Working with audio in Final Cut Pro X

One of the most important parts of making a movie is creating the audio soundtrack that goes with that movie. Whether it is for a business video to be shown on a DVD, to be displayed on a website, destined for the movie theatres or is a YouTube video, sound is one very important part of the mix. When people are watching your videos and movies, they may forgive some not very good picture quality, but watchers will always stop watching if the sound is bad.

Final Cut Pro X audio tools

In the past when I have been using Final Cut Pro, I have tended to export audio out of the application to work with in Amadeus Pro, which is a dedicated audio editing application. Today while making a video about how to do audio ducking in Final Cut, I also found there are more tools hidden underneath the surface. It may be that from now on, I will be less inclined to jump into another Mac program for audio editing. This is because the quality of the audio editing tools in Final Cut Pro X is very good indeed. These audio editing tools can be found in the effects browser.

Audio ducking in Final Cut Pro X

When I initially started using Final Cut Pro, I thought I needed to individually create keyframes for where I wanted things to happen to either the audio or the video. I have since found that there are a couple of short cuts to make things quicker and easier. So instead of running with my mouse to the top right-hand corner of the screen where the information and settings for objects are situated, I can use the option key with a mouse click. Directly in the timeline I can option click to insert a keyframe allowing me to directly control settings for audio.

Controlling audio effects in FCPX

I also found it is very easy to add various effects to my audio clips. You have strange effects available to give your voice an alien effect and then there are also useful things such as tools to reduce noise. By showing the audio animation area in Final Cut Pro, you can also control multiple levels and effects within one single clip. For example, it may be that at the beginning you want to have a certain effect at a higher level and for it to be reduced and be more subtle further along the timeline. By using the timeline and the audio animation area you get a visual representation of how that is happening. When you are working with audio it is a good idea to increase the size of the tracks within the timeline, so that you get a better view of the waveforms.

Final Cut Pro X yet? Have you needed to do audio ducking in Final Cut Pro X?

Searching for a Final Cut Pro serial number

It is hardly surprising with the quality and power of an application like Final Cut Pro that there are numerous people on the Internet searching for a Final Cut Pro serial number. This is even though with Final Cut Pro X you buy it from the Mac App Store and therefore don’t need a serial number. Making videos for various purposes such as YouTube, or just for personal use within your family is becoming very popular. This is because of the cost of the video capturing technology has come down so much. Everybody is looking for the chance to use the best Mac video editing software. There are bound to be people that want to get it for free.

Tempted by a Final Cut Pro X tutorial

There are plenty of ways to learn how to use Final Cut Pro X, but for me I find that the video Final Cut Pro X tutorial, the best way to learn quickly. Have a look at the Final Cut Pro and Motion tutorials on the Wizardgold channel over at YouTube. While it may be possible to get your hands on a Final Cut Pro free download, is it absolutely necessary to go that route. When you consider that the price of the app for video editing suites have come down so much to be quite reasonable, why take the risk searching for a Final Cut Pro serial number.

I suppose I can understand that in poor countries the present price may still seem to be expensive. There may be unwaged people that may decide that the risk of getting dodgy software that is possibly full of virus threats, may think it is worth it. You would have to wonder though, how such people managed to afford to buy an Apple computer in the first place.

Choose other video editing software instead

There is always the option to choose to use other video editing software. This may limit what you can do in terms of the final product of your video editing, but at least you know you will have not opened the door to malware for Mac on your computer. One piece of software that you may decide to choose could be ScreenFlow. ScreenFlow, first of all is screen capture software, it also has excellent easy-to-use video editing included. With ScreenFlow you can take a video editing project from start to finish. Included within the application you have the ability to save directly into YouTube. You may also find that there are other free online video editing options that you could use in a pinch.

Use iMovie rather than look for a Final Cut Pro serial

The latest version of iMovie which you will have got for free with your Apple Computer is very capable. It does have some limitations compared to Final Cut Pro X, but you certainly may find that it is good enough for what you want to do. For example with iMovie you can even do green screen and other fancy effects.

I’m just your average 21st century renaissance woman. My career thus far has been anything but linear. I don’t feel constrained by implicit boundaries. I have been a web developer, dairy goat farmer, entrepreneur, management consultant, crafter, facilitator, grant manager and management analyst. I see and understand the world differently than the average bear. It is this very wealth of experience that made me the tech whisperer that I am today. You can find me blogging at http://techwhisperer.biz.

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Eva Schweber

I have been a Mac user since 1988 (I started with a Mac Classic) and I certainly suffer from the cocky attitude that Mac’s don’t get viruses. I have smugly revelled in my ability to avoid the challenges (and cost ) that come with anti-virus software.  But like most things in life, you have to look under the surface to get a full sense of the issue.

What is the problem?

A few weeks ago, Sophos, a company that makes anti-virus software for both Macs and PCs, released their 2012 Security Threat report.

What exactly is Mac Malware?

Sophos defines its this way:

Malware is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent. It can include viruses, worms, spyware, adware and Trojans. With some types of malware, you may not even know you’re infected. Many web malware attacks are designed to steal personal information and passwords or use your machine for distributing spam, more malware or inappropriate content without your knowledge.

Malware Vectors

Not all malware is directed or transmitted through operating systems anymore.  Adobe products, including Flash and PDF are known vectors transmittable through your browser or email.  Flash drives are also vulnerable and can transmit Mac malware from one device to another.  Sophos tested 50 flash drives and found that 66% were infected with malware.

How can you protect your data and devices from Mac Malware?

There are some fairly easy practices that will reduce your risk of receiving or transmitting malware.

1. Make sure your security settings are up to date.  Either set your computer and applications for automatic updates or install updates manually on a fairly frequent basis.
2. Beware of false or limited Mac malware protection.  Mac Defender, Mac Security and Mac Guard are widely advertised, but they are scams.

Mac Lion offers some Mac malware protection, but it is very limited, so don’t rely on it alone to protect you.

1. Clear out your Downloads folder daily. Move files you want to keep out of your download folder by the end of every session.  Then delete the contents of the downloads folder every time you shut down.
2. Clear out your browser and email caches daily.  In Firefox you can clear the cache by selecting “Clear Recent History” in the “Tools” menu.  Click on “details” and select “cache.”  To figure out how to clear your cache in your email system, look in the help menu.

There are also a couple of slightly more complex ways to protect yourself as well:

1. Keep Flash, PDFs and Javascript disabled in your browser unless necessary.
2. Read your emails in plain text mode and disable previews, Javascript and Flash.
3. Remain vigilant—there are new malware vectors being developed all of the time.  Keep your eyes and ears open for new developments.

Yes it is true – Free downloads for Mac users

I always find it amazing, the large amount of free software available for Mac users. Some of it might be free versions to give you a taste for higher functioning paid versions. On the other hand, there is an awful lot of software that is full featured, that is completely free to download. All sorts of top end features can be included in applications, that are so good that you might not believe that they’re free.

Where do you find free downloads for Mac computers

In the past it was necessary to visit either individual websites for the developers of the software to find your free stuff. Or there were websites where there would be lists of free applications you could download. Now it has become more convenient with the introduction of the Apple App Store or the Mac App Store. We have one place where we can go to, to find a huge supply of free downloads for Mac computer users.

Within the Mac App Store you could find things such as, free logo maker software or free video recording software. If you wanted to download free photo editor applications, no problem, there are plenty to choose from. It is fairly simple to find the best free video editor in the App Store by using the search facility. Or what you could do is, to look in the list of the top free applications and it is quite likely that you will find what you are looking for. It is handy to know that all of the apps within the App Store will work just fine on the latest operating system from Apple.

Get your hands on iPad free apps

Maybe your computing needs have gone more into the realm of the iPad and mobile computing, in which case you can look in the App Store within iTunes. The iOS applications are kept in a separate place, but again there are huge numbers of them available for free. You will have everything there whether you are looking for free voice recording software, or you need to get a free photo editing program.

Make a logo for free with free logo maker software

One of my favourite programs for using on my Mac is Art Text 2 and I use it for a variety of design jobs. I could make a banner with it, a logo design or a web button graphic to use on one of my websites. You will be pleased to hear that now there is Art Text 2 Lite which is available for free in the Mac App Store. There are also plenty of other graphic design applications in the Mac App Store and some of them are available as free downloads for Mac.

The best free downloads for Mac users

Of course you have the basics for general computer use, available for free. Obviously you’re going to need to do some notetaking and for this Evernote, immediately springs to mind. It is quite likely that you will need to convert a number of videos and you have free Mac video converters available such as iConvert and Smart Converter. Of course there is no shortage of free Twitter clients for Mac and you can also download a free photo editor to enhance your photos, from the App Store. Don’t forget that you also have the built in free apps such as the ability to video record your screen.

Computer utilities as free downloads for Mac

I particularly like the Mac get things done software called Wunderlist, which is free. Then I also have an application called Alfred which I use as a Mac program launcher, very useful indeed. I use the screen capture application called Skitch on a daily basis and I would be lost without it. I like to use the paid application Byword or Writeroom for writing and editing text, but there is a free text editor called Textwrangler, which I would recommend if you don’t want to spend any money. NVAlt is a great text editor.

Other free Mac utilities

With the amount of information that constantly flows towards us we need to use applications such as Read It Later which connects to the service which is now called Pocket. This application lets you collect information from various sources, webpages, Twitter clients, both on iOS and also on the Mac and you can read it all later.

Your games as free downloads for Mac

You have the game called Pawn’d which will entertain you for at least a few minutes. There are games such as Mahjong, doodle hangman, Fantastic 4 In a Row Free and of course you will be able to find games to play like sudoku, computer basketball, bowling, Texas poker and so on. Some of these games will be fairly simple, while there may be others which will test your gaming skills to a higher level.

Free downloads for Mac are addictive

Because it is so easy to get your hands on these [free downloads for Mac], is it any wonder that you download so many of these applications to your Apple computer. Some of these applications that you download you will find indispensable and continue using them on a daily basis. Then there will be others that you might only use for a few minutes and will never use again. These applications could quickly stack up, filling up valuable hard disk space. If this happens to you and your Mac computer, then I suggest that once every month or so, you have a little bit of a clear out.

Leave a comment below to tell us which are your favourite free downloads for Mac. Are there any of these free Mac applications that you find indispensable?

Being a life long learner with iTunesU

Having been a teacher in the past and once again working as a teacher it is no surprise that I am a great believer in lifelong learning and the iPad and education. In the dark old days of the past a man or woman could leave school with the minimum qualifications, happy in the knowledge that they would never again have to darken the doorstep of any educational establishment again. Reading would be strictly restricted to the Sun newspaper, which as we all know if more for looking at the pictures that actually reading words.

iPad education apps and You don’t know what you don’t know

That is the thing, isn’t it, that you can be blissfully ignorant in the world. You have no idea what information is out there that could be useful to you, if you knew it. Proper ignorance is when you don’t know this fact and if you did know you still wouldn’t care. I am starting to suspect though, that many more people that previously would run a mile rather than read a book are actually turning to learning new things. There is the financial crisis which is forcing people to learn. You have computers in homes and parents don’t want to feel too stupid when their children are running rings around them with technology. Time to break out the iPad education apps. Do some life long learning with educational apps for ipad is more fun that stuffy old book.

What is being done to embrace life long learners needs?

Of course countries that have a decent education system are making courses available to those that want them or can afford to pay for them. The politics of crisis mean that people are willing now to pay to learn things too. People need these courses to get the jobs and some that were anti school before, are realising that there may be some need of education after all. Then again it can be difficult to go back to learning stuff when you don’t know how to do it effectively. You might not have the skills or the willingness to sit in a classroom, to hear a teacher bleating on about whatever subject you think you have to get through to get that certificate. So what is there for the section of the community that want to learn, but are not sure how to get started? How about iTunesU to get you away from the starting blocks towards becoming a life long learner. Make a start with some iPad education apps

A wide range of courses available in iTunes U

Have you seen the huge number of courses that are now available and most of them are free too. You won’t get the certificate from the university unless you enroll properly, but you can get the information. You can use the course materials to be a self motivated student on a great number of subjects. Honestly, it is phenomenal the amount of learning experience you can get from iTunesU. You can even find course that will help you organise how you learn. Audio and video courses with additional written material for all sorts of subjects. Learn how to cope with working and fitting in learning something new at the same time.

iTunesU Courses I have signed up for or just considered

I have just selected a course which is for teachers wishing to bring iPads into the classroom learning experience. I will have a look at it to see if there any gems in the that I might be able to learn and put into practice. Already, I am using my iPad in the classroom and I would love it if I was in a school that all the students had iPads. I could have gone for quantum physics, I saw a course there, that is presented by Professor Brian Cox. You have Maths, physics and all of the scientific and technical subjects along with plenty of choice with the arts based courses. I have the one which is about creative writing and writing plays. That’s just the way that I roll, what can I say.

Popular courses

One of the most popular courses that many people downloaded early on in the rise of iTunesU, was the course for learning to be an iPhone programmer from Stanford. I watched a few of the courses and I did think that the technical side could be improved upon. Particularly the audio that was on the video tracks, could be poor sometimes. Microphones need to be attached to the speaker and you need a decent camera man that knows how to keep up and shoot this type of event. I would expect this to improve over time.

Should I buy an iPad

iBooks Author will be a game changer

When the iBooks Author software was released by Apple this was another big step, with Apple leading the way regards life long learning and the use of iPad technology in the classroom. I expect that in time we will see some amazing new ebook iPad textbooks that will make learning more interesting and more efficient. I like to learn new things and using Apple technology makes it easier for me. I have Bento for the database I can use in the class, although I could do lists with Numbers. I have not made any Keynote presentations yet, but I might be tempted. I like having a notebook that will let me write on the screen of the iPad if I need to show an English word to my students. I could type it too, if I wanted to. It would be faster and probably more readable. Quite a range of education apps for ipad are available.

Other iTunes University courses

I could start with ‘An Introduction to Nuclear Energy’ followed by a course on the ‘Core Concepts of Chemistry’. Just kidding – I would likely go for iPad for education courses on writing and the arts based subjects, even though I could learn about String Theory for some brain expanding and exploding, types of subjects. If you are without a job and you go to an interview and can talk about some of this stuff, even if you have not got the pieces of paper to back it up, it could still be impressive. It is fortunate that we have free ipad apps for education. It is all part of the Apple educational way of looking at life, they have made it possible to have a large number of education apps for iPad. Both the ipad educational apps and the iPad eText book innitiative. Which iPad education apps or iTunesU courses do you like the look of?

Best mac applications to use on your Mac

The best mac applications are what turns your Apple computer into a powerhouse that will get things done for you. If you a Mac user already then you will know this, for new guys on the block you will soon fall in love with the style and panache you get with Mac apps. Whether you are looking for the best movie editing software or something to do some vector drawing, you will be sure to find some great Mac apps that will have you doing what you want to do. No reason why your creativity and productivity will not take off as you use the best mac applications on your computer.

Best Mac Applications for Writers

Do you want the best editing software for writing your novel, then you need Scrivener. It is used by so many published authors and I make use of it for all of the writing that I do for my websites. What about the best video capture software? well, for me there is nothing to beat Screenflow for the best screen capture software. I use that whenever I sit down to make a screencast.

Best Mac Applications for Bloggers

I like nothing more than getting stuck into creating a load of content with my apps, my favourite applications that let me say what I want to say and get it published. When I am blogging, my workflow sees me using Marsedit from red sweater software after I have written the meat and potatoes of the article using Dragon Dictate. Do you need a picture editor for Mac then you can’t go far wrong by getting Pixelmator. Very good image editing software and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Byword open on both devices although on the iPad it is in the background and as soon as I opened it up in the Byword Mac everything I had changed was there, so that I could work from where I left off. I am impressed. I also like that I can have the paragraph focus or the line focus. This is where the part of the text you are working on is more visible than the rest of the text of the document. Sweet – I like that and the whole text becomes fully visible again when you start to scroll your words. Byword has to be amongst the best Mac Applications for productivity.

ToDo application for Mac

When you are looking for productivity applications for Mac then on the list of best applications for Mac will be a to do application. I like Wunderlist because it is free and very useful at the same time. Some say that the best to do app for Mac is OmniFocus, these people tend to be those with more money than sense. I find that one to be too expensive for a GTD application. If you don’t yet have a Mac to be able to work with all of these great apps – The Get a Mac and you will wonder what took you so long.