Apple Final Cut Pro 5 User Manual
Page 298
Chapter 20
Capturing Audio
297
IV
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.
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 postproduction. 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
USB-to-serial
adapter
Computer
PCI card
Reference video
Breakout box
Audio
USB
Serial
Reference video
Device controllable
DAT deck
Blackburst
generator