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Bars and Tone – FCP setting – Beta SP
I’ve looked all around for an answer and can’t seem to get an consensus here so I’m asking!
I received a client video and the audio is maxed out at 0db. I need to send this to Beta SP for broadcast with Bars and Tone prior. I’m thinking I need to set the Bars and Tone in FCP to -18db and set the video’s audio to match. Then set the Beta SP deck meter levels to just below 0db. Is this correct?
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4 Replies
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Anyone???
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For broadcast on an analog tape format like BetaSP, here’s what you want to do.
Set your tone in FCP for -20db. That’s professional standard.
That digital tone should come into your BetaSP deck, translated to 0db analog.
Adjust your program audio around this reference level so that audio peaks occur between 0 – +3db analog.
General audio program levels should also around -3 – 0db. Broadcasters usually look for no more than a 6db dynamic range for analog tape formats…You can get away with having the audio hotter than this as long as it doesn’t distort, but peaking around +3 is the professional standard for ANALOG. Keep in mind, these things are a bit different when we’re talking about digital formats.chad
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Rick,
Did my response help in outputting to BetaSP? The thing to understand is that FCP is all digital and anything you bring in to it is then digital, even if from a non-digital source, hence the term digitization. In order to master analog or digital tapes from any NLE for broadcast and not have the broadcaster reject your tapes, it’s key to understand the differences between digital audio (in this case in FCP) and analog audio and how they translate on different VTR’s.
Personally, I’ve never understood why FCP’s default tone is set at -12db. Professional standard is either -18 or most commonly -20 as it allows more headroom.chad
http://www.televersions.com -
Yes, thanks for the help. Definitely confusing with all the different specs from different stations. And then FCP makes it even more confusing with -12db as the default! Anyway, got it out and everyone seems ok with it.
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