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Apple Pro Training Series: Soundtrack Pro

Apple Pro Training Series: Soundtrack Pro

by Mary Plummer
Publisher: Peachpit Press
Release Date: December 2005
ISBN: 0321357574
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Book Description

Soundtrack Pro, Apple's exciting sound design software, is the newest member of the Final Cut Pro Studio digital video suite-And whether you're musically impaired or musically gifted, the Soundtrack Pro guide will help you get up to speed quickly. In this Apple-certified book/DVD combo, readers will find a complete, self-paced course in all aspects of Soundtrack Pro. Author Mary Plummer guides you through the secrets of editing, repairing, mixing, and arranging multi-track audio files, as well as how to create original soundtracks, score to video, add effects, and more. Step-by-step exercises and lesson files will have readers taking advantage of Soundtrack's thousands of audio loops to create perfectly synched scores in no time. Also included are dozens of advanced sound editing tips for professional users who want to take their video, DVD, and Web projects to the next level.

Table of Contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Getting Started
    1. The Methodology
      1. Course Structure
        1. Working with the Interface
        2. Sound Design and Arrangement in the Timeline
        3. Working with the Waveform Editor
        4. Recording, Mixing, and Effects
        5. Exporting and Managing Files
        6. Advanced Soundtrack Pro Techniques
        7. Using Soundtrack Pro with other Apple Pro Applications
    2. About the Footage
    3. System Requirements
    4. Copying the Lesson Files
      1. Installing the Lesson Files
      2. Reconnecting Broken Media Links
    5. About the Apple Pro Training Series
      1. Apple Pro Certification Program
    6. Resources
  4. 1. Working with the Interface
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Launching Soundtrack Pro
    3. Exploring the Project Window
      1. Playing a Project in the Timeline
      2. Navigating in the Timeline
      3. Zooming in and out of the Timeline
      4. Working with the Global Timeline View
    4. Exploring the Media and Effects Manager
      1. Working with the Browser Tab
      2. Adding a Video File to a Project
      3. Adding a File to Favorites
      4. Using Files in the Bin Tab
    5. Searching for Audio Files
    6. Working with Files in the Timeline
      1. Extending Loops
      2. Resizing Non-Looping Files
    7. Saving a Project
    8. Opening a File in the Waveform Editor
      1. Project Practice
    9. Opening the Mixer
    10. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  5. 2. Creating and Arranging a Multitrack Project
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Working with a New Multitrack Project
      1. Opening a Project from Soundtrack Pro
    3. Exploring the Project Controls
      1. Working with the Time Signature Control
      2. Working with the Tempo Control
      3. Working with the Key Control
      4. Working with the Project Format Controls
    4. Preparing the Project
    5. Moving Tabs in the Project Window
    6. Working with Tracks in the Timeline
      1. Setting a Track’s Format
      2. Saving the Project
      3. Adding Tracks in the Timeline
      4. Moving Tracks in the Timeline
      5. Searching for Sound Effects
      6. Moving Clips Manually
      7. Removing Tracks
    7. Changing a Clip’s Playback Mode
      1. Soloing a Track
      2. Converting a Clip to Looping
      3. Adjusting a Track’s Volume
    8. Arranging Music in the Timeline
      1. Maintaining Musical Time
      2. Trimming Musical Loops
    9. Setting Project Preferences
      1. Project Practice
    10. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  6. 3. Creating Suspense with Sound Design
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Working with Video in Soundtrack Pro
      1. Viewing Video Details
      2. Resizing the Utility Window
      3. Moving and Resizing Tabs
      4. Saving Window Layouts
      5. Controlling Video Playback
      6. Project Practice
    3. Planning a Scene’s Sound Design
      1. Imagining the Soundscape
    4. Organizing Sound Effects
      1. Searching for Reality Sound Effects
      2. Choosing Ambience to Add Presence
      3. Establishing a Story with Sound
      4. Setting the Mood of the Scene
      5. Project Practice
    5. Working with Markers
      1. Adding Markers to the Timeline
      2. Naming Markers
      3. Project Practice
      4. Moving Between Markers
      5. Catching Up
    6. Building Sound Effects Tracks
      1. Creating and Removing Playback Regions
      2. Project Practice
    7. Changing Track Names and Icons
      1. Naming Tracks
      2. Changing Track Icons
    8. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  7. 4. Building Suspense with Editing Techniques
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Adjusting Track Levels
    3. Splitting a Clip in the Timeline
    4. Adjusting Clips with Precision in the Timeline
      1. Building Suspense with Sound Effects
      2. Fixing Mistakes with Undo and Redo
      3. Shifting a Clip in the Timeline
      4. Nudging a Clip within a Track
      5. Project Practice
    5. Adding Foley Sound Effects
      1. Building Foley Tracks
      2. Auditioning Foley Sound Effects
      3. Project Practice
      4. Duplicating a Clip in the Timeline
      5. Putting It All Together
      6. Project Practice
    6. Crafting Suspense with Music
      1. Auditioning Music Loops
      2. Adding Music Tracks
      3. Doubling a Musical Part
      4. Editing with the Razor Tool
      5. Transposing Audio Clips
      6. Project Practice
      7. Adding a Stinger for Effect
    7. Overlapping Clips in the Timeline
      1. Creating Crossfades Between Audio Clips
      2. Extending a Crossfade
      3. Truncating Overlapping Audio Clips
    8. Creating a Master Timeslice
    9. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  8. 5. Designing Sound in the Waveform Editor
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Creating an Audio File Project
      1. Understanding Audio File Projects
      2. Opening and Saving an Audio File Project
    3. Exploring the Waveform Editor
      1. Navigating with Markers
      2. Playing Audio Files in the Waveform Editor
      3. Using the Global Waveform View
      4. Setting Ruler Units in the Waveform Display
      5. Viewing a Frequency Spectrum
    4. Processing Audio Files in the Waveform Editor
      1. Selecting Part of an Audio File
      2. Using Other Selection Techniques
      3. Applying Actions to Fade In and Fade Out
      4. Extending a Selection
      5. Deleting Actions
      6. Moving Between Selections
      7. Project Practice
      8. Playing an Audio File Project in the Timeline
      9. Creating Another Audio File Project
    5. Graphically Editing Audio Files
      1. Viewing the Waveform at the Sample Level
      2. Silencing the Beginning
      3. Working with the Audio Stretching Tool
      4. Adjusting Amplitude in the Waveform Editor
      5. Flattening Actions
    6. Editing an Audio Waveform
      1. Opening and Saving an Audio File Project
      2. Setting a Marker in the Waveform Editor
      3. Copying a Selection
      4. Pasting a Selection
      5. Project Practice
      6. Combining Waveforms to Customize Effects
      7. Searching for Additional Effects
      8. Pasting a Mix
      9. Project Practice
      10. Closing and Saving
    7. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  9. 6. Modifying and Repairing Dialog in the Waveform Editor
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Working with Voiceover Recordings
      1. Silencing Unwanted Sound
      2. Project Practice
      3. Normalizing Voiceover Levels
      4. Doubling Dialog Tracks
      5. Project Practice
    3. Working with Production Sound
      1. Normalizing Location Recordings
      2. Modifying an Action
      3. Evaluating Noise in the Waveform
      4. Setting a Noise Print
      5. Reducing Noise in a Waveform
      6. Previewing Noise Only
      7. Working with the Actions Insert Bar
    4. Analyzing Files in the Waveform Editor
      1. Eliminating Clicks and Pops
      2. Reading and Fixing the Problem
    5. Working with Ambience
      1. Setting an Ambient Noise Print
      2. Working with the Zoom Tool
      3. Selecting at the Zero Crossing Point
      4. Pasting Ambience to Replace Silence
      5. Project Practice
    6. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  10. 7. Recording Audio
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Planning Your Recording Session
      1. Connecting Your Audio Equipment
      2. Checking for Hard Drive Space
      3. Setting the Recording Preferences
    3. Exploring Both Recording Methods
      1. Recording a Single Take
      2. Working with Multiple Takes
      3. Recording Multiple Takes
      4. Tips for Recording Audio
    4. Preparing the Project
    5. Editing Recorded Files in the Timeline
      1. Previewing the Different Takes
      2. Using the Razor Tool to Edit Recordings
      3. Project Practice
    6. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  11. 8. Mixing Audio
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Evaluating a Song
      1. Isolating Tracks with Mute and Solo
      2. Feeling the Rhythm Tracks
      3. Listening to the Melody and Supporting Tracks
      4. Recognizing Lead, Solo, and Harmony Tracks
    3. Understanding Basic Mixing
      1. Project Practice
    4. Balancing Volume Levels
      1. Modifying Volume Levels in the Mixer
      2. Project Practice
      3. Using the Exclusive Solo Feature
    5. Balancing Panning Levels
      1. Project Practice
    6. Automating Volume Level and Pan Envelopes
      1. Adding Envelope Points
      2. Automating a Panning Effect
      3. Project Practice
      4. Editing Envelope Points
      5. Tips for Working with Envelope Points
    7. Recording Envelope Points in the Timeline and Mixer
      1. Modifying the Window Layout for Recording Automation
      2. Working with Read, Touch, and Latch Automation
    8. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  12. 9. Working with Audio Effects and Finishing the Mix
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Working with Realtime Effects
      1. Viewing Effect Parameters and Presets
      2. Adding Realtime Effects to a Track
      3. Project Practice
    3. Working with Effects in the Mixer
      1. Saving an Effect Preset
      2. Applying User Presets to Effects
    4. Automating Effect Parameters
      1. Recording Effect Automation
    5. Working with Busses and Sends
      1. Sending Tracks to a Bus
      2. Adding Effects to a Bus
    6. Adding Effects to the Project
      1. Project Practice
    7. Setting the Overall Project Volume Level
      1. Listening to a Temporary Mono Mix
    8. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  13. 10. Distributing and Managing Soundtrack Pro Files
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Distributing Soundtrack Pro Projects
      1. Exporting a Project Mix
      2. Exporting a Customized Mix
      3. Exporting a Selected Track
      4. Project Practice
      5. Exporting All Tracks
      6. Exporting with Compressor
      7. Project Practice
    3. Distributing Media Files with a Project
    4. Reconnecting Project Files
    5. Exporting Looping and Non-Looping Files
      1. Project Practice
    6. Working with the Apple Loops Utility
      1. Opening Files in the Apple Loops Utility
      2. Adding a File to the Assets Drawer
      3. Setting Property Tags
      4. Reading File Info
      5. Setting Search Tags
      6. Setting Descriptor Tags
      7. Saving Changes to a File
      8. Project Practice
    7. Adding Your New Files to the Soundtrack Pro Search Database
      1. Project Practice
    8. Lesson Review
  14. 11. Advanced Editing, Mixing, and Sound Design Techniques
    1. Preparing the Project
    2. Scoring a Marker to the Playhead
    3. Understanding the Round Trip Workflow
    4. Automating the Master Envelopes
      1. Automating Project Tempo
      2. Automating Project Key
      3. Project Practice
    5. Replacing Audio Files in the Timeline
    6. Changing Clip Speed
    7. Changing the Offset of an Audio Clip
      1. Project Practice
    8. Working with Timeslices
      1. Selecting Timeslices in Multiple Tracks
      2. Project Practice
    9. Working with Multiple Outputs
      1. Recording Output Automation
    10. Setting Up Control Surfaces
      1. Connecting Control Surfaces
      2. Adding and Deleting Control Surfaces
    11. Lesson Review
      1. Keyboard Shortcuts
  15. 12. Using Soundtrack Pro with Other Apple Pro Applications
    1. Using Soundtrack Pro with Final Cut Pro
      1. Project Practice
    2. Saving a File as AppleScript
      1. Sending a Sequence to Soundtrack Pro
    3. Using Soundtrack Pro with Motion
    4. Using Soundtrack Pro with DVD Studio Pro
    5. Lesson Review
  16. Final Cut Studio Workflows