Grey bar on top of audio clips and audio not aligned with the rest

[Doug Metz]

They are grouped in a Secondary Storyline (notice the grey bar at the top indicates a container that surrounds the clips).

If you first select the group/storyline, you can Un-group them using ‘Break Apart Clip Items’ near the bottom of the Clip menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Shift+Cmd+G

Is there some reason you’ve detached all of your audio from the associated video clips?

[Simona Mannino]

Thanks for your answer. I had this problem yesterday but my post could not be approved because my name was not showing in full….so I also asked elsewhere.

As you said, they were in a secondary storyline.

I right clicked on those clips and chose “lift from storyline” and then deleted the black box left by those clips. They went back where they were supposed to be.

Before asking in forums, I was trying to fix it myself but because I was clicking on the grey box on top of those clips, to highlight them, when right clicking, nothing would show up to make any change. Instead I should have highlighted each clip on its own and then right click and lift from storyline!

I detached the audio from the video clips because I wanted to add a few effects and in a few video tutorials they say to detach and then compound the audio so the changes will be applied to the full audio.

I never do compound clips usually for the type of videos I make but I was done with the editing and so I did a compound clip for the effects.

Once you do apply your effects, is it possible to reattach the audio to the video clips?

Any advice or tips are very much welcomed and thanks again for the answer!!!

[Doug Metz]

Before asking in forums, I was trying to fix it myself but because I was clicking on the grey box on top of those clips, to highlight them, when right clicking, nothing would show up to make any change. Instead I should have highlighted each clip on its own and then right click and lift from storyline!

• No need to select individual clips and lift from storyline, delete storyline, etc. Just select the grey box and use the keyboard shortcut (Shift+Cmd+G) or the menu item ‘Break Apart Clip Items’ from the Clip menu in the menubar at the top. The option doesn’t show up in the right-click contextual menu, which is unfortunate, because it absolutely ought to.

I detached the audio from the video clips because I wanted to add a few effects and in a few video tutorials they say to detach and then compound the audio so the changes will be applied to the full audio.

I never do compound clips usually for the type of videos I make but I was done with the editing and so I did a compound clip for the effects.

• There are better ways to do this, those tutorials may be out of date. Keep your audio attached, make sure things are assigned the correct roles, and at the end of the edit, make a compound of the entire edit. Then you can apply your effects to specific roles or the whole mix (or both)

Once you do apply your effects, is it possible to reattach the audio to the video clips?

• Unfortunately, no. This is why I avoid doing so whenever possible. It may be helpful to review the surprisingly good FCP manual, or tutorials from reputable sources. Ripple Training is a favorite, there are a few others.

Good luck!

[Ben Balser]

No, you can’t reattach them with the effects and adjustments in tact, unfortunately. This is where a for-real audio mixer with buses would make FCPX so amazing. Achilles heel so to speak.

I usually fix the audio on one clip, then copy that clip, then select all my other clips together, and do a Paste Attributes. Very fast, and my audio stays with my video.

You could just make it all a Compound clip, do your video editing inside the Compound, and your audio sweetening outside of it.

Really a pain that FCPX is so behind on audio tools.

[Simona Mannino]

Thank you so much for the advice!! I do prefer not to split the audio from the clips because I do crafting tutorials and I have a lot of clips that I often I need to adjust of only a few seconds at the start and/or end of clips.

Now after detaching the audio, compound it and adding the effects, I realized that I need to shorten one of the clips but the audio is detached so I can trim the video clip but not the audio that should go with it! This is a real pain!

The videos that suggest to detach and do compound of the audio are 6 months old. More than one suggesting the same thing, unfortunately.

I will surely follow your method from now on.

Thank you!

[Simona Mannino]

I just found out I can re split the audio from being in a compound clip, by looking at the options I had by right clicking. Is there no way I can reattach the audio to the video clips if I remove the effects?

I realized I need to shorten one clip but the audio will not move with it now… I will pull my hair out if this can’t be fixed…..

Now that the audio is detached again, I could shorten the video clip and then the audio clip but if the audio could go back as one with the videos, that would be great!

Thanks a lot for the insight!

[Doug Metz]

Unfortunately, there really is no way to re-attach it.

To fix it, you’d need to recut the whole piece. Depending on the number of edits, this may or may not be a horrifying idea. There is a quick-ish way to do it, but requires a bit of setup and there are a number of keyboard shortcuts, keystrokes, and a specific order of operations for each edit.

Would be far easier to demonstrate, but I haven’t time to record a tutorial at the moment.

[Simona Mannino]

Obviously you can’t produce a video for every person that needs help!! 🙂 I understand. Thanks again for your advice, super useful nonetheless.

I surely learned something!! Great insight!

[Ben Balser]

“Now after detaching the audio, compound it and adding the effects, I realized that I need to shorten one of the clips but the audio is detached so I can trim the video clip but not the audio that should go with it! This is a real pain!”

Many of us have been shouting this for 11 years now, and Apple seems to ignore us. Apple seems to think audio is not important when editing.

The only real way to REATTACH audio, is to select the video clip, Shift-F to find that range in the Browser, then do a replace edit. You’ll have the same clip with audio attached, but a fresh new unadjusted clip. So your color grading and audio sweetening will have to be done all over from scratch.

Come on Apple, the ONLY NLE that can’t mix and bus audio? Must less edit from text? Really?

[Simona Mannino]

Yes, it seems like Apple, in general, doesn’t listen to feedback too much or, at least, doesn’t seem to follow up. I switched to Mac only a year ago and even if I love it more than Windows, there are some very basic features that are missing and even if people requests them constantly, they don’t do anything.

Anyway, I’m very grateful for the time you took answering and explaining, because even if I made mistakes, I surely learned something from it.

Thank you Ben!