Unable to line up clips on Final Cut Pro

Question

Unable to line up clips on Final Cut Pro

I'm trying to sync a long clip over another nearly identical clip - I'm using the audio to make sure it's exact. I'm unable to ever sync it perfectly. I get very close (I use both the . & , to make sure I go only one frame) I've also tried the P (Position tool - to hopefully break up the magnetic timeline setting) but no luck.

You can see the audio spike I'm trying to line up - when I click one direction it goes too far to the right and then just one in the other direction - too far to the left but never longing up - please help.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Unable to line up clips in FCP

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 14.4

Posted on Jun 3, 2025 10:01 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 4, 2025 12:09 AM in response to SoaringOverTexas

As you are experiencing, you can only move video in one frame increments. Audio, however, can dealt with in subframes. For some reason the audio is about one half frame off.

It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. Do you want or need both audio sources? If you are trying to switch between one video source and another, then

perhaps you should use a multicam clip instead of syncing by hand. And if absolutely perfect audio sync is required then you would need to expand or detach the audio in one clip so you can move it by subframes. I don’t think you need that, but then I don’t know what you are trying to achieve. Some more information might help us to give more accurate advice.

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Answer 2

Jun 4, 2025 4:20 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

So I did an extensive edit to the audio on a video- only after finishing was given a higher quality video (the audio is the same quality) - rather than spending another week re-editing the audio to this new video (which is exactly the same just better visual quality) I laid the better video over the older one- I’d like to just line up the audio perfectly and be done. Note the audio is very precise and a frame off wouldn’t work- the video is also a couple of hours long.

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Answer 3

Jun 4, 2025 4:36 AM in response to SoaringOverTexas

This is what I'd do:

Use the higher quality video.

Add ONLY the audio part of the old one (the one with the better audio).

(to use only the audio part of a clip when dragging to the timeline:

select Edit->Source Media->Audio Only, or press Shift-3;

to return to the usual all media,do Edit->Source Media->All, or press Shift-1)

Then you should be able to perfectly line up the good audio to the audio on the video.

Audio only can be moved in subframe increments, until it lines up perfectly.

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