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For anyone who has spent time editing audio in a traditional digital audio workstation (DAW) or non-linear editor (NLE), you know how frustrating it can be to make a cut in your audio only to have occasional popping or clicking noises occur at the edit boundaries.

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Why does this happen?

This popping noise occurs when a sound wave is abruptly cut off at the edge of your clip without a fade or crossfade to smooth out the transition. The louder the clip at the boundary, the louder the popping noise will be.

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How Descript uses Microfades

Descript handles this gracefully by applying microfades, about five samples in length (that’s really tiny!), in-between your clips to ensure that there is no popping noise during playback. Microfades are handled “under the hood,” so you will not notice them, even if you zoom all the way in on the Timeline. Just know that they’re working to simplify your editing process and ensure that your finished content sounds even better.

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Microfades are not included in timeline exports

It’s important to note that microfades are not included in timeline exports since many applications include some kind of native support for adding fades to clips. So, users who are taking their projects to Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, or any other supported audio or video editor can add or adjust crossfades according to taste in their destination application.