5.1.1

Chapter 23 Audio 1021
At the right of the Master track controls is a pair of stereo level meters that display the combined
level of all audible tracks. If either of the two red dots above the level meters (called clipping
indicators) lights up during playback, this indicates that your master levels are too high, causing
audio distortion or clipping.
Reset the clipping indicators
Typically, when working with digital audio, audio engineers set the overall volume level as high
as possible without causing clipping. If the clipping indicators light up above the master level
meters, you need to nd where clipping is occurring and lower the level to eliminate the cause
of the clipping.
If clipping occurs, play the project and observe where the clipping indicators light up. You can
solo each audio track to determine which track is causing the clipping. After you determine
which track is causing the clipping, you can lower the track’s overall level, or use keyframes to
lower the track’s level at the specic point where clipping occurs. The clipping indicators are
“sticky,” meaning that when they light up, they stay lit until you reset them or close the project.
This helps remind you to nd and eliminate the cause of the clipping before you export your
project. As you work to eliminate clipping, reset the clipping indicators and play the project
again to make sure clipping no longer occurs.
m Click the lit clipping indicator.
Set the master pan position
m Adjust the Pan dial to place the sound where you want it in the stereo eld.
The Pan dial in the Master track works with the pan setting for each track. For example, if you pan
a track to –100 (hard left) and you pan the master to 100 (hard right), the track is inaudible.
Animate audio level and pan settings
Each audio track has curves for level and pan in the Audio Timeline and Keyframe Editor, and you
can add and edit keyframes to automate level and pan changes over time. This lets you create
fade-ins and fade-outs, drop audio levels for voiceovers and other sound eects, and eliminate
clipping. (For more information about using keyframes and editing curves, see Keyframing
overview on page 439.)
Record keyframes
You can record keyframes for audio level and pan by clicking the Record button, then adjusting
the dials or sliders in the Audio list, the HUD, or the Inspector. Alternatively, you can manually
add a keyframe to the Level and Pan parameters in the Audio Track Inspector (any subsequent
adjustments add a keyframe at the current playhead position). Recording keyframes for audio
level and pan can be useful for trying out changes and hearing the results in real time.
Add and edit keyframes
Level and Pan curves appear in both the Audio Timeline and Keyframe Editor.
•
Audio keyframes in the Audio Timeline appear as a at sequence, allowing you to move their
positions in time or delete them, or edit their values numerically.
•
Audio keyframes in the Keyframe Editor appear stacked, forming curves. To show the audio
waveform behind the curve, choose the track name from the waveform pop-up menu on the
upper-right side of the Keyframe Editor.
The Level and Pan parameters are adjusted via dierent numeric ranges:
•
Level curves range from –96 to 6 with 0 equivalent to 0 dB (unity gain).
•
Pan curves range from –100 to 100.
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