Premiere Pro: Sweetening Audio with Parametric EQ

Andrew Devis

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In this advanced Premiere Pro tutorial, Andrew Devis shows how to use the parametric equaliser in Premiere Pro and for CS5.5 in Audition and for CS4/5 in Soundbooth. The parametric eq is a simply and effective way to affect a whole series of frequencies in you audio to quickly and efficiently sweeten (or un-sweeten depending on what you want to do) your audio. However, the work-flow for CS5.5 and above and CS5/4 (and probably CS3) are different and so the tutorial starts with the work-flow for PP/Audition CS5.5 and above and then at 13:30 onwards looks at the work-flow for CS4/5 and Soundbooth including showing how to balance the volume level. Andrew also shows how to apply parametric eq directly in Premiere Pro even though this is a much less efficient way of applying the effect.

Comments

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Re: Premiere Pro: Sweetening Audio with Parametric EQ
by Devin Hansen

I Don't know if you already know. I agree that audition is the way to go for audio but if you are trying to make a quick EQ while editing (I usually do it just to rough sounds for picture lock) when you apply one of those track effects, double clicking on the slot with the name of the effect will open a gui that you can play with all the settings of the effect. (and in terms of multiband compressor and parametric EQ it gives you graphical feedback of what your doing, very useful for a novice like me)

I only know this because of the VSTs that I've plugged into Premier in order to access all the controls you need to open up the GUI for the VSTs. Figured you probably know by now but just in case you don't, (It would be a headach and I'd never use track effects if I had to select every knob)

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Re: Premiere Pro: Sweetening Audio with Parametric EQ
by Andrew Devis

You need to export each track to soundbooth and work with them in Soundbooth.

There is a panel in Soundbooth which is called volume correction. If you drag all the files you want to match into that panel and then click match volumes all the volumes of the separate tracks are then matched to a standard volume. You then save the final results and they are updated in PP.

You can also use this panel to equalise volumes if needed.

My one concern is that you may find you need to go back in and keyframe certain parts as the process may over-right the keyframe changes you have made.

Do also bear in mind that you can do such things as use the automation modes to play with the volume of each track dynamically - see my tutorial on Automation modes in PP.

Lastly, this will certainly help match the volumes, but it won't do anything for the timbre of each track. That will come down to the effects you use the mixing and matching of tracks in soundbooth.

Hope this is some help
Andrew

... because it's all about stories ...

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@Andrew Devis
by Douglas Fraze

Soundbooth CS5 -- I believe you have a podcast or tutorial showing me how to move the files into Soundbooth. Would you please direct me to that instruction.

Doug

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@Douglas Fraze
by Andrew Devis

Hi Doug

Right click on the audio portion of the timeline and choose - Send to Soundbooth. This will send the CLIP audio to soundbooth. Unfortunatly, in CS5 you have to send every clip independently to Soundbooth whereas in CS5.5 you can send a whole group of audio clips.

This will send the clip to Soundbooth and open Soundbooth ready for editing. However, just click back on PP and do the same to each clip until all the audio is in Soundbooth and the you are ready to go.

Hope this helps
Andrew

PS as for tutorials, it is probably covered in this one although I haven't had time to check.

http://library.creativecow.net/devis_andrew/balancing-audio-levels-2/1

... because it's all about stories ...

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Re: Premiere Pro: Sweetening Audio with Parametric EQ
by Douglas Fraze

Sir,

I use Premiere Pro CS5. I have seven major sequences which I will nest into a Master sequence. I have 4 audio tracks in each of the seven sequences. Audio 1 is voice clips (many of them) describing certain items in the sequence; 2) music -- a medley that lasts the length of the sequence 3)sound effect of a helicopter 4) voice from video clips. Each track has a number of keyframes to lower or raise volume. What do I need to do to ensure the volume for each audio track is nearly identical? Since I made the voice clips at different times they have different timbre and volume. I will eventually nest all sequences into one final output seequence.

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