Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 873)

86 Part I Media and Project Management
To change the audio level of a clip numerically:
1 Make sure the clip doesn’t have any level keyframes already applied.
2 Make sure that the Record Audio Keyframes button in the button bar at the top of the
Audio Mixer is not selected.
3 In the Timeline, position the playhead so that it’s directly over the clip whose audio
level you want to change.
4 In the Audio Mixer, enter a new value in the number field below the fader you want to
modify, then press Return.
Valid values range from +12 dB to –167 dB. Numbers lower than –167 dB are
automatically changed to –∞ dB, or total silence.
5 Press Return.
The fader moves to reflect the new value.
Adjusting the Master Level of Your Sequence
The Master fader raises or lowers the combined output level of all the tracks in your
sequence at the same time. However, you should wait to use the Master fader until you
have set individual track levels. Once the Master audio meters show acceptable levels
throughout your mix, you can use the Master fader to increase or decrease the overall
level while retaining the same relative mix. This can be helpful in the following cases:
 Your audio mix has a good level for output to a particular video deck, but is too
strong for another deck. In this case, you can easily bring down the overall level with
the Master fader.
 If you are using a lot of audio tracks, the overall mix may be too loud even when the
individual track levels are fairly low. If the individual track faders are all low, mixing
can be inconvenient. To keep the individual track faders higher without making the
overall mix too hot, you can bring down the Master fader by several dB.
Important: You should not use the Master fader to adjust the volume of your external
monitoring speakers. Use the Master fader to make sure your meters show an
acceptable level. Use the volume controls on your external monitors to adjust the
loudness of your audio while you mix.
Note: The Master fader cannot be automated.