Before you make a single cut, there's a setup decision that affects everything downstream. Most editors skip it or do it wrong, and then wonder why their multi-camera edit is painful. Here's the fix.
The mistake: using Synchronize Clips for separate audio
When you have footage from multiple cameras (or a camera plus a separate audio recorder), the instinct is to use Final Cut Pro's Synchronize Clips feature. It aligns your clips by audio waveform, which works. But the result is a Compound Clip that locks all your media together. Editing inside it is awkward, and separating audio roles later becomes unnecessarily complicated.
The right way: Multicam Clips
For multi-camera or multi-source setups, use Multicam Clips instead. Select all your clips in the Browser, right-click, and choose New Multicam Clip. FCP syncs them the same way (by audio), but now each camera angle is accessible as a separate "angle" within the clip. You can switch between angles with a single keystroke, and you maintain independent control over each audio track.
Set up your angles correctly
In the Multicam Clip editor, each source occupies its own angle. Name them clearly: Camera A, Camera B, Lav Mic, etc. Assign audio roles in the Inspector: dialogue for clean audio, scratch for camera audio. This setup makes role-based audio mixing in the final export straightforward.
Compound Clips are still useful, just not here
Compound Clips absolutely have their place: grouping a sequence of clips you want to treat as a unit, wrapping a complex motion graphics section, or building a re-usable element. But for multi-source syncing, Multicam Clips give you the control you actually need. The difference is meaningful on any project with separate audio.
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