Re: Audio Fades (long, gradual)

Is there any way I can control an audio fade-out in FCP? To my tastes, the audio fades out too abruptly when I do an fade-out - that is, the level goes down very slowly until the end of the fade when it goes down very quickly. I would prefer the opposite where the level goes down quickly at first, then more slowly. Even a straight linear fade would be a big improvement, but I can't figure out how to do it. I am more of an audio guy than a video guy and my experience is mostly in Pro Tools where I have all the control I want. Do I have to go outside of FCP to do a more gradual audio fade-out (SoundTrack or Pro Tools)? It seems like such a simple task that it should be doable in FCP. I have before used several keyframe points on my audio track to force a little more control, but that is cumbersome at best.

Thanks. I hope I have explained well what I am looking for.

--Nathan Lawrence

cadboll-

Thanks for your input. I've been doing just the things that you suggest (audio transitions, pen tool (i.e. key frames) - the audio transitions are generally acceptable for doing a crossfade between two audio clips. The trouble is when you want to do a smooth fadeout on a clip (the audio version of "fade to black") - the length of the fade can be adjusted, etc., but in all cases, the rate of fade increases at an exponential rate. What I need is a fade that is linear OR (even better) - one where the rate of fade actually decreases. Even better still is the ability to adjust the curve of the fade so that the rates of change are exactly the slope I want them. I would draw a diagram to describe what I'm talking about, but I'm on a windows machine here at work that has no such capability.

Anyone else have any ideas, or am I still not being clear?

Thanks.

--Nathan Lawrence