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Equal Power Crossfade


Devon8822

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Basic question, I dont understand the difference between a normal crossfade and an equal power crossfade, the logic manual said something about it minimizing volume dips between the audio regions... whattt?? thanks!

 

EDIT: I might as well throw my other related question in here too. I keep seeing tutorials on crossfades that line up the two regions next too eachother and than putting a crossfade on it... according to my understand of what a crossfade is, this doesnt make sense. How can they crossfade if they are not overlapping?

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Basic question, I dont understand the difference between a normal crossfade and an equal power crossfade, the logic manual said something about it minimizing volume dips between the audio regions... whattt?? thanks!

 

If you were to crossfade a constant sound into another region of the same, constant sound, a normal fade would generate a dip in volume in the middle of the crossfade. An EqP fade would compensate for that by using exponential fades, and eliminate the dip in volume in the middle of the fade.

 

I keep seeing tutorials on crossfades that line up the two regions next too eachother and than putting a crossfade on it... according to my understand of what a crossfade is, this doesnt make sense. How can they crossfade if they are not overlapping?

As long as the first audio file has audio material after the end of the first region, and the second audio file has audio material before the start of the second region, the audio files are overlapping (even if the regions aren't), so the crossfade will take place as expected.

 

To truly grasp this I recommend recording yourself singing a "OOOOOOOOH" and then recording yourself again singing a "ZZZZZZZZZ", then make all sorts of long crossfades and listen to the results.

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Thanks David, you answers are always a huge help!

 

I understand essentially what your saying in the first question but why would there be a dip? at the middle of the crossfade the first region would be at half volume and the second region will be at half volume, which would equal the same volume as if only one of these regions were at full volume, right? Unless you put in an uneven crossfade.

 

I have a lot of regions without audio before or after where I'd like to do the crossfade... so i guess that means I can't really crossfade them. How essential are crossfades, is it ok to not use them if you dont here clicks? Frankly I have never ever heard a click between two connecting regions in any of my recordings. I just put crossfade because it seems like your supposed to.

 

I will try that last tip!

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I understand essentially what your saying in the first question but why would there be a dip? at the middle of the crossfade the first region would be at half volume and the second region will be at half volume, which would equal the same volume as if only one of these regions were at full volume, right? Unless you put in an uneven crossfade.

 

The math is a bit more complex than that, with dBs working in logarithmic scales and not linear scales, so a linear crossfade creates a dip while an EqP does not.

 

I have a lot of regions without audio before or after where I'd like to do the crossfade... so i guess that means I can't really crossfade them.

 

Correct. Or at least, you can draw a crossfade, you just won't hear a proper crossfade effect. Think of a DJ crossfading two songs: he lowers the volume of song1 while raising the volume of song2. If he starts raising the volume of song2 before song2 has actually started, that's not a true crossfade effect.

 

How essential are crossfades, is it ok to not use them if you dont here clicks?

Crossfades are just a tool. Just like the answer to "how essentials are bongos?", I would say: "it depends". Use them when you need them. They can help with clicks at edit points, but that's not the only use there is for them. You could use them to make a sound slowly turn into another sound for example (long crossfade). And that's not the only tool that can be used to tame clicks. And clicks don't necessarily occur at edit points, as you said yourself. And even if they do that's not always a bad thing!

 

Frankly I have never ever heard a click between two connecting regions in any of my recordings. I just put crossfade because it seems like your supposed to.

I used to do that a lot. Clean things up because I thought you were supposed to. Since then I've worked with top producers and noticed they have tracks that click everywhere, and yet they don't bother crossfading. When you hear the final result, the song sounds amazing. So really, there's no rule. That click you hear on that edit on the bass track maybe occurs exactly during a kick drum, and if anything, it is perceived as adding a bit of attack to that particular kick, which sounds good. Crossfade that edit and that good, percussive kick effect disappears. So yeah, no rules, and use your ears, and not just to listen to what you're editing, but to listen to the effect that has on the other instruments, and on the song as a whole.

 

One rule though: if you don't know why you're doing something, don't do it.

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Awesome, I tried the OHHHH and ZZZZZZZZ, connecting experiment, and still got no clicks. I perceived the non crossfade transition as more sharp/precise, and than I perceived it to be just sound like a softer smoother transition with crossfade.

 

How can I purposely make a click between two regions so I can hear what I should be looking for, for when I need to crossfade?

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