Soundtrack Pro is an audio postproduction triple threat. Introduced at NAB, it’s a robust environment for audio editing, analysis, and effects processing that offers seamless file exchange with Final Cut Pro and Apple’s other professional applications. It’s a powerful platform for loop-based arranging and mixing. And, it can be used as a standalone program for recording one mono or stereo track at a time.

Although Soundtrack Pro can import any Quicktime movie or MPEG-2 file (with QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component installed), it is a dramatic workflow enhancer with Final Cut Pro, Motion, and DVD Studio Pro. Apple’s Final Cut Studio boxed set bundles all four applications together (MSRP $1,299), and Soundtrack Pro can also be purchased as a standalone program (MSRP $299).

Sending a file from Final Cut Pro to Soundtrack Pro is as easy as using a plugin. There are two ways to do this: as an Audio File project or a Multitrack project. Which one you choose depends on what you want to do. Sending the track as an Audio File opens it in Soundtrack Pro’s Waveform editing window, for analysis, processing and editing. Sending it as a Multitrack project opens it in the Project window, where additional tracks can be added and blended with the original track. To send the file from Final Cut Pro, you right-click it and choose Audio File Project or Multitrack Project.

I tried both methods and they each worked perfectly. Audio File Project offers a smooth efficient path for video editors needing to clean up and process an audio track. Multitrack Project gives sound designers and composers an excellent way to bring a video project into a rich audio environment where they can layer and massage sounds across multiple tracks.

Audio File Project

To add effects to a stereo video track in Final Cut Pro, I sent it as an Audio File Project. The track then opened in Soundtrack Pro’s Waveform editor, and I opened the video track in a separate floating utility window for playback in sync with the audio. Soundtrack Pro includes more than 50 effects plugins — professional reverbs, compressors, and EQs — drawn from Apple’s Logic Pro Audio DAW application. I opened the Effects tab on Soundtrack Pro’s Browser pane and found two groups of plugins: Mac OS (Audio Units) and Soundtrack Pro. I went for the Soundtrack Pro collection, where the Logic plugins are.

The audio track in question was hard to hear in places, since it was shot outdoors. But there were several loud passages that redlined when I raised the overall level. Soundtrack Pro’s Multipressor, a compressor that gives control over four frequency bands, did the job — bringing up the overall audibility up while taming the loud passages. For good measure, while I had the file open in Soundtrack Pro, I added an AU High Pass EQ to the track to reduce some low level traffic rumbling below 100Hz.

Then I saved the file, closed Soundtrack Pro, and played the file in Final Cut Pro. The processed audio file was there, with greatly improved clarity. Needless to say, this is a big timesaver compared to exporting the file, importing it into a third-party audio application, editing it, then exporting the edited file from the audio application, and importing it back into the video application.

Multitrack Project

Next, I sent the file to Soundtrack Pro as a Multitrack project. This time, it opened in the timeline-based Project window, where I could add as a many new audio tracks as I wanted. My intention was to add an audio bed, bringing it up in places, and then pulling it back at key dialog moments. The file came into Soundtrack Pro’s Timeline with the video track at the top and the stereo audio track next.

The first thing I did to the file in Soundtrack Pro’s Project window was to place markers around the problem audio sections. I placed other markers around sections I wanted to keep. Markers can be put anywhere by placing the cursor where you want them and pressing the Add Time Marker button at the top of the Project window. Next, I opened the envelope track below the video’s audio track by pressing a small triangular button next to the track name. Double-clicking on the volume envelope creates nodes that act like handles to automate the volume up and down.

Then, for a music bed, I dived into the 5,000 Apple Loops that come with Soundtrack Pro, assembling an uptempo groove with a Prophet bass, a funky guitar and a processed drum kit. Finally, I added volume envelopes to each of the three music tracks to raise their level in areas where the video’s audio track was lowered. The end result was a professional-sounding track; faced with lemons, Soundtrack Pro made lemonade.

Since this was a completely new audio track, saving it would not automatically update Final Cut Pro. The mix must be exported and then imported into Final Cut Pro (or DVD Studio Pro or Motion). This didn’t bother me, because it’s a natural part of the workflow. The multitrack file would have to be mixed down and exported at some point, whether in Soundtrack Pro or Final Cut Pro. And, it should be noted that sending the file straight from Final Cut Pro at the beginning eliminated the export-import step that would have been necessary with a third-party audio editor. After a mix has been imported and saved into Final Cut Pro, it can be sent back to Soundtrack Pro as an Audio File for tweaking if need be. Then when it’s saved it will be automatically updated in Final Cut Pro.

That covers the two main ways of working with Soundtrack Pro. But many other features of this asset-rich program deserve closer examination. I’ve already alluded to the Apple Loops, the audio effects, the editing environment and other aspects, and now we’ll go into more detail.

Loops

The Apple Loops that come with Soundtrack Pro comprise an outstanding collection that adds substantial value to the application. The sound design and Foley libraries cover a wide range of sounds, including people, explosions, transportation and sports & leisure. Plus, an extensive instrument collection spans Classical, Rock, Hip Hop, Country and other genres. Apple Loops automatically match a project’s tempo and key (if they’re tagged for looping), which makes it easy to find appropriate sounds or instrumental loops. You can scroll through the files manually on any drive attached to the computer, search by category, or type in keywords to search for specific instruments or sounds. Clicking on any file will preview it. Clips can be dragged into tracks in the Project window from the Browser or Search tabs in the Media and Effects Manager.

Other loop collections and non-looping audio files can be used, too — Soundtrack Pro handles AIFF, WAV (including ACID loops), MP3, AAC, Sound Designer II and QuickTime (.mov) audio files. The entire library can be made searchable by keyword. Wave or AIFF files can be tagged using the Apple Loops Utility, which converts any looped file to an Apple Loop, and allows MetaTags to be added to non-looping files for indexing in the search engine.

For those who want to supplement the loops by recording their own tracks, Soundtrack Pro is a capable digital audio recorder with support for sample rates up to 24-bit/96kHz — although it records only one track at a time. Mobile recordists can record with Soundtrack Pro on a laptop, and then edit and arrange with Soundtrack Pro in the studio (sync options include MIDI time code and SMPTE). Composers can start with a rhythm track or any looped source, then record additional digital audio tracks directly into the timeline. Those who prefer to record via MIDI will have to use a third-party application, however — Soundtrack Pro does not have MIDI recording and sequencing capability. But it can receive MIDI clock and MTC signals from a MIDI application or external device.

Project Window

The main Project window is a clean interface that eliminates clutter by providing floating window access to important functions such as the Media and Effects Manager, the Waveform editor, the Mixer and the Utility window. This way, only the windows you need are open. Multitrack projects can be started from scratch here by dragging loops and other audio files from the Browser or Search tabs in the Media and Effects Manager. Once in the timeline, clips can be moved left or right to align them with other clips or with video events. Snap properties can be adjusted so that clips will align to Ruler Ticks, Seconds, Frames and Markers — or snapping can be disabled to make small movements possible.

Clips can be viewed at any size in both the Project window and the Waveform editor, using the Timeline view controls at the bottom left. These offer multiple ways to quickly view the entire project or one portion of a clip all the way down to the sample level. A slider control adjusts the horizontal clip width, while four clickable boxes instantly resize the vertical clip height up or down. The Scroll bar not only moves the view left to right, it can also adjust the horizontal view when its edges are moved in or out. At the top of the interface, the Global Timeline view shows the entire Timeline and the playhead position in miniature, and can be used to zip vertically or horizontally through the project. Finally, a handy little button at the very top of the interface called Fit in Window offers a one-click project overview.

Effects

When it’s time for spit and polish, Soundtrack Pro’s effects lineup rivals that of any audio editor. That’s not too surprising when you consider the source of many of these effects: Logic Pro Audio. They’ve been carefully selected to provide a good blend of video-oriented tools and multipurpose audio tools. Two great tools for video editors are the Denoiser and DeEsser effects, although more audio-oriented users will appreciate them, too.

The Space Designer convolution reverb is an outstanding impulse response reverb, which can load and modify acoustic signatures captured from noteworthy acoustic spaces. Space Designer can modify existing impulse response characteristics such as dynamics, timbre, and length, for a literally unlimited variety of reverb types. Impulse responses of many spaces are widely available for free download on the internet. It’s also possible to create impulse responses with Space Designer. Another noteworthy effect from Logic Pro Audio is Match EQ, which is able to capture the EQ curve of any sound source played through it and apply that curve to any other audio file.

Other Soundtrack Pro effects include: Low and High Pass Filters, Compressor, Limiter, Ringshifter, Platinum Verb, Pitchshifter, Vocal Transformer, Stereo Spread, Distortion and Fat EQ.

Waveform editor

Like the Project window, the Waveform editor is a clean and uncluttered environment. The selected audio waveform dominates two-thirds of the window, making it easy to get deep inside it, down to individual samples. Double-clicking on any audio clip in Soundtrack Pro brings it up in the Waveform editor. A dialog box offers you the choice of editing a copy of the file non-destructively or editing the original, which will be overwritten when you save. Only one audio clip can be displayed at a time, mono or stereo.

There are good tools for common functions such as trimming, cropping, splitting, nudging and copy/paste, plus a few innovative functions, such as the Next/Previous arrows at the top of the Waveform editing interface. These let you jump between the next and previous areas defined by markers you’ve placed in the file. This is a great way to line up different sections for editing, analysis, or applying different actions to each section (effects, for instance).

Double-clicking anywhere between two markers jumps to that section. In a large file with numerous markers, this functionality saves significant time. Selecting any area of a file is done by dragging the mouse from the cursor position to the desired end position. This also works for sections of individual Left or Right channels in a stereo file.

But the Waveform editor’s Analysis tools are among Soundtrack Pro’s most useful features for video editors. Accessible from a button at the top left of the Waveform editor, the Analysis function presents six types of problems to search for: Clicks/Pops, Power Line Hum, DC Offset, Phase, Clipped Signal and Silence.

Analyzing a file for these problems is simple: Click a box next to the issues you want to check, and press the Analyze button. All of the buttons can be selected, or just one or two. A progress bar appears as the analysis is performed, and then a report on each problem found is displayed. It tells the status of the problem, what it is, where it starts, how long it lasts, and whether it’s in the left channel, the right channel or both. Pressing the Fix button repairs the selected issues — again, this operation can be carried out problem-by-problem, or all at once.

Mixer

This virtual mixer has channel strips for each track, bus, and output. As Soundtrack Pro’s finishing module, it’s the place to tweak final fader levels, apply effects, and set panning.

It also allows the creation of submixes for processing groups of channels separately. Volume and pan changes are automatable, which makes it possible to create dynamic interest and movement in a mix.

Automation can be applied by selecting either Touch or Latch in the project controls, and moving the volume and pan controls as desired during playback.

But those who prefer tactile mixing control (like me), will be happy to hear that Soundtrack Pro is compatible with the Mackie Control Universal, an external hardware controller. I connected a Mackie Control unit, and found that Soundtrack Pro’s functions are fully integrated. Once you try this, it’s hard to go back to a virtual mixer, no matter how good it is. As an interesting sidenote, Soundtrack Pro’s virtual mixer can record automation of control surface movements.

Conclusion

If you couldn’t tell by now, I think this is a great program. It is a transparent companion to Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro and Motion that processes the audio with first-rate tools, and it does so quickly and efficiently. Anyone who uses those programs on a regular basis should have Soundtrack Pro. As a powerful extension of their audio editing capabilities, it’s a no-brainer. For loop assembly and multitrack arrangement, Soundtrack Pro is equally adept. Of course, the inclusion of 5,000 Apple Loops makes this process all the more fruitful, with dozens of quality choices for nearly any kind of project.

As the program evolves, there are some things I would like to see incorporated that would make it even stronger. One feature that would prove popular with many users is the addition of Broadcast Wave format to the export options. Currently, Soundtrack Pro exports AIFF and QuickTime movie formats, although it can import Broadcast Wave files. Soundtrack Pro does have a good encoder for export, the Compressor, which permits video to be preserved or encoded to a different video format. It would also be very useful for audio-oriented users to have true multitrack recording capability, instead of just one track at a time.

Another thing on my wish list would be VST plugin compatibility, opening a wide range of additional plugins that could be used in Soundtrack Pro. Also, for composers and sound designers, the addition of a MIDI sequencer (or ReWire compatibility) would make it possible to record tracks via MIDI that could be voiced differently later on, when the producer screams that he hates the keyboard sound.

Soundtrack Pro has a solid foundation already, however. It’s staked out an increasingly crucial niche, bridging the audio and video worlds better than any other program I’ve used. Clearly, the intersection of audio and video is the place to be, not only for professional users, but for applications as well. And that means there’s a bright future for Soundtrack Pro, particularly because of its seamless exchange with Apple’s other professional applications. I would highly recommend Soundtrack Pro to anyone working with audio and video. Its great control over audio file manipulation results in a much better finished product — and besides, it’s great fun to use.

Source

Buy this software here:

http://www.softster.net/P253/Digital_Audio/SoundTrack_Pro_MacOsx.html