Soundtrack Pro
Encyclopedia
Soundtrack Pro was a music composing and audio editing application made by Apple Inc., which includes a collection of just over 5000 royalty free
professional instrument loops and sound effects. It was discontinued with the release of Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4.
4 video editor, released in April 2003. It was then released as a stand-alone product, but due to low demand it was discontinued. The main concept of Soundtrack was to allow people who are not professional composer
s to produce original music for their videos or DVD
s, royalty-free. The music could be easily scored to QuickTime
movies and Final Cut Pro
projects. Soundtrack was reinstated in January 2005 as part of Final Cut Express HD
.
Soundtrack Pro was introduced on April 17, 2005 as a stand-alone product and as part of the Final Cut Studio
suite, where it integrates with Final Cut Pro. Soundtrack (non-Pro) was removed from Final Cut Pro. There was also an upgrade package for users of Soundtrack. As of January 10, 2006, the stand-alone product has been dropped again. Soundtrack Pro adds features for professional audio engineers and sound designers, and focuses more on sound editing than the original Soundtrack.
Since September 2007 Soundtrack Pro also comes as part of the Logic Studio
bundle, Apple's own audio and midi sequencing software.
Soundtrack Pro 2 is included in Final Cut Studio 2 (2008).
Also see a release history in context with the rest of Final Cut Studio.
and tempo
can be set, and all of the loops will automatically be played at those settings, regardless of the key and tempo at which they were originally recorded. At the same time, the key and tempo for the whole project can be varied over time with the master envelopes.
Envelopes are a sequence of keyframes that can be applied to audio parameters. Each individual track has envelopes for volume and pan by default. Adding keyframes to these envelopes (effectively lines that run beneath each track) allows the parameters to be varied over time. Each track can also have filters and effects applied to it; these could be Audio Units
or Logic Pro
plug-ins - examples of those included are Compressor, Multipressor, Flanger, Space Designer and Ringshifter. Every parameter of these effects can also be automated (that is, changed over time).
In addition, there is a mixer
interface. Using the 'touch' or 'latch' modes, changes to volume, pan and effects parameters can be recorded in real time as the project plays. Soundtrack Pro also supports external hardware mixers, or control surfaces.
The audio editing mode is where individual clips can be edited. The waveform
, as well as a frequency spectrum
, can be viewed for the clip. The audio can be analyzed for common audio problems such as clicks and pops, power line hum and clipped signals, and then any discovered problems can be fixed. Audio can be faded in and out, the amplitude can be altered for a selection, noise can be removed and silence, waveforms and ambient noise can be inserted. There is also a selection history tool that cycles between previous selections. After zooming in on the individual samples in the audio waveform, the pen tool can be used to edit the wave directly. There is a 'time stretch' tool for changing the speed of a clip, or a part thereof.
Sound editing in the application is based on 'actions'. The actions performed on a clip, such as reversing it, inverting it or normalizing
it, are listed on the left-hand side, where they can be reviewed, disabled, reverted or re-ordered. Unchecking the check box for one action removes its effect (and the waveform changes animatedly to reflect the change). Moving the purple tag upwards cycles back through the actions history.
The program also features AppleScript
automation and batch processing, for which it also provides actions for Mac OS X v10.4
's Automator
application.
The program also allows multitrack projects to be exported directly with Compressor
settings.
Royalty free
Royalty-Free, or RF, refers to the right to use copyrighted material or intellectual property without the need to pay royalties for each use or per volume sold, or some time period of use or sales.-Computer standards:...
professional instrument loops and sound effects. It was discontinued with the release of Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, and Compressor 4.
History
An earlier incarnation of the package, Soundtrack, was first sold as part of Apple's Final Cut ProFinal Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a non-linear video editing software developed by Macromedia Inc. and then Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Mac personal computers powered by Mac OS X version 10.6.7 or later and using Intel processors...
4 video editor, released in April 2003. It was then released as a stand-alone product, but due to low demand it was discontinued. The main concept of Soundtrack was to allow people who are not professional composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s to produce original music for their videos or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s, royalty-free. The music could be easily scored to QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
movies and Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a non-linear video editing software developed by Macromedia Inc. and then Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Mac personal computers powered by Mac OS X version 10.6.7 or later and using Intel processors...
projects. Soundtrack was reinstated in January 2005 as part of Final Cut Express HD
Final Cut Express
Final Cut Express is a discontinued video editing software created by Apple Inc. It is the consumer version of Final Cut Pro and is designed for advanced editing of digital video as well as high-definition video, which is used by many amateur and professional videographers...
.
Soundtrack Pro was introduced on April 17, 2005 as a stand-alone product and as part of the Final Cut Studio
Final Cut Studio
Final Cut Studio is a professional video and audio production suite for Mac OS X from Apple Inc., and a direct competitor to Avid Media Composer in the high-end movie production industry...
suite, where it integrates with Final Cut Pro. Soundtrack (non-Pro) was removed from Final Cut Pro. There was also an upgrade package for users of Soundtrack. As of January 10, 2006, the stand-alone product has been dropped again. Soundtrack Pro adds features for professional audio engineers and sound designers, and focuses more on sound editing than the original Soundtrack.
Since September 2007 Soundtrack Pro also comes as part of the Logic Studio
Logic Studio
Logic Studio is a music production suite by Apple Inc. The first version of Logic Studio was unveiled on September 12, 2007.It claims to be the largest collection of modeled instruments, sampler instruments, effect plug-ins, and audio loops ever put in a single box.The package contains Logic Pro,...
bundle, Apple's own audio and midi sequencing software.
Soundtrack Pro 2 is included in Final Cut Studio 2 (2008).
Also see a release history in context with the rest of Final Cut Studio.
Multitrack mode
Multitrack mode is where the royalty-free instrument loops and sound effects can be arranged in synchronisation with the video track, and where narration or other external audio sources can be recorded. There are both single and multi-take recording features. As with all of Apple's loop arranging software, the project's master keyKey (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
and tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
can be set, and all of the loops will automatically be played at those settings, regardless of the key and tempo at which they were originally recorded. At the same time, the key and tempo for the whole project can be varied over time with the master envelopes.
Envelopes are a sequence of keyframes that can be applied to audio parameters. Each individual track has envelopes for volume and pan by default. Adding keyframes to these envelopes (effectively lines that run beneath each track) allows the parameters to be varied over time. Each track can also have filters and effects applied to it; these could be Audio Units
Audio Units
Audio Units are a system-level plug-in architecture provided by Core Audio in Mac OS X developed by Apple Computer. Audio Units are a set of application programming interface services provided by the operating system to generate, process, receive, or otherwise manipulate streams of audio in...
or Logic Pro
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a hybrid 32 / 64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application for the Mac OS X platform. Originally created by German software developer Emagic, Logic Pro became an Apple product when Apple bought Emagic in 2002...
plug-ins - examples of those included are Compressor, Multipressor, Flanger, Space Designer and Ringshifter. Every parameter of these effects can also be automated (that is, changed over time).
In addition, there is a mixer
Mixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
interface. Using the 'touch' or 'latch' modes, changes to volume, pan and effects parameters can be recorded in real time as the project plays. Soundtrack Pro also supports external hardware mixers, or control surfaces.
Audio editing mode
Waveform
Waveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a physical medium or an abstract representation.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph...
, as well as a frequency spectrum
Frequency spectrum
The frequency spectrum of a time-domain signal is a representation of that signal in the frequency domain. The frequency spectrum can be generated via a Fourier transform of the signal, and the resulting values are usually presented as amplitude and phase, both plotted versus frequency.Any signal...
, can be viewed for the clip. The audio can be analyzed for common audio problems such as clicks and pops, power line hum and clipped signals, and then any discovered problems can be fixed. Audio can be faded in and out, the amplitude can be altered for a selection, noise can be removed and silence, waveforms and ambient noise can be inserted. There is also a selection history tool that cycles between previous selections. After zooming in on the individual samples in the audio waveform, the pen tool can be used to edit the wave directly. There is a 'time stretch' tool for changing the speed of a clip, or a part thereof.
Sound editing in the application is based on 'actions'. The actions performed on a clip, such as reversing it, inverting it or normalizing
Audio normalization
Audio normalization is the application of a constant amount of gain to an audio recording in order to bring the average or peak amplitude to a target level ....
it, are listed on the left-hand side, where they can be reviewed, disabled, reverted or re-ordered. Unchecking the check box for one action removes its effect (and the waveform changes animatedly to reflect the change). Moving the purple tag upwards cycles back through the actions history.
The program also features AppleScript
AppleScript
AppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. and built into Macintosh operating systems since System 7. The term "AppleScript" may refer to the scripting system itself, or to particular scripts that are written in the AppleScript language....
automation and batch processing, for which it also provides actions for Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
's Automator
Automator (software)
Automator is an application developed by Apple for Mac OS X that implements point-and-click creation of workflows for automating repetitive tasks into batches for quicker alteration, thus saving time and effort over human intervention to manually change each file separately...
application.
Integration
Soundtrack Pro is designed to be used in combination with Final Cut Pro, both of which are included in the Final Cut Studio box set. It supports a 'roundtrip' workflow, in which Final Cut Pro sequences can be exported as small reference files that include scoring markers. These reference files are then dragged from Soundtrack Pro's Browser tab to the video pane. The video track includes thumbnails of the video at each scoring marker (not where there were scene breaks in Final Cut). Once the soundtrack is finished, it is exported as a mix (i.e. all the tracks are flattened together) and can then be imported into Final Cut. If the soundtrack needs to be changed, the Soundtrack Pro project file can be re-opened at any time, but the changes will only show up in Final Cut when the mix has been re-exported (to the same file).The program also allows multitrack projects to be exported directly with Compressor
Compressor (software)
Compressor is a video and audio media compression and encoding application for use with Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio on Mac OS X. It can be used with Qmaster for clustering.-History:...
settings.
See also
- Walter MurchWalter MurchWalter Scott Murch is an American film editor and sound designer.-Early life:Murch was born in New York City, New York, the son of Katharine and Canadian-born Walter Tandy Murch , a painter. He went to The Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, from 1949 to 1961...
, an editor who has advocated Soundtrack Pro. - GarageBandGarageBandGarageBand is a software application for Mac OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. It is developed by Apple Inc. as a part of the iLife software package on Mac OS X.-Audio recording:...
, a similar program aimed at home users. - Logic ExpressLogic ExpressLogic Express is a "light" version of Logic Pro, a MIDI sequencer and digital audio workstation software application maintained by Apple that runs on the Mac OS X platform. It was announced on 15 January 2004 for release in March 2004....
, a similar program aimed at amateur musicians (prosumers). - Logic ProLogic ProLogic Pro is a hybrid 32 / 64 bit digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software application for the Mac OS X platform. Originally created by German software developer Emagic, Logic Pro became an Apple product when Apple bought Emagic in 2002...
, the professional music production application.