newbie audio question re: fade

[coachgrd]

I am in the process of completing my first video editing project. (Rank amateur newbie here.) I'm using VideoStudio 8. I have a music track playing during small video clips and some photos. I'd like to fade the music slightly (still like to hear it softly) during one particular video clip so dialog can be heard from the video clip. Then at the conclusion of this particular video clip, I'd like to bring the audio track back in to the original volume level. Not quite sure how to do this. Can any of you lend your expertise?

Thanks so much for your help.
coachgrd

[Ron P.]

Hi Coachgrd, and welcome to the forums..

Luckily I still have VS8 loaded on my system to jog my memory.. To adjust the volume you can do this.

• (With the audio placed in the music track), and if you are still in Storyboard view, switch to Timeline View, then click on the icon for the audio track where your music is located. Note, you can also enter the same view by clicking on the Audio Step button located at the top of the Interface.
• Now go to the time where you want to fade-down the music, and you may want to zoom-in to have better control of the keyframes you will be placing on the audio timeline. If you are in the audio step, you should see a thin line running horizontally across the middle of your audio track, that's the volume.
• Now mouse over the audio track, and over the volume line. You will see your cursor change to an arrow and possibly a hand.
• Clicking on the volume line while the cursor is an arrow shape, will place a keyframe at that point. The cursor will then change to the hand. With the cusor as a hand, you can drag the keyframe up, down or horizontally. Dragging it down lowers the voume, dragging up increases it.
• So with the cursor as an arrow click on the volume line and place a keyframe. Now unless you want a sharp drop in volume, move to the right a short distance, and click to apply another keyframe.
• Now when the cursor changes to the hand, drag this keyframe down, to lower the volume.
• Move to the right to the position where you want to bring the volume back up. This time you will reverse the above procedure, by clicking to place the keyframe, and then moving this down. The reason for this is VS will treat the volume from the previous one, to fade back up. So to keep it the same, you need to specify a "no change until.." by setting another keyframe at the same volume later in the timeline.
• Then move to the right a short distance, place another keyframe, and drag this back up, to the volume you want, which should be about midway.

Now your music should fade down, then back up...

Hope that was a little more clear then a mud puddle..

Ron P.

[coachgrd]

Thank you Ron for taking the time to respond and answer my question.

Much appreciated!

coachgrd

[kebrinton]

Ron says "You may want to zoom in" but I've found that I HAVE TO zoom way way in, to get that hand to show up!

Also, avoid careless clicking: Excess keyframes get in the way.

Practice makes perfect.