Apple Final Cut Pro 6 - Manual (Page 1941)

458 Glossary
frequency The number of times a sound or signal vibrates each second, measured in
cycles per second, or hertz (Hz). Audio recordings are made up of a vast collection of
waveforms, using many different frequencies of sound. Each frequency in a recording is
associated with an audio pitch. For example, the note generated by each key of a piano
has a specific frequency.
gain The amount an audio or video signal is boosted. In video, this increases the white
level; in audio, this increases the volume.
gamma A curve that describes how the middle tones of an image appear. Gamma is a
nonlinear function often confused with “brightness” or “contrast.” Changing the value
of the gamma affects middle tones while leaving the whites and blacks of the image
unaltered. Gamma adjustment is often used to compensate for differences between
Macintosh and Windows video graphics cards and displays.
ganged The behavior of the playheads in the Viewer and Canvas when they’re locked
together, so that they move as one.
gaps Locations in a sequence where there is no media on any track. When output to
video, gaps in an edited sequence appear as black sections.
gear down To slow down a mouse operation and make it more precise by holding
down the Command key while dragging an item or control. This can be helpful when
dragging clips if, for example, the Timeline is zoomed out so that clips look small. It’s
also useful to gear down if you want to make very small changes to an edit point, a
keyframe parameter, or a volume level.
generators Clips that are synthesized by Final Cut Pro. Generators can be used as
different kinds of backgrounds, titles, and elements for visual design.
handles Extra footage beyond a clip’s In and Out points. Handles are useful if you want
to add a few more frames to account for dissolves or additional trimming.
HDCAM A high definition digital videotape recorder format that records an 8-bit,
7.1:1 DCT compressed component video signal with 3:1:1 color sampling. Recorded
using 1/2 inch tape. Supports four tracks of audio.
HDV An MPEG-2–based high definition video format that records on a DV cassette
tape. HDV supports both 720p and 1080i, and uses interframe (or long-GOP MPEG-2)
compression. Depending on the format, HDV has a data rate of 19 Mbps or 25 Mbps.
head clip The clip that begins a sequence.