> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://finalcuthub.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Final Cut Pro Speed Ramps: Control the Change, Not Just the Percentage - URL: https://finalcuthub.com/final-cut-pro-retime-speed-ramp/ - Published: 2026-10-21T09:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-21T12:00:42.000Z - Author: George Hoffman - Tags: Editing For a speed ramp in Final Cut Pro, pick one of the preset ramps under Retime > Speed Ramp, or divide the clip into segments with Blade Speed and set each segment's speed. The ramp is the transition between speed segments, so it isn't the same as a clip that's simply faster or slower. I'd start with a duplicate project or a short test passage: retiming can [alter clip duration and ripple downstream clips](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/change-clip-speed-ver40b00150/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com). ## Check source and project frame rates Before choosing a percentage, decide which part of the action needs to slow down and compare the source frame rate with the project frame rate. Apple's [Automatic Speed example uses 120 fps footage in a 30 fps project](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/change-clip-speed-ver40b00150/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com): select the timeline clip and choose **Retime > Automatic Speed** below the viewer. Every original frame then plays at the project's 30 fps, making the action take longer without skipped or duplicated frames in this example. That gives you a basis for the slow interval; you still need to choose the speed segments and transition timing that fit the action. ## Decide whether you need a constant speed or a ramp For a uniform change, select a clip or range in the timeline, open the **Retime** pop-up menu beneath the viewer, and choose **Slow** or **Fast**, then a speed from the submenu. Constant speed applies a single percentage to the selection. By default, the changed duration ripples later clips: a five-second clip at 50 percent becomes ten seconds. If you choose **Retime > Custom** and disable **Ripple** in the Custom Speed window, the later edit stays in place: slowing can cut short the visible source action, while speeding can leave a gap. I'd turn Ripple off only when the following edit has to stay put, then check both the retimed clip and the cut that follows it. ![Custom Speed Rate and Duration controls with Ripple highlighted.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/57/ac5779c6-4ac7-45d8-83b8-afdad2b814a0/content/images/2026/10/final-cut-pro-retime-speed-ramp-redo-inline-0-ddd6c363798cf210.webp) Ripple controls later clip movement; clearing it still requires checking the retimed action and following cut. A ramp calls for at least two speed segments. For a quick preset, select a clip or range, then choose **Retime > Speed Ramp > to 0%** or **from 0%**. The preset [creates four speed segments](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/create-variable-speed-effects-ver95783cbbc/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com); the retiming handles let you adjust their speeds. The preset is only a starting point, so judge the motion by eye. ## Make a custom speed change Position the playhead at a proposed boundary and choose **Retime > Blade Speed**, or press **Shift-B**. Repeat where the next segment should begin. Double-click the retime editor above a segment to open **Custom Speed**, then choose **Rate** or **Duration** and enter the value. You can also change a segment’s speed by dragging its right retiming handle. Dragging a handle changes speed, not the segment's source end frame. To [change a segment’s source end frame](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/create-variable-speed-effects-ver95783cbbc/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com), show the retime editor with **Command-R**, double-click the transition between segments, and click **Source Frame Edit** in the Speed Transition window. Drag the resulting filmstrip icon left or right while checking the frame in the viewer. Make one boundary adjustment at a time and replay across it. Preset ramps already include speed transitions. Manual segments can switch abruptly: select the clip and turn on [**Retime > Speed Transitions**](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/add-speed-transitions-ver41a2cd3ae/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com), then drag a transition bar’s edge to change ramp duration. A shorter bar makes the shift quicker; a longer one spreads it out. You cannot create a smooth speed transition across a forward-to-reverse boundary. ![Three retime details showing the speed handle, Source Frame Edit filmstrip and speed-transition edge.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/57/ac5779c6-4ac7-45d8-83b8-afdad2b814a0/content/images/2026/10/final-cut-pro-retime-speed-ramp-redo-inline-1-b1d0dd4be3e9668d.webp) These controls change speed, source end frame and transition duration respectively. ## Choose Video Quality for the slow section If motion jumps at a speed boundary, adjust the **Speed Transitions** timing described above. If movement stutters or edges distort inside the slow section, compare frame-handling methods. Select the slowed clip or range in the timeline, open the **Retime** pop-up below the viewer, and choose **Video Quality**. ![Final Cut Video Quality options with the Apple-silicon requirement beside Best (Machine Learning).](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ac/57/ac5779c6-4ac7-45d8-83b8-afdad2b814a0/content/images/2026/10/final-cut-pro-retime-speed-ramp-redo-inline-2-f0c8cb0ec35ce3d1.webp) Compare frame handling on the slow section; Best requires Apple silicon and rendering. __How the [Video Quality presets in Apple's Final Cut Pro for Mac guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/change-clip-speed-ver40b00150/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com) handle slowed footage.__ | Preset | Frame handling | Rendering and limits | | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Fast (Floor) | The default. Duplicates frames or rounds down to the nearest whole frame. | Rendering is recommended for highest-quality playback. | | Fast (Nearest Frame) | Rounds up or down to the nearest whole frame. Apple says it reduces artifacts, but it may stutter. | Rendering is required. | | Good (Frame Blending) | Blends pixels from neighboring frames to create in-between frames. Apple describes smoother playback and less stutter than the Fast methods, with possible visual artifacts. | Rendering is required. | | Better (Optical Flow) | Analyzes the directional movement of pixels and draws new in-between frames. | Rendering is required and takes longer than frame-sampling methods. Only the used media between the clip's start and end points is analyzed. | | Best (Machine Learning) | Creates new frames with machine learning and bidirectional optical flow. Apple calls it the highest-quality method, with reduced artifacts and better occlusion handling. | Requires a Mac with Apple silicon. Rendering is required; analysis and rendering take longer than the other methods. | I'd follow Apple's suggested order: **Good (Frame Blending)** while you settle the speed, then **Better (Optical Flow)** or **Best (Machine Learning)** if artifacts remain or you want higher image quality; Best requires Apple silicon. Let the relevant analysis and rendering finish before judging the result. Inspect a short passage, paying attention to moving edges and overlapping objects. The quality names are options to compare; the actual shot decides which result you can use. ## Check picture, sound, and the next cut Play from before the first boundary through the cut after the retimed clip. Look for an awkward motion jump, a shortened action, or a shifted downstream edit. Listen to the audio separately. [**Retime > Preserve Pitch** is on by default](https://support.apple.com/guide/final-cut-pro/change-clip-speed-ver40b00150/mac?ref=finalcuthub.com); its checkmark shows the current state. Even with pitch preserved, listen closely to any line or effect that plays faster. For a difficult shot, export a short range and inspect the actual file before applying the treatment to the full sequence. For edits whose issue is the cut rather than playback speed, use the [trim and split guide](https://finalcuthub.com/final-cut-pro-trim-split-clips/).