Day 4: Audio

Objectives

Practice Files: Click here

General Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the basics of audio creation and manipulation
  • Understand how to use audio channels properly
  • Know basic audio editing and enhancement techniques

Specific Learning Objectives:

  • Know the difference between Mono and Stereo
  • Set up audio channels and make adjustments
  • Understand how to apply effects to audio layers
  • Understand how the Remix Tool Works

 

Outline

Introduction / Hook:

  • Any questions from last class?
  • Review the material from the last class.
  • How you hook the class in is up to you. We suggest showing the class a finished video, either one you’ve made before or the finished video example from the class files.

A Note On Today’s Project:

  • You’ll be taking your class through making a Lo-Fi Video. Below are the core concepts you need to cover with your class, but be sure to show them how to use audio edits, effects, and shortcuts to achieve the effect that your students desire.

Audio Overview:

  • Go to the “Audio” workspace
  • Explain the following features of audio clips / audio editing workspace.

Audio Editing:

  • Adjust Gain (“G”) in Source Monitor or Timeline
    • Average Volume should be about -12 Db
  • Audio Keyframes
    • This is the white line that appears in the middle of audio tracks. You can adjust this for the entire clip by dragging the line up and down, or for specific parts of the clip by using the Pen tool and marking points on the line to edit and then keyframe.
  • Converting audio clips from Stereo to Mono (AKA Isolating L and R tracks)
    • Right click on an audio track and then select “Audio Channels.” From here you can select which side (L or R, or more if you used more than 2 microphones) to output.
    • You can practice doing this with the Dialogue 3 (Mono Track) sound clip.
  • Re-Syncing Unmarried Audio
    • Most times you can accomplish this by simply right clicking on the error message on the video/audio track and telling them to move/slip back into sync.
  • Essential Sound Window: This window is useful, but a little comprehensive. While you have an audio clip, choose the Audio Type of the clip: Dialogue, Music, SFX, or Ambience. Depending on what kind of Audio Type you choose will change the kinds of options you receive. The most important things to know are Presets, Ducking, Loudness and Duration
    • Preset section: This will automatically correct audio to match whatever preset settings or changes you want.
    • Ducking: This appears when you select Ambience or Music. This will allow you to make the background sound duck (or get softer) against other kinds of audio.
    • Loudness: this will allow you to change the audio level of any track (regardless of type) to match the average audio levels of the whole clip. 
    • Duration: This will change the duration of the whole clip using the Remix tool.
  • Remix Tool: This Tool (found in the same Tool Stack as the Ripple Edit Tool, or under Duration in the Essential Sound Window) allows you to use Premiere’s machine learning power to cut up an audio (usually music) track to fit any duration. In other words, instead of just chopping off the end of an audio clip and fading it out, and instead of meticulously chopping up a song to fit the small video you’re making, you can make Premiere cut it up and stitch it back together for you.
    • Click the Remix tool and drag the ends of one of the audio tracks to shorten the duration. You’ll notice that squiggly lines appear in different parts of the track to show where Remix stitched the video together. Listen through the audio tracks (specifically where it’s stitched together) and see if you like it or not.
    • Premiere should also automatically open up the Essential Sound window to show you the analysis process and to let you fine tune the edits. You can do this by spinning down the “Customize” window under Duration.
    • Segments: Segments will change the number of segments used to stitch together your new project. Whether to use less or more is completely dependent on your audio track.
    • Variations will focus on different parts of your audio. If you want the audio to focus more on the vocals or melody, drag it closer to Melodic. If you want the audio to focus more on the background music or instruments, drag it closer to Harmonic.

Audio Effects:

  • Cleaning Up Sound (Noise Reduction/Restoration): All of these are also available in the Essential Sound window under Repair in the Dialogue section, but you can add them from the Effects window as well. Essential Sound will give you a slider to adjust how much noise or sound to reduce and will apply the effect to your clip automatically. From the Effect Control panel, you can edit the Custom Setup and Channel map
    • DeHummer: Gets rid of unwanted frequency in your track that is usually caused by power lines from lights and electronics.
    • DeNoise: Gets rid of most kinds of excess noise in the audio track.
    • DeReverb: Gets rid of echoes or reverb in your audio track. Be careful, because this also can lower the overall gain.
  • Audio Track Mixer Window (DIFFERENT from the Audio Clip Mixer)
    • To access the effects box, click the twirl-down icon on the top left of the window. Different effects can be applied by clicking in the white spaces closest to the top and selecting which effect to apply. NOTE: THIS APPLIES THE EFFECT TO THE ENTIRE TRACK, NOT JUST THE CLIP.
    • This is completely optional, but definitely view this video for some great tips and tricks on effects you can create using the Audio Track Mixer window: Click here

Conclusion:

  • Review Questions
  • Today we learned:
    • How to use advanced editing tools.
    • How to make adjustments to video and audio in the timeline
  • Next time we’ll learn about: Color
  • Be sure to remind the class about Badges!