About Audio Peaks
When you capture audio, clipping occurs if any part of the audio signal goes over
0 dBFS. Because 0 dBFS is the maximum digital level possible, all levels that would
have been above 0 dBFS are set to the maximum audio level, causing clipping. Due to
the nature of digital audio recording, such clipped audio typically results in a crackly,
brittle-sounding clip that is unsuitable for use. All occurrences of clipped audio
appear as 0 dBFS peaks. Excessive peaks indicate that your audio was recorded at
unsuitable levels.
Final Cut Pro alerts you when an audio channel is peaking by lighting up its peak
indicator in the Clip Settings tab of the Log and Capture window. If the peak indicator
is lit, you should reduce the gain for that channel on your audio interface.
If you have already captured a clip and it has peaks in the audio, you can either
recapture the audio at a better level or edit the audio appropriately to avoid the
peaks. You can use the Mark Audio Peaks command to identify audio peaks in clips or
sequences. It’s then up to you to decide whether to avoid using those sections of
audio or rerecord them. For detailed information about the Mark Audio Peaks
command, see Volume III, Chapter 3, “Evaluating Levels with Audio Meters.”
Chapter 18
Capturing Audio
305
IV
To capture audio from an audio-only device using device control:
1
Choose File > Log and Capture (or press Command-8), then click the Capture Settings tab.
2
Choose the appropriate device control preset from the Device Control pop-up menu.
This will usually be one of the serial RS-422 or RS-232 device control protocols. See the
documentation that came with your audio device for information on which one to use.
3
Choose an audio-only capture preset from the Capture/Input pop-up menu.
For more information about creating an audio-only capture preset, see Volume IV,
Chapter 25, “Capture Settings and Presets.”
4
If you’re capturing audio from a device-controllable audio deck that’s genlocked to a
video capture interface connected to your computer, you need to select “Sync audio
capture to video source if present” in the General tab of the User Preferences window.
For more information, see Volume IV, Chapter 23, “Choosing Settings and Preferences.”
5
To locate material on an audio tape to capture, use the controls in the Log and Capture
window. Log (or capture) clips the same way you would with any device-controllable
video deck.
6
To capture material from an audio tape, capture clips the same way you would with
any device-controllable video deck.
For more information, see Chapter 17, “
Capturing Your Footage to Disk
,” on page 271.
7
To stop recording, or to interrupt batch capturing using device control, press Esc.
The audio clips you captured are placed in the logging bin in the Browser.
Choose the appropriate
device control preset.
Make sure you choose
the appropriate audio
capture preset.
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Part IV
Logging, Capturing, and Importing