Final Cut Pro 12.4 audio dropouts when exporting with Voice Isolation

Over on Reddit someone found a workaround. On clips that you have Voice Isolation enabled, put them into Dual Mono mode, not Stereo. Seems to fix the exports.

Yes, same issue, just started after upgrading to Golden Gate 27.2 moving up from Tahoe. I'm using Voice Isolation and the audio dips at the beginning of every file following export, but not in the FCP. Switching from Stereo to Dual Mono fixed it. Look forward to Apple releasing a prompt fix for this. Wasted 45 minutes on this. Thanks!

I work on fast turnaround broadcast news with fixed deadlines. This has been a problem.

Workaround ...

Create a new timeline.

Copy the affected (or all) audio.

Paste onto the new timeline.

Export the new timeline as an aiff audio file or choose format without video.

Re-import that audio file.

Lay the new audio file below the original.

Mute the original.

Export the project.,

There should be no glitches!

I hope this is sorted cos it's a massive pain!

If that doesn't work for you ... this is what I have been doing ....

I work on fast turnaround broadcast news with fixed deadlines. This has been a problem.

Workaround ...

Create a new timeline.

Copy the affected (or all) audio.

Paste onto the new timeline.

Export the new timeline as an aiff audio file or choose format without video.

Re-import that audio file.

Lay the new audio file below the original.

Mute the original.

Export the project.,

There should be no glitches!

I hope this is sorted cos it's a massive pain!

Yep, same issue here. I can't try the dual mono trick. My clips are mono, and I don't see an option to change to dual mono.

I tried putting them in a compound clip, to no avail. I tried exporting just the audio from another version of the same timeline (landscape vs. vertical), and the drop outs were still there.

In the end, I had a good working copy of the landscape video I exported a few weeks ago. I pulled that in and grabbed the audio from it and exported and everything is fine, because I'm not using the clips with Voice Isolation on.

Very weird bug, but a huge one, especially because Voice Isolation has been fantastic for me otherwise.

Apple, please patch this bug ASAP. :-) We're all in the middle of projects. Thanks!

If this is helpful, for me I'm noticing that voice isolation shifts the audio slightly to the right, so it starts late. When there are multiple microphones in a scene, that creates a doubling/chorus effect if the mics pick up the other person's audio a bit. Even adjusting the amount of voice isolation seems to move the samples.

It would also explain the dropouts people are hearing.

If Apple could give us a timeframe pls, we'd know whether or not to try workarounds, but

Possible workaround: Maybe check if it's shifting your audio to the right as well by watching the samples when you enable and disable voice isolation.

Then try calculating the amount of shift to the right when toggling voice isolation and shift a [copy of] your audio left by that amount. Using a copy of the audio as temporary workaround for now, even though that's a pain for multiple clips, will let us more easily disable the shifted audio when the issue is patched.

Are you applying any other audio effects? In some situations Compression effects can cause what sounds like dropouts or pumping at cut points.

I've never experienced dropouts except during playback if the drives and/or CPU are overworked and can't keep up with Voice Isolation, but is fine when rendered. But you're running into the opposite: timeline playback is fine but the render is broken. Strange. Paste an https://etrecheck.com report here using the "Additional text" button below in your reply.

I'm experiencing this mostly with Voice Isolation as well, but I've also had it happen on clips that weren't using Voice Isolation at all.

Recently, I was editing a video where I needed to use music from another video clip. When I extracted the audio in Final Cut Pro, I noticed the same clicking and popping issues. The only workaround I found was to use another program to extract the audio as an MP3, which worked perfectly (for this issue).

What's particularly interesting is that I was previously running Final Cut Pro 12.4 on macOS Tahoe 26 on my 2020 iMac and never experienced these issues. They only started after I upgraded to an M5 Max Mac Studio running macOS Golden Gate 27.2, despite using the same version of Final Cut Pro.

It's incredibly disheartening. I upgraded specifically to handle heavier projects and improve my workflow. Instead, I'm spending days troubleshooting audio issues and trying to find reliable workarounds.

I've attached a screenshot below showing the audio waveforms from an exported file, where you can see sudden drops that correspond to the audible glitches.

Has anyone else experienced these audio glitches in Final Cut Pro 12.4 without using Voice Isolation, particularly on macOS Golden Gate 27.2? If so, have you found a reliable fix?

Hi(bonjour),

Did you try to export audio track only as wav? Emptying cache ?

Michel B.

Yes, having the same issue. Only since the latest update. At the moment, I'm turning off the VI. It seems the only way to fix it. I am applying EQ and Compression to the vocal track along with some gain. But I've been doing this for years without issue.

Oh that's really disappointing. I haven't used VI in 12.4 yet. Only one room is running 12.4, the other two will stay on 12.3 until this gets fixed.

If you're experiencing this, please report it to Apple Feedback. The more who report the more likely it will be fixed quickly. Final Cut Pro->Provide Final Cut Pro Feedback... or Feedback - Final Cut Pro - Apple

This is a user-to-user forum. Report it to Apple via Final Cut Pro->Provide Final Cut Pro Feedback... or Feedback - Final Cut Pro - Apple The more people who report it the more likely it will be fixed quickly.