Audio hardware related questions for an FCP 6.0.2 system on an 8 core mac pro:
The $50 CA computer speakers I have hooked in via the mac's mini out, are no longer suitable for monitoring the work I am doing. When I create a DVD, I am not hearing the same stuff on the tv that I heard out of the computer. I need to buy good speakers and a FCP compatible audio monitoring setup.
Right now I am looking at some Blue Sky speakers and using a Digidesign mbox 2 mini USB interface to get me out of the computer and keep me as close to honest with the sound as possible. The setup will run me about $600.
My main questions are.
-Is FCP successfully compatible with Digi's Mbox, and could what I hear out of the Blue Sky speakers reflect what will go out on the DVD, as long as my levels are set properly and I am properly calibrated?
-Should I be going about this a whole different way? I do have an intensity pro card back there with RCA outs. If the speakers alone were solid and had RCA ins (like the Blue SKy), would that be close to what I'd get on the dvds? (DVD's came from a 48k fcp project, compressed via compressor and burned via DVD studio pro)
Pretty uneducated about audio in general and any basic guidance on what would be a solid setup at a minimal cost would be much appreciated.
Re: Audio Hardware question (monitoring) by David Roth Weiss on Apr 3, 2008 at 5:31:40 am
Until you get your a "real" I/O card with balanced audio, the RCAs on your Intensity card are the best thing you've got. If you're thinking about the Blue Sky EXO system, its cool because you can control the volume with it. So, forget about the M-Audio USB thing and just use your RCA outs of the Intensity and you should be good to go.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
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Re: Audio Hardware question (monitoring) by Dennis McElroy on Apr 3, 2008 at 6:28:09 pm
Thanks David,
You pretty much just confirmed some other advice I got. The project I am working on is pretty much dialog and some music, and an example of the computer speakers not reflecting the work I'm doing on the DVD:
I put a fade out on some music, which over my computer speakers (even when they're jacked up all the way) sound like a smooth, even fade. Whereas on the DVD that fade will sound like it's cut off, magnifying something I didn't pick up on (or couldn't) while doing my audio pass over the computer speakers.
