Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 293)

292 Part IV Logging, Capturing, and Importing
About Capturing Multiple Audio Channels From DV Devices
DV video devices can record up to four tracks of audio, depending on the sample rate and
bit depth chosen on the camcorder. However, Final Cut Pro can only capture two audio
channels via the FireWire port of a device at a time. You need to choose or create a capture
preset that captures the DV audio channels you want. For more information about creating
or modifying a capture preset, see Volume IV, Chapter 24, “Capture Settings and Presets.”
To choose which DV audio channels to capture via FireWire:
1 Choose Final Cut Pro > Audio/Video Settings, then click the Capture Presets tab.
2 Click a preset you want to modify, then click Edit or Duplicate.
3 In QuickTime Audio Settings, choose DV Audio from the Device pop-up menu.
4 Choose one of the following options from the Input pop-up menu:
 If your DV tape sample rate is 48 kHz and 16 bit: First 2 channels
 If your DV tape sample rate is 32 kHz and 12 bit: Choose either First 2 channels, Second
2 channels, or Mix 4 channels.
The Mix 4 channels option mixes all four audio tracks into a single stereo pair.
5 Click OK, then click OK again.
Important: Before you begin shooting, always set your DV camcorder to record with a
sample rate of 48 kHz and a bit depth of 16.
Adjusting Analog Audio Levels for Capture
Along with the color bars at the beginning of your tape, there may also be a reference
audio tone, usually at 1 kilohertz (kHz), set to 0 decibels (dB) on an analog meter. If
you’re capturing from a master tape in which the audio has already been mixed, all of
the audio levels should have been mixed relative to the level of this reference tone.
The goal is to affect the audio signal as little as possible when you capture audio to
your scratch disk. It’s better to make audio level adjustments after you capture, because
level changes you make in Final Cut Pro are nondestructive. You can always return to
the original audio levels if necessary.
If you’re capturing audio from a tape recorded on location, reference tone at the
beginning of the tape is a good starting point for setting your levels, but chances are
that the audio will vary from shot to shot. In this case, it is important to adjust the
audio gain on your audio interface to record the best possible audio levels. You should
set levels to avoid clipping the audio during capture. Clipped audio has a crackling,
distorted sound that is unacceptable for professional work. Sometimes one setting will
work for every clip on your tape. Other times, you may find yourself adjusting the audio
levels for each clip. It all depends on how widely the audio levels vary on a given tape.
Note: When capturing digital audio, the gain level is already set and cannot be modified.