Level 1

5 points

New iMovie Audio Ducking

After upgrading to the newest iMovie (version 10.0), I've found what seems to be dramatically less control over "audio ducking." Where in previous versions I could set a clip to duck all others to a broad range of mixes, this newest version of iMovie seems to limit that control.

Even by boosting a clip's level to 400% and setting the ducking level to it's lowest setting (strange that there's only a slider and no longer a percentage shown), my audio mix is still unacceptable. In other words, my background music still gets in the way of the audio of my primary clip.

I'd like to use this new version of iMovie but find that I must use iMovie '11 (version 9.0.9) in order to have more flexibility with ducking.

Is there a setting or solution that I'm missing? Or is there a fix? Thanks in advance.

iMovie 10.0-OTHER, OS X Mavericks (10.9), MacBook Pro Mid-2012

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 1:50 PM

26 replies

rboko

Level 1

93 points

Jan 1, 2017 8:21 PM in response to canjoe

You are correct. It simply does not work. Sliding "Lower volume of other clips" has NO EFFECT whatsoever. How I wish I could run the old iMovie, an app much, MUCH more intuitive, and besides that, ducking actually worked, and was VERY simple and intuitive to use.

rboko

Level 1

93 points

Jan 11, 2017 8:25 AM in response to OldDave58

Unfortunately, I had to split the track at every point where I wanted the music volume to lower, and then manually adjust the amplitude. This is much, much more of a pain than the old iMovie, where with one click I could tell it to duck when there is sound on the voice track. This was my last creation in iMovie. The handiest tool has been inexplicably removed.

BTW, I did find a ducking control, but regardless of where I dragged the slider, the volume was reduced ranging from just barely audible to no volume whatsoever.

xJoe999

Level 1

10 points

Nov 2, 2013 9:52 AM in response to BobRhodes

I found something you may use. If you look at the end of your audio clip, there is a small button. Move it left and it will "go silent". I hope it helps a little. 😉

xJoe999

Level 1

10 points

Nov 2, 2013 2:34 PM in response to xJoe999

I mean FADE OUT.

xJoe999

Level 1

10 points

Nov 3, 2013 1:54 AM in response to drbooya

For me it works OK, you just need to practice it.

drbooya

Level 1

0 points

Nov 5, 2013 3:47 PM in response to J MAZ

Interesting - I'll try that out when I get a chance. All the more reason they should have attached a percentage to the slider...

xJoe999

Level 1

10 points

Nov 5, 2013 10:32 PM in response to J MAZ

Just leave it as it is and you will see. Strange it has no %, works somehow "automaticaly".

BobRhodes Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 8, 2013 6:37 AM in response to J MAZ

J MAZ this nailed it. It does seem counter-intuitive to slide to the right, and yet that's the answer. Thanks very much!

Nov 10, 2013 5:08 PM in response to jillml79

When I have the slider to the left, it makes no noticeable difference to the background music level. Something isn't right on your system. I'd try exiting iMovie and restarting.

Jan 8, 2015 2:37 PM in response to xJoe999

I Think that button is only for fading out. He wants to duck the music when he enters voiceover.

Jan 7, 2017 7:05 AM in response to BobRhodes

Hi, did you find a fix for this? Now I can only use the alt key to mark single spots in the background music and do the ducking manually. Sadly another Mac software that was good and now broken.

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New iMovie Audio Ducking