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Audio Keyframe Settings

The animation controls Audio tab has a number of submenus with numerous settings to help you work with your audio clips.

Common Settings

There are a few common settings found in the Audio submenus.

Play button

Plays the audio media.

Stop button

Stops the audio playback.

Reset box

Select whether to reset the current Audio submenu, or all of the Audio settings.

Available in the Media, Mapping, and Filtering submenus. In the Setup submenu, only Reset All is available.

Media Submenu

(a) Media Source box

Media Source box

Select whether to analyse the current audio clip (audio attached to the front, back, or matte clips, for example), or the imported audio file.

Import button

Opens the import audio browser to load a file.

Clip Name box

If multiple audio clips are available, select which clip to use as source media. If only one audio clip is available, the name of the clip appears in a locked field.

W+ button

Displays the selected media's waveform in the Animation editor.

W- button

Hides the waveform.

Channel box

Select which audio channel to use as source media.

Slip field

Displays the amount of frames to slip the media. Editable.

Handles field

Displays the amount of handles (frames) to analyse before and after the current shot duration. Editable.

For example, with a shot of 100 frames, if you enter 30 in this field, the total number of frames becomes 160 (30 frames before and 30 frames after the original 100 frames).

Mapping Submenu

(a) Audio Level Indicator (b) Tracking Mode box (c) Listening Mode box

Tracking Mode box

Select whether to use an Amplitude or Transient tracking mode.

In Amplitude tracking mode, a keyframe is generated at each frame, following the envelope of the audio signal. In Transient tracking mode, a keyframe is generated for each audio transient (sudden rise in amplitude), provided that the signal rises above the specified threshold.

Listening Mode box

Choose between Pre Filter (audio as it was imported) and Post Filter (audio with any changes made) monitoring when playing back audio media. Does not affect the analysis.

Enable to map the tracked audio to the selected animation channel. An 'a' appears in the channel list next to the name of the linked channel. Multiple channels can be selected simultaneously.

Channel Name field

This locked field displays the name of the selected channel being linked to the tracked audio. Multiple Channels is displayed if more than one channel is selected.

Min Value field

Displays the minimum value at which keyframes can be set in the linked channel. Editable.

Max Value field

Displays the maximum values at which keyframes can be set in the linked channel. Editable.

Note: The minimum value can be higher than the maximum value to get an inverse mapping of the tracking mode in the animation channel.

Attack field

Displays the number of frames needed for the channel to reach the Max Value before a transient. Available only in Transient tracking mode. Editable.

Release field

Displays the number of frames needed for the channel to reach the Min Value after a transient. Available only in Transient tracking mode. Editable.

Threshold field

Displays the value at which a keyframe is generated each time the signal rises above it. Available only in Transient tracking mode. Editable.

Tip: Start with a high threshold, and lower it until all required peaks are detected. Not shown in the screenshot above.

Floor field

Displays the minimum level of the audio media to be considered for the analysis (typically used to remove analysis noise between audio transients). Available only in Amplitude tracking mode. Editable.

Inertia field

Displays the rate at which the signal decreases after a transient. Editable.

In Transient tracking mode, the Release field can be increased to avoid the generation of several consecutive keyframes when the transient is not clearly defined in the input signal. Conversely, if the Release field is set to 0 ms, each transient rising above the threshold generates a keyframe, even if each occurs within a few milliseconds of another.

Audio Level Indicator

A visual representation of the audio level and the current Threshold or Floor value.

Audio Level Indicator

A visual representation of the audio level and the current Threshold or Floor value.

Reset box

Select Reset to reset the Mapping submenu settings only. Select Reset All to reset all of the Audio tab settings.

Note: Some of the settings in the Mapping submenu are repeated in the Filtering submenu so that you do not to have to switch tabs to change the settings. The same settings are reflected in both submenus.

Filtering Submenu

(a) Audio Level Indicator (b) Tracking Mode box (c) Frequency Graph (d) Listening Mode box

Frequency Graph

A visual frequency representation of the audio signal being tracked. The audio display is always Pre Filter.

Frequency Range Preset box

Select a frequency range preset to determine the cutoff frequencies for Low and High filters.

Low field

Displays the lowest frequency of the input signal used in the analysis (also represented by a triangle under the frequency graph). Use the slider or field to adjust. Editable.

High field

Displays the highest frequency of the input signal used in the analysis (also represented by a triangle under the frequency graph). Use the slider or field to adjust. Editable.

Note: Some of the settings in the Filtering submenu are repeated in the Mapping submenu so that you do not to have to switch tabs to change the settings. The same settings are reflected in both submenus.

Setup Submenu

Load button

Click to load a saved audio mapping setup.

Save button

Click to save an audio mapping setup.

Setup Name field

This locked field displays the name of the loaded setup

Parent page: Generating Keyframes Based on Audio Analysis

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