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Transients and Cutting

Path: DAW Operation/ProTools/Audio Clips and Tracks/Transients and Cutting.mdUpdated: 2/3/2026

Transients are sudden spikes in air pressure. When editing, we often want to jump to a specific transient to make precise cuts, ensuring a clear separation of audio at logical points.

Tab to Transients

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Enabling "Tab to Transients" moves the playhead to specific transient points within the audio. When this option is off, pressing Tab moves the cursor to the start or end of the next clip. Holding down OPTION while pressing Tab reverses the behavior, whether "Tab to Transients" is on or off.

!ProTools - Tab to Transients.mp4

Cutting

We can cut at these specific points by pressing "Cmd E."

!ProTools - Cutting at Transients.mp4