DaVinci Resolve: Syncing sound effects to on-screen motion

Demo summary
The instructor demonstrates frame-by-frame alignment of 'pop' and 'whoosh' sound effects to match the visual timing of titles and transitions.
Step-by-step
- Open the Media Pool and drag your sound effects folder into the Master bin
- Drag the desired sound effect onto a new audio track below your music
- Rename the audio track to 'Sound Effects' for organization
- Zoom in on the timeline to see the audio waveform clearly
- Navigate frame-by-frame to find the apex moment of the visual animation
- Toggle the Magnet (snapping) icon off to move the audio clip with higher precision
- Align the start of the soundwave with the visual key moment
- Open the Audio tab and adjust the volume (e.g., -10 dB) to balance the levels
Options
- Toggle snapping back on after initial placement if preferred
Watch out for
- Managing many tracks can become difficult or 'funky' visually, requiring manual track height adjustment
Tips
- Look for key moments in the video to emphasize with sound effects
- Keep all sound effects on a dedicated track (e.g., A3) to stay organized
- Turn off snapping to get more accurate timing when aligning waveforms to specific frames
Highlights
“with sound effects, it's pretty straightforward”
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