The Arranger track

Introduction

The Arranger track allows you to work with sections of your project in a non-linear fashion, to simplify arranging to the maximum extent. Instead of moving, copying and pasting events in the Project window event display to create a linear project, you can define how different sections are to be played back, like a playlist.

For this, you can define arranger events, order them in a list, and add repeats as desired. This offers a different and more pattern-oriented way of working, which complements the usual linear editing methods in the Project window.

You can create several Arranger chains, making it possible to store different versions of a song within the project without sacrificing the original version. When you have created an Arranger chain that you like, you have the option of “flattening” the list, which creates a normal linear project based on the Arranger chain. You can chose to keep the Arranger track or to remove it.

You can also use the Arranger track for live performances on the stage, in clubs or at parties.

3. On the Project window toolbar, make sure that Snap is activated, and that the Grid resolution is set to a mode that allows your arranger events to snap to appropriate positions in the project.

Snap to events is activated, i. e. when drawing in the Project window, new events will snap to existing events.

4. On the Arranger track, use the Pencil tool to draw an event of the desired length.

An Arranger event is added, called “A” by default. Any following events will be named in alphabetical order.

• You can rename an Arranger event by selecting it and changing its name in the Project window info line or by holding down [Alt]/[Option], double-clicking on the name in the Arranger chain (see below) and entering a new name.

You may want to name your arranger events according to the structure of your project, e.g. Verse, Chorus etc.

5. Create as many events as you need for your project.

Setting up the Arranger track

Let’s say you have prepared a number of audio files that form the base of a typical pop song, with introduction, verse, chorus and bridge. Now you want to arrange these files.

The first step is to create an Arranger track. On the Arranger track, you define specific sections of the project by creating arranger events. These can be of any length, may overlap and are not bound to the start or end of existing events and parts. Proceed as follows:

1.Open the project for which you want to create arranger events.

2.Open the Project menu and select “Arranger” from the Add Track submenu (or right-click in the Track list and select Add Arranger track).

An Arranger track is added. There can be only one Arranger track in a project, but you can set up more than one Arranger chain for this track, see “Managing Arranger chains” on page 102.

In this example, arranger events have been created that correspond to a classic pop song structure. Note how there is no real time line in the project: the music sequence is determined by the arranger events.

Events can be moved, resized and deleted using the standard techniques. Please note:

•If you want to change the length of a event, select the Arrow tool and click and drag the bottom corners of the event in the desired direction.

•If you copy an Arranger event (by [Alt]/[Option]-drag- ging or by using copy/paste), a new event will be created with the same name as the original.

However, this new event will be totally independent from the original event.

•Double-clicking on an arranger event adds it to the current Arranger chain.

Working with arranger events

You now have a number of arranger events that form the basic building blocks for your arrangement. The next step is to arrange these events using the functions of the Arranger Editor.

Creating an Arranger chain

You can set up an Arranger chain in the Arranger Editor or in the Inspector for the Arranger track. The Arranger Editor is opened by clicking the “e” button in the Inspector or in the Arranger track.

Click in the Inspector…

…or the Track list…

…to open the Arranger Editor.

To the right in the Arranger Editor, the available arranger events are listed, in the order they appear on the time line. To the left you find the actual Arranger chain, which shows in which order the events will be played back, from top to bottom, and how many times they should be repeated.

Initially the Arranger chain will be empty – you set up the Arranger chain by adding events from the right list to the Arranger chain. There are several ways to add events to the Arranger chain.

•Double-clicking on the name of an event in the window section on the right (or in the project window).

When an event is selected in the Arranger chain on the left will add the event above the selected event. When no events are selected in the Arranger chain on the left will add the event to the end of the list.

•By selecting one or more events in the right list, rightclicking and selecting “Append Selected In Arranger Chain”.

This will add the selected events at the end of the list.

•By dragging and dropping arranger events from the right list to the left list.

A blue insertion line shows you where the dragged event will end up in the list.

Here, the Verse event is dragged into the Arranger chain and placed after the first chorus.

• By dragging arranger events from the Project window and dropping them in the Arranger chain.

If you followed our example, you should now have arranger events arranged in a very basic pop song pattern. However, we have used audio files that are only a few bars long – to turn our pattern into a “song” (or at least into a basic sketch of the song structure), these files must be looped. This is where the Repeats function comes in.

If you want an event to repeat several times, proceed as follows:

• Click in the Repeats field for an event, type in the desired number of repeats and press [Enter].

When playing back the Arranger chain, the Counter column indicates which repeat of this event is currently playing.

• Click in the Mode field for an event and select the desired repeat mode.

When you now play back the Arranger chain, you will hear the complete arrangement. Proceed as follows:

1. Make sure that Arranger mode is activated.

When Arranger mode is activated, the project will be played back using the Arranger settings.

The Arranger mode button must be activated.

2.Position the Arranger Editor window so that you can see the Arranger track in the Project window, and click in the arrow column for the event at the top of the list so that the arrow becomes blue.

You should see the project cursor jump to the beginning of the first event specified in the Arranger chain.

3.Activate playback, either from the Arranger Editor or on the Transport panel.

The events are played back in the specified order.

Editing the Arranger chain

In the Arranger chain to the left, you can do the following:

• Select events by clicking or [Shift]-clicking.

The selected events do not have to be a continuous selection.

•Drag events to move them in the list.

•Drag events while holding [Alt]/[Option] to create copies of the selected items.

The insert location for both move and copy operations is indicated by a blue or red line in the list. A blue line indicates that the move or copy is possible; a red line indicates that if the current position were to be used, a move or copy is not allowed.

•Use the Repeats column to specify how many times each event should be repeated.

•Click the arrow to the left of an event in the Arranger chain to move the playback position to the start of that event.

•To remove an event from the list, right-click on it and select “Remove Touched” from the pop-up menu that appears. To remove several events, select them, right-click and select “Remove Selected”.

Navigating

To navigate between arranger events, you use the Arranger transport buttons:

Previous chain step

First repeat of current chain step

These controls are available in the Arranger Editor, the Project window toolbar, and the Transport panel.

In the Arranger Editor, the event that is currently played back is indicated by an arrow in the leftmost column, and the indicators in the Counter column. You can switch between Arranger chains during playback using the pop-up menu in the Editor, Inspector or Track list.