Trimming & Editing Clips

Trimming lets you adjust where a clip starts and ends without deleting any audio. The original audio is preserved—you're just changing what portion plays. This is non-destructive editing.

Trim Handles

Every clip has trim handles on its left and right edges:

• Left handle — Adjusts where the clip starts playing
• Right handle — Adjusts where the clip stops playing

How to Trim

1. Hover over a clip edge
   Move your cursor to the left or right edge of a clip. The cursor changes to a trim cursor (bracket shape).
2. Click and drag
   Drag inward to shorten the clip, or outward to reveal more audio (if available).
3. Release
   The clip is now trimmed. Play it back to hear the result.

Trimming the Start

Trim the left edge to:

• Remove silence or noise at the beginning
• Start the clip on a specific beat
• Cut out unwanted intro material

Trimming the End

Trim the right edge to:

• Remove trailing silence or reverb tails
• End the clip on a specific beat
• Prevent overlap with the next clip

Snap to Grid

By default, trim edges snap to the grid for precise alignment with beats:

• Grid snap ON — Edges align to beat divisions
• Hold Alt/Option — Temporarily disable snap for fine control

Zooming for Precision

For precise trims, zoom in first:

1. Use Cmd/Ctrl + scroll wheel to zoom
2. Or use the zoom slider in the timeline
3. Zoom in close to see individual waveform details
4. Make your trim adjustment
5. Zoom back out to see the full arrangement

Trimming Recordings

After recording, you'll often want to trim:

• Start — Remove the count-in or breath before singing
• End — Remove silence after the performance ends

Trimming vs. Splitting

Know when to use each:

• Trimming — Adjust the edges of a clip. Use when you want to shorten from the beginning or end.
• Splitting — Cut a clip into two pieces. Use when you want to remove a section from the middle or rearrange parts.

Crossfades

When two clips meet on the same track, FlowState automatically adds a small crossfade to prevent clicks:

• The crossfade is automatic and subtle
• Adjust clip positions if you hear unwanted artifacts

Restoring Trimmed Audio

If you trim too much:

1. Hover over the trimmed edge
2. Drag outward to reveal the hidden audio
3. The original audio is still there

Common Trimming Tasks

Tight Drum Loops

For drum loops, trim precisely to the beat:

1. Zoom in on the loop start
2. Trim the left edge to start exactly on the first kick
3. Trim the right edge to end exactly before where the loop would repeat

Vocal Phrases

For vocal clips:

1. Trim the start just before the first word
2. Leave a small buffer (don't cut into the consonant)
3. Trim the end after the last word plus reverb tail

One-Shots

For single hits (kicks, snares, etc.):

1. Trim the start to the transient (the initial attack)
2. Trim the end where the sound naturally fades

Keyboard Shortcuts

Cmd/Ctrl+E	Split clip at playhead
Alt/Option + drag	Disable grid snap while trimming
Cmd/Ctrl+Z	Undo trim

Next Steps

• Working with clips
• Arranging your song
• Advanced sample editing