FX Automation revisited

vitalforce2 wrote on 5/26/2003, 5:01 PM
I'm a little bewildered with automated FX effects. While editing a short film soundtrack, I'm trying to insert certain audio FX effects, but opening the FX Automation window gives the the "FX Automation Chooser" containing myraid sub-functions to check off for elements such as frequency, gain, rolloff, mode, etc., and that's only for Track EQ. Completely different check-boxes for other audio plugins. And each checked box creates a separate envelope line on the audio track.

Let's say I just wanted an echo effect on a track for 3 seconds during a spoken line, then everything back to normal. Where do I begin?

Comments

BillyBoy wrote on 5/26/2003, 6:06 PM
What I find the easy way is just click the green icon on any audio track. Next click on the 2nd green icon that's part of the window that opens. Then select the filter you want. There is a specific Reverb filter with all kinds of settings. There is also a seperate Help System. Click on the little question mark that turns yellow as you move your mouse over it in the FX work area.

As far as I know (never tried a different way) the audio FX filters apply to the whole track, not events like on the video side So if I'm right, somebody say so if I'm not, you would need to split your audo over multiple tracks if you want some portions to have an effect and the rest not.
filmy wrote on 5/26/2003, 6:26 PM
>>>Let's say I just wanted an echo effect on a track for 3 seconds during a spoken line, then everything back to normal. Where do I begin?<<<

I would start with opening the track in Sound Forge to edit.

With VV you can add different effects on individual events but they come up as non-real time effects so when you click on "OK" you will have to then save that audio as a wave file, seperate from video. That file then re-imports into VV and you don't really have an option to play with picture to see if you like it before the save. To go through that I personally find it much easier/better to take the audio and bring it into Sound Forge to edit because you can take it down to a much finer point than you can with VV. Yeah you have to save it in SF as well but you can actually edit the audio, whereas VV just allows you to toss in the effect and not much else. For what you are trying to do Sound Forge is your best bet.
kameronj wrote on 5/26/2003, 6:59 PM
Duplicate the audio track
Trim the second track to the audio you want and apply the FX
On the original track - trim out the "duplicate track" material

Done.
Joe White wrote on 5/26/2003, 10:11 PM
All the FX automation check boxes are aspects of the effect you can automate with the envelopes same as when you are tweaking a general effect. For the simple delay, set up the effect as normal to the echo you like, Automate the Delay Out. This envelope will change the echo output over time according to the envelope.

Leave it down untill the 3 seconds you need it, insert control points at that point, toy with the envelope to your satisfaction, then lower the envelope the remainder of the track, All you will hear when played is the echo on that one track at the point you needed the echo. No need for extra tracks, no need to edit the original audio. and easy to modify later if it needs changing.
BillyBoy wrote on 5/26/2003, 11:18 PM
Old dog willing to learn new tricks. I'm confused. What envelope are you referring to? I don't see any envelopes for FX. Where is it? I only see volume and pan envelopes. Where are they hiding? How do you insert on the track?
BillyBoy wrote on 5/26/2003, 11:31 PM
Never mind... found it. (Its covered well in the online help) Interesting, I didn't know you could do that. I imagine the track could get awful messy with all the envelopes if you get carried away. LOL!
vitalforce2 wrote on 5/27/2003, 1:12 PM

Thanx all. Whitewolf addresses what I was grappling with. There are very thin envelope lines which you really have to look for. I had to drag the track header border down and make the audio track REALLY big to see the lines. Guess trial and error is the order of the day when you're dealing with cutting-edge software. Fortunately, I also have Sound Forge 6.0 so I can follow the other advice as well. I had gotten to the point of making a separate track for one audio clip so as to segregate the effect.

By the way--is assigning an audio track with effects to a separate BUS a useful process in what I'm proposing, or I am off in the wrong ballfield?