7. Audio

Final Cut Pro’s audio tools allow you to manipulate audio clips easily and precisely with visual feedback. Audio meters, waveforms of clips, and subframe editing of connected clips combine to yield great audio edits.

Setting Levels

To aid in setting levels or finding trim points, the audio waveforms provide dynamic visual cues.

Clip Volume Level

As long as you chose a Timeline Clip Appearance setting that displays waveforms, you can adjust a clip’s volume.

Changing Volume Over Time

You have multiple options to change a Timeline clip’s volume over time within the Timeline. Two methods are using keyframes and setting a range.

Using Fade Handles

Audio ramps are easy to create via the fade handles.

Expanding Audio

To make split edits in the primary storyline, you can expand the audio and video within the clip by double-clicking the waveform. With multiple clips selected, press Control-S.

There are several benefits to expanding audio:

• Audio and video stay in sync.

• You may perform video-only roll edits with the Trim tool.

• You may perform video-only transitions.

Detaching Audio

Detaching audio breaks the linked audio out of a video clip and makes it a separate, connected audio clip.

Some benefits to detaching audio:

• Slip audio separately from the video.

• Allows you to group audio clips as storylines or compound clips.

Audio Storylines

Use a secondary storyline to create audio crossfades.

1. Select the audio clips, and press Command-G.

2. Select the edit point, and press Command-T.

Subframe Trimming

Connected clips and audio-only compound clips allow you to zoom in for subframe editing and keyframing. Choose View > Zoom to Samples and zoom in. Use Command-Left Arrow and Command-Right Arrow to navigate by subframe.

Synchronize Clips

Final Cut Pro allows you to synchronize dual recording-system media (with one video and multiple audio clips) from the same take. The result is a compound clip. Select the source clips and choose Clip > Synchronize Clips.