Soundtrack Pro 2

Getting Started

What You???ll Need

Simply reading this book will give you enough information to get you working confidently in Soundtrack Pro. However, having Soundtrack Pro open on your computer and using some audio files???either your own or the audio files provided with Soundtrack Pro???will make some of the tasks described in these pages easier to master.

If you want to be able to practice the steps as you read, you will need:

??Your computer, running Soundtrack Pro

??Audio files (if you don???t have any, you can use the audio content that you installed with Soundtrack Pro)

??A video file (to play along with your project)

Now you can start exploring Soundtrack Pro.

Setting Up Your Computer???s Audio System

The sound from your audio files is output through the speaker or headphone jack that comes with your computer.

If you have external monitors, speakers, or other audio equipment, you???ll want to connect them through the speaker jack so you can monitor your project???s audio output. You can also connect other external audio equipment such as an audio interface or a mixer and use these audio tools to mix and listen to your project.

To view the audio input and output settings for your computer:

mOpen the Audio Midi Setup utility (located in /Applications/Utilities/Audio Midi Setup).

To view the audio input and output settings for Soundtrack Pro:

mSelect the Recording tab in the right pane of the Soundtrack Pro interface.

To learn more about working in the Recording tab, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Do You Need More Equipment?

By default, Soundtrack Pro uses the input and output devices that are defined in your computer???s System Preferences.

For basic mixing, you can connect the built-in audio output on your computer to a pair of external speakers. This gives you two output channels for stereo playback.

For 5.1 surround mixing, you will need to connect an audio I/O device with six output channels to your computer to monitor the surround sound. The six output channels need to be connected to a discrete 5.1 surround speaker system for you to hear the surround sound.

To learn more about stereo and surround audio systems, control surfaces, and other audio equipment, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Creating a New Multitrack Project

A multitrack project contains multiple audio files and an optional video clip. Multitrack projects are used exclusively by Soundtrack Pro and are compatible with other

Final Cut Studio applications.

When you open Soundtrack Pro, a new multitrack project is automatically created. You can also create a new project at any time while working in Soundtrack Pro.

To create a new multitrack project:

m Click the New Project button in the Toolbar.

Click this button to create a new project.

A new, empty multitrack project appears.

New Soundtrack Pro projects are, by default, set with a sample rate of 48 kilohertz (kHz).

Soundtrack Pro multitrack projects can have a sample rate of 32 to 192 kHz. Standard

CD-quality audio uses 44.1 kHz; standard digital video???quality audio uses 48 kHz.

To set a project???s sample rate:

m Choose a value from the Sample Rate pop-up menu.

Choose a sample rate for your multitrack project from the Sample Rate pop-up menu.

To configure other project properties, including metadata and music settings:

m Click the Project tab and enter settings for your project.

The Project tab contains various settings and properties for the selected project.

Assembling Media in Soundtrack Pro

Now that you???ve created your project and configured its settings, it???s time to assemble your media files. Soundtrack Pro has several tabs dedicated to locating your audio files and a method for indexing the folders of media stored on your hard drive or other volumes.

Use the Browser and Search tabs to locate your media.

Browsing for Media

The Browser tab works like the Mac OS X Finder; in it, you can look through your computer???s hard disk, external hard drive, or any other connected media device for files to use in Soundtrack Pro.

To locate files using the Browser:

m Select the Browser tab, then navigate through the file structure to find your file.

Click to select the file you want.

The Play button

The ???Preview on selection??? button

By default, any file you select will play automatically. To turn preview selection off, deselect the ???Preview on selection??? button. Then you can preview a selected file manually by clicking the Play button.

When you???ve located the media you???ll use in your project, you can store it in the Favorites tab. The Favorites tab is a handy container in which you can put references to clips and files.

The Bin tab is also useful for locating audio files. By default, the Bin shows the media files associated with each open project.

Searching for Files

You can search for audio files using the metadata categories that are tracked by

Soundtrack Pro.

To search for files using the Search tab:

1In the Search tab, choose the type of metadata to search for from the Keywords pop-up menu. (For example, you can choose All to see every keyword in your file???s metadata, or you can search with categories like Instruments, Genres, and so on.)

You can change the layout of the Search tab using the Column View and Button View buttons at the left of the Keywords pop-up menu.

2Select a keyword. The files that contain the keyword you selected appear in the list at the bottom of the Search tab.

The matches for ???Ambience??? are displayed here.

To preview an audio clip, select it and then click the Play button.

If you want to listen to an audio file, select it and then click the Play button in the bottom-left corner of the Search tab.

Adding Files to the Favorites Tab

You can put references to frequently used files and folders in the Favorites tab. The Favorites tab is a good place to put references to files or folders you???ll want to use in multiple projects.

To add a file to the Favorites tab:

m Control-click the file, then choose Add to Favorites from the shortcut menu.

Indexing Your Personal Media Files

The audio files that come with Soundtrack Pro are already indexed and ready to search. If you have a collection of audio files that are tagged with compatible metadata, including filename, genre, keyword, date, and so on, you can index them so you can search for them in the Soundtrack Pro Search tab.

For instructions on indexing your media files, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Where???s Your Media?

Soundtrack Pro can process the following file types: AIFF, CAF, WAVE, Sound Designer II, NeXT sound files, and QuickTime movies. Soundtrack Pro can also decompress and process compressed file formats, including MP3 and AAC, and play QuickTime movies.

If a file you want to use is not in one of the supported file types, you can convert it. An easy way to convert a file is to open it in its original application and then export it as one of the Soundtrack Pro???compatible file types listed here.

Each track in this multitrack project has a surround panner that feeds into one of the three surround submixes. These submixes are then routed to the Master bus, which feeds an 8-channel audio interface that connects to six surround sound speakers.

Don???t let this illustration and explanation worry you???assembling a multitrack project is easy. You just drag audio clips from the Browser, Favorites, Search, or Bin tab directly into any track in the Timeline. You can also drag audio clips directly into the Soundtrack Pro Timeline from your hard disk or any external drives you have connected to your system. When you???ve assembled your audio clips, you can edit them and route them to the Master bus using some of the techniques explained in this chapter.

Playing and Saving a Multitrack Project

Before you learn about editing techniques, here are the basics of playing and saving multitrack projects.

You can play your project at any time while editing your multitrack project.

You can position the playhead by entering a timecode here.

You can use the transport controls to play, pause, and move to the beginning and end of the Timeline.

While you can use the transport controls to play your project, it???s often easier to use keyboard shortcuts.

To play your project:

mPress the Space bar.

The project starts playing at the playhead???s location.

To save your project:

1Choose File > Save (or press Command-S). The Save dialog appears.

2Enter a name for your file and a location to save it in, and configure any other Save options:

??Save Compacted: Saves the project without display data, which can save disk space but may cause the project to take longer to open.

??Collect Audio Files: Saves the project file, and a copy of every audio file the project uses, to the selected location.

??Collect Unused Audio Files: Copies every audio file associated with the project (whether it is used in the project or not) to the selected location.

??Collect Video File: Copies the project???s video file to the selected location.

??Save Edited Media Locally: Saves the project???s edited audio files in the same folder as the project. If this checkbox is not selected, edited media will be saved to the Edited Media Location defined in Soundtrack Pro preferences.

3Click Save.

After you initially save your project, choosing File > Save (or pressing Command-S) saves your project without opening the Save dialog.

Note: To change your Save preferences after setting them up, choose File > Save As.

Creating a Soundtrack Pro Multitrack Project from a Final Cut Pro Sequence

You can select one or more audio clips or entire sequences in Final Cut Pro and send them to Soundtrack Pro as a multitrack project.

To open a group of Final Cut Pro audio clips or a Final Cut Pro sequence in

Soundtrack Pro:

1Select multiple clips in the Final Cut Pro Timeline or a sequence in the Final Cut Pro Browser.

2Control-click the selection, then choose Send To > Soundtrack Pro Multitrack Project from the shortcut menu.

A dialog appears with several settings.

3If you want to bring associated video into the multitrack project, select Include Background Video to include the sequence???s background video with the project.

4Verify that ???Save project with latest clip metadata??? is selected so that the metadata is included.

5Enter a project name or use the default name, then click Save. This saves the content as a Soundtrack Pro multitrack project. From here, you can modify the audio using Soundtrack Pro.

To learn how to export a Soundtrack Pro multitrack project to Final Cut Pro, see Chapter 6,???Exporting Your Multitrack Project,??? on page 73.

Adding Clips to the Timeline

A typical Soundtrack Pro multitrack project contains multiple audio clips on several audio tracks. It can also contain one video file on the video track.

The video track

The audio tracks shown are organized by function: orange and yellow for voiceover, lime for dialogue, green for effects, and blue for music.

After you add an audio clip to a multitrack project, you may want to modify it. When you cut or otherwise modify audio clips in the Timeline, the original media file is not affected; instead, the edits are saved as nondestructive Soundtrack Pro actions.

To add an audio clip to a track:

mLocate the file you want to use (the Browser or Search tab is a good place to start looking for files), then drag the file into an audio track in your project???s Timeline.

Information about the clip is shown in the Details tab.

Drag the file from the Browser, Search, or Favorites tab into an audio track in the Timeline.

If you have a video file for your project, it???s easy to add it to your project???s video track. You can add one QuickTime movie (or a file in any other video format that QuickTime supports) to the video track. When you drag the video to the track, it automatically appears at the beginning of the Timeline. If the video has an audio track, that appears on the first audio track of the Timeline. Soundtrack Pro also automatically applies the movie???s frame rate setting to the open audio project.

To add a video file to the video track in your project:

mFind the file you want to use, then drag it to the project???s video track.

The video file appears in the Video tab and at the beginning of the video track of your project???s Timeline.

Editing Clips in the Timeline

When you create a multitrack project, you should take a minute to consider how you will organize your clips on your project???s tracks. For example, you may want to arrange clips on different tracks based on their content: dialogue, effects, and music is a common pattern for grouping clips on tracks.

While arranging your audio clips, you might have to resize, cut, paste, delete, or otherwise manipulate your clips. These basic edits are explained next.

Each of these tools can be used to edit audio files.

To move a clip on a track:

m Drag the clip left or right on the track, or up or down to another track.

To change the length of a clip:

m Place the pointer at the edge of the clip and then drag it left or right.

You know you can change the length of a clip when the resize pointer replaces the pointer.

To delete a clip:

mSelect the clip, then press Delete. The clip disappears from the track.

To cut a clip into several segments:

1 Select the Blade tool in the Toolbar.

The arrow pointer becomes a blade to indicate that you???re cutting, not selecting, the clip.

2 Position the blade pointer over the clip you want to cut, then click.

Each time you click, the clip is cut.

When you???re done cutting the clip, you can select the Selection tool to move, resize, or delete any leftover bits of the clip that you don???t need.

You can also cut all the clips in a project.

To cut all clips down the length of the Timeline:

1Select the Blade All tool in the Toolbar.

The pointer becomes a double blade.

2Position the double blade pointer at the location in the Timeline where you want to vertically cut, then click.

The clips are cut down the length of the Timeline.

When you???re done cutting your clips, you can select the Selection tool to move, resize, or delete any leftover bits of the clips that you don???t need.

Adding Markers to the Timeline

Soundtrack Pro markers are used to mark specific points in a multitrack project. They???re often used to mark scoring and editing points in a project. Soundtrack Pro has four types of markers: beat, time, end of project, and podcast markers. This section describes the first three; to learn about podcast markers, see Chapter 6, ???Exporting Your Multitrack Project??? on page 73.

You can generally tell markers apart by their color: time markers are green, beat markers are purple, and end of project markers are red. If a project has many of the same type of markers, you can name individual markers with label tags. You can also attach comments to markers.

Beat marker (purple)

To add a marker to the Timeline:

1 Position the playhead where you want the marker.

2Do one of the following:

??Choose Mark > Set End of Project.

??Click the Add Time Marker or Add Beat Marker button in the Toolbar.

The marker type you added appears in the Timeline.

To add name or comment text to a marker:

1 Select the marker to which you want to add text.

2Display the Details tab by clicking it. Then type a name or comments for the marker you???ve selected in the appropriate fields and press Return.

Type a name in the

Marker Name field.

Add any comments here.

The marker???s name appears next to the marker in the Timeline. When you hold the pointer over the marker, the comment text appears onscreen.

You can easily navigate between markers in the Timeline.

To move the playhead between markers:

mPress Option-M to move to the next marker (to the right).

mPress Shift-M to move to the previous marker (to the left).

Creating a Fade in an Audio Clip

It???s simple to add a fade to an audio clip. After the fade is placed, you can use the Fade Selector HUD to reshape it as appropriate.

To create a fade in a clip in the Timeline:

1Using the Selection tool, position the pointer over the top-left or top-right edge of the clip.

The pointer becomes a fade pointer.

2Drag from the corner toward the center of the clip. A fade is superimposed over the clip.

3To lengthen or shorten the fade, drag the edge of the fade left or right. You can use the Fade Selector HUD to reshape your fade.

To reshape a fade???s contour using the Fade Selector HUD:

1 Double-click the fade you want to adjust to display the Fade Selector HUD.

2Select a fade shape to apply.

To learn more about the Fade Selector HUD, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Adding a Crossfade Between Two Clips

A crossfade creates a smooth, even transition between two overlapping audio clips by blending the crossfaded area together. Crossfades are often used to reduce the sudden changes in loudness that can result between clips.

After you apply a crossfade to two clips, you can adjust the crossfade???s length, position, and curve.

To add a crossfade between two audio clips:

1 Verify that the Crossfade Mode button in the Timeline is selected.

2Drag the first clip over the second clip. The more you overlap the clips, the longer the crossfade will be.

Crossfade

The crossfade appears on top of the clips.

Here are a few more ways to work with crossfades.

Adding Tracks, Busses, and Submixes to a Multitrack Project

Tracks, busses, and submixes are all organized in rows in the Timeline and they all function in a similar way. You can add multiple tracks, busses, and submixes to a project and change both their look and some of their functions.

Adding, Moving, and Removing Tracks, Busses, and Submixes

You add, move, and delete tracks, busses, and submixes using similar commands.

To add a track, bus, or submix to the Timeline:

mChoose Multitrack > Add Track, Add Bus, or Add Submix.

To move a track, bus, or submix to a different position in the Timeline:

mDrag the track, bus, or submix row to a new position within its category.

To remove a track, bus, or submix from the Timeline:

mSelect the track, bus, or submix that you want to remove, then choose Multitrack > Remove Track, Remove Bus, or Remove Submix.

Customizing a Track, Bus, or Submix

You can give tracks, busses, and submixes custom names, icons, and colors to help you organize and sort them within the Timeline.

To change the name of a track, bus, or submix:

1 Select the name.

The name is highlighted, and a text field appears.

2Enter a new name and then press Return.

The name of the track, bus, or submix changes.

To change the icon for a track, bus, or submix:

1 Double-click the icon.

The icon menu appears.

2Select an icon to represent the track, bus, or submix. The icon you selected replaces the previous icon. You can also change the color of a track or bus.

To change the color of a track or bus:

mControl-click the track or bus, then choose Track Color and the color you want from the shortcut menu.

The color bar and clips on the track or bus change to the color you indicated. Any clips that you add to the track or bus will also take on the new color.

Working with Stereo and Surround Track Panners

By default, tracks in Soundtrack Pro are set to stereo (two-channel) panning. You can switch from stereo to surround (5.1-channel) panning. If you need more control than the track???s surround panner provides, you can pan a track using the Surround Panner HUD.

This track has a surround panner.

These tracks have stereo panners.

The panners and panning values match in the Timeline and the Mixer.

To adjust stereo panning on a track:

mDrag the panning slider left or right.

As you drag, the pan value is shown above the slider.

A stereo panner appears, by default, in new tracks and busses in Soundtrack Pro. You can easily switch a track or bus panner from stereo to surround. You can also display a Surround Panner HUD if you want to make fine adjustments to the sound???s location.

To learn more about the Surround Panner HUD, including how to use its advanced controls, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Important: Using a surround panner on a track is just one step in achieving a surround signal output. Assigning surround sound to a track requires the surround panners to be assigned to the track, the correct submix output to be assigned to the submix, and the surround audio hardware outputs to be connected to Soundtrack Pro. Without these three elements correctly assigned, your surround mix will not work correctly. For more information on configuring surround sound, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Routing Your Multitrack Project

A simple multitrack project contains several tracks and a submix; the signal is then routed through the Master bus and out the hardware outputs.

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5

6

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??Specialized, a collection of effects which help you reduce noise or add high frequency components or bass signals

??Utility, a collection of effects which help you handle routine tasks

Note: The Soundtrack Pro User Manual and the Soundtrack Pro Effects Reference

(available in the Help menu) provide in-depth information about the various effects available in Soundtrack Pro.

You can add an effect to any track, bus, or submix as a realtime effect. A realtime effect modifies the audio signal as it passes through the effect. Applying an effect as a realtime effect is useful because you can immediately identify the effect???s influence on the project.

You can add realtime effects to a track, bus, or submix, or to a project???s Master bus.

To add a realtime effect to a track, bus, or submix, or to the Master bus:

1 Select the track, bus, submix, or Master bus to which you want to apply the effects.

2In the Effects tab of the Inspector, select the effect you want to apply from the Effects list. Then click the Add (+) button in the Effects tab to apply the effect.

The Compressor effect is selected.

Click the Add button to add the effect to the

track you selected in the Timeline.

3The effect???s Advanced Settings window appears. If necessary, adjust the effect, then click the Advanced Settings window???s close button.

Make any required changes, then click the close button.

The Compressor Advanced Settings window

After you apply the effect, you can also adjust its parameters in the Timeline or Effects tab, and turn it on or off by selecting or deselecting its checkbox in the Effects tab.

Click the disclosure triangle next to the track name to view the effect. you added.

You can also click the effect???s disclosure triangle in the Effects tab and adjust the effect parameters.

Automating Track, Bus, Submix, and Master Bus Parameters with Envelope Points

Each track, bus, and submix in your Timeline, as well as your project???s Master bus, has a set of envelopes for volume, pan, and other parameters. Creating and adjusting envelope points is also often described as automating an envelope or using automation.

When you add an effect to a track, a bus, a submix, or the Master bus, it automatically gets envelopes for each parameter that can be automated and that is associated with the effect. To automate the envelope line, you can add points to the envelope line and move the points up and down to change the parameters of the track, bus, submix, or Master bus over time.

To automate a track???s parameters:

1 Select the track that contains the effect parameters that you want to automate.

2In the Effects tab, click the disclosure triangle next to the effect you want to automate and verify that the Auto checkbox for each parameter that you want to automate is selected.

3In the Timeline, click the track???s disclosure triangle to display the track???s envelopes.

The envelope parameters for the effects that are applied to the track appear as straight lines.

4To add an envelope point anywhere on the line, double-click the envelope line.

As you double-click the envelope, envelope points appear; a number, indicating the envelope point???s level, also appears. You can drag the envelope points up and down to adjust their levels. You can also drag the envelope points left and right to adjust their positions.

Double-click the envelope line to create a movable envelope. point.

5To make finer adjustments to an envelope, zoom in to the track using the Zoom slider, then continue to add and move the envelope points.

6When you???re done automating the envelope, play the track to hear the effects of the automation you applied.

When editing an individual audio file, some edits, including normalizing or amplifying levels, applying effects, and applying noise, pop, and click reduction, are applied as nondestructive actions. Actions can be reordered, turned on or off, and removed at any time using the Actions tab.

The Actions tab lists the actions applied to ???Traffic City,??? the file that???s open in the File Editor.

This chapter is divided into two sections. The first section explains the different ways that Soundtrack Pro processes audio files associated with multitrack projects and single audio files that are not associated with multitrack projects. The second section explains how to perform specific edits and apply effects to audio files in both the File Editor tab and in File Editor project view.

How Soundtrack Pro Processes Audio Files

Soundtrack Pro can process a variety of audio file types, including AIFF and WAV files. To allow you to nondestructively edit a file using Soundtrack Pro actions, Soundtrack Pro will often automatically save a copy of your file as an audio project (.stap) file. This lets you immediately start nondestructively editing your file.

Any changes you make to a file???s frequency spectrum or waveform, any sample edits, audio stretching, or processing effects you add to a file are applied as actions. After adding actions to a file, you can change the order in which they are applied, turn them on or off, or remove them in the Actions tab.

Actions are useful because they are nondestructive, and you can easily preview, reorder, and remove them in the Actions tab.

Where to Edit Audio Files

You can work with an individual audio file in two locations in Soundtrack Pro. You edit files that are part of a multitrack project in the File Editor tab. You edit files that are not connected to a multitrack project in the File Editor project view.

Editing Files That Are Associated with a Multitrack Project in the File Editor Tab

You can nondestructively edit and apply effects to audio files used in a multitrack project in the File Editor tab. It is easy to open a single file from the Timeline of a multitrack project???simply click that file in the Timeline, and it appears in the File Editor tab below the Timeline.

The File Editor tab, displaying a file selected in the Timeline (not shown)

When you work on individual files in the File Editor tab, you don???t need to save or update individual audio files. Saving the multitrack project automatically saves all the individual audio files associated with the multitrack project.

Tracking File and Clip Relationships

One thing you do need to keep track of is the relationships between multiple clips that refer to the same audio file.

If you apply an effect to an .aiff file in a multitrack project, Soundtrack Pro creates an audio file project (.stap) from the original file to allow you to edit the file nondestructively, and the effect is applied as an action to the new .stap file.

The situation is complicated when multiple clips refer to the same audio file.

For example, if you drag three copies of a .wav file into the Timeline of a multitrack project, you create three new clips, each pointing to the original .wav file. When you select one of the new clips to begin editing it, a new audio file project is created from the .wav file that the clip refers to. Any edits you make are applied to the new audio file project, and then all three clips are updated to point to the new audio file project that was created.

The example above is useful when you want to do file cleanup operations such as noise reduction across multiple clips that share the same file. Applying an effect to any one of the clips will edit all the clips that point to that file. However, what if you want to edit the audio in a single clip?

To edit a single clip (and not the rest of the clips associated with the source file), you create an independent audio file project. This makes a new audio file for each selected clip. Creating an independent audio file also conveniently trims the file to match the original clip???s length.

To open a file (or the file a clip refers to) in the File Editor tab, do one of the following:

mClick the file. When the file (or clip that refers to a file) is selected in the Timeline, it appears in the File Editor tab below the Timeline.

mDrag a file from the Browser tab, Search tab, Favorites tab, or Bin tab into the File Editor or Timeline. The file???s waveform appears in the File Editor tab below the Timeline.

Important: Remember that when you work in the File Editor tab, you don???t need to worry about saving audio files associated with a multitrack project because all the individual audio files in the multitrack project are automatically saved.

To open a file (or the file a clip refers to) as an independent audio file project:

mSelect the clip, then choose Clip > Replace with Independent Audio File Project. The selected clip is replaced with a new independent audio file project.

Editing Single Audio Files in File Editor Project View

If you are not working in a multitrack project and want to edit single audio files, you can edit in the File Editor project view. A single audio file, opened from the Browser, Search, or Favorites tab appears in the File Editor project view. You may have several audio files open simultaneously; when you do, each file has its own File Editor tab.

If you double-click a file, it appears in the full-screen File Editor.

When you edit or apply an edit or effect to a file, Soundtrack Pro automatically converts the file from its original file format to an audio file project. This conversion allows the edits to be applied to the file as nondestructive actions. By default, Soundtrack Pro chooses the audio file project format so that it can save your actions nondestructively.

Unlike when editing files associated with a multitrack project, you must save the edits you apply to an audio file project or other file type.

To open an audio file project or other single audio file in the File Editor project view, do one of the following:

mDouble-click a file in the Browser, Search, or Favorites tab.

mOpen a file from Final Cut Pro or another audio application.

Note: A single file from a multitrack project also appears in the File Editor project view when you double-click that file in the Timeline.

To save an audio file project or other single audio file:

1Choose File > Save.

A Save dialog appears.

2Enter a name for your file in the Save As field and define where to save it using the Where pop-up menu.

3Choose a file type for saving your audio file project and select any other applicable options.

??Bit Depth: Choose between 8-bit and 32-bit integer or floating point bit rate.

??Sample Rate: Choose between 32,000 and 192,000 Hz.

??Dither: Reduces quantization errors in low-level audio signals, such as the end of a fade-out or the last trailing moments of a reverb effect. Dithering is useful when saving a project at a lower bit depth or sample rate.

??Include Source Audio: Includes a copy of the source audio files in the audio file project. Not selecting the checkbox includes a link to, instead of a copy of, the original source audio.

Note: If you don???t select the Include Source Audio checkbox, the original audio file is not saved as part of the project file and your project will not play unless the original file is available in its original location.

??Update Multitrack Projects: If you have used a file associated with the multitrack project you are saving in one or more multitrack projects, Soundtrack Pro can replace every instance of the old file with the file you are currently saving. To enable this switch, select the Update Multitrack Projects checkbox.

Important: To write over the original file destructively, save the file using the original file type, not the new audio file project.

4Click the Save button. Your file is saved.

Opening a Logic Pro Audio File in Soundtrack Pro

The Open in External Editor feature allows you to edit or process mono, stereo, and multichannel files using the editing tools and features in Soundtrack Pro.

To open a Logic Pro audio file in Soundtrack Pro:

1 Select an audio region in the Logic Pro Arrange window.

2Choose Option > Audio > Open in c.

Soundtrack Pro opens and displays the audio file associated with the selected audio region.

Note: Logic Pro allows you to select any external editing application you wish to use. Logic Pro ships with Soundtrack Pro as the default external editing application. If you previously selected a different application, that name will be seen in the Logic Pro Options menu. To learn how to change an external editor in Logic Pro, see the

Logic Pro User Manual.

To send the edited audio back to Logic Pro:

1After you???ve edited the audio in Soundtrack Pro, choose Process > Flatten All Actions to render your changes.

2Save the file by choosing File > Save.

Note: Logic Pro cannot read Soundtrack Pro project files directly. Files must always be saved as flattened audio files.

3Return to Logic Pro. The audio file that you edited in Soundtrack Pro automatically updates.

For more information, see the Logic Pro User Manual and the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Adding Processes and Effects to a File with Actions

When you add a process or effect, like EQ or reverb, to an audio file, it is applied as an action. Actions are useful because they are nondestructive and easy to work with; you can easily preview, reorder, and remove them in the Actions tab. When you???re happy with the actions applied to a file, you can flatten the actions onto the audio file to which they are applied. This applies all of the actions in your list as a single action. While this makes the actions uneditable, it reduces the size of the audio file.

Any of the Soundtrack Pro processes or effects can be applied to an audio file as an action. Take a minute to check out the variety of processes and effects available in the Process menu.

When you add any process or effect from the Process menu, it is applied as an action.

You can add processes and effects to a file in several ways. Here???s an easy way to add a process or effect to a file.

To add a process or effect to a file (or a section of a file) as an action:

1 Select the file (or section of the file) you want to add the effect to in the File Editor.

2 Choose Process, then choose the process you want to apply as an action.

3Some actions have a dialog that contains setting options. Choose the settings you want, then click Apply.

The action appears in the Actions list.

When you add an action, it automatically appears above the Action Insert bar.

Deselecting an action???s checkbox turns the

action off.The Soundtrack Pro Reverb and Denoiser effects were added to

the file as actions.

The Action Insert bar determines where new actions are inserted.

Actions pop-up menu

Here are some easy ways to work with actions.

Flattening an Actions List

You can flatten all the actions in an Actions list into a single action. Flattening actions renders the actions into the file, reducing the file???s complexity and size. Remember, however, that once you flatten an Actions list, you cannot reorder or edit the actions: after flattening, the actions you flattened become one action.

To flatten your Actions list:

1 Move the Action Insert bar directly below the last action you want to flatten.

2Choose ???Flatten audible actions??? or ???Flatten all actions??? from the Actions pop-up menu.

??Flatten audible actions: Flattens only the actions above the Action Insert bar.

??Flatten all actions: Flattens all the actions in the Actions list, regardless of the location of the Action Insert bar.

Make sure the Action Insert bar is below the last action you want to flatten.

Then choose a flatten actions option from the Actions pop-up menu.

The actions are flattened.

Using the File Editor Tools

The File Editor tab and the File Editor project view have their own special toolsets for performing precise waveform edits.

The File Editor

tab???s toolset

The File Editor project view's toolset

Scrubbing a File

When you scrub an audio file, you play through it, hearing the audio at an accelerated or decelerated speed. If you need to find a specific sound in a file???for example, a crash???scrubbing can come in handy.

To scrub a file:

1 Select the Scrub tool at the top-left corner of the File Editor.

The pointer becomes a scrubber.

2 Drag the scrubber left or right in the File Editor or Timeline.

The file plays at an accelerated rate.

3When you find the sound you were listening for, release the mouse button. You can also shuttle through a file using the J, K, and L keys on your keyboard.

Zooming In to a File

Like the Timeline, the File Editor has a Zoom slider to help you see the details of your file. It also has a Zoom tool.

To zoom in to a file:

m Drag the Zoom slider at the bottom of the File Editor.

Drag this slider to see more detail in your file.

As you can see, the Zoom slider shows you more file detail, but it usually will not zoom in far enough to reveal your file???s samples.

To increase or decrease the zoom level, do one of the following:

mSelect a section of the waveform with the pointer. The waveform is automatically zoomed in to the selected section.

mSelect the Zoom tool at the top-left corner of the File Editor, and then click the waveform repeatedly.

Select the Zoom tool and then click to zoom in to the waveform.

To zoom out and make the waveform smaller, press Option while clicking the waveform.

When you can no longer zoom in, you have reached the file???s samples.

What Is a Sample?

A sample is the smallest measure of digital audio. To understand how small a sample is, consider this: one second of audio requires thousands of samples. Commonly used sample rates include 44.1 kHz for CD-quality audio and 48 kHz for digital video???quality audio files.

Each solid dot in the waveform at the left represents a digital sample.

Samples are produced by analog-to-digital converters that measure (sample) continuously changing analog audio strength and that output discrete numbers at regular intervals of time.

In Soundtrack Pro, you define your sample rate, the size of the digital samples used in your project, when you configure your project settings.

Editing a File???s Samples

While most edits don???t require moving samples individually, some sound editors prefer to work at the sample level. You can easily edit the individual samples of an audio file, changing the amplitude of one or several samples.

To edit a file???s samples:

1In the File Editor project view, use the Zoom tool or drag the Zoom slider to zoom in to the file and reveal its waveform???s samples.

Drag the Zoom slider to the far left to view a waveform???s samples.

2 Select the Sample Edit tool at the top-left corner of the File Editor.

The pointer becomes a pencil.

3To change the amplitude of a series of samples, drag left or right with the Sample Edit tool.

To increase or decrease a single sample???s amplitude, drag the sample up or down.

As you edit your file???s samples, actions appear in the Action list.

Time Stretching an Audio File

Time stretching a section of an audio file alters its length. Time stretching is particularly useful when editing dialogue because you can alter the timing of the dialogue without affecting its pitch.

To time stretch a file:

1 View the file in the File Editor project view.

2 Select the Audio Stretching tool.

The pointer becomes a stretcher.

3 Select the portion of the file that you want to stretch or contract.

4Position the stretcher over the right edge of the selection. When the stretcher pointer appears, stretch the file farther to the right to lengthen the audio or to the left to speed up the audio.

Note: If you don???t want to overwrite nearby audio files, hold down the Option key while stretching or contracting the file. This lengthens or shortens the file instead of overwriting any nearby files.

When you release the mouse button, the File Editor updates the waveform to show the new, stretched audio.

Editing a File in Frequency Spectrum View

In some editing situations, you may want to view a file???s frequency spectrum instead of its waveform. For example, if you???re looking for a specific frequency of camera noise, you can easily find it using Frequency Spectrum view.

To view a file???s frequency spectrum:

m Click the Frequency Spectrum View button at the top-right corner of the File Editor.

Use these buttons to switch between Waveform and Frequency Spectrum view.

Frequency Spectrum view

To select a frequency region:

mSelect the Frequency Selection tool and then select a portion of the frequencies.

Soundtrack Pro has advanced controls that allow you to adjust the spectrum view and switch between a linear and logarithmic frequency scale.

To view the Soundtrack Pro advanced frequency controls:

mControl-click anywhere in the frequency spectrum, then choose Show Spectrum Controls from the shortcut menu to display the Frequency Spectrum HUD.

To learn more about working with frequency spectrum and about the Frequency Spectrum HUD, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

To analyze an audio file for problems:

1Select the file in the Timeline to display it in the File Editor.

If you want to analyze just a section of the file, select just that section in the File Editor tab.

2In the Analysis tab, select one or more audio problems from the Analysis Type list and then click the Analyze button.

Select one or more problems to look for on

the clip.

Then click the Analyze button.

Soundtrack Pro analyzes the file and then reports each problem it detects in the analysis results list. It also marks the problem area of the waveform in red.

?? Status: Indicates whether the problem exists or has been fixed.

?? Problem: Indicates the problem type.

?? Start: Indicates when the problem begins.

?? Length: Indicates the problem???s duration.

?? Channel: Indicates where the problem occurs: in the left channel (L), right channel (R), both channels (LR), or other (-).

After identifying a problem, you might want to view it in detail on the waveform.

To examine a found problem:

1Select the problem in the analysis results list.

The problem area of the waveform is automatically selected.

2Click and hold the Zoom button at the bottom of the Analysis tab to zoom in to the problem you selected.

Now you can fix the problem manually, or you can have Soundtrack Pro fix it for you. You can choose to fix all the problems listed in the analysis results list, or correct the problems one at a time. Of course, you can also choose to leave a problem uncorrected.

To fix all the problems displayed in the analysis results list:

mClick the Fix All button.

The problems are fixed in the waveform, and the problems??? status in the analysis results list changes to Fixed.

All of the problems in the list are fixed.

To fix problems one at a time:

1 Select the problem you want to fix in the analysis results list.

2Click the Fix button.

The problem is fixed in the waveform, and the problem???s status in the analysis results list is reported as Fixed.

Creating an AppleScript Droplet to Analyze and Fix Audio Files

You can save a series of Soundtrack Pro actions, including analyzing and fixing a variety of problems, as an AppleScript droplet. After you???ve saved the droplet, you can simply drag the files you want to process onto the droplet.

You can get instructions for creating AppleScript droplets to use with Soundtrack Pro in the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Working in the Soundtrack Pro Mixer

In the Soundtrack Pro Mixer tab, you can easily compare and adjust volume for each track, bus, and submix. If you???d rather work with a floating Mixer window, you can drag the Mixer tab off to display a separate Mixer window. You may want to do this when you want to make fine adjustments to a track???s volume. You can then manually stretch the Mixer window to the length of the Soundtrack Pro window.

The Soundtrack Pro Mixer mimics a hardware mixing board. The order of the Mixer???s channel strips follows the order of the tracks, busses, and submixes in your multitrack project???s Timeline. The Master bus is always the last channel strip in the Mixer (and last track in the Timeline).

When you make changes to controls such as volume and pan in the Mixer, the corresponding levels automatically update in the Timeline???s header controls. The Mixer???s vertical channel layout makes it easy for you to see the relative volume levels of each of the tracks.

The Mixer has a channel strip for each track, bus, and submix, and the Master bus in your project???s Timeline.

Each track channel strip contains the track???s name and icon, effects slots, panners (for stereo or surround), buttons for bypassing effects, an Arm for Recording button, buttons for muting and soloing the track, volume faders, meters, and a Submix pop-up menu. While the channel strips for tracks, busses, submixes, and the Master bus have slightly different controls, they share many common controls.

??The channel???s icon and color correspond with the track icon and color in the Timeline.

??Effects that have been applied to the tracks, busses, submixes, or Master bus appear in the Effects list. You can add effects here or in the Timeline.

??The panner can be round (for surround) or horizontal (for stereo).

Steps for Mixing a Project

This section takes you through a generic mixing process for a film project made of voiceover, dialogue, effects, and music tracks. This mini-tutorial is intended to give you a general sense of the goals and outcome of mixing a film audio project: to adjust the individual audio tracks and create a balanced master mix.

Step 1: Mix the voice tracks

Adjust the volume and balance of the voiceover and dialogue tracks.

Step 2: Mix the effects and music tracks

Adjust the volume of the effects and music tracks.

Step 3: Adjust the overall mix

Make overall adjustments to the project.

Step 4: Correct clipping on the Master bus or for exported items

Verify that none of the audio exceeds the maximum volume.

Step 5: Listen one more time

Listen one more time, just in case.

Mixing the Voice Tracks

In this step, you check the volume and balance of the voice tracks.

In the Cafe example, there are two groups of voice tracks: the primary voice (VO Debra and VO Jacob) and the secondary voice (Dialog 1 and Dialog 2).

To mix the first set of voice tracks:

1 Solo each main voice track by clicking its Solo button.

Click the Solo button to solo one or more tracks.

2 Pan, or move, each of the soloed main voice tracks to center (0).

3 Play the primary voice tracks again. How does the playback sound?

4Adjust the panning as appropriate for your mix, depending on the type of panner the tracks have and the location from which you want the sound to emerge. Typically, dialogue is mixed almost exclusively in the center channel.

Adjust each track???s panning.

5 Press the Space bar to play the primary voice tracks again. How does it sound?

6If necessary, add any EQ, compression, or other processing effects to complete the sound of your main voice channels.

7Adjust the relative volume of the main voice tracks, leaving some cushion (typically around ???6 dB) in case you need to raise the levels later.

Adjust each track???s volume, leaving some headroom at the top.

To mix the dialogue tracks (Dialog 1 and Dialog 2):

mRepeat the mixing process for the other voice tracks in your project. For the Cafe project shown in this example, you would repeat the process on the Dialog 1 and Dialog 2 tracks.

In this example,

you would repeat the mixing process for the secondary tracks, Dialog 1 and Dialog 2.

Mixing the Effects and Music Tracks

This step repeats the mixing process on your project???s other tracks. Background tracks, like music, require a bit more attention because they do not automatically blend together in the way the voice tracks can. For this step, you???ll repeat the mixing process on each individual track.

All of the effects and music tracks

To mix an effects or music track:

1Solo the first of your effects and music tracks (in this example, the first FX track), then adjust its pan to center and play the track. How does it sound?

2Play the track again, then adjust the panning as appropriate for your mix, depending on the type of panner the track has and the location from which you want the sound to emerge.

3Play the track again. If necessary, add any EQ, compression, or other processing effects to complete the sound of the track.

4Adjust the relative volume of the track, leaving some cushion (typically around ???6 dB) in case you need to raise the levels later.

Repeat this process on each of the remaining tracks.

Now all the tracks in your project should be adjusted for volume, pan, and required surround panning.

Adjusting the Entire Mix

Once you have mixed all the individual tracks in your project, you should listen to all the tracks at least a few more times. Then, if necessary, add any EQ, compression, or other processing to the overall project in the submix channel.

Note: It???s helpful to have all the meters in the Mixer, as well as the project audio meter in the Utility tab, showing for this final step.

Important: Before you begin this step, verify that none of the tracks are soloed or muted.

To make changes to the overall mix:

1Press Shift-Return to play your project. Listen to it. Does it need any final adjustments?

For this example, a compressor will be added to the Cafe project???s submix track to even out the final mix.

2Select the submix track in the Mixer. When you do, the submix track in the Timeline is automatically selected.

Select the submix track. In this example, the Mixer tab is a floating window and has been resized.

When you select the submix track in the Mixer, the submix track in the Timeline is also selected.

3To add a compressor to the submix track, select the Effects tab, select Dynamics and Compressor, and click the Add (+) button.

Select Dynamics and

Compressor in the

Effects tab.

Click the Add (+) button.

The compressor is added to the Effects list in the Effects tab; it also appears in the

Effects list in the submix track in the Timeline and in the Mixer.

The compressor appears in the Effects list.

The compressor also appears in the submix track of the Timeline.

4Press Shift-Return to play your project again. How does the compressor effect change the sound of your final mix?

If you want to further adjust the compressor, you can display it by clicking the Advanced button in the Effects tab; you can also automate the compression envelope on the submix track in the Timeline.

Play the project once again. As the project plays, watch your project???s audio meter (in the Meters tab), especially the clipping meter, which lights up any time the levels are loud enough to distort the audio.

Use the Meters tab to watch for clipping.

Note: Soundtrack Pro projects clip whenever the output displayed in the level meters exceeds zero decibels (0 dB).

Watch the audio while the project plays through to its end. If you saw any clipping, you???ll need to remove it.

Correcting Clipping on the Master Bus or for Exported Items

Clipping occurs whenever the output displayed in the level meters exceeds zero decibels (0 dB). Because Soundtrack Pro uses floating point digital audio, clipping only needs to be corrected on a multitrack project???s Master bus.

To fix clipping, you simply adjust the volume until the clipping ceases.

The peak indicator

To find and correct clipping:

1Reduce the volume by the amount shown in the peak indicator using the volume fader or volume value slider.

2Replay the project from the beginning (starting from the beginning resets the peak indicators in your project).

3 If clipping still occurs, continue to reduce the volume until the project does not clip.

Listening One More Time

To be safe, listen to your project again (or a few more times). Is this your final mix?

If so, your mixing process is complete.

In some situations, you may also want to listen to a mono mix of your project. For example, if your final project will be listened to on a single speaker or other nonstereo output, you might want to test the mono mix for phasing and other playback issues.

To listen to a temporary mono mix:

mPress Shift-Return to play your project from the beginning, then click the Mono Mix button, located to the right of the Monitor Volume slider and to the left of the transport controls.

Click and hold the Mono Mix button while the project is playing to hear a mono mix.

You can also Option-click the Mono Mix button to play back a temporary mono mix without having to hold down the button.

To stop listening to the mono mix, release the mouse button.

Exporting a Final Mix

Here???s a set of basic export instructions to export a completed multitrack project. Make sure that the multitrack project you want to export is open and ready to be exported.

To export a master mix of a multitrack project:

1Choose File > Export.

The Export dialog appears.

2 Enter a name for your mix in the Save As field.

3If you want your file to be exported somewhere other than your desktop, choose a location from the Where pop-up menu.

Click this button to navigate to where you want to locate your exported files.

4 Choose Master Mix from the Exported Items pop-up menu.

5 Choose a file type from the File Type pop-up menu.

6 Make any other changes, including setting parameters specific to a file type.

Sample export master mix options

7When you???re ready to export your mix, click Export.

Your master mix is exported to the location and with the criteria you specified.

Exporting a Submix

You can also easily export submixes of your multitrack project. The standard splits for creating multiple language tracks on DVDs include separate dialogue (D1), music (M1), and effects (E1) mixes; however, you can export any combination of tracks, busses, and submixes by following the basic steps explained below.

To export a submix:

1In the Timeline or the Mixer, select the tracks as well as any busses or submixes you want to export.

2 Choose File > Export.

3 Choose Selected Tracks, Busses, and Submixes from the Exported Items pop-up menu.

4 Choose a file type for your exported files from the File Type pop-up menu.

5Click Export.

The submix is exported to the location you specified.

Exporting a Multitrack Project to Final Cut Pro

If you brought a Final Cut Pro audio sequence into Soundtrack Pro, you can easily send a mixdown of the project you are editing in Soundtrack Pro back to Final Cut Pro.

To update a Final Cut Pro project with a mixdown from Soundtrack Pro:

1 When your multitrack project is completed, choose File > Export.

2 Define your export options.

3 Choose ???Send files to Final Cut Pro sequence??? from the After Export pop-up menu.

4 Click Export.

If you have Final Cut Pro installed on your system, the multitrack project automatically opens as a sequence in Final Cut Pro, with the mixdown correctly positioned in the Timeline and the original audio tracks muted.

If you do not have Final Cut Pro installed on your system, you can save the project and later import the resulting Soundtrack Pro project into the original Final Cut Pro project with the mixdown correctly positioned in the Timeline and the original audio tracks muted.

More shortcuts have been designed to help you repeatedly move audio clips between Soundtrack Pro and Final Cut Pro. For more information, see the Final Cut Pro User Manual and the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Exporting a Podcast

Exporting a podcast from Soundtrack Pro files is easy. You simply mark your multitrack project with podcast markers and then export your podcast.

To add podcast markers to your project:

1To display the podcast track in the Timeline, choose Podcast Track from the Show pop-up menu in the upper-right corner of the Timeline.

Choose Podcast Track from the Show pop-up menu.

The podcast track appears near the top of the Timeline.

By default, the podcast track appears just below the video track (if you have one in your project) with a single blue podcast region that spans the entire length of the project.

Video track

Podcast track

2 Find the location in your project where you want the podcast to begin.

3To add a podcast marker, cut the clip with the Blade tool. a Select the Blade tool.

b Click the clip; as you click, a podcast marker appears. Each marker defines a chapter. c Add any necessary details for the podcast marker in the Details tab.

This example has two podcast regions (or chapters).

When you???ve applied two or more podcast markers to your project, a podcast region appears in the podcast track.

4 Choose File > Export.

5 Choose Master Mix from the Exported Items pop-up menu.

6Choose AAC/Podcast File from the File Type pop-up menu. The AAC Audio export options dialog appears.

The Audio, Streaming, and Podcast tabs contain AAC/Podcast export options.

The default options are good choices for a first attempt at creating a podcast, so leave them at their default settings.

7If you want to export the video with the podcast, click the Podcast button and then select Video Track.

Click the Podcast button and then select Video Track.

8When you???re ready, click Export.

The podcast appears in the location you specified.

There???s a lot more you can do with podcasts. To learn more, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Saving a Multitrack Project with Its Media Files

As you learned earlier, you can export your project with all of its media files. You can also save your project and all of the media files it uses in the same folder. Saving the project and its media files together is useful when you want to move the project from one computer to another to continue working on it or to archive the project and media for later use.

Be sure the project you are about to save is open.

To save a project and its media files together:

1 Choose File > Save As.

2 Enter a name for your multitrack project in the Save As field.

3 In the Save dialog, create a new folder to hold the collected project files.

4 Choose the new folder from the Where pop-up menu.

5Select the Collect Audio Files and Collect Unused Audio Files checkboxes. If the project includes a video track, select the Collect Video File checkbox to save the video in the selected folder.

6Click Save.

The project file and a copy of every audio file associated with the project are saved in the selected location.

Note: Because video files are typically very large files, saving a copy of the video file may take several minutes and may require a large amount of disk space.

The File Editor

You can view an individual clip in the File Editor tab or in the File Editor project view. Both spaces contain similar buttons and tools; the exceptions include an Automation pop-up menu in the File Editor project view and linking, Solo, and Spot to Playhead buttons and playback controls in the File Editor tab.

You can edit files that are part of a multitrack project in the File Editor tab. When you select a file in the Timeline of a multitrack project, it is shown in the File Editor tab just below the Timeline.

The file selected in the Timeline above is displayed here in the File Editor tab.

You can edit single audio files in the File Editor project view. A single audio file, opened from the Browser tab, Search tab, or Favorites tab, appears in the File Editor project view.

If you double-click a file, it appears in the full-screen File Editor project view.

The Multitake Editor

The Multitake Editor is a powerful tool used for mixing and syncing multitake recordings and automatic dialogue replacement (ADR).

Waveform editing tools

Comp track

Take tracks

The Multitake Editor tab is not covered in this Getting Started book. To learn how to use the Multitake Editor, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Conform

The Conform tab allows you to update your audio project to match video project changes.

The Conform tab is not covered in this Getting Started book. To learn how to use the

Conform tab, see the Soundtrack Pro User Manual.

Tabs in the Left Pane

The tabs at the left of the Timeline reveal details about various parts of your project. If your multitrack project contains a video clip, it is displayed in the Video tab.

The Details, Effects, Tracks, and Actions tabs all update to show the relevant details for the clip you select in the Timeline. The Effects tab shows parameters for any effects added to a selected clip, the Actions tab provides an editable list of the actions applied to the selected clip or file, and so on. The Analysis tab helps you find and fix common audio problems in a file.

Video you???ve added to your project is displayed here.

View clip details or effects, actions, or track details by selecting a tab.

Tabs in the Right Pane

You can view audio meters, record audio, and browse, index, find, and organize your audio clips using the Meters, Recording, Browser, Search, and Favorites tabs.

The Meters and Recording tabs show the levels of audio coming in, when audio is being recorded by Soundtrack Pro, and out, when audio is being played.

The Browser tab works like a Finder window, allowing you to browse through your hard disk and external volumes. In the Search tab, you can index your audio files, then search for them by criteria including names, keywords, and other metadata. When you find a clip you want to use, you can put it in your Favorites tab so you can easily find it later.

The Meters and Recording tabs display levels for media being played or recorded.

The Browser, Search, and Favorites tabs are located here.

Arranging the Soundtrack Pro Interface

Soundtrack Pro is customizable: you can rearrange the Soundtrack Pro tabs, hide and display areas of the interface, and save custom Soundtrack Pro layouts.

Arranging Tabs

The Soundtrack Pro interface is made up of tabs. You can tear off any tab to create a separate floating window. This window can be resized or hidden. When you???re done using the window, you can easily return the tab to its original location.

To tear off a tab:

mSelect the tab, then drag it out of the area where it was nested.

To resize a window:

mPosition the pointer at the edge of the window, then drag the edge to a new size.

To return a tab to its original location in the Soundtrack Pro interface:

mDrag the tab into the interface.

Using Preconfigured Interface Layouts

Soundtrack Pro comes with two preconfigured interface layouts.

Standard layout is the Soundtrack Pro default layout. It is shown throughout this book. Separate Mixer and Video, the other interface layout, has three windows: a Standard layout window, a floating Mixer window, and a floating Video window.

To view the Separate Mixer and Video layout:

mChoose Window > Layouts > Separate Mixer and Video (or press F2).

The Separate Mixer and Video layout puts the Video and Mixer tabs in separate, floating windows.

To switch back to Standard layout:

mChoose Window > Layouts > Standard (or press F1).

Customizing Your Interface

You can choose to display any tab in Soundtrack Pro in its own window.

To put any Soundtrack Pro tab in its own floating window:

mDrag the tab off its location in the Soundtrack Pro interface. The tab appears in its own window.

You can also show or hide the areas of the Soundtrack Pro interface.

To show or hide the left, lower, or right pane of Soundtrack Pro, do one of the following:

mChoose Window > Toggle Left Pane, Toggle Lower Pane, or Toggle Right Pane.

mClick one of the Pane buttons at the right of the Toolbar.

You can view or hide sections of the interface and the Mixer by clicking these buttons.

When you hide the left and right panes, only the Timeline and Toolbar remain.

Saving Your Own Custom Layouts

If you find yourself working in a particular interface layout, you can save it. Then, instead of showing and hiding interface elements to create the layout, you can access it later by choosing the layout???s name.

To save an interface setup as a custom layout:

1Click the Layouts button at the right of the Toolbar. The Layouts dialog appears.

2Click the Add (+) button.

A new, untitled layout appears in the Layouts list.

3 Type a name for your new layout.

4Click Done.

To access your new layout:

mChoose Window > Layouts, then choose the layout you created from the submenu. The Soundtrack Pro window changes to your custom layout.