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Monitor clip volume and pan using Audio Clip Mixer

Master the technique of mixing audio in Premiere Pro. Learn how to use the Audio Clip Mixer to effectively adjust the volume and pan of movie clips.

The Audio Clip Mixer lets you adjust the volume and pan of clips under the playhead in the Timeline panel when the Audio Track Mixer or Program Monitor was more recently in focus than the Source Monitor panel prior to the Audio Clip Mixer having focus.

You can also monitor and adjust the volume and pan of clips in the Source monitor when it was more recently in focus than the Timeline, Audio Track Mixer, or Program Monitor panel prior to the Audio Clip Mixer having focus.

To access the Audio Clip Mixer, choose Window > Audio Clip Mixer from the main menu.

Audio Clip Mixer section is open with options to adjust the clip volume and pan.
Blend your audio effortlessly using a clip mixer.

Video tutorial: Using Clip Mixer to adjust volume and pan

Learn a new way to mix audio in Premiere Pro. In addition to mixing tracks, you can now control individual clips within the mixer interface and create smoother audio fades.

Exploring the Audio Clip Mixer

The Audio Clip Mixer acts as an inspector. Its faders are mapped to the clip volume level and the pan/balance control is mapped to the clip panner.

When the Timeline Panel/Program Monitor Panel/Audio Track Mixer is in focus, each clip under the Timeline playhead’s current location is mapped to a channel in the Audio Clip Mixer.

The Clip Mixer displays clip audio only when there is a clip under the playhead. When a track contains a gap, the corresponding channel in the Clip Mixer is empty if the gap is under the playhead.

For example, in the timeline below, Track A2 is empty.

Audio track mixer section is open showing audio tracks and the gaps showing empty tracks.
Audio channels reflect play head positions, and the gaps show empty tracks.

Because there is a gap under the playhead (track A2 empty), the Clip Mixer displays an empty channel A2.

 Clip mixer is open and the empty channel A2 is reflecting the Playhead Gap.
Clip Mixer with track A2 empty at the playhead location.

The Clip Mixer lets you adjust clip volume, channel volume, and clip pan. Tracks in the Clip Mixer are scalable. The height and width of tracks and their meters depends on the number of tracks in the sequence as well as the height and width of the panel.

To see the channel volume, right-click/Ctrl-click the Clip Mixer and select Show Channel Volume from the context menu. The option is disabled by default.

The keyframe button state determines the nature of changes you can make to the volume or panner.

If the keyframe button is pressed, while you adjust the volume or pan, you add a keyframe to the current playhead position. Alternatively, you update the current keyframe, if there is a keyframe under the playhead.

If the keyframe button is not pressed, you move the current segment.

Audio Clip Mixer automation modes

You can set Automation modes for a track from the pop-up menu at the upper right of the Clip Mixer. For example, drag a track’s volume fader or pan control during playback. When you replay the audio with the track’s automation menu set to Touch or Latch, Premiere Pro plays back the track with the adjustments you made. As you adjust the channels using Clip Mixer, Premiere Pro applies the changes to their respective tracks by creating track keyframes in a Timeline panel. Conversely, audio track keyframes you add or edit in a Timeline panel set values (such as fader positions) in the Clip Mixer.

For each audio track, you can select either of these options, which determines the track’s automation state during the mixing process:

  • Keyframe Mode Latch: Automation doesn’t start until you begin adjusting a property. The initial property settings are from the previous adjustment.
  • Keyframe Mode Touch: Automation doesn’t start until you begin adjusting a property. When you stop adjusting a property, its option settings return to their previous state before the current automated changes were recorded. The rate of return is determined by the Automatch Time audio preference.

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