How to use audio filters in FCP?

[mainstreetprod]

I work in FCP daily but usually do quickie projects that require little audio tweaking. Now I'm doing a feature and I need to use some of the filters, but I'm doing something wrong. If I appy a filter to an audio file in the viewer window, the controls cover the waveform, so I move it to the side where I can see them. Then if I adjust the controls,the clip stops playing. Is it possible to adjust while it plays? Also, the low pass filter seems to have no effect ( I am trying to filter out typical mixer hiss). A step by step instuction would be appreciated!

 

[Alex H.]

I've never known FCP to be able to adjust any filter - audio or video - in real time, always having to make an adjustment, then play the clip. It may have to do with the speed of the computer, but that's always been my experience.

As for hiss, try a notch filter. Start at 10k and work from there.

But then there are the inevitable questions: if this is a feature-length project, why are you bothering with audio plug-ins in FCP at all? Are there no plans for audio post?

 

[MikeWilkinson]

Load your audio clip into your timeline.
Set in/out points around the clip or a section of it.
Double click and load it into your viewer window.
Apply the filter.
Hit Shift + \ and be sure looping playback is enabled.
You should be able to tweak filter parameters while it's playing back– using the EQ filter this works anyway, there might be some others where it does not.

 

[mainstreetprod]

"But then there are the inevitable questions: if this is a feature-length project, why are you bothering with audio plug-ins in FCP at all? Are there no plans for audio post? "
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My thinking is, even though I will have post work done later, why not take care of the obvious stuff like background noise now? That much less the post editor has to contend with. And less spent.

 

[Richard J. Johnson]

"But then there are the inevitable questions: if this is a feature-length project, why are you bothering with audio plug-ins in FCP at all? Are there no plans for audio post? "
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My thinking is, even though I will have post work done later, why not take care of the obvious stuff like background noise now? That much less the post editor has to contend with. And less spent.

I use FCP's audio filters all the time because I have to since I edit all of my featrures from top to bottom. But If I could afford a good editor I would not touch them. I don't like many of them and For some reason I can't get video files to play in my PC based Nuendo system that I have at the recording studio and arges cleared up a really good question that I was wondering myself.

 

[Alex H.]

My thinking is, even though I will have post work done later, why not take care of the obvious stuff like background noise now? That much less the post editor has to contend with. And less spent.

Your post engineer most likely is not going to want to use whatever audio processing you've got, so it doesn't really save time there. When I get OMFs for post, I dump all automation and would prefer not to have audio files written with rendered effects. For EQ and noise removal, I'd much rather start from scratch... especially since my ProTools system has much more capable plug-ins that my FCS suite.