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215Final Cut Pro User Guide
Audio editing basics
Audio waveforms in Final Cut Pro
Audio waveforms are visual representations of the actual sound. Audio waveforms appear
in clips in the following ways:
• As the bottom portion of a video clip
• As a detached or audio-only clip
An audio waveform’s amplitude and length change according to the underlying sound’s
volume and duration. A short, loud sound such as a drum beat has a sharp, peaked
waveform, whereas low-level crowd noise has a lower, more uniform waveform. These
properties make it easier to find specific edit points when trimming clips or keyframing
effects.
In Final Cut Pro, audio waveforms change according to a clip’s volume level or applied
effects. The waveform appears larger when the volume is high and smaller when the
volume is low.
Note: Clip colors are determined by role assignments. Each role has a default color. Video
clips (including clips containing video and audio) are assigned the Dialogue role and
are blue. Music clips are assigned the Music role and are green. Sound effects clips are
assigned the Effects role and are teal. See
View and reassign roles in Final Cut Pro.