Browsing through Premiere Elements 12* audio features recently, some "I never thought about that before" audio features surfaced. This blog post will highlight some of these.
Audio Clip Rubberband Options
An overall view of the video and audio clip rubberband feature was first written about here in the June 2013 blog post. And, a detailed view of the video clip rubberband associated properties appeared in the March 2014 blog post. So, time for a detailed view of the audio clip rubberband associated properties of Volume:Clip Volume, Volume:Bypass, Balance:Balance, and Balance:Bypass. What are they all about?
The audio clip rubberband is made to represent one of these properties by clicking on the tiny triangle in the Timeline audio clip title. (See Figure 1).
By default the Timeline audio clip rubberband represents Volume:Clip Volume. The default volume for an audio clip is 0.0 dB which is used to represent the original volume level when the clip was recorded. The range for the volume adjustment is 6.02 dB to - ∞ (at the rubberband level) and 6.0 dB to - ∞ (going the route of Adjust Tab/Adjustments Palette/Volume Panel expanded).
And the Volume (loudness) of an audio clip can be set at one level across the duration of the clip at the Timeline rubberband level (dragging the rubberband up or down from 0.00 dB with the mouse cursor or selecting the clip and then using the volume slider in the Adjust Tab/Adjustments Palette/Volume Panel expanded route to increase or decrease the volume above or below 0.0 dB.
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| Figure 1. Premiere Elements 12. Audio Clip Rubberband Associated Properties And Areas For Volume Keyframe Controls. Here The Audio Clip Rubberband Is Shown Being Set to Volume:Clip Volume. |
If the audio clip rubberband is set for the property Volume:Clip Volume and keyframing of the volume is done, only the Volume:Clip Volume keyframes will appear on the rubberband as white dots while that set is in effect.
The Volume:Bypass choice will allow the user to set Volume:Bypass keyframes for those sections of the audio where sound change from the original is not wanted. During that "bypassed" area, the volume will be that at 0 dB (the clip volume at the time of its recording). For the Volume Bypass keyframing to function, the Volume:Clip Volume needs to be set at any level other than 0 dB. The Volume:Clip Volume does not have to be keyframed for Volume:Bypass to work. It just needs to be set at anything other than 0.0 dB. The Volume:Bypass keyframes are either On or Off. If the audio clip rubberband set for Volume:Bypass is dragged all the way to the top of the clip, then Volume:Bypass in On. Conversely, if it is dragged all the way to the bottom of the audio clip, then Volume:Bypass is Off.
In the following example (See Figure 2), the audio clip Volume:Clip Volume is set at - ∞ to mute the sound. No keyframing of Volume:Clip Volume. Three Volume:Bypass keyframes are set so that the sound muted by the - ∞ volume setting is heard for that period of time where the On - Off - On Volume:Bypass keyframes are placed. If it were not for the Volume:Bypass keyframes, there would be no sound for that audio clip because of the - ∞ volume setting.
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| Figure 2. Premiere Elements 12. Audio Clip Rubberband Associated Properties Of Volume:Clip Volume and Volume:Bypass. Here The Rubberband Set Is For Volume:Bypass So The Keyframes Shown Are For Volume:Bypass. |
Note: Only one type of property keyframe can be displayed at one time in the Timeline audio clip rubberband. Here the set is Volume:Bypass keyframes. If the user needs to see the Volume:ClipVolume keyframes if they were set, then the user needs to set to Volume:Clip Volume in the audio clip title and then to right click the audio clip, select Show Clip Keyframes, followed by Volume, followed by Clip Volume.
Audio balance relates to the relative volume between the left and right audio channels. The default set is 0.00 (range +100.00 to -100.00) at rubberband level and 0.0 (range +100.0 to -100.0) at the Adjust Tab/Adjustments Palette/Balance Panel expanded. Negative values give greater proportion of the volume to the left channel, and positive values give greater proportion of the volume to the right channel. The same relationship exists between Balance:Balance and Balance:Bypass as was demonstrated for Volume:Clip Volume and Volume:Bypass.
Note: Balance is not available for projects for 5.1 channel audio.
Audio Meter and Audio Mixer
Audio can consists of separate streams (channels) of audio information, typical examples include 1 channel (mono), 2 channels (stereo), and 6 channels (5.1 channel). The 5.1 channel presents with 5 normal audio channels (left, center, right, left surround, right surround). The 6th is the subwoofer channel (LFE) carrying extended bass.
If the Premiere Elements 12 project is set for a project preset described for use with 2 channel sound (Stereo) source, then, whether a 2 channel or 5.1 channel audio clip is dragged to the Expert workspace Timeline Audio Track 1, the same "2 channel" result is obtained at the Timeline, Audio Meter, and Audio Mixer levels. (See Figure 3)
- Timeline: the two wave forms representative of 2 channel, Balance setting available.
- Audio Meter: two vertical bars representative of 2 channel
- Audio Mixer: Audio 1, two vertical bars representative of 2 channel, Balance setting available.
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| Figure 3. Premiere Elements 12 Stereo Project Expert Workspace. 2 Channel And 5.1 Channel Sources And Timeline, Audio Meter, Audio Mixer Displays. |
If the above is repeated with the same 2 channel and 5.1 channel audio sources, but the Premiere Elements 12 project preset is one which is described for use with 5.1 channel audio source, then whether the source is 2 channel or 5.1 channel, the same "5.1 channel" result is obtained at the Timeline, Audio Meter, and Audio Mixer levels. (See Figure 4). Of note, these results are different from what was seen when a 2 channel project preset was in effect. Now seen
- Timeline: 6 wave forms representative of 5.1 channel. Balance setting is not available.
- Audio Meter: six vertical bars representative of 5.1 channel
- Audio Mixer: Audio 1, 6 vertical bars representative of 5.1 channel. Balance Control is gone for Audio tracks. Balance setting is not available elsewhere.
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| Figure 4. Premiere Elements 12 5.1 Channel Project Expert Workspace. 2 Channel And 5.1 Channel Sources And Timeline, Audio Meter, And Audio Mixer Displays. |
Is is interesting to note that, even though the 2 channel audio clip can be dragged to a new Audio Track 4 (stereo track) to present with only the 2 channel wave forms instead of 5.1 representation as on Audio Track 1 (5.1 Track), Audio Meter still displays with no Balance Controls.
Figure 3 bring up a possible easy way using Audio Mixer and Audio Meter to present the concept of audio balance (the relative proportion of the volume between left and right channels) and Volume:Bypass. (See Figure 5). The ingredients for such a demo would include:
- Volume:Bypass keyframes set for On and Off for a certain duration of the 2 channel audio clip
- Balance:Balance set at 100 so that the right channel would have the greater proportion of the volume
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| Figure 5. Premiere Elements 12 2 Channel Project Expert Workspace. Concept Of Volume:Bypass And Balance:Balance. Balance On And Off Keyframes Showing. |
At the start, the Balance setting of 100 is shiftying the greater proportion of the 2 channel volume to the right channel. During this time, the Audio Meter and Audio Mixer show activity in the right channel vertical bar. When the Balance:Bypass is On, the Bypass blocks that 100 Balance setting and lets the 0 set (normal balance between left and right channel volume) exist. So, during the period when Balance:Bypass is On, then volume activity is seen in the right and left vertical bars of the Audio Meter and Audio Mixer
* Premiere Elements 12 on Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit was used in this work.
ATR
