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Tip #1592: A “Better” Way to Adjust Audio in Motion

… for Apple Motion

Tip #1592: A “Better” Way to Adjust Audio in Motion

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Nothing about audio in Motion is easy. Here’s proof.

Enable keyframe display (top), Audio timeline (middle), Keyframe Editor (bottom).

Topic $TipTopic

Audio always seems like an afterthought in Motion. Audio clips are impossible to find and almost impossible to adjust. But, here’s a trick that makes setting levels a bit easier.

Import an audio clip into Motion, then:

  • Reveal the Timeline (Shortcut: F6).
  • Click the Audio icon in the top right corner (top red arrow). This reveals the audio clip in the middle of the pane (middle section of screen shot).
  • Click the Keyframe icon (lower red arrow).
  • Put the playhead where you want the first keyframe to appear and select the audio clip in the Timeline pane.
  • Go to Inspector > Audio Track and add a keyframe for Audio Level. A small red dot appears below the audio clip in the Timeline pane. (Middle portion of the screen shot.)

NOTE: You would think you could adjust the keyframe audio level by dragging it. You would be wrong.

  • Adjust the audio level for that keyframe in the Inspector.
  • Move the playhead to where you want the next keyframe to appear and repeat the keyframe setting process.

NOTE: You would think the keyframes in the Timeline would indicate the different levels. You would be wrong.

  • To see audio levels once they are set, Control-click the keyframe and choose Show in Keyframe Editor. (Lower section of screen shot.)

NOTE: You would think Motion would make adjusting audio easier. You would be wrong.


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