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Access the Nudge/Set dialog box for this item.
Open the Take FX Chain window for this take/item.
After making any changes, use the Apply button to apply them and leave the window open, or OK to apply
them and close the window, or Cancel to close the window without applying changes. There is also an option
(right-click on title bar) to Apply changes after 2 seconds of inactivity that you can enable if you wish.
Some of these options – such as Loop Source and Channel Mode – are also available on the Item Settings
menu. In addition, for many of them Keyboard Shortcuts either already exist or can be defined. You will be
shown how to create your own keyboard shortcuts in Chapter 14 when we examine the Actions List Editor.
Tip: To change a property (e.g. playback rate) of several items at once, simply select all of the items then, with
the Media Properties window open, make whatever changes you require.
7.13
Media Item Icons
For several of the settings in the Item Properties dialog box there are icons (buttons) available that can be used
as a quick way of accessing these commonly used features. The display of buttons is turned on and off in the
Appearance, Media page of the Preferences settings.
The icons are listed in two rows. Ticking options in the first row means that the icons will be displayed only
when the item has been enabled (by a keyboard shortcut, the menu, or the Item Properties dialog box). Ticking
options in the second row means that the icons will be displayed whether the feature is enabled or not.
For example, if you tick the Mute option in the first row but not the Not muted option in the second, then the
mute button will be displayed only
when the item is muted. The button
indicates the track's mute status and
can also be used to unmute it.
If you choose to tick this item in both
rows then the mute button will always
be displayed (provided there is
sufficient room) on all media items, and
can be used as a toggle.
Enabling Properties (resampled
only) means that this button will only
be displayed if an item is resampled.
In the example shown (left) we have two media
items, both with lock status, notes, mute and
FX buttons displayed. The first item is muted
and the second item is locked.
Whether your icons are displayed above the
media items or superimposed upon the media
items will depend on your preference setting
(on the same preferences page) for the option Draw labels above item rather than within item. Note that
even if you have this option enabled, it will only be applied if there is sufficient track height. You'll find more
information about other settings on this Appearance, Media page in Chapter 21.
7.14
Item Notes
The Notes button (or the Item settings, Item notes … command from the
right-click menu) can be used to open a text box that can be used to enter any
text notes for that item. When notes have been entered, a small Notes icon will
appear on the item. Hovering the mouse over this icon will cause the notes to be
displayed as a tool tip. Click on the icon to open and edit the Notes window.
Within the Notes window, click on the Load button to load any .PNG or
.JPG image file. The option Use as item background can be selected to
display that image with the icon. Optionally, you may also choose to
Stretch to fit item. An example of a media item displaying an image is
shown here. Icons can also be inserted into media items by dragging and dropping from Explorer/Finder.
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7.15
Coloring Individual Items
You can change the colors of individual
media items (or selections of media
items) by first selecting the items and
then displaying their context menu and
choosing Item and take colors, then
Set items to custom color or Set
items to random colors or Set items to one random color. Various options to tint media item waveform
peaks and/or backgrounds with Item colors can be found on the Appearance, Peaks/Waveforms page of
your preferences (see above).
Some themes (including the default) disable user control of these options, in which case you will not be able to
change them. One way to make these options available would be to use a different theme (see Chapter 11).
Examples
In the example below, our vocal track is split into several individual items. Suppose that these include two
verses and two choruses, and that we wish to easily identify the choruses. We can select the chorus items,
then right-click over any item in the selection and choose Item and take colors, Set items to custom color
from the menu. (These commands are also available on the main Edit menu). We can then select any color we
wish from the Colors dialog box and click on OK. These items are now shown in the selected color.
Other similar commands include Set items to random color and Set items to one random color. To
remove a custom color, choose Set items to default color.
7.16
Adjusting Item Volume
Besides using envelopes (which we'll get to in Chapter 17) there are three main methods available to adjust the
volume of individual media items. They are:
Using either the item volume handle or the item volume knob.
Using the volume fader in the Item Properties box.
Normalization.
7.16.1
The Item Volume Knob/Item Volume Handle
The Appearance, Media page of your Preferences settings includes the option to use either an Item
volume knob or Top edge of media item (item volume handle) as a quick and easy way to adjust the
volume of individual media items.
The Item volume knob is shown here (right). Click and drag on this, up or down
to increase or decrease item volume. Double-click to reset to 0.0dB. To adjust
several items at once, select the required items then adjust the knob on any one
within the selection.
The Item volume handle is a horizontal bar that sits across the top of each of your media items. Initially it
will not be visible until you hover your mouse over the top of the media item to reveal a double headed vertical
arrow. You can click and drag with your mouse down to lower the volume level (see first illustration). To pick up
the handle from the top of the media and increase the volume from there, hold down the Shift key while
dragging (see second illustration).
Use the Control key while adjusting either the item volume knob or handle for fine adjustments.
Tip: If you want the item volume handle when set to 0.0 dB to appear half way up your media items (rather
than at the top edge), choose the Options, Preferences command, then on the Media page set Media item
adjustment range to -inf...+6 dB.
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7.16.2
The Volume and Pan Faders
The Item Properties dialog box includes two
horizontal faders (Volume and Pan) to the left
of the normalize button. These can be used to
raise or lower an item's volume and adjust panning. After setting the level, click on Apply to apply it to the
item. This method is useful especially if you are making adjustments to both volume and pan settings together,
or if you do not wish the item volume handle to be displayed.
7.16.3
Normalizing Items
The term
normalizing
refers to adjusting the volume of an item (or selection of items) to a standard level. This
can be especially useful if some of your tracks have perhaps been recorded at too low a level. To do this:
1. Select any item (or group of items) to be normalized.
2. Right click over the selection.
3. Choose Item processing then either Normalize items or Normalize items (common gain) from
the menu.
Use the common gain option if you want the level on all items to be raised by the same amount, or relative to
each other. This will be the amount by which the loudest of the items can be increased without clipping.
If you want every selected item to be normalised independently do not select the common gain option. This can
be expected to result in a greater increase in volume for some items than if common gain had been selected.
Any individual item can also be normalised by clicking the Normalize button inside the Item Properties dialog
box. This is especially useful if you need to make changes to other item properties while you are normalizing.
7.17
Changing Item Channel Mode
Right clicking over any Media Item and choosing Item settings
from the context menu causes a sub-menu to be displayed.
Notice in particular that for stereo media items, you have a
number of channel mode options (also available in the Item
Properties dialog box). These include:
Normal: maintains or returns the stereo item to its
original channel state.
Reverse Stereo: swaps left and right channels.
Mono (Downmix): combines both left and right channels
into a single mono channel.
Mono (Left): produces a single mono channel using only
the output from the original left channel only.
Mono (Right): produces a single mono channel using
only the output from the original right channel only.
For multichannel items (see Chapter 3) you have also the option of mixing down in mono or stereo to channels
other than 1 and 2.
Examples
Some examples are illustrated below. Note that these changes are non-destructive. You can switch an item
between these different states as often as you wish. For example, to convert a stereo media item to two mono
items quickly and easily, you can simply duplicate it, then set one to Mono (left) and the other to Mono (right)
Mode: Normal
Mode: Reverse
Stereo
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Mode: Mono
(Downmix) (i.e. mixed
to as single mono track)
7.18
Take Source Properties
The Take media source section of the
Media Item Properties dialog box can be
used to view the properties of the currently
selected take, or to change or rename its
source file. Where the media item consists
of only one take, then the terms “take
media source” and “item media source”
become synonymous To change the media
item contents click on Choose New File, or to rename it use the Rename File option.
You can click on the Properties button to display information about the format of the original Audio file or
MIDI recording which is the source of the item. In the case of MIDI items, you can also modify some properties,
such as restricting which channels are played. Examples are shown below:
7.19
REAPER Editing and Auditioning Example
Most new users of any digital audio software struggle with editing at first, especially if they are used to another
program which uses different techniques. The best way to understand what’s going on is to work thru some
examples. These examples assume that you have the option to
Link loop points to time selection
enabled.
Open the file All Through The Night.RPP. Use the File, Save Project As command to save it as All
Through The Night EDITS.RPP.
The examples that follow are designed to help you to learn and understand the use of REAPER. They are not
intended to cover every possible feature – you can explore these for yourself – nor is it suggested that they
represent a particularly good arrangement of this song.
By way of preparation, set pan the two guitar tracks 33% left and 33% right respectively.
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1. We are going to make a copy of the Bouzouki track
and then play around with the sound. In the Track
Control Panel, right click over the Track name or
number for this track, then from the menu choose
Duplicate tracks.
2. Change the name of this new track to Bouzouki
Copy. Press Ctrl S to resave the Project File.
3. In the Track Control Panel, click on the track number
for the first Bouzouki Track then hold the Ctrl key
and click on the track number for the second track.
Both tracks are now selected.
4. Click on the Solo button for either track to solo both.
5. With both tracks still selected, use the mouse to
lower the volume fader on either track to around –
7dB – both tracks will be lowered. As you get near to
the –7dB mark, hold the Ctrl key down for more
precise movement.
6. Holding down the Shift key, move the Pan fader for
the first Bouzouki Track to around 55% left, and,
again holding the Shift key, move the Pan fader for
the second Bouzouki track to around 55% right.
7. Right click over the Media item for the second
Bouzouki Track. Choose Item properties from the
menu. Change Start in Source to - 0:00.007. Click
on Apply then OK. This causes this item to be nudged 7 milliseconds to the right. This adds a very small
delay effect to make the instrument sound fuller.
8. Press Ctrl S. Play the Song.
9. While it plays, hold down Ctrl and click on the Solo button for either of the
Bouzouki tracks. This clears both the Solos.
10. Right click just beneath the Track Control Panel area and choose Show
master track.
11. Adjust panning and volume for the various tracks to get a reasonable mix.
You might end up with something similar to that shown above. Press Ctrl S.
12. In the example shown, you might be happy with the overall balance
between the different tracks, yet the overall volume of the Master might be
just a tad too loud in parts.
13. Open the FX bin for the Master and insert into it the JS/Utility Limiter.
Set the maximum volume of the limiter to –0.5. Close the FX window, and
make sure the Volume Fader for the Master is set to 0dB. You can now play
the song without clipping.
14. Notice there is an extended period at the end of the song that we might
wish to remove. Position the Play Cursor at around the position shown
(right). Make sure that no track is selected, then press the letter S to split all
tracks at the cursor mark.
15. Note that whereas before each track consisted of one item, each now has
two items. The items (to the right) that you have just created by splitting
should still be selected (as shown here). If they are not, right-click and drag
over them to marquee (select) them.
16. Press Delete to remove these items. Press Ctrl S to save.
17. Now we’re going to mute
part
of an item. We first need to make a separate item containing just the area
to be muted.
18. Select the media item for the Vox track. Position the Edit Cursor round about the 56 second mark.
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19. Press the ~ key (Shift `) to maximise the current track. Press Ctrl Alt Up or Ctrl Alt Down until the
Vox track is displayed. At this level of magnification you can see that some unwanted sounds have been
recorded during a passage when the singer is not singing. As likely as not, this is probably headphone
bleed. We’re going to get rid of it.
20. If you want to hear it first, you can Solo that track and play it. Don’t forget to Unsolo when finished.
21. View the Big Clock.
With the edit cursor near
the 56 second mark,
repeatedly press the +
key, until the area we
want to deal with
occupies a large part of
the screen.
22.Click once on the media item to select it.
23.Click and drag just below the timeline to select the region that we wish to work with (see below).
24.Right click over the media
item and choose the
command Split items at
time selection. This
creates a new item, and
this new item is still
selected. Press Esc to
clear the time selection.
25.If the item's mute button is visible, click it. Otherwise, right click on this new item and choose Item
settings then Mute.
26.Press the ~ key to return the whole of your song to the display. Adjust track heights as you wish.
27.Play the song. Notice that the Vox track is now muted during the passage that we have been working on.
28. Press Ctrl S to save. We’ll be returning to this example shortly.
7.20
Editing Multiple Media Items
You can use REAPER's various item editing and manipulation techniques (including smart editing) on selections
of multiple items. Just make your item selection and then carry out the required
action (delete or move, etc).
1. You can do this with more than one adjacent track at a time by using the
marquee method (right-click and drag) when making a selection.
2. You can also do this for media items in non-adjacent tracks. Make the time
selection, then select the first item, then hold Ctrl while you click on each of
the other items. In the first picture (right), tracks 1 and 4 have had an area
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7 - Editing Tracks and Items
selected in this way. In the second screen shot (below), the same selected area has been cut from both
media items.
This is an example of where you may wish to customize REAPER's mouse settings to
change its default behavior. For example, you might wish to ensure that even when
multiple items are selected, only the one item is edited. This can be done on the Mouse
Modifiers page of your Preferences window, a topic covered in Chapter 14.
7.21
Slip Editing
You can slip-edit unwanted passages from the start or end of a media item by
following this sequence:
Hover your mouse over the lower part of an item’s left or right edge so
that the mouse appears as a double headed horizontal arrow with a
square bracket (as shown right). The direction faced by the bracket will
depend on whether you are at the start of the item or the end.
Click and drag to the right or left (as appropriate), then release the mouse.
Slip Editing Multiple Items
To slip edit several items in different tracks,
simply select all the media items required (for
example, hold the Ctrl key while clicking in turn
on each item, or use the marquee method), then slip edit any item in
the selection. The change will be applied to all items in the selection
(see left).
This is another example of where you may wish to customize REAPER's
mouse settings to change its default behavior. For example, you might wish to ensure that even when multiple
items are selected, only the one item is slip edited. This can be done on the Mouse Modifiers page of your
Preferences window. This topic is covered in Chapter 14.
Take care when slip-editing adjacent items, especially when they are touching each other. If you click and drag
on one of the items so as to create a space between the two, then slip editing will take place in the usual way.
However, if you slip edit in such a way as to overlap the items, you will create a crossfade. Both items will be
heard when the overlapping portion is played.
This is illustrated here, where the end of the first (further left) of the two
adjacent items has been slip-edited to the right, overlapping the other item.
This behavior can be modified in two ways. Disabling auto-crosssfade (on
the toolbar) will stop the crossfade, but both items will still be heard.
Enabling Trim content behind media items when editing (Options
menu) will ensure that only the slip-edited item (the item on top) will be heard during the overlap.
Another technique is to use slip-editing to move the boundary between two adjacent items
(perhaps when an original item has been split). Select both items and hover your mouse over the
boundary between the items to see the symbol shown here. You can then click and drag left or
right to move the boundary.
7.22
Adjusting Fades
If you select any item in a track and zoom in close enough, you will see that there is a
fadeout curve at the end of that item. You can change both the shape and duration of this
curve, either using the mouse, or thru the Item Properties dialog box.
1. Select the rightmost item on one or more tracks. In the example shown (right) two
tracks have been selected. In this example the items selected are vertically aligned:
this does not need to be the case.
2. Hover your mouse over the vertical white line that marks the start of the fade. The
mouse changes to display a curved shape.
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3. Click and hold down the mouse button. Drag left to increase the length of the fadeout
(see below left) then release the mouse. Notice that the fadeout curve is now more
gradual. If you were to slip edit any or all of these
items, the fadeout would keep its shape and
duration – it would just begin sooner.
4. Make sure that your media items are still selected.
5. Right-click over the vertical line that marks the start
of the fadeout. A menu of different fade curves will
be displayed (see right). You can select any of
these.
If you prefer, instead of using your mouse, you can press F2 (with the items selected) to
display the Items Properties dialog box. You can make your changes there.
Notice that your
REAPER Options,
Preferences dialog
box includes an area
on the Project
Defaults screen
where you can specify
default fade and
crossfade length,
overlap, and shape characteristics. See Chapter 21 for further information.
In addition, the Preferences Mouse
Modifiers page gives you additional
functionality by using modifier keys with
your mouse when working with fades and
crossfades.
For example, holding Shift while dragging
the mouse left or right will move a
crossfade left or right. Other default
settings are shown here, but you can
change them. For information about
customizing your mouse modifiers, see Chapter 14.
7.23
Crossfades and the Crossfade Editor
Typically a crossfade might be used to transition gradually
from one media item on a track to another. In the example
shown (right), two media items overlap each other with a
crossfade. Alt X toggles on and off auto crossfade mode.
When enabled, this ensures that dragging the start of one media item over the end of another will
automatically create a crossfade. Default crossfade parameters (including fade and crossfade shapes)
are set in the Media Item Defaults page of REAPER's preferences.
Various crossfade elements (such as shape, start and finish) can be edited with your mouse in much the
same way as you might edit a simple fade. In many cases this might be all you need to do. However, if
you need it the Crossfade Editor gives you more precise control over the shape and sound of the
crossfade. The Crossfade Editor is opened using the View, Crossfade Editor command, or by double-
clicking on a crossfade.
Below you can see the same crossfade as before, with the crossfade editor open. The crossfade area has
been selected (by click anywhere on the crossfade curve). The crossfade editor displays the fade
parameter information for the selected media items.
It might help to use a copy of your project at first, until you become familiar with how the controls work.
The following should help you to understand the controls and options and how they can be used:
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Documents you may be interested
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