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About Audio Meters in Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro uses peak audio meters, which respond very quickly to the audio signal,
alerting you to potential peaks over 0 dBFS. The meters in Final Cut Pro display a peak
level indicator, which is a yellow line that shows recent peak levels for up to 3 seconds
(assuming a higher peak hasn’t been reached).
Yellow peak level
indicator
The peak level indicator can help you get a sense of the dynamic range of your mix
because you can compare the current levels to recent peaks. For more information about
peak meters, see “Average and Peak Audio Levels.”
There are several audio meters in Final Cut Pro:
• Input audio meters in the Clip Settings tab of the Log and Capture window. (See
“Overview of Capturing Tape-Based Media.”)
• Track meters in the Audio Mixer. (See “Track Strips Area.”)
• Master audio meters in the Audio Mixer. (See “Master Area.”)
• Floating audio meter window. (See “Floating Audio Meters.”)
Clipping Indicators
The Master audio meters and the floating audio meters have a clipping indicator that
lights up when the output signal reaches 0 dBFS. Once the clipping indicator is lit, it stays
on during playback to let you know that part of your signal clipped. The clipping indicator
also stays on after you stop playback, but it is turned off each time you start playback.
868 Chapter 54 Evaluating Levels with Audio Meters