Visual QuickStart Guide [Electronic resources] : Final Cut Express HD for Mac OS X

Locating Audio Tools in the FCE Interface

The FCE interface has five areas where you edit and finish audio.

• The Audio tab in the Viewer: The Audio tab displays audio-only clips, as well as the audio portion of audio+video clips. This is where you can audition and mark edit points in audio clips and use keyframes to set audio level and pan settings. The Audio tab is the only place in FCE where you can get a large view of your audio clip's waveforms and make subframe adjustments to edit points.

• The Audio tracks in the Timeline: The Timeline is the only place where you can view all audio tracks at once. Turn on the Timeline's audio waveform display (it's off by default), and you can edit audio quite nicely; you can do everything from basic assembly to fine trimming. Track height is completely adjustable, so when you need to concentrate on fine-tuning an edit, you can expand the track until the waveform display is a healthy size.

  You can use keyframes to set and sculpt audio levels using the Timeline's clip overlays. Playback on the Audio tab and in the Trim Edit window is independent of Timeline/Canvas playback, so the Timeline is the only place you can trim audio on the fly as you watch your sequence play back.

• The Voice Over tool: FCE's audio recording tool can record multiple tracks of sync audio as FCE plays back a selected portion of your sequence. Sounds complicated, but it's easy to use and very useful.

• The Filters tab in the Viewer: Apply and adjust audio filters and effects on the Filters tab of the Viewer.

• The Trim Edit window: The latest edition of the Trim Edit window is the best yet (dynamic trimming, improved performance), and if the Trim Edit window displayed large-size waveforms as you fine-tuned your audio edits, it would be a great place to do fine cutting of dialogue or music. Unfortunately, you can't see waveforms in this window, so it's not a top choice for tight audio editing.