FCPX AND GarageBand

I edited a short video in FCPX and mixed the audio that was recorded with the video clips in FCPX. I then rendered the video and imported that video into GarageBand where I mixed loops to creat a music bed. I then exported my final mix to a QuickTime movie at the highest quality possible. It sounded great. Here's where it gets weird. When I attempted to reimport my final video with the GarageBand mix back into FCPX so I could render smaller files and burn DVDs of the video, I hear two different audioi tracks, one sounding normal and another out of sync and pitch shifted. Any ideas? Another strange thing. When I attempted to play the QT Mov from a data DVD on my DVD player (not computer) I couldn't hear my music bed. Playing my finished product on my MAC sounds the same as my final Garageband mix did. Again, any ideas what's going on here.

Scott

Hi Scott,

Most audio synch problems are related to mismatching audio sample rates. As Garageband by default only exports to 44.1 KHz mp3 or AAC this could explain the synch and pitch shift issues. To avoid these problems when bringing your GB mix back into FCPX while maintaining the highest video quality this is how your workflow should be:

1. Export (Share) your FCPX video edit with the mixed audio as a Master File (ProRes 422 QT Movie).
2. Open the QT Movie in Garageband (drag it onto the GB project window).
3. Create your music bed in Garageband and mix it on the GB timeline with the existing audio track from the movie until you get a good sounding final mix that is perfectly in synch with the video.

I think that's what you have been doing so far, right? Now let's proceed from here, using the correct export settings.

A. Exporting from Garageband

If you want to bring the new audio mix back into FCPX without any synch issues and without reconverting the video you should export your GB project as an AIFF 16-bit 48KHz stereo track. Here's how (Garageband 11):

Use Share–>Export Movie to Disk. Choose Video setting: "Expert Setting" and press Export. GB will create the mix, it will normalize the audio and then the Export window will open.

In the Export window, next to "Export" choose "Sound to AIFF", then press the Options button.
This opens the Sound Settings window where you choose

Structure: Linear PCM
Channels: Stereo (L,R)
Rate: 48,000 kHz
Quality: Best
Sample Size: 16 bits.

Then click OK to close the Sound Settings window.
Enter a Name and a Destination for your exported AIFF file and press Save.


B. Using the new mix inside your FCPX Project

1. Launch FCPX and duplicate the original Project (for safety reasons).

2. Open the duplicate Project and disable all the existing audio in the Timeline.
- If the audio has been detached from the video you can group-select all your audio clips and press "V" to disable them, or you can just delete all audio clips.
- If the audio has not been detached from the video: group-select all your video clips and detach the audio, then mute or delete all the audio clips.

3. Import the Garageband AIFF mix into your Event and drag the new mix under your video in the timeline. As your new audio track is AIFF 48 KHz, 16-bits (same as your FCPX Project) and it has exactly the same length as your original video it should synch perfectly to the video and you should not have any audio drift. Play back the timeline and if everything sounds okay export a new master file from your edit.

From this master you can create new masters for the web or a Video DVD to play in your DVD player.

- Ronny

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I'll give your workflow a try and let you know the results.

Scott