Apple Final Cut Pro 7 - Manual (Page 378)

What Kinds of Audio File Formats Can Be Imported?
Final Cut Pro allows you to directly import any audio file format compatible with QuickTime.
However, only uncompressed file formats should be used for editing.
Recommended Audio File Formats
For best performance, use one of the following uncompressed audio file formats when
editing in Final Cut Pro:
• AIFF or AIFC containing uncompressed audio
• WAVE or Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) containing uncompressed audio
• Sound Designer II
• Single-track or multitrack QuickTime movies containing uncompressed audio
Natively, Final Cut Pro captures to QuickTime movie files with one or more audio tracks.
Audio Formats to Avoid
The following formats and audio data formats should be avoided when editing in
Final Cut Pro because they require real-time processing for playback:
• Any file containing compressed formats such as MP3, AAC, and Apple Lossless Codec
• QuickTime movies containing compressed audio, such as MPEG-4 and H.264 files
• Multiplexed video and audio streams such as MPEG-2 program streams and DV Stream
files (This is one of the formats iMovie can create during capture.)
Choosing Audio File Sample Rate and Bit Depth
Final Cut Pro can import audio with any bit depth and sample rate supported by QuickTime
and Mac OS X Core Audio. Final Cut Pro performs real-time bit depth conversion and
sample rate conversion when your audio file settings don’t match your sequence settings.
However, less processor power is required when your audio file settings and sequence
settings match.
Common sample rates and bit depths used in the video industry are:
• 32 kHz/12-bit: Consumer mini-DV camcorders can record four channels of audio using
these settings. This is not recommended for most productions.
• 44.1 kHz/16-bit: Audio CDs and consumer DAT recorders use these audio settings.
• 48 kHz/16-bit: DV, HDV, and DVD all use these audio settings.
• 48 kHz/20-bit: Some professional video devices record natively in this format.
• 96 kHz/24-bit: These settings are becoming increasingly popular for professional sound
and music production, although most video formats still record with 48 kHz.
For more information, see “Audio Fundamentals.”
378 Chapter 26 Importing Media Files into Your Project