User Manual

CLIPS WINDOW
281
TRACK TYPES
You can use any type of track in the Clips window
(“Basic track types” on page 117). Most often,
you’ll be using MIDI tracks, and mono and stereo
audio tracks. However, you can also include
instrument tracks, aux tracks, VCA tracks or even
Master Fader tracks, for the purposes of triggering
mix automation data.
TRACK PLAYBACK VERSUS CLIP PLAYBACK
Once clips have been placed in the cells of a track,
they aren’t actually “in” the track. In other words,
they exist independently of any material in the
track, as viewed in the Tracks Overview, Sequence
Editor or other edit windows. Accordingly, they
won’t play until you trigger them with their trigger
buttons. Until you do, you’ll hear whatever material
is in the track. As soon as you trigger the clip, it
“takes over” the track’s playback. So at any given
time, you will only hear either the clip or the track
material, but not both. Similarly, only one clip can
play at a time within a track. So, if you have clips
that you intend to play consecutively, you can place
them in the same track. For clips that you might
want to play simultaneously, place them in separate
tracks.
☛ The top row of clips are an exception: see
“Track clips” below.
CREATING CLIPS
A clip is created by placing existing material into a
cell in the grid, or by creating a new, empty clip and
using the Clip Editor to construct new material.
☛ When placing existing material in a cell, it
must be compatible with the track format (MIDI,
mono audio, stereo audio, etc.)
Drag and drop
Drag and drop items from other windows (the
Soundbites list, Content Browser, Sequence Editor,
etc.) into any compatible cell. If the cell is already
occupied by a clip, the existing clip is replaced.
Copy and paste
To create a clip using copy and paste:
1 Copy material from any single track in the
Tracks Overview, Sequence Editor or any other
editor.
You can do so from an object selection or a time-
range selection.
2 Select a cell in the Clip window and paste. Be
sure the cell belongs to a track that is compatible
with the data you’ve copied (MIDI, mono audio,
stereo audio, etc.)
A new clip is created from the material on the
clipboard. If the cell is already occupied by a clip,
the existing clip is replaced.
Create a new, empty clip
1 Right-click an empty cell and choose New Clip
from the menu.
2 Use the Clip Editor to build the clip’s content.
See “The Clip Editor” on page 284.
THE TRIGGER BUTTON
To trigger a clip, click its trigger button
(Figure 30-1 on page 278).
☛ If the trigger button is missing from a clip, it
means that the clip is not compatible with the
track. For example, if you place a MIDI clip in an
audio track cell, its trigger button will disappear to
indicate that it cannot be played.
While a clip is playing, its trigger button is shaded
blue. When not playing, it is gray.