Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 1001)

This chapter covers the following:
• Learning to Describe Sound Accurately (p. 1001)
• Efficiently Using the Frequency Spectrum (p. 1001)
• Tips for Cutting Dialogue (p. 1002)
• Tips for Cutting Music (p. 1004)
Read through the sections in this chapter for tips on cutting dialogue, cutting music, and
keeping your tracks organized.
Learning to Describe Sound Accurately
Even if you aren’t destined to be a full-time sound designer, it is important to be able to
communicate about sound with sound designers and engineers. Practice verbally
describing what you hear, but avoid abstract adjectives whenever possible. Try to be as
specific as possible. Instead of asking for “outdoor sounds,” try “crickets near dusk, and
an occasional car passing on a distant highway.” Instead of saying “city sounds,” try
“blaring horns, footsteps on pavement, and an occasional helicopter sound.” These are
the details that make a sound mix convincing.
Efficiently Using the Frequency Spectrum
It’s fairly obvious that the most important sound in the mix should have the highest level,
but there are other methods for blending without increasing loudness. Most sounds
occupy a particular frequency range, so if you mix sounds in different ranges, you can
still maintain clarity without too much level adjustment. Too many sounds in the same
range can create cacophony.
You can use equalizers to shape sound, making “holes” in the used frequency spectrum
in which you can then place other sounds. For example, if you are trying to make dialogue
in the 1-3 kHz range more audible over existing background sound, you could try filtering
the background sound to reduce the 1-3 kHz range instead of reducing the level of the
entire track. Equalization allows you to reduce the level of sounds only at selected
frequencies, making the mix clearer in that part of the spectrum.
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Tips for Better Audio 61