Thanks for your quick response Roy. Can I mute a single video clip also ?

Hi Jeff.

Thanks for your very full answer. I have been using an editor that mutes a video clip by highlighting and using the shortcut "M"

I find it handy on occasion to place two similar clips one above the other toggle between them and be able to compare quickly and in context to the film. It would seem from your answer that I can do a similar excercise in MEP, thats good.

Thanks for your explanation of the track numbering, Why is it that way, is there a good reason? it's not logical.

Many Thanks Richard

@richard-taylor

 Why is it that way, is there a good reason?

I think it is just the way that Magix decided it should be!

I guess there is some logic to it: most people will start by adding footage to track 1, and then "any other video" e.g. titles or captions to higher-numbered tracks because these are wanted to appear "above"/"in front of" the actual video. If the "method" were to be the opposite way around, to have any added items appear above the main footage would require that that main footage video object was physically "moved down" at least one track, an action which could be fraught with difficulty, especially if there are several video objects on the track. (I think that makes sense!!)

In terms of your "M" comment, the same possibility is available in MEP (see the "track header" picture below). If the audio and video are on separate tracks (as in the picture) the highlighted "eye" symbol will turn the video on and off.

HTH

Jeff

@richard-taylor

Hi

. . . . Thanks for your explanation of the track numbering, Why is it that way, is there a good reason? it's not logical. . . . .

By analogy it is like an open sandwich when put together:

• first is the bottom layer - eg background on track 1
   
• one or more layers of filling - eg titles, music, overlays, etc - track 2 onwards

The higher the track number the higher the video etc is in the stack.

HTH

John EB

@richard-taylor

Hi Richard,

For comparing video clips, you have two monitors, Preview and Source. On the Source Monitor, click on the hamburger menu (upper left) and switch to "Comparison image: Selected Object." In my screen shot, the video on track 4 will be seen in the Preview Monitor. Select the video on track 1 and it will show in the Source Monitor. Play it back using the transport controls below the Source Monitor. Only the Source audio will play, so you don't have to mute track 5.

However, when you playback normally with the Preview Window, all of the audio will be played at the same time. As an alternative to muting in the track header, you can open the Mixer and mute whichever track you don't want to hear during normal playback.

Note that I always have video and audio on separate tracks. I like to see if there is audio with a video and I find that this is the best way to do that. I can see the audio level and the wave form and any object volume or other curves.

As for track protocol, don't get me started. I'm a Civil Engineer and we build from ground level upwards, thus 1 is at the bottom, level 2 covers it unless there are holes, level 3 covers that unless there are holes, etc. In VPX/MEP, your background stays at the bottom where it should, like track 1, and anything that comes on top of that is on a higher floor number. Makes sense to me.

In other video editing programs, Vegas, for example, you have to keep inserting tracks above the background layer. In a complicated project, your background can be on many different tracks along the timeline, becoming unwieldy and confusing. Your background, the lowest level, now is on a higher track number. In VPX/MEP, that does not happen, your background is always on the lower numbered track and stays there; when you scroll along the timeline, you can quickly see if there are gaps.

Vegas users will, of course, argue vehemently that their way is the correct way because they are looking at the positioning of the objects on the timeline - what is higher on the screen is seen above whatever is lower. Track numbering is not important. The method likely came from computer programmers from way back who did not have the foresight to see that more and more tracks would become available. They went from 1 track to 2 because they needed to put a title on the video. So, their logic was to insert a track above, pushing the background to track 2, because it was visually logical to physically show what comes on top, higher on the screen. Then they came up with PiP, so they came out with a version of 4 tracks. Again, insert above, afterall, who would ever need more than 4 tracks and you can see them all on the screen?

The best way likely would be to have track 1 always at the bottom of the screen, with numbering going upwards, but I haven't seen that method anywhere.

In VPX/MEP, tracks are just there; you don't have to go inserting more, although you can. A track can be used for anything - video/photo and/or audio. There is no special track required for audio or composites, just tracks.

You may want to watch my two tutorials on basic editing in MEP, available from the Tutorials button at the top of this forum. That will save you a lot of time.

John CB

@richard-taylor

Hi Richard,

For comparing video clips, you have two monitors, Preview and Source. On the Source Monitor, click on the hamburger menu (upper left) and switch to "Comparison image: Selected Object." In my screen shot, the video on track 4 will be seen in the Preview Monitor. Select the video on track 1 and it will show in the Source Monitor. Play it back using the transport controls below the Source Monitor. Only the Source audio will play, so you don't have to mute track 5.

However, when you playback normally with the Preview Window, all of the audio will be played at the same time. As an alternative to muting in the track header, you can open the Mixer and mute whichever track you don't want to hear during normal playback.

Note that I always have video and audio on separate tracks. I like to see if there is audio with a video and I find that this is the best way to do that. I can see the audio level and the wave form and any object volume or other curves.

As for track protocol, don't get me started. I'm a Civil Engineer and we build from ground level upwards, thus 1 is at the bottom, level 2 covers it unless there are holes, level 3 covers that unless there are holes, etc. In VPX/MEP, your background stays at the bottom where it should, like track 1, and anything that comes on top of that is on a higher floor number. Makes sense to me.

In other video editing programs, Vegas, for example, you have to keep inserting tracks above the background layer. In a complicated project, your background can be on many different tracks along the timeline, becoming unwieldy and confusing. Your background, the lowest level, now is on a higher track number. In VPX/MEP, that does not happen, your background is always on the lower numbered track and stays there; when you scroll along the timeline, you can quickly see if there are gaps.

Vegas users will, of course, argue vehemently that their way is the correct way because they are looking at the positioning of the objects on the timeline - what is higher on the screen is seen above whatever is lower. Track numbering is not important. The method likely came from computer programmers from way back who did not have the foresight to see that more and more tracks would become available. They went from 1 track to 2 because they needed to put a title on the video. So, their logic was to insert a track above, pushing the background to track 2, because it was visually logical to physically show what comes on top, higher on the screen. Then they came up with PiP, so they came out with a version of 4 tracks. Again, insert above, afterall, who would ever need more than 4 tracks and you can see them all on the screen?

The best way likely would be to have track 1 always at the bottom of the screen, with numbering going upwards, but I haven't seen that method anywhere.

In VPX/MEP, tracks are just there; you don't have to go inserting more, although you can. A track can be used for anything - video/photo and/or audio. There is no special track required for audio or composites, just tracks.

You may want to watch my two tutorials on basic editing in MEP, available from the Tutorials button at the top of this forum. That will save you a lot of time.

John CB

Hi John. Thanks for your explanation of track protocol, probably has saved me a lot of head scratching.

Regards clip muting I understand what you say, so no doubt will get used to working that way.I don't think I will like the procedure though as much as my "old way"

I could as editor show my director two clips, say, from different angles and compare instantly in the context of the film. Do we like this, or this!

Editor,Director. That's a joke. We just are two blokes who make films for the fun of it.

Thank you all for your help. Much Appreciated. No doubt you will hear from me again with new queeries

ATB Richard

@richard-taylor

Hi Richard,

Oops, I read too fast whilst multi-tasking as film crew, director, editor, colourist, FX specialist, narrator, dog-walker and husband, and missed that you were using MEP and not VPX. VPX has 2 monitors, preview and source, MEP only one monitor. Thus, you can ignore what I said about showing the other clip in Source Monitor. However, you can quickly switch back and forth from one video clip to another at the same location by toggling the Solo button - the S in the track header.

John CB