Use Space Designer global controls in Final Cut Pro for Mac
The Space Designer global controls affect the overall input, output, or behavior of the effect. See Intro to Space Designer global controls in Final Cut Pro for Mac and Use Space Designer output controls in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
The tasks below cover the use of Space Designer global controls.
Use the Space Designer Input slider
The Input slider works only in stereo channel configurations. It is not shown in mono or surround channels.
In the Final Cut Pro timeline, select a clip with the Space Designer effect applied, then open the effect’s settings in the Audio inspector.
To add the effect and show its controls, see Add Logic effects to clips in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Drag the Input slider to determine how a stereo signal is processed.
Stereo setting (top of slider): The signal is processed on both channels, retaining the stereo balance of the original signal.
Mono setting (middle of slider): The signal is processed in mono.
XStereo setting (bottom of slider): The signal is inverted, with processing for the right channel occurring on the left, and vice versa.
In-between positions: A mixture of stereo to mono crossfeed signals is produced.
Set the Space Designer Definition parameter
The Definition parameter emulates the diffusion of natural reverb patterns when Space Designer is in Synthesized IR mode.
Natural reverbs contain most of their spatial information in the first few milliseconds. Toward the end of the reverb, the pattern of reflections—signals bouncing off walls, and so on—becomes more diffuse. In other words, the reflected signals become quieter and increasingly nondirectional, containing far less spatial information. To emulate this phenomenon, use the full impulse response resolution only at the onset of the reverb, then use a reduced impulse response resolution toward the end of the reverb.
In the Final Cut Pro timeline, select a clip with the Space Designer effect applied, then open the effect’s settings in the Audio inspector.
To add the effect and show its controls, see Add Logic effects to clips in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Vertically drag the Definition field at the top of the global controls section to set the crossover point—where the switch to the reduced impulse response resolution occurs.
The Definition field is shown as a percentage, where 100% is equal to the length of the full resolution impulse response.
Use the Space Designer predelay feature
Predelay is the amount of time that elapses between the original signal and the initial early reflections of the reverberation. For a room of any given size and shape, predelay is determined by the distance between the listener and the walls, ceiling, and floor. Space Designer lets you adjust this parameter beyond the range that would be considered natural.
In the Final Cut Pro timeline, select a clip with the Space Designer effect applied, then open the effect’s settings in the Audio inspector.
To add the effect and show its controls, see Add Logic effects to clips in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Rotate the Predelay knob to set a suitable predelay time.
The ideal predelay setting for different sounds depends on the properties of—or more accurately, the envelope of—the original signal. Percussive signals generally require shorter predelays than signals where the attack fades in gradually, such as strings. A good rule of thumb is to use the longest predelay possible before unwanted side effects, such as an audible echo, begin to materialize.
In practice, an extremely short predelay tends to make it difficult to pinpoint the position of the signal source. It can also color the sound of the original signal. On the other hand, an excessively long predelay can be perceived as an unnatural echo. It can also divorce the original signal from its early reflections, leaving an audible gap between the original and reverb signals.
These guidelines are intended to help you design realistic-sounding spaces that are suitable for various signals. If you want to create unnatural sound stages or otherworldly reverbs and echoes, experiment with the Predelay parameter.
Change the impulse response start point
The IR Offset parameter affords a number of options that can be quite creative, particularly when combined with the Reverse function. See Intro to Space Designer global controls in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Note: The IR Offset parameter is unnecessary in Synthesized IR mode, because the Length parameter provides identical functionality.
In the Final Cut Pro timeline, select a clip with the Space Designer effect applied, then open the effect’s settings in the Audio inspector.
To add the effect and show its controls, see Add Logic effects to clips in Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Vertically drag the IR Offset field at the top of the global controls section to shift the playback start point of the impulse response.
This effectively cuts off the beginning of the impulse response, which can be useful for eliminating level peaks at the start of the sample.
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