This week on MacBreak Studio, Steve Martin from Ripple Training explores the Range tool in Final Cut Pro X.

The Range tool – found in the Tools menu or invoked with the keyboard shortcut “R” – has a surprisingly large number of uses throughout the editing of a project.

For editorial, it allows you to set Start and End points in the Timeline for a three-point edit (either by overwriting to the primary storyline or by creating a connected clip). You can also delete multiple clips in a range, either closing the resulting gap automatically thanks to the magnetic timeline (a “ripple delete”) or replacing them with a gap clip (a “lift”).

For adjusting audio, the Range tool is ideal when ducking a music track under voiceover. For effects, the Range tool lets you change the impact of an effect over time. You can use it to make retiming changes, and even to export just a portion of your project.

If you haven't used this tool much, you'll get some great tips for your next project.