I really think you should consider putting in whatever time you have available for learning audio work- on a better app MADE for audio! Doing audio work in Media Composer is like trying to fly through molasses- in my opinion- very much so! I've run and been Chief Engineer recording music for 29 years in my recording studio, too...

Several basic jobs in audio- setting levels, writing volume automations, controlling your master buss, and much more- are just FAR substandard in Media Composer. You can't set or adjust a level in play. It just stops every time you touch a fader. Unbelievable! Basic, basic task. 

You can't listen to an E.Q. change in play. Unbelievable! Absolutely essential for audio work! And you can't insert compression, E.Q., etc on the Master Buss. You can't sub-group... set up an aux send... I could really go on and on. And there's no pencil tool to draw automation with. Must be done one. keyframe. at. a. time. And then adjust the levels, one mouse click at a time- not in play, of course- so you could HEAR the levels! (you can group-set volumes of clips, but not draw envelopes for clips) The mixer is laughably primitive. It has no Master Fader! Ouch! That's terrible. Sorry, but I do think these things are true- and nothing personal against anyone or Avid...

I think Media Composer is a SUPURB video editing app- (and never even think of editing video in an audio app!)- but why not save yourself hours and hours for the rest of your career? Become expert in editing video in Media Composer- and become expert in doing audio in an audio app. Just a hard-earned suggestion. Best of luck!

michy7896:

Oh also my only real question I guess is how do I get the audio into Avid?

Easy. Create a project and use the import tool to import audio files from the following supported formats: AIFF, WAVE, .mp3, , .mov, .avi. Or use the capture tool to connect a deck and live capture.

Thank you! =D I'll be sure to do that.

Thanks! It worked perfectly =]

Larry Rubin:

michy7896:

...my teacher seems to always be busy and by the time he replies it's always when the project is due so i'm not exactly given much time to get help by him.

That's quite an eyebrow raiser - so out of curiosity I must ask the question: exactly what role does your teacher play in your education? Is this a class that teaches in depth video editing, or does it just touch on editing as one of many visual art forms?

Sadly, the OP's experience in academia is all-too-common.   A few years ago, I taught a section of video editing at a university.   The tenured professor who taught the other section didn't know how to use the school's Avid systems.   I asked him how he could teach an editing class without knowing the system.  He replied condescendingly, "Oh, you must be a practitioner?"  

"I have an MFA from USC film school," I told him.

"That's not a PhD," he said.

"No, it's a terminal degree in the Arts," I said.

"I don't teach the machine," he said, looking at the Avid like it would infect him with an incurable disease.   "I teach editing."

I conceded he had a point--that good editing is more than just knowing the software.   It's about storytelling.   I asked him what projects he had edited.   He was evasive.   "I'm not a practitioner," he reminded me.

After one semester, everyone was signing up for my section and no one was taking for his editing class.   I understand he was better teaching a cinematography class--the kids told me he knew to point the glass end of the camera toward the subject.  

Terry Snyder:

"I don't teach the machine," he said, looking at the Avid like it would infect him with an incurable disease.   "I teach editing."

I conceded he had a point--that good editing is more than just knowing the software.   It's about storytelling.   I asked him what projects he had edited.   He was evasive.   "I'm not a practitioner," he reminded me.

A pretty sad state of affairs, when a tenured professor doesn't have the necessary skills to teach both. Reminds me of something I once heard:

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach teachers."