedicated DAC, better preamps, and balanced outputs. Digi Mbox or M-Audio Solo are the 2 I've used on the cheaper end and had good results with for the price (and way better than a laptops audio components). Plus either of those would let you run Pro Tools as well (LE or M-Powered versions).

Plus, consider that the room is equal or even more important than the speakers themselves. Symmetrical, 1st order reflections treated, low noise, ect...

You only need to hear a pair of Meyer's high end monitors once in an untreated room to realize $40 and $4000 speakers are almost identical in some rooms.

If this interests you then go for it and welcome to audio, otherwise you likely have better results for less money by hiring someone. If you want to mix yourself quick and dirty before you start working with other audio guys (I lit my own early films with cheap lights before hiring DPs to give me a better understanding, appreciation, and ability to communicate with those possessing talent for doing it), then I would grab a set of Sony's MDR-7506 headphones (last for years and industry standard), and a set of regular speakers you like for everyday use. Mix on a combination of the two and you'll get in the ball park without breaking the bank.
 
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That is my goal to hire someone to do it,,,but for now I have to and it is good to learn what I can but I really just want to tell the story not do all the technical stuff.

Thanks guys.


Gohanto said:
I've got to disagree here. If you're going to shell out cash on decent reference monitors you don't want to run it off a laptop's headphone jack. If that's the route you go, grab an interface of some kind that'll connect to your computer's firewire or usb jack so then you'll get dedicated DAC, better preamps, and balanced outputs. Digi Mbox or M-Audio Solo are the 2 I've used on the cheaper end and had good results with for the price (and way better than a laptops audio components). Plus either of those would let you run Pro Tools as well (LE or M-Powered versions).

Plus, consider that the room is equal or even more important than the speakers themselves. Symmetrical, 1st order reflections treated, low noise, ect...

You only need to hear a pair of Meyer's high end monitors once in an untreated room to realize $40 and $4000 speakers are almost identical in some rooms.

If this interests you then go for it and welcome to audio, otherwise you likely have better results for less money by hiring someone. If you want to mix yourself quick and dirty before you start working with other audio guys (I lit my own early films with cheap lights before hiring DPs to give me a better understanding, appreciation, and ability to communicate with those possessing talent for doing it), then I would grab a set of Sony's MDR-7506 headphones (last for years and industry standard), and a set of regular speakers you like for everyday use. Mix on a combination of the two and you'll get in the ball park without breaking the bank.
Click to expand...
 
SMuir said:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all that "technical stuff" is how you tell the story.
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It helps tell the story. Getting the story right, pacing, tone, acting, ect... are the core of storytelling techniques. Don't have those locked down and it's a waste of time and money to get the best sound, lighting, visual effects, ect...

I'm a big fan of people shooting with what they have and getting those fundamentals right and then putting money into pros when they're good and ready (well, at least confident enough in themselves and their script that it'll be worth a pros time anyway).
 
SMuir said:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all that "technical stuff" is how you tell the story.
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Well it is but as far as doing sound editing and all that other stuff there are people who can do it better than me. Same with all the other technical jobs. You hire people to help you tell the story. It all works together and I'm not going to spend years learning all this stuff.

I would just rather have people who can do it.
 
Zim said:
Well it is but as far as doing sound editing and all that other stuff there are people who can do it better than me. Same with all the other technical jobs. You hire people to help you tell the story. It all works together and I'm not going to spend years learning all this stuff.

I would just rather have people who can do it.
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Good choice, film is a team sport.

Cheers
SK
 
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