MACKIE HDR24/96 - Manual (Page 96)

HDR 24/96
Editing Operations
Audio editing used to mean slicing up a recorded tape into pieces then re-assembling those pieces as
desired. So typically "editing" was about rearranging the order of what would play, or perhaps cutting out
some bad parts. In some instances it meant adding a part. Today, editing is all of those things and a
whole lot more. Working with audio data on random access media means that recorded material can be
edited (even copied) without degradation of the sonic quality, that the same recorded material can be used
more than once (even repeatedly), that edits can be made with remarkable precision at very detailed
levels, and that edits can be tried, discarded, or kept without destroying the original recording.
Editing on the HDR24/96 comes in two flavors, which are distinguished primarily by how things are
selected for manipulation. First there is the linear tape-recording view of the audio to be edited. In this
mode, Track Time is selected, that is, a range of time from here to there is selected on a given track or
tracks. This is not much different than choosing two points, a start point and an end point, on a tape.
The second mode of selecting is to work with audio objects that are defined by the punch-in/out
operations of the recorder or by other editing operations. If you’re an old hand at audio workstations,
you’re probably already familiar with the concept of Regions. Region is the term used on the HDR24/96
for an audio playback object. If on the other hand, you are an old hand at tape recording, imagine that
every time you punch in and out, Cue points are automatically created to mark the boundaries (head and
tail) of the recording. To work with that recording it is not necessary to select from-here-to-there on the
tape, because the recorder has already memorized where and what that region of audio is. Once you
begin treating that bit of audio as its own beast, then you can consider trimming its length, adding fade-
in/out characteristics, cutting it out of its track, or making and using copies of it elsewhere, for example.
Whichever way you look at it, remember that editing is the process of moving or modifying regions, and
regions are what the Playlist is all about. So when you edit, you’re really editing the Playlist. This is why
saving the Project (with its Playlist) is so important – that’s where your edits are! It’s also how you can
have differently edited versions of the project – by saving multiple Playlists.
It should be mentioned here that almost all editing operations are performed only on screen
through the GUI, so with the notable exception of Cut, Copy and Pasting edits, all the discussion
in this section applies to GUI operations and displays only.
Track and Region Editing Tools
Your tool kit includes the I-Beam, Hand, Volume Envelope, Magnifier, and Scrub tools.
The I-Beam and Hand Tools are the primary tools for the linear cut-and-paste and region-based click-
and-drag editing paradigms respectively. These are mutually exclusive modes. The Volume
Envelope editor is special Region manipulation tool that adjusts the volume of the Region over time.
The Magnifier and Scrub wheel aren't really editing tools per se, but instead are aids in the editing
process. Use the Magnifier to zoom in on the area of interest. Use the Scrub Wheel to position the
transport and to find precise edit points. Note: the Scrub tool interacts closely with the I-Beam tool.
We’ll discuss this later.
An editing tool is selected by clicking on its button in the Tools panel.
Alternately, right-clicking in the track area of the screen brings up a
pop-up menu with a Tools option. Select Tools, then select the tool
you want to use. By using the pop-up menu, you can dig around in your tool box without taking your
eyes and hands off your work.
There are also keyboard shortcuts for the editing tools, which will help you to keep your eye on the
ball, and your nose to the grindstone:
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