Switching and Cutting Video and Audio Items Separately
By default, when you switch or cut angles in a multiclip, both video and audio items of
a multiclip change together. Final Cut Pro allows you to change the active video and
audio items of a multiclip independently. This is helpful when you want to switch or cut
to a different video angle without changing the audio, or vice versa. For example, you
may need to cut video between four different camera angles, but keep dialogue audio
from angle 4 playing throughout. In this case, you need to tell Final Cut Pro to switch
only the video item, not the video and audio items together.
Note: A multiclip can have one active video item and up to 24 active audio items
at a time.
When you switch video or audio independently, the results differ depending on
whether the multiclip in the Viewer is opened from the Browser or from a sequence.
This is because switching video and audio independently affects the linking
relationships between video and audio items.
 In a Browser clip, all items are always linked. Therefore, when you open a Browser
multiclip in the Viewer, all of the active audio items of the multiclip must come from
the same angle. Although you can switch video and audio items separately in a
Browser multiclip, you can’t switch individual audio items. For example, suppose you
have a 16-angle multiclip with four audio items. If you try to switch only audio item 4
to the audio in angle 2, all four audio items switch to the audio items in angle 2.
Individual audio items
Video item
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Working with Multiclips
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II
 In a sequence multiclip, you can change each audio item independently. For example,
if you have a sequence multiclip with four audio items open in the Viewer, you can
independently cut to a new angle for audio item 4 without changing the angles for
audio items 1–3.
However, independently switching video or audio angles breaks linking relationships
between a multiclip’s clip items in the Timeline. After you perform the switch, only
the audio item whose angle you switched remains linked to the video item.
To choose whether you switch or cut video, audio, or both at the same time:
m
Choose View > Multiclip Active Tracks, then select one of the following options:
 Video + Audio: Both video and audio change at the same time.
 Video: Only video changes.
 Audio: The specified audio items change:
 All: All audio items change at once.
 A1+A2: Audio items 1 and 2 change simultaneously.
 A3+A4: Audio items 3 and 4 change simultaneously.
 A1: Only audio item 1 changes.
 A2: Only audio item 2 changes.
 A
N
: Only audio item N changes.
Note: The same menu items are available in the Playhead Sync pop-up menu in
the Viewer.
...only audio item 4 is
changed, and remains
linked to the video item.
After you switch the
active angle for
audio item 4...
These audio items are
no longer linked to the
video clip item.
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Rough Editing
To switch only the video of the active multiclip angle in the Viewer:
1
Double-click a multiclip in the Browser or Timeline to open it in the Viewer.
2
Choose View > Multiclip Active Tracks > Video.
You can also choose this option from the Playhead Sync pop-up menu in the Viewer.
3
Click an angle to make it active.
A blue outline highlights the active video angle.
To switch only the audio of the active multiclip angle in the Viewer:
1
Double-click a multiclip in the Browser or Timeline to open it in the Viewer.
2
Choose View > Multiclip Active Tracks > Audio.
You can also choose this option from the Playhead Sync pop-up menu in the Viewer.
3
Click an angle to make it active.
A green outline highlights the active audio angle.
Important:
Final Cut Pro always remembers the last track switching mode you used, so
make sure you check this before you begin editing your multiclips.