iMovie Audio Blending

[Cattywampus_]

Hi

I am using iMovie for the first time to compose a DVD of my recent trip to Orlando.

I have about 150 individual clips imported from my DV cam into iMovie.

I know I can easily blend the video between each clip using the VideoFX tab - but the sound doesn't blend. Obviously each clip has different audio waveforms - and when they transition, the video is a nice smooth overlay blend - but the audio is a horrible jump. It doesn't sound right.

I have searched long and hard to find a way to automatically blend the audio between each clip so that it fades the first clip down towards the end, and overlays the next clip slightly over - and fades the start of the audio on that clip up - so the sounds blend much like the video does.

Anyone?!

 

[theBB]

When I use dissolve as the transition between two clips, it fades in and out both the video and audio.

 

[sandman42]

There's probably a better or easier way but

One thing you could do is split the video for each clip outside the transition area (making two new clips) and then use the 'Extract Audio' command (under 'Advanced') on each of them to move the audio to one of the two audio track areas (below the video timeline). You could then manipulate the audio for each track independently, ramping one down and the other up to mix them together.

Check out the attached image, which might make it more clear. This was two video clips with no transition. I split the first clip a few seconds before the end, and the second clip a few seconds after the beginning, then I used 'Extract Audio' on each of the new, short clips to break out their audio (I also moved the extracted audio from the second clip down to the lower audio timeline to make it easier to see once I put in the transition). Then I added the 'cross dissolve' transition between the two short clips. iMovie kept the audio clips aligned with their respective video, so now they overlap where the video was merged. I then ramped the levels of the audio manually so that it sounded the way I wanted it to.

There might be an easier way to do this, but it also might be that if you want this level of control you're just going to have to go to the trouble to tailor it the way you want it.

Good luck.

 

[sandman42]

When I use dissolve as the transition between two clips, it fades in and out both the video and audio.

I just tried an experiment with this (using the same clips in my post above) using 'cross dissolve', and it overlaps the audio, but doesn't seem to fade it in/out. The overlapped audio starts and stops abruptly at the ends of the transition.

I tried extracting the audio from the transition, but all you get is the mixed audio. You have to extract the audio first, then put in the transition.

 

[theBB]

I just tried an experiment with this (using the same clips in my post above) using 'cross dissolve', and it overlaps the audio, but doesn't seem to fade it in/out. The overlapped audio starts and stops abruptly at the ends of the transition.

I tried extracting the audio from the transition, but all you get is the mixed audio. You have to extract the audio first, then put in the transition.

What if you use fade in and out? I think that applies to video and audio as well.

BTW, you are right about the audio extraction. You need to extract the audio first, otherwise you'll get one already stitched together waveform.

 

[sandman42]

What if you use fade in and out? I think that applies to video and audio as well.

I think that would fade the audio, but I don't think that's what the OP is looking for, as it wouldn't blend/mix the audio from the two separate tracks at all, as they wouldn't overlap.