Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 311)

When capturing audio from an audio-only player such as a DAT player, it is important to
precisely synchronize the sample clock of the digital audio player with the clock of your
audio interface.
USB-to-serial
adapter
Computer
PCI card
Reference video
Breakout box
Audio
USB Serial
Reference video
Device controllable
DAT deck
Blackburst
generator
Using a common timing signal for both your audio device and capture interface is
especially important when you capture long segments of audio. If your audio deck is not
set up in this way, the sync between the audio and video of merged clips you create can
drift over time.
To capture and edit digital audio properly, make sure your footage and equipment meets
the following requirements:
• Matching timecode on videotapes and audio tapes: During production, recording the
same timecode signal for both video and audio makes it easy to synchronize video and
audio clips in post-production. If timecode doesn’t match, you can manually synchronize
your video and audio clips in the Timeline and then create merged clips.
• Remote device control: Your audio tape player needs to support device control so that
Final Cut Pro can capture audio precisely and recapture consistently.
• A video sync generator (blackburst generator): Provides a common timing signal for both
the audio tape player and the audio interface you are using to capture.
• External sync input on devices and interfaces: Ideally, your video and audio devices and
your audio interface should accept an external sync signal so that all frame rates and
audio sample rates are timed together exactly.
For more information about connecting a blackburst generator to your video and audio
equipment, see
“Synchronizing Equipment with a Blackburst Generator.”
311 Chapter 19 Capturing Audio from Tape