importing music into FCP

I'm running FCP HD on a G4 Powerbook. For some reason, I cannot get music from my ITunes to import into a FCP project. I've done it several times in the past using earlier versions of final cut but this has always given me problems. My friend once figured it out, it was a matter of dragging it into a folder somewhere....really simple, but we can't remember which and I've tried everything.

If it's from the iTunes store, it probably won't import. Something to do with digital rights management no doubt.

You might need a workaround. ;-)



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No, it's not from ITunes store. It's from a CD and I've stored it in several locations. It remains to be faded so that I cannot select it to import.

If the music is gray, it usualy means the music isn't actually on the hard drive--it's still on the CD and the Mac is maintaining a pointer to it. Pointers do not export.

Find the instructions to actually import CD music into iTunes. One of the import options should be to convert to AIFF, 16 bit, 48 KHz, Stereo. AIFFs import to Final Cut just fine.

Koz

Sorry for the ignorance but if it's not on the harddrive, why can I listen to it? I have thousands of songs on my itunes that I can listen to but not import to FC. They're MPEG4 files, I think. Is there a way to convert them to quicktime or AIFF's? I can open them in quicktime.
Thanks
Amy

Open in Quicktime and Export as AIFF, 16 bit, 48kHz stereo, to a location that is logical in relation to your project's media. FCP will not like MP4s

Scott

> Sorry for the ignorance but if it's not on the harddrive, why can I listen to it?

What Koz was referring to are reference files. There is an icon for the "file", which functions like an alias, but the file itself doesn't contain the actual audio information needed to import or edit the music.

With music CDs, you should never use FCP to try to import the songs. Use iTunes or QuickTime Player to create an AIFF as Scott describes above, save the resulting AIFF file to a location accessible to your project file, then import that file into FCP. iTunes can also batch-convert your iTunes music library into AIFFs; just make sure you put those files in the right place before you import into FCP. Music files are a major point where people screw up on file management. Do NOT allow iTunes to call those tracks "Track 1", "Track 2" as it normally does. Name the song in iTunes by title, then export.

the great thing about iTunes is gracenote, or whatever it uses to name the tracks.

once they're named you can actually import (drag) them directly from the CD to your hard-drive.
yes, i know they're 44.1khz, and we mostly work with our timelines at 48,
but as you know it hasn't hurt me.

but to get back to the point:
FCP does NOT like MP3s or AACs or any sort of MPeg audio.
it;s got to be converted to AIFF (or WAV)

you can use QT to convert one file at a time.
or you can use iTunes itself to convert a batch, or playlist.
if you plan on doing a LOT of this, but spread over time, i'd, suggest using compressor's DROPLET function:
read about it here:
[www.lafcpug.org]

to do it in iTunes:
open preferences, go to advanced, importing.
use AIFF converter,
use custom settings of 48k, 16bit, stereo.

select al in your playlist,
control click on them and "convert to AIFF"
when done,
you can select one, and Apple R will take you to hte files.
you'll probably have a bit of culling to do to get around the iTunes way of organising files.
get all the new AIFFs and put them in with your other FCP media,
then bring into FCP

dont forget to set your iTunes prefs back to AAC or whatever you use for your normal use, or your music folder will get very big very quickly, when next you import.


cheers,
nick

Nick said:
<<once they're named you can actually import (drag) them directly from the CD to your hard-drive.
yes, i know they're 44.1khz, and we mostly work with our timelines at 48, but as you know it hasn't hurt me.>>

First time I read the first part of this, I was about to jump on it, then realized that you were saying something subtly different than what I first thought. In the interests of those who might read it the same way I did at first, be advised that you should not import into FCP directly from a CD, but copy that file to a logical place on your hard drive, then import it. Importing from CD will make it necessary to always have that CD in the drive any time you want to edit or play back your project. You won't like that.

On the 44.1 vs. 48 kHz issue, I'll defer to Nick's experience that 44.1 works just fine. I always do 48 but maybe I'm working too hard.

Scott

> On the 44.1 vs. 48 kHz issue, I'll defer to Nick's experience that 44.1 works
> just fine. I always do 48 but maybe I'm working too hard.

For years I had worked with 44.1kHz AIFF files in 48kHz DV sequences and never had an issue. But if you're doing conversions, there's no reason not to do 48kHz so that the sample rate matches captured audio from tape.

At what point do you name the tracks? How do you do it? I have many cd's with music that has been submitted to me for use. What's the exact procedure for importing the music from the cd's into FCP. I know I should first import into iTunes, but how do I change the names -- at what point in the process of transferring from the cd to iTunes is the best way to do it? Thanks for this info. I've been meaning to ask myself. I'm glad somebody else did.

> iTunes, but how do I change the names -- at what point in the process of
> transferring from the cd to iTunes is the best way to do it?

In iTunes, before you do the AIFF conversion. Because that way, some of the metadata that can help in searching for the music -- such as artist name, album name and track name -- will be preserved. The file will be named after the name of the track, and that's the best way to go.