90 Percent of Problems are Cable Problems

Sunday, November 30, 2008 Filed in: Weekly Tip

Most people assume the worst when their edit system starts acting up. If you’re getting a signal or device control problem, it might not be your machine (or even your software). A $10 cable can tear down an entire edit session. Follow these steps:

Shut down the computer to avoid any improper dismounting of media drives.
2 Isolate the suspected “problem” device.
Be sure to reseat both ends of the cable.
4 If that doesn’t work, try swapping out the cable.
Continue to add devices until the problem recurs. Then repeat this cycle.

You might be surprised how many times this works.

Remember, there’s more than just FireWire cables; there are USB cables, RS-422 cables, monitor cables and extensions, and fiber-optic cables. Even your audio and video cables (RCA, BNC, XLR) could be culprits. “What, no video? Oops, my RCA came unplugged.”

Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.