Sound effects, part 3 — working in a surround sound space

Although possible in FCP7, creating surround sound elements was complicated and limited, and users were often forced to take their projects into Soundtrack Pro for more robust options. Although Soundtrack Pro has fallen off of Apple's product map, the developers did integrate some of Soundtrack Pro's features right into FCPX, including the (mostly) easy-to-use Surround Designer.

Getting ready

Unsurprisingly, to properly complete and appreciate this recipe, you must have a surround sound setup at your home or workplace. It may be an easier setup than you think. If you already have a home stereo receiver, you can probably plug your Mac right into one of the HDMI inputs—all you need is a Mac with an HDMI port or a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, which can be purchased at most Apple stores or on their online store site (http://store.apple.com/us). Note that some older Macs don't support sound through the Mini DisplayPort, but if you've...