Capturing analog audio

If you want to use audio that is not yet in digital form, you need to capture it. With the proper audio- or video-capture card, Premiere can capture audio that is synchronized with its source video or that is independent of it.

The quality of digitized audio and the size of the audio file depend on the sample rate (the number of samples per second) and bit depth (the number of bits per sample) of the digitized audio. Also, digitizing stereo audio requires twice as much disk space as mono audio. These parameters, controlled in the Capture Settings section of the Project Settings dialog box, determine how precisely the analog audio signal is represented in digital form. Higher sample rates and bit depths reproduce sound at higher levels of quality, but with correspondingly larger file sizes. If you plan to export or play back the final cut from Premiere, capture audio at the highest quality settings your computer can handle, even if those settings are higher than the settings you'll specify for final export or playback. This provides headroom, or extra data, that will help preserve quality if you adjust audio gain or apply audio effects such as equalization or dynamic range compression/expansion; see Applying and controlling effects.

To set the location of a file captured from an audio-only source:

1 Choose Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks and Device Control.

2 For Captured Movies in the Scratch Disks section, select a location and click OK.

To capture an audio source (Windows):

1 Choose File > Capture > Audio Capture.

2 Locate and select the capture program you want to use, and click OK. If you have not purchased a separate audio-capture program, you can use the Windows Sound Recorder (Sndrec32.exe, located in the folder in which you installed Windows). Then click OK.

3 Use the audio capture program to record an audio file. See the documentation or online Help for the capture program. (Premiere remembers the program you chose for recording audio. The next time you choose Capture > Audio Capture, Premiere automatically starts the same audio program.)

Note: In Windows, audio input options are affected by the settings in the Multimedia Control Panel and in the capture program you use. For information, see the online Help for Windows and for the capture program.

To capture an audio source (Mac OS):

1 Choose File > Capture > Audio Capture.

2 Choose Audio Capture > Sound Input.

3 Select a Source from the menu. The options available depend on the audio hardware you are using. For example, a capture card's software may add options to this dialog box.

4 For Sample Rate, select the number of samples per second. Compact-disc audio is stored at 44.1 Hz. For best results, choose the sample rate that corresponds to the rest of the audio in your project. For example, if your project contains primarily DV audio, choose 48 Hz.

5 For Format, do the following:

6 For Speaker, select how you want the speakers to function while you record.

7 For Volume, drag the slider to amplify or attenuate the incoming audio signal.

8 If available, click Options, specify any options provided by your audio hardware, and click OK.

9 Click OK to close the Sound Settings dialog box.

10 Click Record.

Note: If no audio is recorded or you can't hear your source audio, try playing the audio through the computer speaker system without recording. If you still can't hear it, the audio source may not be properly connected. Check hardware connections, settings in the Multimedia Control Panel (Windows) or the Sound or Monitors and Sound control panels (Mac OS), and the documentation that came with your computer and sound card.

Capturing and Importing Source Clips > Capturing analog audio