Apple Final Cut Pro 6 - Manual (Page 838)

Chapter 2 Assigning Output Channels and External Audio Monitors 53
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To route Mac OS X alert sounds 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 setting 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 setting 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 lower your
speaker volume more 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.
Tips for Choosing Speakers and an Amplifier
Professional audio engineers have to be able to trust the sound coming from their
speakers. When you mix your audio, you need audio monitors that can handle the full
range of audio intensities and frequencies. Ideally, your monitors will have a flat
frequency response from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (or 20 kHz). This means that they neither
attenuate nor amplify any frequencies. Flat frequency response is important for critical
listening because the speakers themselves are not “coloring” the sound.
In addition to the speaker quality itself, additional factors affect your audio
monitoring environment:
 Size and materials of the room
 Placement of the speakers within the room, such as distance from walls and angle
of speakers
 Listener position between speakers