Apple Soundtrack Pro 3 - Manual (Page 19)

Note: When using external audio devices, it’s a good idea to connect them before opening
Soundtrack Pro.
Video and Audio Interfaces
An interface is a device that adds physical video or audio connectors to your computer
so that you can connect your Final Cut Studio system to other professional equipment
(such as video or audio decks and monitors).
Interfaces provide input and output connectors that aren’t included with your computer.
For example, if you want to output multiple audio channels to an analog audio mixer or
digital multitrack, you need an audio interface that has XLR, 1/4" tip-ring-sleeve (TRS),
AES/EBU, or ADAT Lightpipe output connectors.
You may also want to consider adding a third-party interface to your system if:
• You need to capture or output many audio channels at once
• You are integrating Final Cut Studio into a professional broadcast environment that
requires SDI, HD-SDI, or other non-FireWire video and audio connections
• You need to capture, edit, and output full-resolution, uncompressed video signals
instead of DV video (which is compressed)
• You are digitizing video from an older analog VTR (such as a Betacam SP deck) that
does not have digital video outputs or remote control via FireWire
Third-party video and audio interfaces can be installed in one of your computer’s PCI
Express slots, connected to the USB port, or connected via FireWire.
For more information about selecting and connecting an audio interface for use with
Soundtrack Pro, see
Setting Up an Audio Interface .
External Audio and Video Monitoring
In the final stages of post-production, external video and audio monitors are essential to
ensure the quality of your movie. Editing systems focused on these final phases of
post-production are often called finishing systems.
19 Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System