User Manual

SONGS
793
Secondly, rather than having a different Start time
and tempo map for each Chunk within a song, the
song itself has one Start time and one Conductor
track to govern all component Chunks. In fact,
when placing Chunks into a song you could use Set
Chunk Start, found in the Chunks window mini-
menu, to change each Chunk’s start time to
correspond with its playback location in the song.
The Chunk’s SMPTE start times will shift
accordingly, matching those in the Song window
Time Ruler. If a Chunk contains tempo changes,
you can use the Copy Conductor tracks mini-menu
command to make every SMPTE time of a
component Chunk match those of the song that
contains it.
Finally, film scoring applications benefit greatly
from the Song window. Using the Record Hits
feature in the Markers window, you can create a
series of SMPTE hit points associated with a song.
Each hit point becomes a marker. Because Digital
Performer inserts a column in the Song window for
each Marker, you automatically have a Chunk
placement guide at each hit point in the song.
Matching chunk start times with their location
in a song
When Chunks are placed in a song, the song itself
has one Start time and one Conductor track to
govern all component Chunks. When placing
Chunks into a song, you may want to change each
component Chunk’s start time to match its
playback location in the song. Then, the SMPTE
start time of the component Chunk will be the
same as its SMPTE location with respect to the
song.
To match a component Chunk’s SMPTE start time
with the song that contains it, look at the column
where the Chunk starts in the Song window and
make a note of the SMPTE time of the column.
Then, set the Chunk’s start time to be the same
SMPTE time location. For information about how
to set the start time, see “Setting the start time” on
page 193.
If the component Chunk contains tempo changes,
you can use the Copy Conductor tracks mini-menu
command to copy all of its tempo changes into the
song’s Conductor track, making every SMPTE hit
point of a component Chunk match its SMPTE
time in the song that contains it.
Auto Versus Manual End Time
The Chunks window field End time displays either
the automatic, Digital Performer-generated ending
time of the Chunk, or a time that you have entered
manually. It’s important to understand how this
time affects your music.
Digital Performer offers two ways of playing
Chunks sequentially: by arranging Chunks
vertically and horizontally in the Song window,
and by Chunk Chaining using the Cue Chunks,
Chain Chunks, and Next/Previous Chunk buttons
in the Chunks window. The End time shown for
each Chunk in the Chunks window affects these
two types of chaining differently.
When a Chunk is in a Song window, the Chunks
window End time does not affect the playback
length of the Chunk. Within a song, a Chunk will
play every note it contains, regardless of its Chunks
window End time. What it does affect is column
placement. Columns appear automatically at the
End time of each Chunk dragged into the Song
window. This makes it easy to place Chunks end to
end.
For example, a Chunk whose last attack is at
4|4|322 will have an automatic End time of 5|1|000.
When this Chunk is dragged into a Song window at
time 1|1|000, a column will appear at 5|1|000,
making it very easy for you to place the next Chunk
in a metrically logical location. If you prefer a five
measure phrase, just change the End time to