Keepping audio within 0db

When I have some audio tracks on a timeline I just care about an audio level of every single audio track and I don’t care about the whole level of a sound. After that I put all of them in a compound clip where I adjust a final audio level. Is it a right way? I mean if I have a clipping (level more than 0db) in the nested clips is it controlled by my actions in the compound or it has not any sense, because the sound is already clipped?

Hi Alexander,

Try to avoid clipping. It's much better to pull down the original audio channels a bit for mixing. Then you can compound the mix and set it to your desired global output level for delivery.

- Ronny

Ronny, thank you for the reply, but I mean a bit different. I have not a clipping for any separate clip on a timeline. But all of them together can exceed 0db. Of course I can pull down all of them but it's not as comfy as using a compound especially if there are sensible amount of audio tracks. My question is - if a compound is just a comfortable container and no matter where I apply changes, all of them will be applied to the same place? Or a clipping in a nested project is irreversible and I can't correct it later in the compound?

In smaller projects I get a solid mix in the project using the compressor on my audio clips and the built in EQ. When I am done I make a compound clip and add the adaptive limiter to the final mix and make small tweaks. On bigger projects I have started exporting the audio clips based on their roles and editing in Logic Pro X.

Usually I use FCPX for audio editing just to do some work in a quick way too. To me, a sound the same as important as a picture and it needs that a special audio editor should be used. For a long while I have been using Audition. Might be it's not the perfect tool but it suits me fine.
Concerning to FCPX, to my shame I'm not aware about adaptive limiter for FCPX. Is it a third party stuff?

It is a Logic Pro X filter that comes with FCPX.

Thank you both. It's really the solution

jsutton

Do you actually EXPORT your tracks based on roles ? (Or use X2Pro)

Is it a problem not to know where the clips are ?

Based on yours and Ronny's feedback, I'm learning "good practices" here.

Yes, I export based on roles directly out of FCPX. In the export settings, you can choose to export audio only as separate files. You can choose which roles you want to export from there. I picked that tip up from one of Steve Martin's classes at NAB this year. I had been trying the roundtrip process with fcpxml files once LPX started accepting them, but I never had success. This method is much simpler.

Yes and more reliable than X2Pro at the moment. I guess I'm gonna start doing the same. Thanks !!