Adjusting sound levels in FCP
 

I filmed an interview today with a client and the sound levels were a bit high, causing some muzzled sound.

Here is a link to the footage:Nick McCloud on Vimeo

Is there any way of correction this in FCP? I don't use Soundtrack Pro, just FCP.

Thanks,
James

James,

When you are in FC, just below the audio tracks list, there is a little button called "toggle clip overlays". If you click this, you'll notice that a red line now appears in your audio track. You can now place your curser over the red line, the curser turns into something that looks like this: =. The button looks like a diagonal line leaning right with a dot on top, and then a line that drops down. You'll see it.

Simple click and drag the red line (audio level) to your desired level. And that's it. There is also a way to do this in the viewer by double clicking your audio track and then adjusting in the viewer. I like the first way better, but then if I have to get surgical, I'll use the viewer method.

Jonathan

Also just as some friendly shooting advice- back your talent away from the wall a bit and shoot them off center. This looks like a lineup for a police station... And a tiny on-camera LED or HMI mini light would give you some nice eye-light, instead of the dead sockets this poor chap has. :)

Noah

ummm why do I feel like this guy does business in a dark alley?

Reshoot with slightly lower audio levels and a better background.

Re-EQ'ing what you have may help but there's no magic "fix this audio" button. FCP has some EQ filters you experiment with.

What Les and Noah said.

Start with as good audio as you can get. My described audio thing is more a fine tuning.

Jonathan