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Multitrack Project
Next, I sent the file to Soundtrack Pro as a Multitrack project. This time, it opened in the timeline-based Project window, where I could add as a many new audio tracks as I wanted. My intention was to add an audio bed, bringing it up in places, and then pulling it back at key dialog moments. The file came into Soundtrack Pro's Timeline with the video track at the top and the stereo audio track next.
The first thing I did to the file in Soundtrack Pro's Project window was to place markers around the problem audio sections. I placed other markers around sections I wanted to keep. Markers can be put anywhere by placing the cursor where you want them and pressing the Add Time Marker button at the top of the Project window. Next, I opened the envelope track below the video's audio track by pressing a small triangular button next to the track name. Double-clicking on the volume envelope creates nodes that act like handles to automate the volume up and down.
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| Soundtrack Pro's Project window, as annotated in the manual. |
Then, for a music bed, I dived into the 5,000 Apple Loops that come with Soundtrack Pro, assembling an uptempo groove with a Prophet bass, a funky guitar and a processed drum kit. Finally, I added volume envelopes to each of the three music tracks to raise their level in areas where the video's audio track was lowered. The end result was a professional-sounding track; faced with lemons, Soundtrack Pro made lemonade.
Since this was a completely new audio track, saving it would not automatically update Final Cut Pro. The mix must be exported and then imported into Final Cut Pro (or DVD Studio Pro or Motion). This didn't bother me, because it's a natural part of the workflow. The multitrack file would have to be mixed down and exported at some point, whether in Soundtrack Pro or Final Cut Pro. And, it should be noted that sending the file straight from Final Cut Pro at the beginning eliminated the export-import step that would have been necessary with a third-party audio editor. After a mix has been imported and saved into Final Cut Pro, it can be sent back to Soundtrack Pro as an Audio File for tweaking if need be. Then when it's saved it will be automatically updated in Final Cut Pro.
That covers the two main ways of working with Soundtrack Pro. But many other features of this asset-rich program deserve closer examination. I've already alluded to the Apple Loops, the audio effects, the editing environment and other aspects, and now we'll go into more detail.
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