[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

The main difference between “mini-plug” and “XLR” connections is not “quality of the audio”… but it has to do with NOISE PICKUP.

With UN-balanced cables (2 pins/wires), of which mini-phone plugs and RCA phono plugs are a part, there is SINGLE inner conductor wire, wrapped (encased) by a shield wire. In UN-balanced cables, the conductor AND the shield both help carry the “signal”.

If the cable is used in an area that contains stray audio interference (radio & cellphone transmitters, AC power radiation), each wire (conductor and/or shield) can pick up a slightly different amount of the “noise” and THAT causes the a potential for the noise to get amplified and recorded along WITH the audio that the cable is carrying. (Noise = BAD).

The (BALANCED) XLR cable has 3 pins/wires (for mic and audio use, anyway).
There are TWO inner “conductor” wires, wrapped (encased) by a third “shield” wire.
With BALANCED cable, the shield does NOT carry any of the audio signal.

If the 2 conductors DO pick up any stray audio interference (radio & cellphone transmitters, AC power radiation), they are BOTH at the same “potential” in relation to the shield (both conductors INSIDE the shield) the interference tends to “null-out” to “zero” between the two, and not “get into” (become a part of) the audio that the cable is carrying. (No Noise = GOOD).

This is VERY important with longer cable runs from mics to mixers or camcorders.
(There can also be a small loss of high-frequencies with longer runs of UN-balanced cables as well).

HOWEVER…
In the case of a very short cable length of under 10 feet, or so (like the short link from a wireless mic receiver mounted to a camcorder) it most-likely will NOT cause any quality problems if you are using an UN-balanced link from mic to camcorder.

But, always (ALWAYS) wear good headphones and monitor your audio (listen for any NOISE pickup) every time you’re recording audio you intend to use.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[Gary] “Should I have laid it to tape before capturing rather than capturing straight from the DVD player?”

Its one of the most often offered pieces of advice given with Off-line/On-line editing.

Always (ALWAYS) capture material only from sources with clean continuous repeatable timecode. You never know when you might need to go back to source, and the edit system MUST be able to FIND the exact frames again.

I always record “wild” sources and even voice-overs to tape FIRST, then capture (remembering to type in the precise name of each tape inserted).

It sometimes seems like a time-wasting exercise, but IF you EVER need to revisit clip(s) from the master(s)… its a LIFESAVER.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Try looking here:

https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301852

This seems to be the answer to many of these kind of problems.

Worth a shot.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

The first thing to always try is to Quit FCP, Restart the Mac, Open your FCP project and try again.

Next:
THE FOLLOWING COMES FROM THE KEN STONE WEBSITE:
“Over 5,000 years ago Confucius wrote: ‘If you are toiling away, you have changed nothing and FCP heads South on you, [starts behaving in strange ways] then it is time to trash your FCP Preferences.’ ”

Click the following link for instructions.

https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html

A great way to do this is to use “FCP Rescue” a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences for you (and restore nearly all of your user settings afterward).
There are versions for FCP (Pro) & FCE (Express) and a new one for FCP 5.

Download these free Apple Scripts at

https://fcprescue.andersholck.com/

This is one FCP tip that has helped in solving hundreds of “odd” problems.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

To add Multiple Transitions:

Create the transition you want and make it your “Default Transition”.
(You can change the default by control clicking on it in the fx tab.)

Range Select (Select All of) your clips on the timeline.
Drag this selection into the canvas

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Try looking here:

https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301852

This seems to be the answer to many of these kind of problems.

Worth a shot.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

What kind of audio files are you using.

FCP is not compatible with mp3 files.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Very frequently asked question.

https://www.dvdxdv.com/
https://www.miraizon.com/products/products.html
https://www.alfanet.it/squared5/mpegstreamclip.html

You can find answers to most questions in seconds
with the “Search Posts” here on the COW.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Here are two.

https://www.dvgarage.com/prod/prod.php?prod=dvmattefcp

https://www.padd.com/dvg/prod/prod.php?prod=dvmatteb&view=dvg

The second one also works in “Motion”.

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Are you judging the quality on an external video monitor and not on the computer screen?

You must only judge quality on an external video monitor.