Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 871)

• Mixing and output: During mixing and final output, you need to ensure that audio levels
are consistent compared to a reference audio level, such as audio tone. Loud parts
should be consistently loud, and quiet parts should be consistently quiet (but not so
quiet that they get lost in the noise). The dynamic range (the change in levels between
quiet and loud) should be large enough to create a varied mix, but not so large that
viewers have to constantly adjust the volume when they watch the finished movie.
Setting Levels for Capture
When you capture digital audio, you usually cannot make level adjustments because an
exact copy of the digital information is transferred to your hard disk. However, if you are
capturing analog audio using a third-party audio interface, make sure you set each input
channel so the meters in the Clip Settings tab of the Log and Capture window match the
audio meters on your video or audio device. For more information, see
“Capturing Audio
from Tape.”
Detecting Audio Peaks
When you capture audio, clipping occurs if any part of the audio signal goes over 0 dBFS.
Because 0 dBFS is the maximum digital level possible, all levels that would have been
above 0 dBFS are set (clipped) at 0 dBFS. Because of the nature of digital audio recording,
such clipped audio typically results in a crackly, brittle sound. Excessive peaks indicate
that your audio was recorded at unsuitable levels.
If your program has peaks in the audio, you can either recapture the audio at a better
level or edit the audio appropriately to avoid the peaks. You can use the Mark Audio
Peaks command to identify audio peaks in your clips. It’s then up to you to decide whether
to not use those sections of audio or rerecord them.
Note: Final Cut Pro considers your clips’ audio levels when analyzing levels. For example,
if you set a clip’s audio level to +12 dB, audio peaks may be detected. However, if you
reset the audio level to 0 dB, audio peaks may no longer be detected.
To find and mark audio peaks
1 To detect peaks in a clip, do one of the following:
• Select one or more clips in the Browser.
• Open a sequence clip from the Timeline.
2 Choose Mark > Audio Peaks > Mark.
871 Chapter 54 Evaluating Levels with Audio Meters