audio scrubbing in iMovie

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audio scrubbing in iMovie

An Apple Care 2nd level helpdesk person named Aldo told me that audio scrubbing feature in iMovie and Final Cut Pro could be used for precise audio editing since there is no dedicated audio editor included with Apple computers. When using this feature in iMovie all I get is the dirty, drop-out scrubbing usually associated with cheap digital audio editors. I'm an ausio editor who learned my craft using ree-to-reel tape decks. Often I need to make very precise edits with singers and wind instrument musicians involving an replacements of very short passages from the start of the taking of a breath.

My question. Is there an audio editor availble for MacBookPros than with scrubbing that can attain the same level of precision as that of analog reel-to-reel professional tape decks, or am I stuck with that dirty, impossible-to-decypher cheap digital scrubbing? Is this inherent in all digital audio?

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), iOS 6.0.2, snow leopard 6.8.2, 8 GB RAM

Posted on Dec 31, 2012 5:11 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 31, 2012 5:48 AM in response to winhink

Garageband is the dedicated audio editor included in Apple computers. It is highly capable.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id408980954?mt=12

Logic Pro is the professional Apple app for audio editing. I have it and it is great for editing short passages, perfecting them, and stitching them together to make a full track.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/logic-pro/id459578486?mt=12

I would describe Garageband as the tool to use if your track can use a strict metronome marking. Use Logic Pro if you need Rubato (or flexible timing). Many other diferences exit, but that is one of the most basic.

There are also Mac versions of tools like ProTools, which are competitors to Logic Pro.

iMovie has some pretty good audio editing capability as well, if you are editing video, but I would not use it to edit audio only.

GarageBand should have come free with your Mac.

If all you need to do is remove noise or hum, iMovie, Logic Pro, and GarageBand can all do that as well. But there are free tools like Audacity that can do this. http://audacity.sourceforge.net

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Answer 2

winhink Author

Level 1

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Jan 2, 2013 9:20 AM in response to AppleMan1958

I didn't know about Logic Pro but if it uses the same approach as Garage Band I doubt it will help my quest. I am quite familiar with and have used all the other applications you mentioned. Of those I use Audacity the most as it's designers seem to grasp most of the features that a professional editor requires, except scrubbing.

I guess the editing power and precision of scrubbing will never be truly understood by newer generation audio editors until you have actually had the hands-on experience - each hand holding the un-braked reel hub of 10.5 inch reels of low noise, half-inch, two tracks stereo classical music or voice, with the client's specification of removing a very quiet, very indistinct tiny sound, almost lost in the noise floor of the music, almost.

In "reel" scrubbing the speed and volume of the passage are under infinite control of the editor. It brings editing to the level of being an art, not just a slice and dice job.

Garage Band must be some sort of "training wheels" approach to audio editing, maybe belonging to the Toys R Us catalog. Garage Band has the reverb switch turned to the "on" position when recording any track. Did the concept of record "dry" and add reverb and other "wet" effects later, after the mixdown or maybe in post production get completely lost in a generation of audio editors?

There might be a Pro Tools product that could meet the quality standards I need but I'm not sure. Pro Tools seems to be hardware purveyor,focused on the multitrack, overdubbing crowd, not the location recordist/editor who rarely needs more than 4 in, 2 out. But thanks for the response.

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