User Guide

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CHP. 2 WHAT’S NEW?
CHAPTER
29
What’s New?
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.
You can choose which parameters of a given effect to automate and then add points to a track envelope for
the different parameter settings. By viewing bus tracks, you can automate effects not only for tracks, but for
busses, assignable effects, and soft synth controls. For more information, see Bus tracks on page 30.
ACID 4.0 includes new Sonic Foundry automatable effects such as Flange/Wah-wah, Resonant Filter, and
Tra c k E Q.
For more information, see Adding effect automation envelopes on page 98.
5.1 surround mixing and surround pan automation
ACID 4.0 introduces 5.1 surround mixing capability and surround panning automation. In a surround
project, you pan tracks or busses using the Surround Panner window. For even greater control, you can add
keyframes to automate panning changes over time.
Note: ACID mixes 5.1-channel audio only. Authoring
software such as the Sonic Foundry 5.1 Surround Plug-In
Pack is required to encode final output in AC-3™ format.
For more information, see Working with 5.1 Surround on page 157.
Alternate time signatures
ACID 4.0 breaks free from the 4/4 model and allows you to see (and snap to) measures of any time signature
from 1/1 to 99/32. You can choose a custom time signature for the project, as well as change time signatures
along the timeline by adding time signature change markers. For more information, see Changing tempo, time
signature, and key on page 79.
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