After you have imported an audio file, you can then edit and align it in the Timeline, as well as from the Xsheet. The audio is represented as a layer in the Timeline and a corresponding column in the Xsheet. This means you will be able to adjust the length and duration of the file and set in and out points, or “start” and “stop” – that is, where to specifically situate the sound, to which particular frames.
First, go to the audio layer in the Timeline. Double-click in the region immediately to the right of the name of the layer, which will open the Sound Element Editor.
The Sound Element Editor is organized in two sections:
- Sound Element
- Current Sound
For the clip to show in both, click on the audio file in the Sound Element. By doing so, it should also show in the Current Sound section.
In both, you will see the clips represented with a waveform for sound, with high and low volumes, and straight line for silence. Frames are measured on the top-edge of the clips. Both sections also have play and stop buttons, for you to evaluate the clips, plus loop functions to repeat the segments as you listen.
Sound Element
- By modifying the Sound Element, you can adjust where, on which frame number, the audio will start and end.
- To set the start, look at the left-edge of the Sound Element and locate the small green flag with a [1].
- Grab the 1-flag and drag it to the right, to the frame number you would like the sound to begin at.
- To set the end of the clip, use the navigator bar at the bottom edge of the Sound Element to find the end of the clip, where you will find a yellow flag with a [2].
- This time, grab the 2-flag and drag it to the left, to the frame number you would like the sound to stop at.
- Once you have done this, you will have set the duration and overall placement of the audio file on the Timeline and corresponding Xsheet.
Current Sound
- With Current Sound, you can specifically edit where the sounds begins, with further precision than with the Sound Element Editor. For example, if you want to begin in the middle of some music or a voice recording.
- Similar to the steps above, to set a start point at a region within the Sound Element, look at the left-edge of the Current Sound and locate the small green flag with a [1].
- Grab the 1-flag and drag it to the right, to the start of the sound.
- To set the end of the sound, use the navigator bar at the bottom edge of the Sound Element to locate the a yellow flag with a [2].
- Grab the 2-flag and drag it to the left, to where you would like the sound to end.
Press the Close Button to commit to the adjustments.
Scrubbing
In the Sound Element Editor there is also a Scrubbing Button. By activating it you can then precisely move the edit line / time locator back and forth to carefully listen to sections of the audio clip. You can also do this from the Timeline. Sometimes it’s easier to review audio from the Sound Element Editor.