After you install ACID and start it for the first time, the registration wizard appears. This wizard offers easy steps that enable you to register ACID online with Sonic Foundry. Alternately, you may register ACID online at www.sonicfoundry.com at any time. Registering your product provides you with exclusive access to a variety of technical support options, notification of product updates, and special promotions exclusive to ACID registered users.
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 1617 Sherman Avenue Madison, WI 53704 USA The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Sonic Foundry. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. Sonic Foundry and ACID are registered trademarks of Sonic Foundry, Inc.
1 Table of Contents Introducing ACID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Welcome to Sonic Foundry ACID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 System requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Installing ACID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MIDI piano roll editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MIDI step recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MIDI event list editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Making selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Selecting an event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Selecting multiple events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Creating time selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Pasting events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Using the Paste command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Using Paste Repeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Using Paste Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Working with tempo/key/time signature change markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Changing a track’s key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Changing an event’s key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Adjusting time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Using track envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Adding track envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Adjusting envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Using the Envelope tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Using mixer controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Working with mixer controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Adding effects to mixer controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Working with multiple mixer controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Quantizing events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Deleting events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Undoing and redoing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Saving MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 Setting up surround projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Routing to hardware in the mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 Assigning audio to the LFE channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 Panning audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Using the Other tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 ACID Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Adding long media files quickly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Playing with duplicate tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 CHAPTER Introducing ACID 1 Welcome to Sonic Foundry ACID Congratulations on purchasing a revolutionary software application for Windows. Using Sonic Foundry ACID® you can create great music by simply picking, painting, and playing.
12 Using online help You can access two varieties of help within ACID: • Online help • What’sThis? help (also referred to as context-sensitive help) Online help To access online help, choose Contents and Index from the Help menu or press F1 . Note: To view online help, Internet Explorer 4.0 or later must be installed on your system. Internet Explorer 5.0 is included on the ACID CD-ROM for your convenience. Tabs The Contents tab provides a list of available help topics.
13 What’sThis? help What’sThis? help allows you to view pop-up window descriptions for ACID menus, buttons, and dialog boxes. Choose What's This? from the Help menu, press Shift + F1 , or click the What’sThis? help button ( ) on the toolbar and then click any ACID item. To use What’sThis? help in a dialog box, click the question mark button ( ) in the upper-right corner of the dialog box and then click an item in the dialog box.
14 Toolbar The toolbar allows you to quickly access the most commonly used functions and features in ACID. Opens a new project. You will be prompted to save any changes to the current project. Locks envelope points so they move with an event when it is moved along the timeline. Displays the Open File dialog. From this window, you can browse all of the available drives to select an ACID project or audio file to open. Activates the Draw tool to add and edit events.
15 Track list This list identifies the track order in your project and contains the track’s controls. The following sections identify and briefly explain the controls located in the track list. Bus assignment Track number/type Track name Track FX Mute Solo Surround panner (surround projects only) Multipurpose slider View buttons Multipurpose slider label View buttons These buttons control the track’s appearance (size) on the track list and the track view.
16 Mute button Clicking the Mute button ( ) temporarily suspends playback of the corresponding track, allowing you to focus on the project’s remaining tracks. A muted track appears grayed out in the track view. For more information, see Muting tracks on page 47. Solo button Clicking the Solo button ( ) isolates the track during playback by muting the project’s remaining tracks. For more information, see Soloing tracks on page 48. Surround panner In 5.
17 Marker bar The marker bar runs the length of your project and contains the tags for markers and regions positioned along the project’s timeline. Beat ruler The beat ruler allows you to place events in reference to the musical time of bars and beats. This ruler is fixed and does not update when you change the tempo. This allows the events in the tracks to maintain their size when you adjust the tempo. Time ruler The time ruler provides a timeline for your project.
18 Window docking area This area allows you to keep frequently-used windows available while working on a project. Windows can be docked side by side or in stacks in the windows docking area. For more information, see Docking and floating ACID windows on page 172. Two windows display in the window docking area when you start ACID for the first time: the Explorer and the Mixer.
19 Soft Synth Properties This window allows you to change the attributes of soft synth controls in the Mixer window. Display the Soft Synth Properties window by double-clicking a soft synth control’s icon or by pressing Alt + 8 . For more information, see Using soft synth controls on page 115. Keyboard command reference The ACID keyboard commands are shortcuts that you can use while working on your project.
20 Cursor placement commands Description Keys Description Keys Go to beginning of active loop region or view (if no selection) Go to end of active loop region or view (if no selection) Go to beginning of project Go to end of project Move left by grid marks Home Center in view \ End Numeric keypad 5 Move right by grid marks Page Down Go to (using measures, beats, and ticks) Go to (using absolute time) Move cursor to corresponding marker or region Ctrl+G Move cursor to opposite end of time sele
21 Description Keys Description Keys Delete selection Delete Shift+Numeric keypad - S J F Ctrl+M Ctrl+T Pitch down 4 semitones (Windows 2000 and XP only) Pitch up 4 semitones (Windows 2000 and XP only) Reset pitch (Windows 2000 and XP only) Change an event’s gain value Change an event’s gain by 10% Change an event’s gain by 25% Set an event’s gain to 0.
22 View commands Description Keys Zoom time in/out small increments Up or Down Arrow when track view has focus or zoom to loop region (if one exists) Zoom time in/out large increments Ctrl+Up or Down Arrow when track view has focus Description Keys Zoom track height in/out small increments when track view has focus Shift+Up or Down Arrow Description Keys Mixer commands Description Keys Change selection of a mixer control Left/Right Arrow Select multiple, adjacent mixer Shift+Left/Right Arrow con
23 Mouse scroll-wheel shortcuts Description Keys Zoom in on timeline Horizontal scroll Vertical scroll Move by video frames Move the cursor in grid increments Auto-scrolling Default mouse wheel behavior Shift+wheel Ctrl+wheel Ctrl+Shift+Alt+wheel Ctrl+Shift+wheel Press mouse wheel and move the mouse in the desired direction Wheel over a fader Ctrl+wheel over a fader Default mouse wheel behavior (when pan point is selected) Shift+wheel (when pan point is selected) Move fader Make fine fader adjustments
24 Audio signal flow Audio event* Event envelope Assignable FX pre/post volume Bus pre/post volume Track FX Pre Post Bus send Pre Post Track volume Assignable FX send Pan track† Assignable FX Input Chain Output Mute track Mute Bus assignment Bus assignment Bus Control Mute Master Bus Control FX Volume (Pan) ^ Mute Hardware output INTRODUCING ACID (Pan)‡ FX Volume Hardware output CHP.
25 Notes on audio signal flow * This diagram describes non-MIDI audio events. For MIDI events, see MIDI signal flow on page 26. † In 5.1 surround projects, tracks routed to the Surround Master bus send surround panning (six-channel) information. Tracks routed to busses (e.g., Bus A) send stereo panning (two-channel) information. ‡ Assignable effect chain panning is available only in 5.1 surround projects. In 5.
26 MIDI signal flow MIDI event Track volume Mute track Device or soft synth assignment External MIDI device DLS or VSTi assignment MIDI DLS voice set VST instrument Audio Soft Synth Control Mute FX Volume Bus Control Mute Master Bus Control FX Volume (Pan) ^ Mute Hardware output INTRODUCING ACID (Pan)* FX Volume Hardware output CHP.
27 Notes on MIDI signal flow * Soft synth panning is available only in 5.1 surround projects. In 5.1 surround projects, soft synth controls routed to the Surround Master bus send surround panning (six-channel) information. Soft synth controls routed to busses (e.g., Bus A) send stereo panning (two-channel) information. ^ Bus panning is available only in 5.1 surround projects. In 5.1 surround projects, busses routed to the Surround Master bus send surround panning (six-channel) information.
28 INTRODUCING ACID CHP.
29 CHAPTER What’s New? 2 This chapter is intended for experienced ACID users. It simply addresses the question on everyone’s mind: “What’s new in this version of ACID?” Mixing Plug-in effects automation In ACID 4.0, you can automate the parameters of plug-ins, provided that the plug-ins support automation. Effect automation relies on track envelopes, a tool you may already be familiar with from creating volume, pan, bus send, or assignable effect send envelopes.
30 ASIO driver support In addition to supporting Microsoft Mapper, Windows Classic Wave, and WDM drivers, ACID 4.0 now supports ASIO™ drivers. With its more direct data delivery to the sound card, the ASIO driver model provides professional users with faster audible responses. You can choose which driver model ACID uses on the Audio tab in the Preferences dialog. For more information, see Using the Audio tab on page 181. Loop Cloning in the Chopper ACID 4.
31 MIDI event list editing ACID 4.0 includes a list editor OPT plug-in that gives you direct access to all MIDI data for a track. You can use the list editor to add, edit, quantize, and delete MIDI events or to step record new MIDI material. For more information, see Using the list editor on page 140. VSTi support You can route MIDI tracks in an ACID 4.0 project to a VST® instrument (VSTi) using the new soft synth controls in the Mixer window.
32 Video Windows Media Audio and Video import You can now add Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Windows Media Video (WMV) files to an ACID project. Enhanced video handling ACID 4.0 provides two new options for rendering projects containing video: Stretch video to fill output frame (do not letterbox) and Fast video resizing. For more information, see Rendering projects on page 54.
33 CHAPTER Getting Started 3 Now that you have an understanding of ACID’s interface and controls, you are ready to begin learning the techniques needed to pick, paint, and play ACID projects. In this chapter you will learn the skills that will allow you to create music in ACID, from locating media files to writing the finished project to CD. Starting projects Double-clicking the ACID icon on the desktop starts ACID.
34 Using the Audio tab This tab allows you to set different characteristics the project uses to handle the audio. Item Description Choose either Stereo for a standard audio project or 5.1 Surround for a surround project. Number of additional stereo busses Enter the number of stereo busses that you want in your project. You may add up to 26 busses. The busses appear in the Mixer window. For more information, see Using busses on page 111.
35 Getting media files Now that you’ve created a new project or opened an existing project, the next step is to add media to the project. You can use the Explorer window to locate, preview and add media to your project. You can also extract audio from a CD or download media from the Web. Previewing media from the Explorer window The Explorer window allows you to preview files in looped playback at the current project tempo before adding them to your project.
36 Adding media to the project You must add media files to a project before you can paint, arrange, and process them. When you add a file to a project, ACID creates a new track to accommodate it. ACID adds new tracks at the current volume of the Preview fader in the Mixer window, unless you have set a default track volume level. For more information, see Setting default track properties on page 178. There are several methods of adding media files to a project.
37 Adding media files from outside the application You can also add a media file to a project by dragging it from Windows Explorer to the track view. Adding multiple media files simultaneously To add multiple media files to the project, track view or the track list. Ctrl +click (or Shift +click) to select the files and drag them to the Extracting media files from CD ACID allows you to extract 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, stereo data from CDs. ACID adds extracted CD tracks to new tracks in your ACID project.
38 You can also double-click a CDA file in the Explorer window (or drag it to the track view) to extract a CD track without opening the Extract Audio from CD dialog. Note: When adding media from multiple CDs, you may need to press F5 to refresh the Explorer window to view the new CD’s contents. Downloading media files from the Web The Get Media from the Web command allows you to view and download various audio and video files available on the Internet. 1.
39 Tip: You can change the length of the file that starts the Beatmapper in the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog. For more information, see Using the Audio tab on page 181. MIDI ACID creates a MIDI track when you open a MID, SMF, or RMI file. You can use MIDI tracks to record data from and play back through synthesizers and other MIDI-compliant equipment. For more information, see Working with MIDI on page 131.
40 Painting events with the Paint tool Unlike the Draw tool, the Paint tool allows you to quickly paint multiple events across several tracks. This can be useful when you need to quickly add several seemingly random events to a project. The Paint tool is also best used for painting multiple one-shot events that will be evenly spaced on the grid lines. 1. Click the Paint Tool button ( ) or choose Editing Tool from the Edit menu and choose Paint from the submenu. The mouse pointer displays as a brush icon.
41 Moving events The position of the left edge of an event indicates when the event becomes audible during playback. You can move events along the timeline either individually or as a group. In addition, you can stack events on top of one another. A longer event placed over a smaller event conceals the smaller event and makes it inaudible. A smaller event placed over a larger event is audible and renders the section of the longer event it covers inaudible. 1. Click the Draw Tool button ( ). 2.
42 Positioning the cursor with the Go To command The Go To command is used to place the cursor at a specific location in the ACID project. • Press Ctrl + G to position the cursor based on the position displayed on the beat ruler. Specify a position (in measures.beats.ticks format) in the box that appears in the time display and press Enter. • Press Shift + G to position the cursor based on the time displayed on the time ruler. Specify a time in the box that appears in the time display and press Enter.
43 Selecting multiple events using the keyboard and mouse Holding Ctrl while clicking events allows you to select multiple, nonadjacent events that reside on any track. This method is useful when you need to move several scattered events by an equal amount within the project. Holding Shift allows you to select multiple, adjacent events. Selecting any two events while holding Shift automatically selects all events located between the selected events.
44 Creating time selections ACID does not limit you to selecting events. Frequently, you may want to select only audio events occurring within a time selection. You can do this using the Time Selection tool. 1. Click the Time Selection Tool button ( Selection from ) or choose Editing Tool from the Edit menu and choose Time the submenu. The pointer displays with an adjacent cursor ( ). 2. Drag the mouse in the track view. The selection area is highlighted on the track view. 3. Release the mouse button.
45 Reordering tracks When building an ACID project, you may want to reorder the tracks to place similar instruments in proximity to one another. For example, placing all drum loops together in the track view makes it easier for you to fine-tune the mix of the song’s overall drum sound. 1. Drag the track header to a new location in the track list. A heavy black horizontal line appears on the track list to indicate where the track will be placed. 2. Release the mouse button.
46 Deleting tracks You can delete unnecessary tracks from a project by selecting the track and using any of the following methods: • Choose Delete from the Edit menu. • Right-click a track and choose Delete Track from the shortcut menu. • Press Delete . Copying, cutting, and pasting tracks Copying a track places an exact copy of the selected track on the clipboard, but leaves the track view unchanged.
47 Click the slider label to choose what you want to adjust. Function Description Volume Controls how loud a track is in the mix. A value of 0 dB means that the track plays with no boost or cut from ACID. Dragging the fader to the left cuts the volume; dragging to the right boosts the volume. Controls the position of a track in the stereo field.
48 Soloing tracks Located next to the Mute button, the Solo button ( ) allows you isolate tracks in a project during playback. When you click this button during playback, the corresponding track remains audible and all other tracks are muted. Clicking the Solo button a second time returns all tracks to their original levels in the mix. Togglesoloing a track is an effective method of configuring and previewing isolated track effects against how they sound in the project.
49 Undoing all edits Choosing Undo All from the Edit menu undoes all project edits and automatically adds them to the redo history. Using redo To redo an edit, click the Redo button ( the reverse order they were undone. ) on the toolbar or press Ctrl + Shift + Z . Edits are re-performed in Tip: You can also redo the most recent undone edit by choosing Redo from the Edit menu. Redoing a series of edits Clicking the down arrow next to the Redo button ( ) displays the project’s redo history.
50 Using playback options As you build a project, you will likely have different playback needs. For example, you may want to hear the project in its entirety when checking the final mix, but not when you are working on the ending. Because of this, ACID offers three playback options: • Playing the entire project. • Playing from the cursor position. • Playing in looped playback.
51 Viewing the Mixer window The Mixer window appears by default when you start ACID, but you can hide it if necessary. To view or hide the Mixer window, choose Mixer from the View menu or press Alt + 3 . A check mark appears adjacent to the command to indicate when the window is displayed. Using the mixer toolbar The Mixer window toolbar contains four buttons: Project Audio Properties, Insert FX, Insert Bus, and Insert Soft Synth. Button Description Displays the Project Properties dialog.
52 Adjusting split faders in the mixer Split faders allow you to adjust the levels of the left and right channels independently. To move the faders individually, drag the fader for the desired channel and release the mouse when it is in the correct position. However, you can adjust both channels simultaneously by doing either of the following: • Drag in the middle of the fader while making your adjustment. • Click the Lock Fader Channels button( ) before adjusting the fader.
53 When you are finished building a project, ACID allows you to render projects in a variety of formats. You should determine the project’s final format (or formats) based on how you will deliver the media. For example, you would render your project to a streaming media format if you plan to publish it to the Internet. Note: Be aware that projects containing MIDI files that are routed to external MIDI ports must be rerouted to internal DLS sets or VST instruments (VSTi) to be included in the rendered mix.
54 Rendering projects Rendering refers to the process of converting the ACID project into a file that is formatted for a specific playback method. Possible playback methods include media player applications, Internet streaming media, CD-ROM, and CD audio. When an ACID project is rendered, it is not overwritten, deleted, or altered and you are able to return to the original project to make changes and re-render. 1. From the File menu, choose Render As. The Render As dialog appears. 2.
55 Supported formats for rendering The following table briefly describes the file formats available for rendering a project. Format Extension Description AIFF File .aif MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 .mpg MPEG-1 Layer 3 .mp3 Ogg Vorbis QuickTime RealMedia .ogg .mov .rm Sonic Foundry Perfect Clarity Audio Sonic Foundry Wave64 .pca The standard audio file format for audio used on Macintosh computers. MPEG files are a format used when burning audio and video to a Video CD, Super Video CD, or DVD.
56 Publishing to the Internet When your project is finished, you have the option of publishing it to the Internet. The most common place to publish your project is ACIDplanet.com, a virtual community of ACID users. ACIDplanet.com allows you to do the following: • • • • Share your music. Listen to projects built by other ACID enthusiasts. Download free loops. Enter remix contests co-sponsored by Sonic Foundry and major record labels.
57 Writing to CD ACID allows you to burn your projects to CD using supported CD-R/CD-RW drives. ACID renders your project so it can be played on consumer CD players; however, the disc must be closed before it can be played in a CD player. Note: ACID writes the entire project length to a CD track. If your project has events on muted tracks that extend beyond the end of the audible material, the muted events burn as silence at the end of your CD track.
58 GETTING STARTED CHP.
59 CHAPTER Editing Events 4 In this chapter, you’ll learn about basic event editing techniques such as cutting, copying, pasting, trimming, splitting, and joining events. You’ll also learn how to use ripple editing to expand the possibilities of timeline editing. Finally, you’ll take a look at advanced editing techniques such as slipping and sliding events, changing event properties, and adding event envelopes.
60 When events are cut/copied to the clipboard and subsequently pasted into a project, ACID maintains and pastes the time data inherent in the cut/copied events. For example, if you select two events on the same track that are separated by five seconds of silence, copying and pasting these events results in the five seconds of silence also being pasted into the project.
61 Cutting events Cutting an event, a time selection, or an event within a time selection removes the audio data from the track view and places it on the clipboard. Once data is placed on the clipboard, it can be pasted back into the project an unlimited number of times. Clipboard content remains on the clipboard until it is replaced by new data. 1. Select the event data you want to cut or make a time selection. For more information, see Making selections on page 42. 2.
62 Splitting events Splitting is a quick way to create independently functioning events from a single one. You might consider splitting an event if you want to adjust a small part of the track. For example, you may want to apply pitch shift to a guitar track for a few measures and then return the track to its original setting. Splitting occurs at the cursor position or at the in and out points of a time selection.
63 Splitting an event Selecting a single event prior to splitting prevents other events from being split at the cursor’s position. Events before splitting Events after splitting Only the selected event splits at the cursor position Event to be split Cursor position and split point Splitting multiple events Selecting multiple events splits only the selected events at the cursor’s position. Be sure to set your cursor position before selecting events.
64 Splitting events within a time selection When selecting events within a time selection, only the selected events in the time range split at the in and out points. Events before splitting Events after splitting Selection bar Selection bar Only the selected event splits at the in and out points Event to be split at the time selection’s in and out points In point Out point Split point Split point Joining events You may join events on ACID tracks that have been segmented along the timeline.
65 Cutting events in ripple editing mode Cutting events or portions of events removes them and their time information from their respective tracks. This information is placed on the clipboard, from which you may paste the information back into your project. 1. From the Options menu, choose Ripple Edits to enter ripple editing mode. 2. Click the event to be cut or make a time selection.
66 Deleting events in ripple editing mode Deleting events or portions of events removes them and their time information from their respective tracks. However, this information is not placed on the clipboard. Existing events move forward when you delete material from a selected track. 1. From the Options menu, choose Ripple Edits to enter ripple editing mode. 2. Click the event to be deleted or make a time selection.
67 Clipboard information is pasted at the cursor’s position on the track. Existing events or portions of events after the cursor adjust to occur later in the project. The amount of adjustment is based on the total length of the information being pasted. Pasting single track information in ripple editing mode The information on the clipboard determines how many tracks are affected when you paste.
68 Original loop event Slipping the event two measures to the right Slip-trimming the event two measures to the right Sliding the event two measures to the right Shifting the contents of (slipping) events Hold Alt while dragging an event. The slip cursor appears ( ). As you drag the event, the contents of the event shift, but the event does not move.
69 The following table describes each of the settings in the Event Properties dialog. Item Description Start offset The Start offset for an event specifies a playback starting position that is different than the beginning of the file. This is especially useful for loops; you can change the feel of a loop by simply starting on beat two rather than beat one. Pitch shift The Pitch shift value specifies a pitch shift for the selected event.
70 Setting an event’s fade-in and -out envelope curve You can control an event’s envelope fade-in and -out characteristics by adjusting the event’s envelope handles. These handles allow you to control the length and dB level of fade-ins and fade-outs. Also, you can change the type of curve that the event uses to control the volume’s fade characteristics. 1. Place the mouse pointer on the upper corner of the event. The envelope cursor ( ) appears. 2.
71 CHAPTER Working in the Track View 5 This chapter introduces you to several ACID features that increase your productivity, such as markers, regions, and snapping options. You’ll also learn about the different ways to change a project’s tempo, key and time signature. Finally, you’ll learn several options for adjusting the project timeline. Using project markers and regions ACID markers and regions identify areas of your project and provide navigational cues for quickly finding those areas.
72 Moving markers 1. Place the mouse pointer on the marker to be moved. The hand cursor ( ) appears. 2. Drag the marker to the desired position. Naming markers ACID allows you to name markers in your project. You may want to name markers based on parts of the project. For example, you may want to identify choruses, refrains, bridges, or instrument solos as reference points along the timeline. 1. Place the mouse pointer on the marker to be named. The hand cursor ( ) appears. 2.
73 Working with time markers Unlike standard markers, time markers are tied to absolute time within your project. They are added differently than standard markers and appear on the time ruler at the bottom of the track view. Otherwise, time markers can be manipulated just like other markers. Placing time markers Time markers are placed at the cursor position. You may place a time marker in one of the following ways: • From the Insert menu, choose Time Marker. • Press H .
74 Placing command markers Command markers appear on the command ruler, which is above the marker bar. URL command marker Command ruler Marker bar 1. Position the cursor where you want to place the command marker. 2. From the Insert menu, choose Command, or press C . 3. Complete the Command Properties dialog: • From the Template drop-down list, choose a custom template. For more information, see Saving command properties as a custom template on page 74.
75 Defining streaming media commands In a streaming media file, command markers can be used to display headlines, show captions, link to Web sites, or any other function you define. ACID includes several command types that you may add to a streaming media file. Some command types are exclusive to either the Windows Media (WMA or WMV) or the RealMedia (RM) file types.
76 Working with regions Regions are useful tools that allow you to subdivide your project into time sections by designating in and out points along the timeline. Regions can function as permanent time selections for playback and editing purposes. Like markers, regions can serve as reference points and may be moved, named, and provide snap points for the cursor and events. When you place regions, ACID automatically numbers them in the order that you place them.
77 Navigating to regions While you are working on your project, you may have scrolled to a portion of the project where the cursor is not visible. You may click in the track view to move and view the cursor or you may use region tags to bring the cursor into view. To move the cursor to the selected region tag, right-click the region tag and choose Go To from the shortcut menu.
78 Using snapping Snapping helps you to align events in your project with other items. ACID is preset to snap event edges to the project’s grid lines as you drag an event along the track.
79 Snapping to all elements With snapping turned on, you may choose to snap to all elements. From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and choose Grid Only from the submenu. The button image next to the Grid Only command appears deselected when snapping to all elements. Tip: Press Ctrl + F8 to toggle between grid only and all elements. Changing tempo, time signature, and key You can set a tempo, time signature, and key for your ACID project. You can also make adjustments during playback.
80 As you drag the slider, a colored bar appears for each track. Project tempo is slower than file tempo. Project tempo is faster than file tempo. Project Tempo slider Changing project tempo to match file tempo Each track’s shortcut menu contains the option Use Original Tempo. The original tempo of the file used on the track appears to the right of this option in the shortcut menu. To change the project’s tempo to match the original file tempo, simply choose Use Original Tempo from the shortcut menu.
81 Working with tempo/key/time signature change markers Tempo/key/time signature change markers allow you to make changes to the tempo, key, and/or time signature at specified points in your project. Note: Time signature changes must occur on the first beat of a measure. Adding tempo/key/time signature change markers 1. Position the cursor where you want the change to occur. 2. From the Insert menu, choose Tempo/Key/Time Signature Change. The Tempo/Key/Time Signature Change dialog appears. 3.
82 Changing a track’s key You can change the key of an entire track without affecting the project’s key. For creative ways to use track key changes, see Detuning paired tracks on page 187. 1. Right-click the track and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. The Track Properties window appears. 2. On the General tab, enter the number of semitones by which to adjust the key in the Pitch Shift box or use the spinner control. Use the minus (-) key for negative values. 3. Close the Track Properties window.
83 Fitting to time The Fit to Time command allows you to adjust the project’s overall length to a specified amount of time. Note: The maximum and minimum length is limited to reduce the possibility of creating audible artifacts through the compression/expansion process. 1. From the Edit menu, choose Fit to Time. The Fit to Time dialog appears with the current project length displayed in the New length box. 2. Enter the new project length in the New length box.
84 WORKING IN THE TRACK VIEW CHP.
85 CHAPTER Using the Chopper 6 The Chopper allows you to quickly create slice-and-dice effects. For creative ways to use the Chopper, see Slicing and dicing in the Chopper on page 193. Working in the Chopper window Selecting a track automatically places it in the Chopper where it can be immediately manipulated and inserted into the track view. Toolbar Beat ruler Time ruler Transport bar Viewing the Chopper To display the Chopper, choose Chopper from the View menu or press Alt + 2 .
86 Magnifying the Chopper There are three ways of adjusting the magnification of the Chopper. • Click the Zoom In Time ( ) and Zoom Out Time ( ) buttons located in the lower-right corner of the window. • Click within the Chopper and use the mouse wheel. • Quickly magnify a selection by right-clicking and choosing Zoom to Loop Region from the shortcut menu.
87 Inserting markers and regions in the Chopper When working with events in the Chopper, you can drop markers and create regions just like in the track view. For more information, see Using project markers and regions on page 71. These markers and regions are saved with the project when it is saved. They can also be saved back to the original media file by clicking the Save File button ( ) in the Track Properties window. For more information, see Saving file properties on page 109.
88 Note: In addition, an increment arrow appears on the track view above the selected block. For more information, see Inserting increments on page 88. As you make a selection in the Chopper, a colored block appears in the track view. This block indicates where the selection will be placed on the track view when you insert it from the Chopper. Creating selections of a specific musical length You may want to create a selection with a length corresponding to a musical value.
89 When the increment length is less than the length of the selection, ACID overlaps the selections as you insert them in the track view. Increment less than selection Selection overlaps when inserted three times Creating increments 1. Verify that the Link Arrow to Selection button ( ) is toggled off and the increment arrow is displayed in black. 2. Drag the point of the arrow to configure an increment of the desired length.
90 Inserting selections in the track view You can add selections from the Chopper to your project in several ways. Using the Insert Selection button After you create the desired selection and increment, you can insert the selection in the project at the track view’s cursor position by clicking the Insert Selection button ( ). After the Chopper inserts the audio, the cursor moves to the end of the increment. • If the increment length is equal to the selection length, selections are painted end-to-end.
91 5. From the Template drop-down list, choose a template for rendering the file, or click Custom to create custom rendering settings. For more information, see Creating custom rendering settings on page 55. 6. Click Save. ACID saves the selection and adds the file as a loop to a new track in the project. Using the Chopper with one-shots Selections of loops and Beatmapped files transfer flawlessly between the Chopper and the track view because the beats are clearly identified.
92 USING THE CHOPPER CHP.
93 CHAPTER Working with Tracks 7 This chapter covers advanced track features including track effect chains, track envelopes, and stereo panning modes. You’ll also learn more about track types, track properties, and rendering tracks to new files. Using track effects ACID enables you to create DirectX plug-in chains, adjust the order of plug-ins on a chain, bypass a plug-in, remove plug-ins from the chain, and save frequently used chains as presets.
94 2. Click the Edit Chain button ( ) to display the Plug-In Chooser dialog. Chain area 3. Select the plug-ins that you want to add. There are three ways to add a plug-in to the chain: • Double-click the plug-in. • Drag the plug-in to the chain area. • Select the plug-in and click the Add button. 4. Rearrange the order of plug-ins as needed by dragging plug-ins to different locations in the chain or by selecting a plug-in and clicking the Shift Plug-In Left ( ) and Shift Plug-In Right ( ) buttons.
95 Arranging plug-in chain order The plug-ins are cumulative during playback. For example, when the track’s signal passes through the EQ, it carries the EQ’s settings as it passes through the compression plug-in, then the signal carries both those plugin settings to the next plug-in. Because of this cumulative effect, you may need to arrange plug-ins in a certain order so that one plug-in’s processing does not adversely affect the next plug-in on the chain.
96 Saving plug-in chains as packages ACID allows you to save plug-in chains as packages so that you may use them again with other projects. If you use a combination of plug-ins often, saving them as a package saves you time. Effect packages retain their chain order and individual plug-in settings. You may save plug-in chains as packages from existing chains on tracks or when you are creating a plug-in chain.
97 Using track envelopes Track envelopes allow you to control volume, panning, assignable effect send levels, bus send levels, and effect parameters (for effects that support automation) for a specific track. You can distinguish the various envelopes by their color. Envelope type Envelope color Volume Blue Pan Red Bus send Purple Assignable effect send Green Effect automation Wood tones (various) Tip: You can customize ACID envelope colors.
98 Adding bus envelopes A bus envelope controls the level of a track sent to a particular bus. Before you can add a bus envelope, you must add busses to the project. For more information, see Adding busses to the project on page 111. 1. Select the track to which you want to add the bus envelope. (You may select multiple tracks.) 2.
99 4. Select the check box for each parameter that you want to control with an envelope. You can use the Select All and Select None buttons to quickly change your selections to all or none of the parameters. 5. Click OK to close the FX Automation Chooser. Envelopes display on the track for parameters that you selected in the FX Automation Chooser. To control which effect parameter envelope displays on the track, click the arrow adjacent to the Track FX button ( ) and choose an envelope from the menu.
100 Adjusting individual envelope points You can set the level of each envelope point by dragging it up or down. As you move an envelope point, a tooltip displays both the point’s occurrence on the timeline and its level. Other ways to set the level include: • Right-click an envelope point and choose a setting from the shortcut menu. • Choose Select All from the shortcut menu to raise or lower all points on the envelope. • Right-click an envelope point and choose Set To from the shortcut menu.
101 Cutting, copying, and pasting envelope points 1. Select the Envelope tool using one of the following methods: • From the Edit menu, choose Editing Tool, and choose Envelope from the submenu. • Click the Envelope Tool button ( ) on the toolbar. 2. Click within a track to select it. 3. Drag along the timeline to select envelope points. 4. From the Edit menu, choose Cut or Copy. 5. Position the cursor where you want to paste envelope points across a track. 6. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.
102 Hiding effect automation envelopes on a track To hide effect parameter envelopes, click the arrow adjacent to the Track FX button ( ) and choose Hide All FX Automation Envelopes from the menu. To display envelopes again, click the arrow adjacent to the Track FX button ( ) and choose Show All FX Automation Envelopes from the menu. Tip: Press E to toggle through the display of all effect parameter automation envelopes. Removing track envelopes You can remove envelopes from tracks quickly and easily.
103 Choosing stereo pan types When you pan a track using the multipurpose slider or a pan envelope, you can choose among several pan types to determine how ACID pans the track. Note: When applying stereo pan types, ACID interprets a monaural track as a stereo track with the same data in both channels. 1. Click the multipurpose slider label and choose Pan. The pan slider appears. 2. Click the multipurpose slider label again, choose Pan from the menu, and choose a pan type from the submenu.
104 3. Click the Play button ( ) to verify the downbeat marker’s position. If the marker is positioned on a downbeat, click Next. Otherwise, drag the marker to the appropriate location and click Next. The Beatmapper draws the file’s waveform and places a region to indicate the length of the first measure. Tip: The Reset button sets the downbeat marker back to its detected position. 4. Click the Play button ( ) to verify the measure’s length.
105 Understanding stretching properties All loops on the ACID 4.0 CD-ROM (as well as all loop library CD-ROMs) contain stretching properties. This means that tempo and key information is stored in the loops, allowing the application to accurately perform its time stretching/compressing and pitch-shifting functions on these loops when placed in a project. Keep in mind that you do not need to designate stretching properties for loops that you create for ACID projects.
