Work with the Output audio track in Motion

Each project has an Output audio track. The controls for the Output audio track are located at the bottom of the Audio list, below the individual audio tracks. Using the Output audio track’s controls, you can make changes that affect the final mixed output of all audio tracks. For example, you can lower the volume of all tracks at once, or pan all tracks to the left or right. In addition, you can turn the Output audio track on or off, or mute it.

Audio list showing Output audio track controls, including activation checkbox, Level and Pan sliders, Mute button, output channel pop-up menu, lock icon, level meters, and clipping indicators

You select the Output audio track by clicking its area at the bottom of the Audio list. When selected, the Output audio track area is highlighted.

Turn the Output audio track on or off

The Output audio track is turned on by default. When its activation checkbox is deselected, no sound is audible when you play the project, and no audio is included when you export your project. When the checkbox is selected, all audio tracks that are active are included in your export.

In Motion, click the checkbox on the left side of the Output audio track; click the checkbox again to return the Output audio track to its previous state.

Set the overall level of audio in your project

You can use the Level slider to set the overall volume of audio in your project.

In the Output audio track in Motion, drag the Level slider left or right.
The Level slider multiplies the level setting for each track. For example, if you set a track’s level to 0.5 and you set the output audio level to 0.5, the combined level is 0.25 (one-fourth of the original).
Note: If you raise an individual track’s level and the output audio level so that the combined increase is greater than 2, you may cause audio distortion, known as clipping.

Reset the clipping indicators

On the right side of the Output audio track controls, a pair of stereo level meters displays the combined level of all audible tracks. If either of the two red dots above the level meters (called clipping indicators) illuminates during playback, your output audio levels are too high, causing distortion, known as clipping. You need to find where clipping is occurring and lower the level.

Play the project and observe where the clipping indicators illuminate. You can solo each audio track to determine which track is causing the clipping. After you determine which track is causing the clipping, you can lower that track’s overall level, or use keyframes to lower the track’s level at the specific point where clipping occurs. The clipping indicators are “sticky,” meaning that when they illuminate, they stay lit until you reset them or close the project. This helps remind you to find and eliminate the cause of the clipping before you export your project. As you work to eliminate clipping, reset the clipping indicators and play the project again to make sure clipping no longer occurs.

To reset a clipping indicator in Motion, click a lit clipping indicator in the Output audio track.

Set how sound is distributed in the stereo field

In the Output audio track in Motion, adjust the Pan dial to place the sound where you want it in the stereo field.
The Pan dial in the Output audio track works with the pan setting for each track. For example, if you pan a track to –100 (hard left) and you pan the Output audio track to 100 (hard right), the track is inaudible.

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Helpful?

Motion User Guide

Work with the Output audio track in Motion

Turn the Output audio track on or off

Set the overall level of audio in your project

Reset the clipping indicators

Set how sound is distributed in the stereo field