Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 822)

Chapter 2 Setting Up Audio Equipment 35
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To adjust the built-in volume of your computer using the volume slider in the
menu bar:
1 Open System Preferences by choosing Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sound.
2 In the Sound pane of System Preferences, make sure the “Show volume in menu bar”
checkbox is selected.
When the checkbox is selected, a volume icon appears in the menu bar.
3 Adjust the volume in the menu bar.
You can also adjust the volume in the Sound pane of System Preferences.
To mute all alert and Mac OS X user interface sound effects:
1 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sound.
2 Click the Sound Effects button.
3 Deselect the “Play user interface sound effects” checkbox.
4 Deselect the “Play feedback when volume keys are pressed” checkbox.
5 Slide the Alert volume slider all the way to the left.
If you are using an audio interface other than the built-in audio, you can route the alert
sound effects to the built-in speakers, but monitor Final Cut Pro audio from your audio
interface.
To route Mac OS X alerts and sound effects through your computer’s built-in
speakers:
1 Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sound.
2 Click the Sound Effects button.
3 Choose “Built-in Audio: Internal speakers” from the “Play alerts and sound effects
through” pop-up menu.
While monitoring the audio of your program, avoid changing the volume of your
speakers unless it is absolutely necessary. A consistent monitoring level allows you to
get used to the average loudness you’re establishing for your mix, so that you can
better judge how well the louder and softer sections of your mix are working together.
To adjust the volume of your speakers, try playing a signal that represents the average
volume you want to monitor. Avoid setting speaker volume so high that it fatigues your
ears or distorts in the speakers.
Some people use the 1 kHz tone of the Bars and Tone generator to set the volume of
their speakers. However, you may find that the 1 kHz tone causes you to turn down
your speakers down lower than you would for normal audio because the tone is so
incessant and your ears are particularly sensitive to this frequency. Generally, 1 kHz
tones are useful for setting levels from device to device when looking at meters, but
not as helpful for setting average listening levels.