This new set of free plugins from Idustrial Revolution automates the application of handles to clips or audio components on a Final Cut Pro X timeline. It is one step closer to getting better audio controls in FCPX and should save time and clicks.
As a professional editor, I've had a busy summer working almost exclusively with Final Cut Pro X on broadcast productions. If you add the list up looking at the calendar, I've probably worked on more than 50 shows that have been edited on FCPX.
As the shows get edited very close to transmission, all the grading and audio work needs to be completed to a very high standard right within FCPX. That means that not only does the audio have to be fully mixed, any voice has to be compressed to the correct dynamic range for broadcast.
To help speed things up, I made a few presets with different compressor settings. One for voiceover, one for studio recordings and one for location interviews.
Dragging those onto the different audio bites helped a lot, but I also noticed that the fade handles were getting saved in the process. That led me to think, why not make a bunch of audio presets as plugins that have different audio handles pre-programmed?
And thus Idustrial Revolution's XEffects Audio Fades were born. A free pack of plugin presets ranging from 1 frame to 10 seconds. The one frame instance is handy for removing those digital clicks when editing mid word or music. The 2 second should help when putting B roll with audio into a secondary storyline and the 10 second version.. Well you see the advantage, no more grabbing of those awkward little fade handles!!!
Please read the installation instructions carefully. Do not drag the folder in, if you do so then although the plugins will show up in FCPX, they won't work.
No idea why, but I have to thank the crack team of beta testers including Robert Dee, Paul Murphy, Alister Robbie, Knut Hake, Tony Gallardo and Lee Herbet for trying them out before release.
A special gold star to Robert who spotted the installation quirk first.
We all know that Final Cut Pro X cannot do audio crossfades quickly, hopefully this set of plugins will remove a few clicks. I tend to expand the audio components, add the fades and then stretch out the audio on the outgoing clip underneath the incoming audio of the next shot.
A word of warning here. Apply these presets first as because they are saved based on clip level, any adjustment away from 0dB including keyframes will be wiped out. An extra bit of good news is as they are presets, you do not have to have them installed on another machine if you move your project over.
Hopefully these will save time, however I'd quite happily swop them for an official Apple way of fading audio.
Anybody interested in my compressor settings???
Peter Wiggins @PeterWiggins
I am the Editor-in-Chief of FCP.co and have run the website since its inception ten years ago.
I have also worked as a broadcast and corporate editor for over 30 years, starting on one inch tape, working through many formats, right up to today's NLEs.
Under the name Idustrial Revolution, I have written and sold plugins for Final Cut Pro for 13 years.
I was made a Freeman of Lichfield through The Worshipful Company of Smiths (established 1601). Though I haven't yet tried to herd a flock of sheep through the city centre!
Current Editing
2020 has been busy, the beginning of the year was finishing off a new property series (cut on FCP) for Channel 4 called The Great House Giveaway. I also designed and built the majority of the graphics as Motion templates. It has been a great success and the shows grabbed more viewers in the 4pm weekday slot than any previous strand. It has been recommissioned by C4 for 60 episodes, including prime-time versions and five themed programmes. The shows have also been nominated for a 2021 BAFTA.
Although both were postponed to later in the year, I worked again on ITV's coverage of the Tour de France and La Vuelta. 2020 was my 25th year of editing the TdF and my 20th year as lead editor. The Tour was the first broadcast show to adopt FCPX working for multiple editors on shared storage.
BBC's Snooker has played a big part in my life, I've been editing tournament coverage since 1997. I'm proud to be part of a very creative team that has pioneered many new ideas and workflows that are now industry standard in sports' production. This is currently an Adobe Premiere edit.
Covid cancelled some of the regular corporate events that I edit such as trade shows & events. I was lucky however to edit, from home, on projects for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Black Friday, Mastercard and very proud to have helped local charitable trust Kendall & Wall secure lottery funding.
As for software, my weapon of choice is Final Cut Pro and Motion, but I also have a good knowledge and broadcast credits with Adobe Premiere Pro, MOGRT design and Photoshop.
Plugin Design & Development
I'm the creative force behind Idustrial Revolution, one of the oldest Final Cut Pro plugin developers. It hosts a range of commercial and free plugins on the site. One free plugin was downloaded over a thousand times within 24 hours of release.
I also take on custom work, whether it is adapting an existing plugin for a special use or designing new plugins for clients from scratch. Having a good knowledge of editing allows me to build-in flexibility and more importantly, usability.
FCP.co
Now in its 10th year and 4th redesign, running FCP.co has given me knowledge on how to run a large CMS- you are currently reading my bio from the database! Although it sounds corny, I am pretty well up on social media trends & techniques, especially in the video sector. The recent Covid restrictions has enabled live FCP.co shows online. This involves managing a Zoom Webinar through Restream.io to YouTube and Facebook.
The Future
I'm always open to new ideas and opportunities, so please get in touch at editor (at) fcp.co. I've judged film competitions, presented workflow techniques to international audiences and come up with ideas for TV shows and software programs!
