Reference Guide

355
Arranging clips
Arranging and editing
To choose a specific start time and/or length for a clip
1. Select the clip you want to edit.
2. Open the Clip Inspector and select the Properties section.
3. In the Time Format field, choose the units you want to use for the new start time and/or length
by clicking one of the radio buttons:
• M:B:T. Click this if you want the clip to begin and end on a specific measure, beat, or tick.
• Samples. Click this is you want the clip to begin and end on a specific sample.
• H:M:S:F. Click this is you want the clip to begin and end on a specific hour, minute, second,
or frame. This is also known as SMPTE time, and lets you start the clip at an absolute-time-
based (as opposed to musical-time-based) point in your project.
• Seconds. Click this is you want the clip to begin and end on a specific second.
4. In the Start and Length fields, enter a new start time and/or length, or use the spinners or
keyboard to change values.
5. Choose a value in the Time Base field—choose one of the two options in this section to control
what happens to the clip’s start time when you change the tempo:
• Musical (M:B:T). If the clip is set to the Musical time base, the clip’s M:B:T position stays
constant, and its Absolute (SMPTE) position shifts.
• Absolute (SMPTE). If the clip is set to the Absolute (SMPTE) time base, its Absolute
position stays constant, and its M:B:T position shifts.
SONAR adjusts the clip to the values you chose.
Note: The length of a clip may also change when you change the tempo—audio clips maintain
their absolute (SMPTE) length, while a MIDI clip will follow the value in the Time Base field. If a
MIDI clip is set to use musical time, the clip maintains its M:B:T length. If a MIDI clip is set to use
absolute time, the clip maintains its absolute length.
Note: The Snap Offset field is for audio clips only. The value of this field is the snap offset of
the selected clip, in samples. When you set a snap offset value for a clip, and then drag the clip,
the left edge of the clip does not snap to the current snap resolution--the clip snaps to a point on
the clip that is the distance from the left edge of the clip to the snap offset value. For example,
if you set the snap resolution to move to a measure, and the snap offset of a clip to 1500
samples, when you drag the clip, instead of the left edge of the clip moving to a measure line,
the spot on the clip that's 1500 samples right of the beginning of the clip moves to the measure
line.