Monitoring 5.1-Channel Surround Sound
Final Cut Pro does not support multichannel surround sound mixing capabilities or
editing of speaker assignments, but you can configure your system to monitor certain
kinds of 5.1-channel surround sound audio files. If you have 5.1-channel surround sound
files that have been mixed in another audio application such as Soundtrack Pro, you
can import these files and then configure your audio outputs and hardware to monitor
in surround sound.
Important:
A multichannel audio interface and speaker system with at least six
channels is required to monitor surround sound.
2
1
Stereo
4
3
6
5
Busses
Dual mono
Stereo
Tracks 1 and 2 routed
to stereo bus
Tracks 3 and 4 routed
to dual mono busses
Tracks 5 and 6 routed
to stereo bus
Timeline tracks
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
Audio clip
1
2
3
4
5
6
Chapter 2
Assigning Output Channels and External Audio Monitors
51
I
There are two ways of configuring your sequence audio outputs for 5.1-channel
surround sound monitoring:
 Use the 5.1 Monitoring audio preset: If you know in advance that you are going to edit
a 5.1-channel surround sound file into your sequence, you can assign the 5.1
Monitoring audio preset to your sequence.
 Use the Match Audio Outputs command: This command automatically configures your
sequence audio outputs and track output assignments based on the currently
selected audio clip in your sequence. You can select a 5.1-channel surround sound
clip in your sequence and use the Match Audio Outputs command to automatically
configure your sequence outputs.
To configure Final Cut Pro for 5.1-channel surround sound monitoring using the
Match Audio Outputs command:
1
Import a multichannel surround sound QuickTime audio file into Final Cut Pro.
Note: Final Cut Pro supports only surround sound audio files that contain the
MPEG_5_1_A QuickTime audio track tag and whose channels are ordered in the
following sequence: left and right, center, LFE, and left surround and right surround.
2
Edit the multichannel clip into the Timeline.
In most cases, you should place the audio clip starting on track A1 in the sequence.
3
A clip with six linked clip items appears in the Timeline.
4
Choose Edit > Linked Selection, and make sure that a checkmark appears next to the
Linked Selection menu item.
5
Select the clip in the Timeline.
6
Choose Sequence > Match Audio Outputs.
7
If Final Cut Pro alerts you that your sequence’s audio outputs will change, click OK.
Final Cut Pro alerts you that your sequence’s audio outputs have changed to match the
stereo and mono groupings of the selected clip items.
8
Verify the audio output assignment of each track by Control-clicking the Lock Track
control or Auto Select control of each track and checking the audio output assignment
in the Audio Outputs submenu of the shortcut menu.
For more information, see “
Assigning Tracks in the Timeline to Audio Outputs
” on
page 43.
9
Connect your 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system to the appropriate channels
of your audio interface.
52
Part I
Audio Mixing