Can I add FX to an audio clip?

Kurt8 wrote on 12/1/2009, 6:39 PM

I am sorry if this is a silly question but I have not been able to find a way to do this yet.

Can I add an audio effect to a single audio clip? I realize that I can add audio effects to an entire audio track but I would like to add the effect to only one audio clip in a track and have the other clips in the same track not be affected. I do this with video clips all the time by clicking on the effects icon on the clip. Can this also be done with audio clips? I don't see the effects icon on the individual audio clips. Right now the only way I can seem to do this is to move the audio clip in question to a new audio track and then apply the effect there. Is there an easier way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

Kurt

Comments

xberk wrote on 12/1/2009, 7:07 PM

Kurt -- you can apply FX to any audio event on any track. Just right click on the audio event ( Vegas calls clips events) and choose "Apply non-real-time event FX". This will bring up a window with a list of the Audio Plug-ins installed on your system. Vegas by default installs many of these. Others are available 3rd party. The FX you apply will ONLY be for that event, not the entire track. You can also "chain" or combine more than one FX to each event - Paul

Kurt8 wrote on 12/1/2009, 7:11 PM

Thanks so much. That is exactly what I was looking for. I will give it a try right away. I guess I was looking too hard for the FX icon on the audio event (like on video events).

Kurt

Grazie wrote on 12/1/2009, 9:25 PM

You can also drag an SFX or FX directly to the Event from within the Plug-In Manager.

Grazie

xberk wrote on 12/1/2009, 9:43 PM

Good one Grazie --- but is there any way to tell if a particular FX has been applied to a particular audio event after the fact?

Grazie wrote on 12/1/2009, 10:46 PM

At Track Level, sure. But you have to ask yourself: "How would it do this at Event Level?"

Maybe you have asked THE question that goes to the core of Vegas, when comparing Video to Audio FX-ing management. Perhaps this just indicates that Vegas came from a track audio s/w, and that the Video - now inserted as "Events" has needed to reveal the FXs going on within a Video Event and that Audio was treated as a Track object?

Interesting.

Grazie

xberk wrote on 12/2/2009, 11:08 PM

Yeah Grazie. I realize that Vegas came from Sound Forge and that was track oriented. Good poiint.

In film work, it was multiple Audio tracks that were mixed together into one master track for a married print. But the picture was just one track with grease pencil marks to denote dissolves and/or sometimes black leader where "effects" were going --- or workprint of the completed opticals cut in. A & B rolls were for negative cutting to accomplish simple dissolves or supers. Editing was done by assembling workprint onto a single reel. Mixing multiple video tracks to do editing is akin to doing television with multiple cameras and a "switcher" that could do effects (wipes, dissolves, supers etc).

All of this is the syntax of editing that had to be built on so us old "editors" would not feel lost with the new digital world of video editing. Vegas looks like little strips of film that we can butt together or put one on top of another etc. etc. One thing I remember about Vegas is how you didn't have to use A&B rolls to do a dissolve. Just overlap the images. Simple. Yet even Vegas has an option (little used) called Expand Track Layers (right click on any track to choose it) that allows you to split the video track into A&B rolls to get a visual idea of the transitions. But stop me! I could go on all night. Getting far a field.

Does any other NLE apply FX to Audio on an event level similar to what Vegas does on a track level? It would be nice if Vegas did it as I'm getting old and forgetful and don't remember what FX I applied to an audio event and sometimes want to match it on a different event. - Paul

Grazie wrote on 12/3/2009, 12:35 AM

> It would be nice

Well Paul, we are here 'cos we are here. Meaning the whole evolution process of Vegas has developed from its original gene pool of being a DAW. I can't see your wish coming true for many a Christmas! And as such maybe using the Track option for placing Fxs is going to be the thing.

Actually, I can't wait for the day where all these frames, sampling, stupid coding and CODECs just disappear and we arrive at a point in computing (or whatever it will be called then) where streamed sources of visuals and sound are not being hampered by all the sillinesses of what we ALL should regard as fairly prehistoric ways of capturing, and turning ideas into visual audio reality. It should be as simple as picking up a brush and making a mark on paper; you pick up a flute and make a sound - can we imagine a time when the capturing of sounds and visuals and then producing a broadcast of this "creativity" is done with the same ease? I can.

In the meantime we scurry about wanting FXs to appear on an audio event.

Grazie