Dissolving from audio material to filler should act like a crossfade to silence. However:

In my new 3.5.1 installation (supported MacBook Pro 15"), what I hear depends on where I start playback (!). If I start playback from before the dissolve, it fades out more or less as expected. If I start near the end of the dissolve, it behaves more like a cut. If I start somewhere in between, the fade doesn't have time to complete: there is some reduction in volume, but it doesn't completely fade out by the end of the dissolve.

This is a new behavior for me after 15 years with the app. Anyone else seeing it?  Obviously, I'm hoping Media Composer leaves the artistic decisions to me.

(Oh, and before anyone tells me I should be using keyframes for mixing audio: I'm working with an editor who has never and will never use them, and we need to maintain the same technique on our shared sequences -- otherwise, I'd love to).

Thanks!

In your audio project settings, under the effects tab, make sure the dissolve midpoint attenuation choice is for "constant power", not "linear".

dekafilm:

before anyone tells me I should be using keyframes for mixing audio: I'm working with an editor who has never and will never use them

That seems rather limiting on the other editor's part.  I mean, I often don't use the keyframes because dissolves will work, but there are some instances where a bite is really tight and you NEED to use a keyframe.  

I understand that often if you're sending to a mix house, they don't particularly like when we use keyframes, but you have to get it sounding right.  

dekafilm:

we need to maintain the same technique on our shared sequences

Why can't the other editor conform to your preference rather than you conforming to his?

Larry Rubin:

In your audio project settings, under the effects tab, make sure the dissolve midpoint attenuation choice is for "constant power", not "linear".

Thanks.  This didn't solve the problem.  To clarify:  what you hear depends on where the playback bar was at the moment you pressed play.

Anyone else experiencing this?  Can anyone reproduce it on their 3.5.1 systems?

Kenton.VanNatten:

Why can't the other editor conform to your preference rather than you conforming to his?

Well, it doesn't help that I'm his assistant.  

dekafilm:

I'm his assistant.

Oh, you didn't mention that before.  But still, seems limiting to me.  Like trying to write a novel without using the word "the".

Kenton.VanNatten:

But still, seems limiting to me.  Like trying to write a novel without using the word "the".

Yup.  I'm with you there!  If it were up to me, we'd have flying faders, too.

Kenton.VanNatten:

Like trying to write a novel without using the word "the".

AndrewAction:

Or just a different way of working (thinking.... or not  ) 15 years with Avid and have never used an audio keyframe (or audio dissolve), could not even tell you how to use them.

You are not alone.  By far.  

Again, to everyone out there:  can anyone confirm this new audio dissolve behavior on 3.5.1 ??

dekafilm:

can anyone confirm this new audio dissolve behavior on 3.5.1 ??

AndrewAction:

Not tried on 3.5.1 here. Does it make any difference if your dissolves are rendered? (not in timeline view of your first post)

As I would expect, rendering takes care of the issue (because now it's just playing though a new file).

So now I can either (a) park ahead of my audio dissolve to audition even just the last little bit of it, or (b) render it (with all the detritus that method leaves on the media drives over time).  Either way, it's not efficient.  I hope it's "just a bug" and that someone fixes it in a patch release...

Confirmations?

If two additional users can confirm this behavior with 3.5.1, I'll escalate the issue.

I have the same problem. It's been here since 3.5 if not 3.

Unrendered audio fades played from mid fade will play as cuts unless rendered or played from before the fade.

One more 3.5 user, please. Anyone?

Micah:

Any particular reason you're not running OS 10.5.5 or 10.5.6?