Preparing Audio for Post in Final Cut Pro

TUTORIAL • SEPTEMBER 15 , 2000
Preparing Audio for Post in Final Cut Pro
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QuickTime: the OMFI stand-in?
Use the Export command to create 48 kHz AIFF QuickTime mixdowns of every stereo pair in each sequence, regardless of whether the material is dual mono or true stereo. Also, remember to remove all volume automation so you'll get your handles back. These are the final files that will go into Pro Tools. To reconstruct the exact audio you had in Final Cut Pro, the sound editor simply imports a sequence's stereo AIFF files, lines up their two-pops and sets the Pro Tools sessions to sync to the dubs.

Use the Export command to create 48 kHz AIFF QuickTime mixdowns of every stereo pair in each sequence.

Just lay off
"Edit to Tape" digital cuts of your program (or program reels). Each individual sequence should usually occupy its own tape and must have the Academy leader mentioned above. Put your rough audio tracks on these digital cuts for reference sake. On a DV project, most audio-post houses will dub to another format, as DV—especially miniDV—is not very robust for projects where timecode and constant shuttling are the norm.

Whew! This process may seem complex, but it lets you keep all your location audio in the digital domain from initial digitizing to the final mix. This is only the beginning, and Final Cut Pro will continue to expand its place in feature and broadcast use. As soon as Apple includes direct OMFI (or some other Pro Tools) support, Final Cut Pro will function in the studio as seamlessly as the Avid.

Josh Rosen is a supervising sound editor and founding partner in the Outpost Film Center in San Francisco. He is currently working on Werner Herzog's Invincible, starring Tim Roth.