I just published my new book “An Overview of Post Production Sound” on the Amazon Kindle Store. This book walks you through the entire post sound process, from initial turnover to final stems delivery. If you’re interested in getting into post sound, or you work in a related field and just want to understand more about the post sound process, this book is for you!
Click here to check it out.
In the world of high-budget scripted content (either TV or film) it’s typical that someone will create an audio assembly of all of the mics used in production. The dialog editor can then work with this audio assembly when cutting the dialog for the mix, knowing that they have every possible mic available to them. However, it’s quite common for the audio assembly to be skipped for everything from sitcoms to reality to game shows. There simply isn’t budget for it. Instead all the dialog editing work is done from the AAF.
What to do when you need a mic that isn’t there? Typically you send an alt request to the picture department, usually to the assistant editor. But due to various aspects of the export process, that AAF may be hiding extra mics that don’t appear on the timeline. Here’s how to pull up alts that might already be there! Continue reading ‘Alternate mics may be hiding in your AAF! Here’s how to find them’ »
Finally after years of waiting, Apple has announced a new Mac Pro workstation. It’s a monster computer, with a monster price tag to match ($6000 to start, estimates of configurations upwards of $35,000 being possible). Of course this has reignited the endless debate of Mac vs. PC for Pro Tools, how much computer you really need, and who this is really for. Here are my thoughts on the matter. Continue reading ‘Thoughts on the new Mac Pro’ »
The iZotope RX7 suite of noise reduction tools has absolutely changed the way we do post sound. Some of the impact is obvious, but some of the tools are also able to be leveraged in unexpected ways. Such is the case with Dialog Isolate, the one-stop noise reduction tool.
While the primary use for DX-I (as we colloquially refer to it!) is a one-button solution for a variety of noise issues on dialog, it also has a powerful function for creating positive dialog gain. Working inside the RX7 editor, this can be leveraged as a selective EQ for dialog content only, boosting the words while leaving the noise unchanged. Here’s how. Continue reading ‘Use RX7’s Dialog Isolate as Selective EQ’ »
McDSP Analog Channel can be used to add a little dirt to your ADR to help the blend.
ADR is a necessary evil in post sound. Actors hate recording it, mixers hate mixing it, producers hate using it. But it is an inevitability of the process. The main reason so many people can’t stand it is that it sticks out and feels unnatural. So the mixer’s challenge is to make it feel more natural, and one of the best places to start is to “dirty it up.”
We all want to be using the latest and greatest software to get our jobs done, especially when new features promise to make things even better. But after a recent negative experience I had with a Pro Tools upgrade, I felt like sharing this common-sense reminder: be careful when upgrading Pro Tools!
Continue reading ‘PSA: be careful when upgrading Pro Tools!’ »
We’ve all had the misfortune of having to cut off the end of a piece of dialog very abruptly in order to avoid an issue of some sort; there’s a clunk in the track, or the thought needs to be cut off for the sake of story, or someone else starts speaking over the first person, or any of a million other reasons. Here are a few edit and mix tips to help resolve the issue.
Avid produces several great dynamics processors for use in Pro Tools, from the included Channel Strip (with its roots in Euphonix boards) to the Pro Series Compressor and Multi-band Dynamics. Each of these dynamics plugins has a parameter that makes them stand out in a crowded world of compressors and limiters; the depth control. Let’s take a look at what it does and why it’s great. Continue reading ‘Depth Control: my favorite parameter on Avid Dynamics Plugs’ »
Normally we leave notes in our sessions using markers. It’s what they’re for, after all! But one big problem with markers is that they aren’t specific to any track; they just mark across the entire session at a given time. Also, you can’t stack two or more at the same exact timecode and read them easily.
So here’s a quick tip I got from an FX editor that I work with for leaving notes in sessions using clip groups. Continue reading ‘use empty clip groups for easy notes’ »
There are a limited number of good tools for panning in surround. At the top end of the spectrum are fancy dedicated surround panner sticks like the JL Cooper AXOS panner for $800+ each. At the bottom end is the trusty mouse. In the middle are things like Neyrinck V-Control Pro for iPad.
But these are all methods of writing pan automation in real-time, while watching action on screen. With practice you can get pretty accurate with these, but it can still be a somewhat sloppy experience.
When tracking a steady-speed moving object on screen like a vehicle pass-by, precision is key. Here’s my method for quickly and easily doing smooth and accurate pan moves in surround sound. Continue reading ‘Quickly pan car-bys and other effects in surround mixes’ »
