Audio track keeps getting deleted

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Level 2

199 points

Audio track keeps getting deleted

Very strange behaviour that I can't figure out. I am editing a music video, so I have one music track. I lay that on the timeline and then I want to add picture. The problem is, after I add video and then trim it by cutting and deleting a bit, the entire music track gets deleted too. Doesn't matter where the picture is on the timeline. There are clips before it, so why is the music track being deleted? Is there a way to lock the music track so that I can mess with the picture without it disappearing for no reason that I can figure out? Here is a screen grab of what I have so far. If I delete the highlighted clip, the whole audio track above gets deleted too.

Imac 27" Intel i7 and 15" Intel 2.5 i5 Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Dec 22, 2011 3:44 PM

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Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,809 points

Dec 22, 2011 3:51 PM in response to Cartoonguy

The music has been attached to the selected clip. If you delete it the audio goes as well.

What maybe people do is put the music video on the primary storyline and connect the clips to that.

Still can't get used to audio on top of video.

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Answer 2

Dec 22, 2011 4:17 PM in response to Cartoonguy

Try moving the connection point so that the portion of the video you are retaining is connected to the audio. Hold command+option keys and click on the top of the video clip where you want the connection point to move to. You should then be able to delete the other part of the video without affecting the audio.

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Answer 3

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 22, 2011 4:24 PM in response to Jim Wanamaker

I tried that, but it didn't work at all. I tried clicking on the clip before the one I want to delete (while holding the keys), then tried deleting the part of the clip which follows that. When I did that, the entire music track was deleted as well.

The idea of moving the connection point is something I didn't know about, but this doesn't seem to be addressing it. I presume if the connection point is before the clip, deleting something after it should be okay, that's not happening for me.

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Answer 4

Dec 22, 2011 4:34 PM in response to Cartoonguy

Sorry that didn't work for you. I tried it on my installation and it worked fine so I thought it would be ok. The only thing I did differently was instead of selecting the part of the clip to delete I used the blade tool and cut the clip and then deleted after making sure the connection point was to the remaining part of the clip.

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Answer 5

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 22, 2011 8:51 PM in response to Jim Wanamaker

Right, that's essentially what I am doing here. If you look at the picture I posted, the highlighted part is a clip that's been cut in two with the blade. I then click on the clip to the left of the highlighted one here, while holding the keys you mention. Having just done that again now, something totally bizarre has now happened. The clips that preceded the clip I wanted to delete suddenly swooped up above like magic. Really strange. This is what it looks like now:

Is that bizarre? I'm totally confuse.

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Answer 6

Dec 23, 2011 4:40 AM in response to Cartoonguy

Cartoonguy, going of your screen grab, personally I think you should have your music track sitting in your primary storyline, then connect your clips above, especially cutting a music video! This will give you the flexibility to move, trim, delete etc... much more freely.

Example:

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Answer 7

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 25, 2011 4:37 PM in response to blimpmedia

Thank you Blimpmedia. That seems to be working. Makes sense when you think about it, but I'm so conditioned to the picture being on the main track. Only thing is, I'm not sure how to connect the clips to the audio, or why I need to. I put the clips above and it's working. What is the advantage to then connecting them and as I say, how do I connect them?

Thanks and happy holidays!

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Answer 8

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,809 points

Dec 25, 2011 4:40 PM in response to Cartoonguy

All items in the FCP timeline are either on the primary storyline or connected to a a point on the primary storyline. That's the way the application works.

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Answer 9

Dec 25, 2011 7:15 PM in response to Cartoonguy

The biggest advantage in adding your audio in the primary storyline is that you can easily delete, move or trim "connected" clips without effecting other clips connected to the left or right of your editing area.

Though it's still possible to place your clips in the primary storyline, you'll need to take a few precautions prior doing so. As you've already experianced, unless your audio is connected at the beginning to either a gap clip, or your first video clip, then you'll always face your previous problem, moving clips out of sync, or in your case deleting one and finding another disappearing.

Another commen practice I find myself doing if I choose to edit video in the primary storyline, is to add markers to my audio every 4 bars. This way if you do your edit points on a beat and accidentally move or delete a clip, you can quickly and easily see that something has gone wrong.

There's no right or wrong way, it's whatever your comfortable with.

PS to connect clips, choose the clip in your media browser, then hit Q on your keyboard, this will connect a clip depending in where you playhead is situated on your timeline.

A very Merry Christmas.

Tony

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Answer 10

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 27, 2011 11:38 PM in response to blimpmedia

Thanks Tony, for a clear explanation. Only thing is, I'm getting some very bizarre behavior which I can't figure out. I'm editing with the audio on the primary storyline as that makes the most sense. When i put a video cliip on above it, it automatically has a connection mark at the start. If I select that clip and hit Q to connect it at the playhead, instead of changing the connection, a whole new clip suddenly appears on a new track above. What???

Furthermore, the connection has not changed on the original clip and when I try to reposition the clip by grabbing it and moving it slightly to the left, it won't budge. It seems to be locked on the track. I just want to move the clip slightly to the left, but I can't, which seems totally counter intuitive. Any idea what the heck is going on?

Thanks.

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Answer 11

Dec 28, 2011 3:54 AM in response to Cartoonguy

Cartoonguy: If I select that clip and hit Q to connect it at the playhead, instead of changing the connection, a whole new clip suddenly appears on a new track above.

Tony: You have misunderstood my explanation. The clip connected at the playhead is dependent on the clip selected in you events browser window.

Example, if you have clip 001 selected in the events browser, and now position the playhead at let's say 0:00:01:00 then hit Q on your keyboard, what will happen is clip 001 will connect at that point.

If on the other hand you already have a clip connected and you want to move it, then just select the clip and drag it to a new position, this will automatically re-connect the clip at that drop point.

Cartoonguy: When I try to reposition the clip by grabbing it and moving it slightly to the left, it won't budge. It seems to be locked on the track. I just want to move the clip slightly to the left, but I can't, which seems totally counter intuitive. Any idea what the heck is going on?

Tony: can you post a snapshot of your timeline? It seems your doing something wrong. If a clip is connected to the primary storyline, you should be able to freely re-poistion it, this is the advantage of a clip not being place in the primary storyline?

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Answer 12

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 28, 2011 3:49 PM in response to blimpmedia

Hi Tony. You are right. I was thinking in terms of the timeline so I didn't take in that you were referring to the clip in the event browser. So now I get that. You select a clip in the event browser, then position the playhead where you want it to go and hit Q. That clip then pops onto the timeline. Got it. Otherwise, there is no real reason to change the connection point of a clip that's already there. I thought I needed to do that in order to work with it, but I can see that's not the case.

In terms of the clip that won't move, here's a screen grab:

Now, when I say it won't move, it won't, but when I attempt to drag it, it seems to slide the content of the clip. So it stays where it is, but the clip is now a different bit of the clip. Does that make sense?

Speaking of clips, can I trouble you about one other thing? When I am selecting a clip in the clip browser, I can't see how to select it accurately as there is no facility to mark in and out points. I know I can scratch along and then drag, but is that the only way?

Thanks again!

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Answer 13

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,809 points

Dec 28, 2011 3:52 PM in response to Cartoonguy

The clip is in a storyline. The clip can't move. You have to move th storyline. Select the shelf that connects the storyline.

The I/O keys mark in and out points.

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Answer 14

Cartoonguy Author

Level 2

199 points

Dec 28, 2011 5:13 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thanks for the I/O tip. So obvious, yet nothing about it in the help file. Or at least I couldn't find it.

As regards the clip not moving, the audio is in the primary storyline (see earlier part of discussion) as I am editing picture to that audio. The clip I am referring to is above that. I don't want to move the audio on the primary storyline, but I need to be able to move the clips. I mean, that's a basic function, so I am baffled as to why this isn't a very straightforward thing. I figure there must be some fundamental thing wrong with my understanding because clearly editing software that doesn't allow you to move a clip would be pretty crazy.

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Answer 15

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

152,809 points

Dec 28, 2011 5:25 PM in response to Cartoonguy

The clip you have selected is in a storyline. You can't move the clip. You MUST move the storyline. Select the shelf. Where the cursor is pointed.

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