TeAM YYePG Digitally signed by TeAM YYePG DN: cn=TeAM YYePG, c=US, o=TeAM YYePG, ou=TeAM YYePG, email=yyepg@msn.com Reason: I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Date: 2005.02.22 20:17:27 +08'00' } A C I D ® P R O 5 POWER! Q Q Q D. Eric Franks THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SONY ACID PRO 5 SOFTWARE SVP, Thomson Course Technology PTR: Andy Shafran Publisher: Stacy L. Hiquet Senior Marketing Manager: Sarah O’Donnell Marketing Manager: Heather Hurley Mannager of Editorial Services: Heather Talbot Senior Editor and Acquisitions Editor: Mark Garvey Associate Marketing Manager: Kristin Eisenzopf M arketing Coordinator: Jordan Casey Project Editor: Sean Medlock Technical Reviewers: Michael Bryant and Gary Rebholz PTR Editorial Services Coordinator: Elizabeth Furbish Co opy Editor: Andy Saff Interior Layout Tech: Sue Honeywell Cover Designer: Mike Tanamachi Indexer: Katherine Stimson Proofreader: Laura Gabler ACID, ACID Music Studio, Vegas, Sound Forge, Beatmapper, Groove Mapping and Groove Cloning are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Pictures Digital Inc. in the United States and other countries. "Official Press of Sony Media Software" is used by permission of Sony Media Software, Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Important: Thomson Course Technology PTR cannot provide software support. Please contact the appro- priate software manufacturer’s technical support line or Web site for assistance. Thomson Course Technology PTR and the author have attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manu- facturer. Information contained in this book has been obtained by Thomson Course Technology PTR from sources believed to be reliable. However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, Thomson Course Technology PTR, or others, the Publisher does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from use of such information. Readers should be particularly aware of the fact that the Internet is an ever-changing entity. Some facts may have changed since this book went to press. Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiple copies or licensing of this book should contact the publisher for quantity discount information. Training manuals, CD-ROMs, and portions of this book are also available individually or can be tailored for specific needs. ISBN: 1-59200-329-X Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004114497 Printed in the United States of America 04 05 06 07 08 BH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 © 2005 by Thomson Course Technology PTR. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo- copying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without writ- ten permission from Thomson Course Technology PTR, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. The Premier Press and Thom- son Course Technology PTR logo and related trade dress are trademarks of Thomson Course Technology PTR and may not be used without writ- ten permission. Thomson Course Technology PTR, a division of Thomson Course Technology 25 Thomson Place Boston, MA 02210 http://www.courseptr.com ACIDPRO 5 POWER! Q Q Q iii Foreword Respected author and speaker D. Eric Franks appropriately begins this book with a chapter on the ACID Pro software’s impact on the music world. David knows that to fully appreciate the power and flexibility of ACID Pro software as it is today, you must first understand its roots, and why it remains the music creation application by which all others are judged. Before ACID Pro software, even simple composition and recording required hiring talented musicians, booking studio time, and spending a lot of money. ACID Pro software changed all that with the launch of version 1.0. With its straightforward interface and intuitive “pick, paint, and play” functionality, ACID Pro software made professional audio composition and editing accessible to anyone with a PC. Word of this revolutionary new tool spread fast, and musicians and producers everywhere embraced the ACID Pro software as an essential component of composition, recording, editing, and production. True to its revolutionary roots, ACID Pro 5 software once again raises the bar. Version 5 features three new patent-pending technologies: Groove Mapping™ and Groove Cloning™ quantization tools, and the powerful Media Manager™ technology. These new technologies forge exciting new music creation territory, giving you creative potential and flexibility that is unmatched by any other program. Other new features include native VST effects support, nestable folder tracks, ReWire™ device support, and real-time event reverse. In this book, D. Eric Franks explains how to get the most out of the ACID Pro 5 application. From the basics of song creation to incorporating the ACID Pro tools into your live performance, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade and achieve truly professional results. If you want to create songs, remix tracks, produce 5.1 surround audio mixes, develop music beds, or score videos, you need the ACID Pro 5 software. If you want to take advantage of all the program’s power, ACID Pro 5 Power! is an essential guide. Curtis Palmer, Chief Technology Officer, Sony Pictures Digital, Inc. Q Q Q iv Acknowledgments First, I’d like to say thanks to all who worked on this book, getting it to press a little over a week after Sony Media Software officially released the application. Very impressive. I wish to acknowledge Sean Medlock for making sure I write real good and keeping me on task. Andy Saff made significant contributions to the editing, and Mark Garvey did a splendid job of propelling this project forward. Thanks go out to Orren Merton for creating the fun and thought-provoking quizzes at the end of each chapter. Although I rarely worked directly with the layout staff, I want to publicly say that I think the book looks great. Thanks, gang. Finally, I’d like to thank Gary Rebholz and Michael Bryant at Sony Media Software for their fast and incisive technical support and editing. Gentlemen, I wish we had more time and more pages. About the Author D. Eric Franks is an author and speaker who teaches multimedia production and post-production tech- niques to folks all over the world. He’s published a half-dozen books and several hundred magazine articles. Mr. Franks currently supports his ACID software addiction (need more loop libraries!) by creating training materials for Digital Juice and producing background music for commercial spots. He spends his weekends working on a film on that will probably never get a public screening, if indeed it is ever finished at all. Q Q Q v Contents TABLE OF CHAPTER 1 A Song Is Born . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Building Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Media Files and Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 AllYou Need to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Creating a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Saving Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Change Project Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Exploring Loops and Previewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Event Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Creating a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Creating an Event with the Draw Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Using the Paint Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Snapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Moving and Trimming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Ripple Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Selecting Multiple Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Duplicating Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Playback and Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Project Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Monitoring the Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Track Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Fading Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Creating MP3 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Chapter 1 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii TABLE OF CONTENTS Q Q Q vi Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 A Visual Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Navigating the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Transport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Marker Bar, Grid Bar, and Time Ruler Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Window Docking Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Docking Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Organizing the Window Docking Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Resizing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Defining the Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Top Ten Shortcuts* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Chapter 2 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Song Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Creating Structure with Markers and Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Working with Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Working with Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Time Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Musical Phrasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Beats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Project-Level Tempo Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Changing the Tempo on the Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Matching Project Key to a Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Adjust the Tempo to Fill a Length of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Chords and Intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Key Progression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Project-Level Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 Q Table of Contents Q Q Q vii Mid-Song Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Loop-Level Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Pop Music Progression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Blues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Track-Level Key Changes (Pitch Shift) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Event-Level Key Changes (Pitch Shift) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Radical Event-Level Key Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 Chord Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Chord Progressions from Preexisting Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Creating Chords with Simple Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Chapter 3 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Polishing Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Making Space for an Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Types of Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Fading In and Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Track Fades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Event Fades (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Quick Fade Edges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 End on Beat 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Big Finale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Mixing and Merging Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Breaks and Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Break It Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Bridges and Solos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Spicing Up Solos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Chopper Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Backing Up Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Recovering Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Saving Projects with Embedded Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Chapter 4 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Recording Vocals and Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Microphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Q Q Q viii Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Recording into the ACID Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Recording into a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Working with Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Takes by Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Automatic Looping Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Recording MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Chapter 5 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Mastering the Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Mixing a Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 The Studio Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Headphones versus Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Configuring Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Subwoofers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 If It Sounds Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Mixing ACID Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142 Clipping Redux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Loudness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Volume Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 Grouping and Busses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Space and Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 5.1 Surround Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Configuring the ACID Software for 5.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151 Fundamentals of 5.1 Surround Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 Rendering a 5.1 Surround Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 Track FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 Noise Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 Equalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 FX Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165 Chapter 6 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 Types of ACID FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169 FX in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 Experimenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 Where Should FX Go? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 FX Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 Q Table of Contents Q Q Q ix Recommendations on FX Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 Summary of Sony Media Software FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 Track FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 ExpressFX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179 DirectX Audio Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 General FX Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 Dry/Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181 Rate and Hertz (Hz) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182 Frequency (Pitch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184 FX Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185 Chapter 7 Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 FX Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Amplitude Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191 Calculating Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 Compressor (Track) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195 Dither . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196 Flange/Wah-wah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .198 Calculating Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Gapper/Snipper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199 Calculating Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Graphic Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 Graphic EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Multi-Band Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Multi-Tap Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Calculating Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Noise Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Paragraphic EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Parametric EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 Pitch Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Resonant Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Simple Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Calculating Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Smooth/Enhance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Time Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 CHAPTER 8 [...]... the ACID software creates a track and it’s visible on the ACID timeline, it’s ready for you to insert events into it Creating an Event with the Draw Tool Finally, we get to the meat and potatoes of ACID music composition: the creation of events The easiest tool to use is the Draw tool, which is selected by default when the ACID software is run To draw an event, click the Draw tool button on the Toolbar... events over other events on the timeline, covering them up Trimming events is about as easy as moving them Move the mouse cursor over an event edge When the cursor changes from a tool icon (such as the pencil icon for the Draw tool) to the trim cursor (see Figure 1. 15) , drag the edge of the event toward the center of the event to shorten it, or away from the event to lengthen it Again, the edge you’re... about producing quality music, you need to own this version of the ACID software at the very least Full-featured and powerful, the ACID Music application is priced to fit the budget of the interested amateur musician and composer, yet it can still produce professional-level output The ACID Music software also comes with a CD of basic loops The ACID Pro application is the high-end version of ACID software. .. on one of the vertical grid lines, and tends to want to end on another one This behavior is called snapping, and it’s designed to make sure events line up with the project’s beat You can toggle snapping on or off by pressing F8 Using the Paint Tool The Paint tool is not unlike the Draw tool, in that you still drag the mouse on the timeline to create events Click the Paint tool button on the Toolbar,... chapters dedicated to them Getting Additional Help Don’t underestimate the quality of the ACID documentation that Sony Media Software includes with the program This text is a supplement to these primary references, not a substitute Read the manual, pause your mouse cursor over unfamiliar items in the UI to get the ToolTips, watch the status bar at the bottom of the program, and don’t forget to use F1 for... also to event creation and trimming (see Figure 1.14) There will be many times when you won’t want an event to snap to the visible grid lines, and there are two main solutions to this: turn off snapping or zoom in on the project There are three ways to turn off snapping: Q Click the Enable Snapping button on the Toolbar to toggle it on or off Snapping is on when the button is pressed Q Press the F8... you how to use ACID software in real-world situations Whether you’re a new-wave multimedia designer creating engrossing content for the Net or an oldschool producer in a traditional recording studio, this book will teach you how to take full advantage of the ACID application And get this: ACID software can help you make money too! What Is ACID? The ACID 5 software from Sony Media Software is the most... how to expresses your musical ideas effortlessly using the ACID software The final goal of this book is to get into some of the more technical aspects of the ACID tools From burning industry-standard CDs to producing highly compressed MP3 files for the Internet, publishing and sharing your music is the ultimate goal In the process, this book will cover everything you need to know about maximizing the. .. number of different versions of the ACID application They range from a free version that comes with a new computer or another piece of hardware, all the way up to an expensive professional version As you might expect, you get what you pay for The ACID XPress software is the free version of the program, used by Sony Media Software as a promotional introduction to the ACID family You might get this application... are a small number of buttons along the top of the Explorer window, pictured in Figure 1.11: 12 QQQ Q Exploring Loops and Previewing Q To display information about a selected loop, click the arrow next to the Display button in the Explorer window and select the Summary View item from the menu Q To preview the selected loop file automatically, click the Auto Preview button in the Explorer window If you . attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Date: 20 05. 02.22 20:17:27 +08'00' } A C I D ® P R O 5 POWER! Q Q Q D. Eric Franks THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SONY ACID PRO 5 SOFTWARE SVP,. how to get the most out of the ACID Pro 5 application. From the basics of song creation to incorporating the ACID Pro tools into your live performance, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade and. teach you how to take full advantage of the ACID application. And get this: ACID software can help you make money too! What Is ACID? The ACID 5 software from Sony Media Software is the most popular