[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Turn you master gain back to normal.

Add the Audio Filters > Apple > AUPeakLimiter and adjust the “Pre-gain” to any level you want.

This is the kind of “continuous” noise that a program like Bias “SoundSoap” can help remove.

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

Bias has recently released “SoundSoap 2”

https://www.bias-inc.com/products/soundsoap/

SoundSoap was retailing for about $50 (up to $80 just before the new “2” release).
SoundSoap 2 is priced at about $100.

NOTE: STP does have (as I recall) a similar digital noise reducer.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

[Clifford L. Frazier] “I called Apple TC who told me that the DV videos don’t have enough room for the alpha channel so I’d need to annimate it???”

Well, that might have been the case before,
but the Apple tech must have missed the episode of
“EXTREME MAKEOVER: DV Edition”
in which they added on enough room for Alpha
(and his entire family) to the DV codec.

😉

https://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301021

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Ditto to Jon’s answers!

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

The best method is what you described, connection to the in-room PA gear.
That also assumes that:
A. you do have permission
B. the DJ or other operator can handle the live mix correctly
C. the in-room gear works properly
D. you have the right adapters and proper level inputs on your gear

Another tried-and-true solution is to gaffer-tape your own small mike “onto” the in-room PA mic used by the speech-makers.

YOU would have control of the mic and it would be inches from the mouths of those speaking.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

You don’t Monitoring FCP on an external video monitor is as easy as:
Mac > Camcorder > Monitor.

Here’s how to connect it, step-by-step:

1. “Quit” the Final Cut Pro program.

2. Connect your camcorder to the Mac via FireWire.

3. Hook any standard monitor or TV (with a video input) to the outputs on your DV camcorder.
You can use the standard (usually colored yellow) video cable or the “S-video” output from the camcorder if the monitor has one of those kind of inputs.

You should ALSO hook up the AUDIO outputs from the camcorder to the same monitor, or any “amplified speakers” so you can monitor the FCP audio along with the video.

4. Turn ON the camcorder. Switch it to the VCR (player) mode, but don’t put a tape in it (unless you intend to record from FCP to a DV tape.)

5. Turn ON the Video Monitor and set to view the “Video Input”.

6. Open Final Cut Pro on the Mac.

7. In FCP, make sure under the pulldown menu: View > External > ALL FRAMES is set.

You should now see the output of FCP on the camcorder’s viewfinder screen AND the external monitor.

You will also hear FCP’s audio from the speakers that you connected to the camcorder.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Decide which you want.

The WS to be ZOOMED IN (cropping the sides) to match the FS,

or the FS CROPPED (top and bottom) to match the WS.

I’d probably do the latter, but I don’t know how your footage was shot.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

There are many choices for various purposes. But the first few steps would be the same:

Step 1: File> Export> Using QuickTime Conversion… “Save” window appears
Step 2: Format> Still Image
Step 3: Options… > Format: (choose PNG, PICT or Photoshop) > OK
Step 4: Name your image, Set location (disk, folder, desktop) for your new still. > Save

After you have your new image you can manipulate it in Photoshop (et.al.) for best looking print.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

I’d like to know about syncing multiple DVD players, too.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

Getting a 10 minute FCP piece out to a finished DVD in 20 minutes is inside the Mac is going to be tight.

A fast way to make this happen is to play the project from FCP into a “set-top” (stand-alone”) DVD Recorder.

They work essentially in real-time (but still require a “Finalize” step, which can take several minutes).

One way to make this process much faster is to burn to a DVD-RW which has been pre-formatted so as to be able to play on standard DVD players after just the basic “record” process is completed.
Some DVD recorders can do this.

[Thaxter Clavemarlton]

How do you KNOW you HAVE a problem?

Without viewing on an external monitor, you are not SEEING the correct image from FCP.

We keep telling you that you MUST use an external monitor to SEE if the QUALITY is actually LOW.

After rendering, the image on the FCP Canvas on the computer screen WILL LOOK SOFT. It will look SOFTER than it did BEFORE the render on the computer screen.

First connect FCP correctly, then if you still have a problem, describe it, and we might have more info.

Here’s a link about Titles in DV.

https://www.creativecow.net/articles/hodgetts_philip/titles/index.html

There are limitations to quality in this format, but many of use use it successfully every day.