Expert Guide to Video Denoising in Final Cut Pro X

Audio is one of the many factors that contribute to maintaining and uplifting your video. Videos with high-quality audio and zero background noises immediately seize the audience's focus. They convey a strong opening and reflect your passion for content creation or video editing.

As a MacBook user, you have this opportunity at hand to noise reduction Final Cut Pro. While iMovie does provide noise reduction features, Final Cut Pro has precise options. Learn about Denoise Final Cut Pro and some alternative plugins for seamless performance.

Method 1. Apply the Noise Reduction Effect

Final Cut Pro is an editing application for all Apple devices providing advanced means of noise reduction. Besides Denoise Final Cut, users can enhance speech clarity via voice isolation. The tool is equipped with a timeline editing panel, which helps eliminate or isolate audio precisely. In addition, the latest upgrades have introduced a bundle of plugins for diverse audio editing.

It bestows users with a storage library that enables them to manage assets and projects. Furthermore, the display has high contrast and dark colors that enhance video prominence. Final Cut Pro video noise reduction is compatible with multiple audio formats. Whether your audio is in AAC, MP3, WAV, or other popular formats, here is how you can reduce noise in them:

Phase 1. Using Noise Reduction Effect in Final Cut Pro

There are two main stages of reducing noise in Final Cut Pro. First involves applying the noise reduction of the denoise effect, and here is the procedure for doing that:

Step 1. After importing your clip in Final Cut Pro, navigate towards the timeline. Then, adjust the playhead according to the duration of the video you want to denoise. Now, move your cursor toward the top right corner of the timeline toolbar and select "Effects."

Step 2. From the Effects dropdown menu, select the “Basic” category. In the effects panel appearing at the right, select the “Noise Reduction” effect. Upon selecting the "Noise Reduction" effect, drag and drop it on the relevant clip in the timeline.

Phase 2. Adjusting the Noise Reduction Effect in Final Cut Pro

Although this stage is optional, it is always better to adjust an effect as per requirements. Here is how you can adjust the noise reduction FCP effect:

Step 1. First, navigate towards the timeline and select the clip to which you've just applied the effect. Doing this will feature the “Video Inspector” panel at the top right corner of the screen. Navigate towards this panel and access the "Effects" > "Noise Reduction" section. Two options will appear in the “Noise Reduction” dropdown menu; “Amount” and “Sharpness.”

Step 2. Select "Amount," and from its expansion menu, adjust the level of denoise accordingly. Repeat the same process for "Sharpness," and you'll have a perfectly denoised clip.

Method 2. Install the Neat Video Noise Reduction Plugin

There are times when the Final Cut Pro X noise reduction effect doesn't prove as efficient for reducing noise. Neat Video is a digital solution designed for such situations when regular effects don't work. This filter aims to reduce background noises, light flickering, compressions, and more. The plugin shows seamless compatibility with advanced applications like Final Cut and Adobe Premiere Pro.

Phase 1. Downloading the Neat Video Plugin

This section will discuss the step-by-step procedure for installing the Neat Video plugin. First, make sure that your Final Cut Pro application is running smoothly. Afterwards, follow the steps discussed below:

Step 1. From the official website of Neat Video, download its "DMG" file. You'll have two options: either select the purchase file or the demo file.

Step 2. Afterward, access the “Download” files from your device and double-click the "DMG" file. Your macOS will mount the DMG file as a virtual disk.

Step 3. Initiate the installation process by double-clicking on NeatVideoFC.Intel.pkg within the mounted disk.

Phase 2. Applying the Neat Video Noise Reduction Effect

Now, proceed towards running Neat Video in Final Cut Pro. It is a matter of seconds if you remember the credentials of your macOS administrator account. Once the installation is complete, add the "Name" and "Password" of your macOS account in the relevant section. Read the following instructions to use Neat Video for noise reduction FCP:

Step 1. Once done, start the Final Cut Pro on your device. Select the "File" tab at the top toolbar and go to "Import" > "Media" in the dropdown menu.

Step 2. Upon importing the media file in Final Cut Pro, drag and drop it to the timeline. Select the timeline video and navigate towards the "Effects" option on the timeline. In the dropdown menu, access "Neat Video" and select "Reduce Noise v4."

Phase 3. Adjusting the Neat Video Noise Reduction Effect

Accessing the noise reduction adjustments for Neat Video is like FCP's "Basic" effect. However, Neat Video provides optimized audio reduction settings. It is a bit more technical than the “Basic” one, but this step-by-step guide will help you throughout:

Step 1. Select the noise-reduced video in the timeline and access "Effects" from the top right panel. From the dropdown menu, go to "Reduce Noise v4" and then choose "Options window” > “Select to open.”

Step 2. This function will display the “Neat Video plug-in window” on your screen. From the timeline panel at the bottom of this window, select a video frame.

Step 3. Now, you need to add a noise profile explaining the type of noise reduction you want. Neat Video offers an "Auto Profile" option to build a custom profile according to your video. From the “Device Noise Profile” tab, select “Auto Profile” and wait for it to complete.

Step 4. Afterward, navigate towards the bottom right corner of this window and hit “Apply.” If you want to do some manual adjustments, go to the "Noise Filter Settings" tab. You can play around with the "Radius" toggle and adjust its value. Click the "Apply" button again to save all settings.

Step 5. To save the overall settings and preview the results, you need to render the preview. For this, navigate towards the top toolbar and select "Modify" > "Render All." After the rendering is complete, enjoy previewing your noise-free video.

Method 3. Use Optical Flow Retiming for Better Frame Blending

One of the primary reasons to use FCPX noise reduction is to reduce the flickering and glitches due to lighting or camera. An alternative way of ensuring seamless frame blending, optical flow by Final Cut Pro is the ultimate choice. It modifies the framerates to ensure flawless motion in your projects, and here is how you can do it:

Instructions. Use the conventional method to import your video into Final Cut's timeline. Navigate towards the timeline toolbar, locate the “Speed” icon, and click its “Downward Arrow” navigation. From the dropdown menu, hit the “Custom” speed option. Change the speed per your requirements and continue into the "Video Quality" tab to select "Optical Flow."

Bonus Tip. Denoise Video With the Alternative to FCPX in One Click

While denoise in Final Cut Pro is an effective method, its user interface isn't for everyone. If you are just starting your editing journey, Wondershare UniConverter is the best choice. It has an accessible and minimal interface, which makes navigation easier. With its recent upgrade, it has introduced a feature called AI Video Enhancer.

The AI integration of this tool enables you to enhance the visual as well as audio quality of videos. Moreover, this Denoise Final Cut alternative provisions batch processing and exports high-quality video. Besides its 4K, 8K, and 1080P video export options, it enables watermark removal. Furthermore, it has an AI kit from where you can adjust video backgrounds, remove vocals, and much more.

Steps to Denoise Video with UniConverter’s AI Video Enhancer

This tool's AI Video Enhancer feature is a game changer for bad-quality videos. You only need to upload media, and AI will handle the rest. Here is a step-by-step guide to denoise a video with this noise reduction FCP alternative:

Step 1. Access the AI Video Enhancer

Upon launching UniConverter on your Mac device, click the "Tools" tab from the left panel. Then, go to the "AI Lab" section, locate it, and hit "AI Video Enhancer."

Step 2. Upload File to Denoise

In the "AI Video Enhancer" window, hit the "+Add" icon and upload the bad-quality video.

Step 3. Adjust Settings and Export

Once media has been uploaded, choose an option from the right side. You can choose the "General Denoise Model" option for denoising your video. Afterward, hit the "Export" button to observe the outcome.