A few questions

[egproductions]

Forgive my newbie questions:


1. Am I correct in assuming that the only point of having a mixer equalizer when editing through an NLE is to hear the suddleties of audio that might be coming out of different frequencies. But the mix and adjustments should be done digitally in the NLE or audio editing program? I guess I am asking does it make sense to feed audio through a linear (physical) equalizer and then back into your NLE?

2. What is a general audio post processing workflow people use? Capture tape, cut together in NLE along with video, export audio clips to sounds editing program, make various adjustments and back into the NLE?

3. Whenever I play around with my equalizers in post, I almost always prefer the original sound I got from my mic. Do people generally leave the original audio alone or if not what do you play with to get it right (I know every situation is different but give me an example)

4. Do I edit audio to the lowest common denominator, the person who has the best speakers or both? What I have done in the past is edit to sound good for average speakers but make sure I am not hearing anything crazy when real good speakers or headphones are hooked up.

Any tips you want to share are also welcome. Thanks.

 

[Gohanto]

1. Am I correct in assuming that the only point of having a mixer equalizer when editing through an NLE is to hear the subtleties of audio that might be coming out of different frequencies. But the mix and adjustments should be done digitally in the NLE or audio editing program? I guess I am asking does it make sense to feed audio through a linear (physical) equalizer and then back into your NLE?

It depends on what you want to do and what you have access to. Ideally, you edit everything in a NLE, export everything for a mix (levels, eq, reverb, ect...) in a tuned studio. Mixing on headphones or cheap speaker in an untreated room isn't nearly as effective.

2. What is a general audio post processing workflow people use? Capture tape, cut together in NLE along with video, export audio clips to sounds editing program, make various adjustments and back into the NLE?

Capture, cut in NLE, export an OMF (or sometimes AAF) which exports all the audio cuts with sync, and handles on the clips (few seconds before and after the audio cut). Then the sound editors and mixers have access to all the files to tweak anything and everything. (Usually no eq or pans are exported with an OMF, so the mixer starts from scratch, which is better to do anyway)

3. Whenever I play around with my equalizers in post, I almost always prefer the original sound I got from my mic. Do people generally leave the original audio alone or if not what do you play with to get it right (I know every situation is different but give me an example)

If you edited everything together, you're used to the sound so unless there's a terrible problem with the track, you'll likely prefer to keep the sounds you're used to hearing. That's one advantage of having a post sound mixer, a fresh set of ears. That is also why more and more sound editors and designers get temp effects for the editor to use in his edits because if the editor and director get used to the stock library sound, the sound editors work (even if it's better) is going to be disreguarded.

4. Do I edit audio to the lowest common denominator, the person who has the best speakers or both? What I have done in the past is edit to sound good for average speakers but make sure I am not hearing anything crazy when real good speakers or headphones are hooked up.

Any tips you want to share are also welcome. Thanks.

Your route is what's done in the industry. You want to mix on the best and most accurate monitors and enviroment possible so you correct any flaws. Then check it on lesser stuff.

If you check on Klipsch speaker, for example, the high end gets boosted and that's why people buy those speakers. If you mixed on those speakers, you'd likely take down the highs which, for the people that own speakers that doesn't boost the highs then, they's have no highs at all. (hope that makes sense)

 

[egproductions]

Awsome Gohanto. Your responses are clear and much appreciated!

 

[SMuir]

Additionally, not all EQs are created equal. You may find that the parametric or graphic EQs bundled with NLE (or even DAW) software are nowhere near as useful or transparent-sounding as a high-end outboard hardware EQ.

That said, keeping all your effects "in the box" has a number of advantages over using hardware. For starters, a really good EQ plugin can be had for a small fraction of the price of a comparable hardware unit (many software EQs are actually designed to faithfully emulate specific pieces of gear). You can also run multiple instances of a single plugin, and with sufficient DSP (or CPU if you're working in Protools LE) horsepower each track can have its own unique EQ, with the parameters individually automated.