Using audio cd tracks in your project – Apple Final Cut Pro 6 User Manual
Page 328
Chapter 20
Importing Media Files into Your Project
327
IV
However, with NTSC-related video rates, there is no simple relationship between the
number of audio samples per second and video frames per second. To avoid ambiguity,
the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) specifies how many
audio samples should be mapped to each video frame. The number of audio samples
per frame is varied on a frame-by-frame basis to form a consistent pattern. Instead of
an exact number of samples per frame, a consistent pattern of varying samples is
spread over several frames.
When you import a BWF file, Final Cut Pro calculates timecode based on two parameters:
 The editing timebase (frame rate) of the currently selected sequence preset
 The audio sample rate of the imported BWF file
When the sequence preset frame rate is 29.97 fps and the sample rate of the BWF file is
defined in the SMPTE specification, Final Cut Pro uses the repeating frame pattern
defined in the SMPTE specification.
Drop Frame Indicators in Broadcast Wave Files
There is no ratified standard to indicate or detect whether a BWF file was recorded with
drop frame or non-drop frame timecode. Although there are several de facto ways this
information is stored, Final Cut Pro does not support reading this information. Instead,
Final Cut Pro always calculates non-drop frame timecode for BWF files. You can enforce
drop frame timecode during import or by using the Modify Timecode command. For
more information, see “
Importing Broadcast Wave Files
Using Audio CD Tracks in Your Project
Mac OS X recognizes each track on a standard audio CD as an individual AIFF file. These
files can be copied directly from a CD to your hard disk and then imported into
Final Cut Pro without any conversion.
Files copied from an audio CD have a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and sample size (bit
depth) of 16 bits. If you’re working with a DV sequence, you can convert the sample
rate using Final Cut Pro. For more information, see “
Converting Audio Clips to Match
Important:
Do not import clips from a CD or DVD directly into Final Cut Pro. These clips
will go offline as soon as you eject the disc from the drive. Make sure you copy the files
to your hard disk before importing them.