Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 203)

Built-in S/PDIF Digital Audio
Some computers have built-in S/PDIF optical digital ports (sometimes called TOSLINK)
that you can connect to some CD players, DAT recorders, and other digital audio devices.
TOSLINK optical
digital connector
Audio or video device Computer
DV FireWire
If your sequence uses a DV codec, you can output audio via the FireWire port on your
computer. This allows you to use a DV deck, DV camcorder, or DV-to-analog converter
as an audio interface. In this case, you connect your FireWire cable to your DV device and
then connect the audio outputs of the DV device to external speakers or a television
monitor.
Choosing a Third-Party Audio Interface
Before you purchase a separate audio interface, consider that most third-party video
interfaces may have enough audio connectors to meet your requirements. You should
consider a separate audio interface when:
• You are trying to capture or output more audio channels than your built-in audio
interface or third-party video interface supports
• You need to capture or output in a format not supported by your existing interfaces
(for example, if you need to capture audio at a sample rate of 96 kHz but your video
interface only supports a sample rate of 48 kHz)
Benefits of a Third-Party Audio Interface
Third-party audio interfaces can provide many more features than your computer’s built-in
interfaces, such as:
• More than 2 audio channels—8 channels is common, but some interfaces have 24 or
more input and output channels
• Professional connectors such as XLR or 1/4" TRS
• High-quality analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters supporting sample rates
as high as 192 kHz and 24 bits per sample
• Support for analog and digital audio formats
• Stable, “jitter-free” digital audio clocks
203 Chapter 12 Connecting Professional Video and Audio Equipment