… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #198: A Faster Way to Edit Audio – or, um, not

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Edit only audio, only video or both from a clip.

A menu option in Apple Final Cut Pro X allowing editing audio, video or both.
This menu is accessible, but these shortcuts are MUCH faster.

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In addition to HOW you edit, you can also control WHAT you edit. To access this menu, click the small downward-pointing arrow next to the editing icons above the timeline.

Or, use these keyboard shortcuts:

Shortcut What It Does
Shift + 1 Edit both audio and video into the timeline
Shift + 2 Edit video-only into the Timeline
Shift + 3 Edit audio-only into the Timeline

NOTE: These options need to be enabled before making the edit.


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Tip #192: Faster Ways to Show the Audio Meters

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

One click to greater audio accuracy.

Miniature audio meters are displayed next to timecode in FCP X.

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The audio meters in Final Cut are the only accurate way to measure the audio levels in your project. And, you probably display them using Window > Show in Workspace > Audio Meters. Or, um, you may just leave them open all the time.

NOTE: Or, you may be a shortcut lover like me and memorize the keyboard shortcut: Shift + Cmd + 8.

BUT… there’s an even cooler way to display the audio meters:

  • Click the small audio meter icon immediately to the right of the timecode display.
  • Click once to display the meters, click a second time to put them away.

Truthfully, I use this last option all the time.


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Tip #194: What is Audio Skimming?

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Audio skimming provides a high-speed preview of clip audio.

Click this icon to enable audio skimming in FCP X.

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I have a love/hate relationship with skimming. I love using it in the Browser because it allows me to quickly review clips, but hate using it in the Timeline because it always seems to get in my way.

NOTE: You can toggle skimming on or off by typing S.

However, there’s a special form of skimming that you may not know about: audio skimming.

NOTE: The Blade, Trim and Range tools all act as skimmers when they are active.

By default, when you turn on skimming, you can quickly see the video, but not hear the audio. To turn on audio skimming, either click this icon so it turns blue, or type Shift + S.

Now, when you drag over audio, you’ll hear it. (And even if you drag quickly, FCP X compensates for the speed and pitch adjusts the audio so it sounds normal.)

EXTRA CREDIT

Taking this one step further, you can turn on clip skimming, which allows you to hear the audio from one clip, but not the entire mix. For example, to hear dialog, without also hearing audio from the B-roll above it.

To enable clip skimming, first turn on audio skimming. Then, choose View > Clip Skimming (shortcut: Option + Cmd + S). Now, when you drag across a clip, you’ll just hear that clip.


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Tip #195: What is an Audio Component?

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Audio components allow manipulating audio channels separately.

View a clip's audio channels in the Audio Inspector.

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An audio component is a channel in an audio file. For example, a stereo file has two channels – left and right. By default, Final Cut blends all the different channels in a clip into a single output. But, you can easily see each channel for clips located in either the Timeline or the Inspector. Here’s how.

  • Select a clip in either the Browser or the Timeline.
  • Go to the bottom of the Audio Inspector and change the menu in the top right corner to Mono. This displays each audio channel in the clip.
  • Drag across each channel to preview it.

NOTE: As you drag across a channel the source timecode is displayed in the Viewer.

  • Uncheck a channel to disable its audio.

NOTE: If you disable a channel in the Browser, it will remain disabled when you edit that clip into the Timeline.

EXTRA CREDIT

To display the audio components of a clip in the Timeline, choose Clip > Expand Audio Components. (Shortcut: Control + Cmd + S).

Displaying audio components in the Timeline also allows you to trim and modify audio levels for each channel separately.


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Tip #186: Download Your Free Stuff!

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

All content is free and availably for any project without royalties.

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You may not know that Final Cut Pro X ships with a ton… well, at least a big bunch, of free media and other files. However, these are not installed with Final Cut itself.

To access these free files, choose Final Cut Pro > Download Additional Content.

This opens System Preferences > Software Update where you can easily download and install these files. All files shipped with Final Cut can be used royalty-free on any project.


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Tip #191: What’s In An FCP X Library Backup?

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Backups, like saving, are automatic.

FCP X automatic library backups, stored by project.

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We all know that Final Cut Pro X automatically saves anything we do in the app the instant we do it. In fact, I’ve had beta builds of FCP X crash a fraction of a second after I made an edit, yet, when I restarted the app, everything I had done was saved.

Which is very cool.

But did you know that FCP X also saves a backup copy of your Library, just in case…?

NOTE: You can see all backups, grouped by project name, in [User Directory] > Movies > Final Cut Backups. The backup location can be changed using File > Library Properties.

To access a backup copy, for example, to go back in time to an earlier edit, open Final Cut, then choose File > Open Library > From Backup. Next, select the date and time of the version you want to open from the menu.

NOTE: Opening a backup will not affect the currently open Library. Instead, FCP X makes a copy of the backup, stores it in the Movies folder and attempts to link it with the original media.

EXTRA CREDIT

As you can see from the file sizes in this screen shot, you need to know that these backups are ONLY of the library database. Any media stored in the library is not backed up. For this reason, while Library backups will preserve your edits, you are still responsible for backing up all your media separately; even media stored in a Library.


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Tip #193: When Can Audio Levels Exceed 0 dB?

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Audio levels must NEVER exceed 0 dB, except…

Increasing clip audio levels to +12 dB in FCP X.

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When can audio levels exceed 0 dB? Smile… this is a trick question. Why? Because there are two types of audio levels: Relative and Absolute.

When we adjust the levels of a clip, we are adjusting the audio levels of the clip relative to the level at which it was recorded. Most dialog is recorded at lower levels to prevent distorting the audio during the original performance. Music, which is highly processed, is mastered within a few tenths of a dB of 0. So, we generally boost levels for dialog and reduce levels for music.

Unlike clips, the levels displayed by the audio meters are the absolute audio level of your project.

So, the answer to this question is that when we adjust audio levels on a clip, we often go far above 0 dB. However, during export, audio levels displayed on the audio meters must never exceed 0 dB, or the audio on the master file will distort.


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Tip #066: Pick Your Fastest GPU

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Improve render speeds with this new feature.

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New in the 10.4.7 release of Final Cut Pro X is the ability to choose which GPU you want to use to render effects and export media. (If you only have one GPU, this option is grayed out.)

For example, if you’ve added an eGPU to your laptop or are using the new Mac Pro, you can select which GPUs FCP X can use.

To select these go to: Preferences > Playback and set Render/Share GPU to the fastest GPU on your system.

Apple’s release notes state:

  • Enhances graphics performance with support for multiple GPUs, including Radeon Pro Vega II and Radeon Pro Vega II Duo on Mac Pro.
  • Select which internal or external GPU is used to accelerate graphics processing.

NOTE: Larger numbers in the GPU name indicate faster performance.


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Tip #161: Final Cut Now Includes Sound Effects

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Hundreds of sound effects to choose from.

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If you are like me, you avoid using Photos or iTunes to store images or music.

Why? Because if you ever need to share or archive these files they are really hard to find. I find it much easier to store all project files outside these two applications.

However, what you may not know is that Apple changed the behavior of a Browser so that, while it still shows the contents of your Photos library, it also provides access to a wealth of royalty-free sound effects that you can use in your own projects.

To see what you’ve got, click the second icon in the top left corner of the Browser, select Sound Effects and listen away! You can freely use these files in any project without worrying about royalties or copyright.


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Tip #162: Two Fast Ways to Change Project Properties

Larry Jordan – https://LarryJordan.com

Display Project Properties faster using these two shortcuts.

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Most of the time, once we create a project, we don’t need to change its properties.

But, all too often, I find myself needing to change something in a project after I’ve started editing.

While you could choose Window > Project Properties, here are two faster ways:

  • Type Cmd + J
  • Select the Project in the Browser

In both cases, the image you see in the screen shot appears in the Inspector.

Click the blue Modify button to display the Project Properties window. At this point, you can make whatever changes you need to make.

NOTE: You can change any project setting at any time except frame rate. The only time we can change frame rates is when a project is empty.


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