Working with Audio Tracks and Audio Regions

Working with Audio Tracks and Audio Regions
Imported audio files are represented in the Graphic Editor as regions. starting at the beginning of the track (Bar 1, Beat 1, Clock 0) and extending for the entire duration of the audio file. The Audio track’s Bar length amount is automatically adjusted to match the length of the imported audio file.

Note: Audio Tracks behave as if the Arrow Tool is always active. The Forceps, Velocity, Pitch Bend, and Spray Can Tools can be selected, but are not relevant when an Audio Track is active in the Graphic Editor.

Double-click on an audio waveform to open the Region Edit dialog. Use the Region Edit dialog to modify the parameters of an Audio region. The Start Time field designates the starting sample of the audio region, Duration signifies the region’s length, and Sample Offset in file designates the offset of the region’s start time compared to the start time of the original (parent) audio file. You can also type in a new start time for the region in the Bars, Beats and Clocks fields. When the Region Edit dialog is open, the corresponding audio region is denoted by a red border in the Graphic Editor window.

Selected Audio Tracks and audio regions can be edited by any of Metro’s standard edit commands, such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Merge and Clear. Use the Audio submenu within the Edit menu to edit audio regions. Metro creates a new audio file when you apply an audio edit from the submenu and leaves the original file alone.

Switch the Data Type display to Volume and display Volume or Pan in order to create Volume or Panning automation across an Audio Track. An Audio Track’s volume automation is encoded as 15 bit data which allows 32,767 steps from minus infinity to 0 dB. Audio Panning is limited to 128 steps. You can even simultaneously view three displays of the same Audio Track, each displaying in a different Data Type: Audio waveform, Volume data and Panning data. This is one of the most powerful features of Metro’s multitrack Graphic Editor display.