User manual

239
The Sample Editor
A typical application of warp tabs is to use them to synchro-
nize audio to video.
You can also use warp tabs for further tweaking after hav-
ing activated Musical mode.
Using the Free warp tool
Warp tabs are created using the Free Warp tool on the
AudioWarp tab of the Sample Editor, but can also be cre-
ated from hitpoints (see “Creating warp tabs from hit-
points” on page 241). In this example, we will show how a
file with slightly varying tempo can be locked to a steady
tempo by using warp tabs.
1. Open the audio file you wish to process in the Sample
Editor.
2. Activate the “Snap to Zero Crossing” button on the
Sample Editor toolbar.
When you activate this button, warp tabs will snap to zero crossings and
hitpoints (if shown).
3. Determine the length of the file.
4. On the Definition tab, click the Auto Adjust button so
that the audio event is stretched to the project tempo.
5. On the AudioWarp tab, select the Free Warp tool.
For aligning the tempo, you should use Bars and Beats as ruler resolution.
When you place the mouse pointer in the waveform display, it changes to
a clock with arrows on either side, and a vertical line in the middle which
represents the pointer. When you move the pointer in the waveform win-
dow, it shows the position in bars, beats and ticks as well as in seconds.
6. Line up the audio file so that the first beat of the first
bar (in the audio event) starts on the first beat of a bar in
the project.
• If the audio file doesn’t start on a downbeat, you can
use the Event Start handle in the Sample Editor and adjust
the position in the Project window so that the first down-
beat in the sample is aligned with the first beat of a bar in
the grid.
Now the musical first downbeat should be aligned with the first beat of a
bar in the project.
The next step is to see where the first warp tab needs to
be added. It may be useful to hear the metronome click to
determine when the tempo of the audio clip drifts from the
project tempo. To hear the metronome, activate the Click
button on the Transport panel and play back using the
transport controls.
7. Play back the audio file, either by auditioning in the
Sample Editor or from the Transport panel, and determine
where the first beat of a bar in the audio event does not
match the corresponding ruler position in the project.
If you find it difficult to pinpoint an exact position in the audio event, you
can switch to the Scrub tool and/or zoom in the view. Switch back to the
Free Warp tool when you have found the position.
8. In our example, the first beat of the third bar in the au-
dio event is slightly offset from the corresponding grid po-
sition and thus needs to be moved back a bit.
9. Place the pointer at the position of the first beat of the
third bar in the audio event and click and hold.
When you click, a warp tab is added. If the position where you clicked
was off, you can adjust it by dragging the tab in the ruler.
!
If the AudioWarp tab is open, warp tabs will be dis-
played in the waveform and if the VariAudio tab is
open, they will be displayed in the ruler.
!
When you deactivate the Musical mode, select an-
other Quantize value or move the Swing slider, all
your warp modifications will be lost.
The third downbeat in the audio event