Waveform User Guide v2 1

Waveform User Guide
Version 8
William Edstrom
This book is for sale at http://leanpub.com/waveform8manual
This version was published on 2017-11-23
This is a Leanpub book. Leanpub empowers authors and publishers with the Lean Publishing
process. Lean Publishing is the act of publishing an in-progress ebook using lightweight tools and
many iterations to get reader feedback, pivot until you have the right book and build traction once
you do.
© 2017-2018 Tracktion Software Corporation

Contents
About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Tracktion Waveform User Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
A Note About Illustrations & Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Don’t Print Suggestion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Chapter 1 - Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What’s New in Waveform 8? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What’s in this User Guide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Video Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Setting Waveform Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Modifier Keys Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Assigning the Duplicate Command to the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2 - Installing Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Your Tracktion Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Should I Install 32-bit or 64-bit? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
macOS Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Linux Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Running Waveform for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Pop-up Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
First Run Setup Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing Melodyne Essential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Establish a Waveform Projects Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Project Tab: Get Demo Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 4 - Audio Device Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

CONTENTS
Audio Device Setup Setup on macOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Audio Device Setup in Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Choosing the Audio Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Setting the Sample Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Testing for Audio Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
About Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Managing Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Calibrating Input Latency Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Other Audio Device Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Resetting to the Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 5 - Getting Around in Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Tabs and Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Controls Panel & Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Pop-up Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Roll-over Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Creating a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Opening the Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The Edit Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Basic Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Zooming In and Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Quick Zoom Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Positioning the Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Scroll Behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Changing the Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Changing Tempo at a Specific Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Offsetting and Scaling the Tempo Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 5b - The Projects Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Project Tab - Three Column View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Project Tab - Edit Previews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Project Tab - Get Demo Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 6 - The Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Audio Devices Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
MIDI Devices Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Plugins Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
General Behaviour Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Automatically Hide and Show Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Other Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
CONTENTS
Keyboard Shortcuts Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Loop Database Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Control Surfaces Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Chapter 7 - Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Pop-up Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Roll-over Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Quick Start Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Keyboard Shortcut List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Videos Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Tracktion and Waveform Forums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
TSC Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Chapter 8 - The Edit Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

The Parts of a Waveform Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Track Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Inline Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
The Controls Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
The Menu Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Properties Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Master Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Master Section Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Compact Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Working with Properties in Compact Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Keyboard Shortcut to Toggle the Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Chapter 9 - The Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Browser Files Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Tracks Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Search Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Markers Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Clipboard Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Multiple Browser Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Synchronized Previews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
CONTENTS
Chapter 10 - Using Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

In-marker & Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Drag to Set In-Marker & Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Timeline Drag to Set In-marker & Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Navigate Using the In-marker & Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Zooming to the In-marker/Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Looping Playback Over the Marked Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Auto Punch and the Marked Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Marker Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Adding Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Marker Clip Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Navigating by Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Browser Markers Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Renumbering Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Adjust Markers (Wave File Markers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Chapter 11 - Selecting and Snapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Selecting a Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Auditioning a Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Selecting Multiple Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Shift Selecting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Deselecting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Using Snap-to-Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Enable/Disable Snap-to-Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
About Snap Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Snapping Clips to the Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Snapping the Cursor to the Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Snapping Clips to Other Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Overriding Snap-to-Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Nudging Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Nudging Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Chapter 12 - Audio Clips and Editing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Parts of an Audio Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Moving Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Deleting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Audio Clip Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Splitting a Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Duplicating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Fade-in/Fade-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Pitch Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
CONTENTS
Crossfades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Drag Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Edge Fades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Copy and Paste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Clip Gain, Mute, & Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Reversing Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Merging Clips to One Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Group Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Linked Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Deleting a Section of Audio Removing Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Edit with Melodyne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Chapter 13 - Working With Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Getting Loops Into Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Setting the Edit Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Dragging Loops to a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Dragging in Multiple Clips from the Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Looping the Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Duplicating Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Loop Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Chapter 14 - Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Keyboard Shortcuts Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Setting a Keyboard Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Changing a Keyboard Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Saving Keyboard Shortcuts to a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Loading Keyboard Shortcuts from a File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Printing a List of Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Chapter 15 - Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Configure the Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
The Input Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Customizing Input Names Globally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Customizing Input Names for an Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
About MIDI Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Setting Up Inputs for Multi-track Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Number of Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Enable a Track for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Hit Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Enable Recording for All Inputs at Once . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
CONTENTS
Input Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Dragging the Input Object Track to Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Renaming a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Recording Steps in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Working with the Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Enabling the Click Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Listening on Headphones While Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Live Input Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
If at First You Don’t Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Abort Record and Delete the Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Recording a Stereo Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Retrospective Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Safe-Record Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Chapter 16 - Recording Overdubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Set up the Drum Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Get Ready to Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Record the Rhythm Guitar Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Doubling the Rhythm Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Overdub a Bassline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Rename Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Adding Additional Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Rearranging Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Adjust the Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Moving on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Chapter 17 - Clean-up Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Correcting Small Timing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Correcting Timing by Slip Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Fade-outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Stretch an Ending Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Fixing Clicks at the Edit Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Rendering to a Single Audio Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Chapter 18 - Warp Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Warp Time Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
The Warp Time Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Working with Warp Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Warp Points and Snapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Limitations of Warp Time editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
CONTENTS
Time Stretch Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Chapter 19 - Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Getting into Loop Recording Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Loop Recording Step-by-Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Selecting the Best Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Unpacking Takes to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Moving on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Chapter 20 - Comping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Copy Your Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Comping Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Flatten Comp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Setting up a Comp Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Comping Tracks Using a Comp Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Comp Group Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Chapter 21 - Using an Amp Simulator Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Setting Up the Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Recording with the Amp Sim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Managing Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Speed of Sound Through Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Dialing in the Guitar Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Using a Tuner Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Chapter 22 - MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

MIDI Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Set Up the MIDI Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Naming MIDI Inputs/Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Disabling Unused MIDI Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Configuring the Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Insert a Synth Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Using a Virtual Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Chapter 23 - MIDI Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Setting up a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Recording a MIDI Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Playing Back a MIDI Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
In-line Piano Roll View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
CONTENTS
MIDI Record Modes - The Action Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

MIDI Input Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Chapter 24 - MIDI Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Loop Recording in Merge Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Recording to Prepare for MIDI Comping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Comping MIDI Takes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Flattening the Composite to a Single Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Chapter 25 - MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Working with MIDI Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Trimming MIDI Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Moving MIDI Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Moving a MIDI Clip Track-to-Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Slip Editing MIDI Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Reframing a MIDI Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Splitting a MIDI Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Determining MIDI Clip Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
MIDI Note Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Setting the Number of Octaves & Note Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Mouse Wheel Options for MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Basic MIDI Editing - Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Per Note Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Nudging Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Note Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Snapping During Note Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Copying and Duplicating Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Adjusting Pitch and Velocity in Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Note Start, Length, & End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
The Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
The Eraser Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
The Line Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Note Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Selecting Multiple Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Splitting Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Quantising Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Applying Groove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Legato Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Editing the Note Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Step Entry Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Hearing Notes While Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
CONTENTS
The Velocity Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Editing other Controller Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Shaping Controller Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Randomising Velocity Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
MIDI Editor View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Working with Clips Across Multiple Tracks in the MIDI Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Enter Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

How to Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Quantizing Note Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Quantizing with Groove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Defining Groove Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Complex Groove Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Managing Groove Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Chapter 27 - Step Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Step Clips Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Inserting a Step Clip Into the Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Programming a Drum Beat with a Step Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Step Clip Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
The Step Clip Footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Pattern Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Step Clip Pattern Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Step Clip Section Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Step Clip Channel Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Step Clip Channel Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Deleting a Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Velocity Gate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Looping Step Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Render a Step Clip to MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Step Clip Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Chapter 28 - Scanning Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

Scanning Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
64-Bit Versus 32-Bit Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Sorting the Plugins List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Setting the Style of the Plugin Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Building a Custom Plugin Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Opening Plugin Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
CONTENTS
Locking (Pinning) Plugin Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Setting Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Chapter 29 - Using Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

The In-line Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Adjusting the Size of the In-line Mixer Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Working with Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Assigning a Quick Control Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Third-Party Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Searching for Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Using Master Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Using the Visual Plugin Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Determining Plugin Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Customizing the Thumbnail Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Scanning to Capture Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Opening Visual Plugin Selector with a Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Plugin Sidechains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Chapter 30 - Built-in Effects Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Waveform Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Volume & Pan Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Level Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
The 4-Band Equalizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
The Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
The Compressor/Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Pitch Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
The Low/High-Pass Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Text Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Saving Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Chapter 31 - Effects Bus Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Create the Bus Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Adding the Effect Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Aux Return Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Adding Aux Sends to the Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Adjusting the Send Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Assigning the Aux Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
CONTENTS
Solo Isolate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Effects Bus Track Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Chapter 32 - Clip Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Inserting Plugins on Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Removing Clip Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Creative Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Echo Throw Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Chapter 33 – Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Creating a Folder Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Working with Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
The Folder Track VCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Creating a Folder Track with Existing Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Editing With Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Automating a Fade within a Folder Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Chapter 34 - Submix Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Creating a Submix Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Working with Submix Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Creating an Old School Submix Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Chapter 35 - Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Activating Automation on a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Choosing What to Automate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Adding Points to the Automation Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Automating Fade-ins and Fade-outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Converting a Clip Fade-in or Fade-out to Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Reading Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Automation Curve Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
How to Find Out What Automation is Active for a Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Remap on Tempo Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Writing Automation on the Fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Automation Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Automation Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Automation Ramps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Chapter 36 - Mixing Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

CONTENTS
Master Section Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Exporting to a WAV File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Locating the Exported File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Exporting to an MP3 File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Additional Render Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Mastering with CloudBounce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Chapter 37 - Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Script Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Creating a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Deleting a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Programming a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Running a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Javascript Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Hover Tooltip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
RTZ Macro Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Merge Clips Macro Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Importing and Exporting Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Code Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
Rename Clips From Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Reset Tracks Solo/Mute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Next Active Automation Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Insert Plugin with Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Jump to Tab 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Rename Selected Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Save Selected Plugins as Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Park the In-Marker & Out-Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Search Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Rename selected clips to ‘Drums’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Undo and Redo Zoom Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Pin Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Group Clips - Group and Ungroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Chapter 38 - Mixer View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365

Tracks and Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Open/Close Mixer View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Mixer View Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Setting Levels and Panning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Working with Mixer Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Working with Channel Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
CONTENTS
Chapter 39 - MIDI Chord Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Using the Key Switch Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Rendering the Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Locking MIDI Chord Player to Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Chords in Key Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Chapter 40 - Track LFOs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

Inserting a Track LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Track LFO Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Other Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Removing LFO Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Video Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

Volume - Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Volume - Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Volume - Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Time/Pitch - Pitch Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Time/Pitch - Tape Stop/Start (Pitch Fade) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Time/Pitch - Warp Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Effects - Plugin Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Effects - Reverse Clip Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Mastering - Normalise Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Mastering - Mono Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Mastering - Phase Invert Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Chapter 42 - Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

Saving Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Using Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
Applying Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
Chapter 43 - Plugin Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Inserting Plugin Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
Hide/Show Rack Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
Starting with an Empty Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
Working with Virtual Patch Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Creating a Chain of Plugin Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
CONTENTS
Creating a Parallel Effects Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416
Plugin Rack Editor Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Track Input & Output Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Virtual Instruments in Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421
Using a Rack with More than One Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Rack for Multiple Output Virtual Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Sidechain Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
Learning More About Plugin Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425
Chapter 44 - Working with Multiple Output Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
Step by Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Wiring the Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Using the Plugin Rack Drum Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Chapter 45 - MIDI Pattern Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

Generating Chords & Progressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Working with Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Adding Rhythm to Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
Generating Basslines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
Generating Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Generating Arpeggios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
Moving On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Appendix A - Video Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462

Creating a Tempo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Punch In/Out on the fly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Tracktion Compressor Sidechain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Track Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Automation Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Insert Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Creating a Submix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Basic Audio Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Warp Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Pitch Fade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Comp Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Merge Selected Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Step Clips Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Step Clips Velocity/Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Step Clips Randomize Each Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
CONTENTS
Step Clips Groove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463

Step Clips Route Channels to Different Synths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Drag to Set the In-marker and Out-marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Track LFOs Demonstration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Sync Preview with Multiple Browsers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
How to Invoke Melodyne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Automation Patterns and Ramps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Appendix B - Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464

macOS Default Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
Windows Default Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466
Appendix C - New Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469

New in Waveform 8 (2017) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
New in Tracktion T7 (2016) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
About This Book
Tracktion Waveform User Guide
Welcome to this user guide for Tracktion’s latest digital audio workstation - Waveform. While this
is the first release of the Tracktion DAW under the Waveform name, we are starting with version
8. This important release ushers in a new era for the Tracktion software platform. Waveform has
new editors, music creation tools, and finally, a traditional mixer view! Waveform builds on the
Tracktion technology base and is the worthy successor to Tracktion T7. The look and feel has been
refined and along with that comes the new name - Waveform.
If you are using earlier versions such as T5, T6, or T7 some of this content will be relevant. However,
you will be be better served by previous guides available at tracktion.com1 or from Leanpub2 . Better
yet, consider upgrading to Waveform to access the full range of features.
Note: This user guide is subject to revision during the entire release cycle.
This manual is significantly improved and expanded. We are working toward complete coverage of
Waveform’s rich feature set but there are still few gaps. These are some of the key things that aren’t
fully covered:
• Control Surface Mapping

• Waveform Sampler
• Video integration
• Melodyne Integration
• Project Templates
• Waveform Archive format
• Freeze Points
• CPU Usage Meter
1
http://www.tracktion.com
2
www.leanpub.com
About This Book ii
A Note About Illustrations & Media

This Waveform User Guide is generously illustrated with screen shots, diagrams, and video links.
Some of these were created using earlier versions of the software.
Since the user interface has been updated in Waveform some of the illustrations vary in style
and color from this version. Where the layout or features have changed significantly we have
made an effort to update them. If you find something that is really off, please send a message to
support@tracktion.com.
Don’t Print Suggestion

Some of you love to have a printed reference and we understand that. Don’t be too upset if the day
after you print out 400 plus pages that an update is released. Updates will potentially be released
along with or following new revisions of the software. That’s just the way it is with software!
About the Author

This user guide was written by Bill Edstrom and has been revised and expanded from the prior
independently released books “Guide to Tracktion T6” and “Guide to Tracktion T7.” Mr. Edstrom
has extensive knowledge of Tracktion software and has create numerous video tutorials published
by Groove3.com as well as books on other DAWs published by Hal Leonard Books.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Welcome to the Waveform User Guide. The goal of this book is to help you learn the Waveform
digital audio workstation software. If you are coming to Waveform from another DAW, or learning
computer recording from the ground up, you will find this guide useful. This book will be
particularly interesting to those who already have experience with Tracktion. Waveform has dozens
of innovative features, and this latest version streamlines the workflow while adding key features
such as a detachable “traditional” mixer view and flexible, creative new MIDI editing tools, all while
making the software more powerful than ever.
Waveform runs on both macOS and Windows as well as Linux. All versions are maintained in
parallel; as a result the latest revisions are nearly identical across all three platforms.
Waveform, like its predecessors, has a unique design where you can do editing and mixing in the
same tabbed window. The arrangement has tracks followed by an in-line mixer channel integrated
to the right of each track.
By popular demand Waveform adds a traditional style Mixer view that docks below the arrangement,
or can be split off to a separate tab or second monitor. If you loved the way Tracktion’s in-line
mixing worked you can keep the Mixer view closed and forget it. However, if you come from music
production from hardware mixing desks or other DAWs that have a console view, you now have a
familiar and friendly way to interact with Waveform.
And don’t forget Waveform has a very flexible plugin architecture that includes native plugins,
plugin racks, and support for VST, VST3 and AudioUnits plugins.
What’s New in Waveform 8?

Waveform 8 has many new and exciting features that enhance the workflow and open up new
creative potential. Please refer to Appendix C - New Features for the complete list of changes.
What’s in this User Guide?

In this user guide you will learn:
• How to install and set up Waveform

• How to record audio to tracks
• How to record MIDI and use virtual instruments
• How to record with guitar amp simulators
Chapter 1 - Introduction 2
• How to edit audio

• How to edit MIDI
• How to mix with the inline mixer section
• How to insert and use plugin effects
• How to mix down to Wave or MP3 files
• Using musicality tools like the pattern generator, chord player, and step clips
• Using the detachable mixer view
• Using powerful clip layer effects
• And much more!
Waveform User Guide presents the information in a combination of step by step workflows,
diagrams, screenshots, video links, and point by point references. We made every effort to present
the topics in a logical order however we expect you will use it as a reference. If you want master
Waveform, it is a great idea to read this entire guide and watch the linked videos while working on
real projects.
Tip: Please make sure to go to the Waveform website3 and make sure that your installation of
Waveform is fully up-to-date.
Video Resources
Several training videos are available that cover many useful areas. Please refer to the training section
at Tracktion.com4 for more details.
Many topics are demonstrated in videos at Groove 35 and on YouTube6 .
Some topics include video links to Youtube that show the software in action. The links are clickable
if you are reading an electronic version. Links also appear as footnotes at the bottom of any page that
has links. We have collected most of those links into Appendix A - Video Links for quick reference.
Setting Waveform Keyboard Shortcuts

This book uses the default Waveform key mappings for shortcuts. You will need to use that setup to
follow the examples. If you changed your shortcut settings, do the follow steps to set them back to
the default:
1. Navigate to the Settings tab, Keyboard Shortcuts page

3
www.tracktion.com
4
www.tracktion.com
5
www.groove3.com
6
http://goo.gl/YnaOMd
2. Click Reset to Defaults at the bottom of the page

3. Select Restore Waveform default key mappings
Settings Tab: Set the Keyboard Shortcuts to Match this Book

These keyboard shortcuts have been carefully designed for efficient workflow and in a way that
keeps the commands consistent between macOS and Windows.
Modifier Keys Conventions

The book uses the following abbreviations for modifier keys:
• Command: Cmd
• Control: Ctrl
• Option: Opt
• Alt: Alt
In most cases ‘Cmd’ on macOS will translate to ‘Ctrl’ on Windows. In this user’s manual, we present
both using the convention MacOS / Windows. For example - Cmd + C / Ctrl + C.
Here is an example in context:

Click to select the clip, then copy it using Cmd + C / Ctrl + C.
Next, position the cursor in the Arrangement where you want to place the copy and paste,
using Cmd + V / Ctrl + V.
Note: Most Linux users will use the ‘Meta’ key in place of Alt. On a typical PC keyboard, Meta is
usually the Windows key.
Assigning the Duplicate Command to the Keyboard

The Duplicate action is not mapped to the keyboard by default. To match the book examples, assign
the ‘D’ key to duplicate. Here is how to do that:
1. Navigate to Settings tab, Keyboard shortcuts page

2. Locate the Duplicate command. It’s in the Editing Functions section
3. To the right of Duplicate, press the plus (+) icon
4. The New key-mapping dialog box appears
5. Press D key, then click OK
Mapping Duplicate to the D Key
Moving On
With those things set, your Waveform installation will match the examples in this book. Get ready
to learn all about Waveform!
Chapter 2 - Installing Waveform
Most likely, you already installed Waveform. If you haven’t yet, or have any questions about
installation, keep reading.
Your Tracktion Account

Go to www.tracktion.com7 . Navigate to Account > My Account. If you haven’t yet purchased
Waveform, you can choose to download the demo, or purchase a license. If you received an earlier
version of Waveform or Tracktion when you purchased a mixer or audio interface, then you can
upgrade to the current Waveform version at a nice discount. Regardless, create an account on the
Tracktion website if you haven’t already done so.
Customer Login at Tracktion.com
After you log in, you will see your licenses listed. Click on My Downloadable Products and choose
the Waveform version you want to install.
7
https://marketplace.tracktion.com
Chapter 2 - Installing Waveform 8
MyLicenses view in your Tracktion Account
Should I Install 32-bit or 64-bit?

On the Tracktion site, navigate to Account > Downloads. That opens a set of tabs where you can
choose which version to download: 32-bit or 64-bit.
The sound quality is the same between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Waveform. The decision is
about compatibility with your computer and plugins.
Tip: We highly recommend you use the 64-bit version for your installation and commit to
using an appropriately equipped computer, operating system, and plugins.
Waveform 32-bit:
• Runs on either 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems

• Runs only 32-bit plugins
• Can access up to 4 GB of RAM
Waveform 64-bit:
• Runs on ONLY 64-bit operating systems

• Runs only 64-bit plugins
• Can access more than 4 GB of RAM
The key point to keep in mind is: If you want to run older 32-bit plugins, use the 32-bit installation
of Waveform. If your computer has more than 4GB of RAM, then running the 64-bit version allows
you to load more instances of large virtual instruments.
Warning: If you use the 64-bit version, Waveform will not recognize your 32-bit plugins. If you rely
on 32-bit plugins for your recordings then you must use the 32-bit version of Waveform.
Click on the link to download the installer.
Installation
The installation varies slightly between macOS and Windows. Separate sections follow for the two
operations systems.
macOS Installation
The installation file for macOS has a .dmg file extension, typical of most macOS installers. Double-
click the file to open the disk image. You will see the Waveform application icon.
Drag the Waveform application icon to the applications folder, which is conveniently aliased right
next to it. That’s it, Waveform is now installed. You will still need to authorize it, a process that will
be described below.
Windows Installation
The installation file on Windows has a .exe file extension, typical of most Windows installers.
Double-click the file to begin the installation wizard.
Step through the wizard to tell Waveform where you want it to be installed. In most cases, the
defaults will work best.
Linux Installation
There is a separate Linux section on the Accounts > Download page on the Waveform website. There
you will find the latest 64-bit build in the form of a Debian package (.deb). If you are running Ubuntu,
simply download the file, then double click and install the package.
For more about running Waveform on Linux, please refer to the Linux FAQ8 on the KVR website.
8
http://goo.gl/XUNiwA
Running Waveform for the First Time

To launch Waveform on macOS, locate Waveform in the applications folder, then double click the
icon.
In Windows, locate Waveform in the Start Menu, then launch it and Waveform will start up. The
Waveform window initially has two tabs: Projects and Settings. Later on, your songs, called ‘Edits’
in Waveform, will load into additional tabs.
Waveform initially runs in demo mode. If you have a license, it is a quick and easy process to unlock
it:
The Unlock Button on the About Box
1. Select the Help > About menu item at the lower left of the Projects tab. This loads the About
box. You will see all kinds of information about Waveform.
2. Locate and click the Unlock button.
3. Enter the address and password you used when registering at the Tracktion website, then click
Register.
Waveform is now unlocked and ready to use on this computer.
Pop-up Help
As you start exploring Waveform, you will soon notice pop-up help. Pop-up help balloons appear
as you move the mouse pointer over objects on the window. While somewhat helpful, you may or
may not wish to use them at all times.
To turn pop-up help off, click Help > Turn off pop-up help. The help button is located in the lower
left corner of the Projects tab. You can easily reverse the process if you want pop-up help back.
Tip: If you ever want to see pop-up help while it is disabled, point to the object you’re
interested in and hit F1.
First Run Setup Progress

When you run Waveform for the first time, you will see the First Run Setup Progress panel over on
the left. As you click each item, it takes you directly to the page and feature on the Setup tab needed
to complete the task. The tasks are designed to streamline setup and get new users configured and
running quickly.
First Run Setup Progress Panel
If you close the panel and wonder how to get it back. Navigate to Help > Show First Run Setup.
Turning First Run Setup On
Installing Melodyne Essential

Melodyne Essential is a terrific bonus for Waveform users. It adds powerful pitch and time
manipulation to Waveform at no addition cost. Melodyne Essential is a separate installation and
is provided under license from Celemony9 . Here are the basic steps to install and active it.
• Exit Waveform if it is running

• Go to the Tracktion website and log in (Account > My Account)
• On your Account Page copy or make note of the Celemony - Melodyne Essential license code
listed there (Account > MyAccount)
• Go to the Celemony10 website then click login. Log in or create a new account.
• Follow the website instruction to register Melodyne Essential, download it, and install it.
Tip: Make sure to install Melodyne using its installer defaults. Waveform is integrated with
the ARA technology of Melodyne, and should detected it on the next restart.
Note: Waveform also works with the full Melodyne Editor. If you already have that on
your system, just check to make sure it is the latest version.
Note: Melodyne is not available for Linux or the Linux version of Waveform.
For more information on getting Melodyne Essential up and running check out TSC’s Melodyne
Configuration Tips & Tricks11 page.
9
http://www.celemony.com
10
http://goo.gl/1dntgM
11
http://goo.gl/gvUY3X
Moving On
At some point you will want to scan your existing plugins. You can learn how to do that in Chapter
28 - Scanning Plugins if you want to work ahead. That step is not necessary quite yet. Let’s move
on to installing some demo projects!
Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo
Projects
This chapter walks you through the process of installing some Waveform demo songs. The demos
are very useful because they give you something to experiment with as you learn the basics of the
application.
Establish a Waveform Projects Folder

It’s a good idea decide where you want to keep your Waveform projects on your system.
One method would be to create a Waveform folder, under the Documents folder on your system.
So, decide on a location and create your Waveform folder using the Finder (macOS) or File Explorer
(Windows).
Project Tab: Get Demo Songs

The Menu at the lower left of the Project tab includes a button - Get Demo Songs. Click that for a
quick way to download the demos.
Get Demo Songs Button

Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo Projects 16
Get Demo Songs Dialog Box
Select the songs to download from the list, choose the destination folder then click Download. We
suggest using your newly created Waveform project folder as the destination. You also have the
option to show only new songs, meaning those you haven’t yet downloaded.
Downloading is handled in the background. Click the Progress Meter in the upper right corner to
see how the downloads are progressing.
Checking the Progress of Demo Downloads
When the downloads are finished, the demo songs will appear at the bottom of your Active Projects
list.
Tip: We suggest organizing the demo songs into a folder to keep them separate from you
own projects.
Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo Projects 17
Demo Songs in a Folder
Moving On
With Waveform installed and a few demo files ready to play with, it’s time to move on to configuring
your audio interface.
Chapter 4 - Audio Device Setup
To use Waveform, it is essential to configure it to work with your audio interface. While Waveform
does work with a computer’s internal audio, most users will use an external audio interface.
Waveform supports Core Audio on macOS and ASIO and Windows Sound (WASAPI) on Windows.
Audio Device Page
Warning: To configure Waveform for recording, you must use the Auto-Detect feature
along with a hardware loopback. If you don’t, then your overdubbed tracks will not be in
alignment with existing tracks. While this is not difficult, it is essential to do this manual
step anytime you change the Audio Device page. The procedure to do this is covered later
in this chapter.
This chapter covers the essential steps to get your audio interface configured as an audio device in
Waveform.
Audio Device Setup Setup on macOS

1. Click on the Settings tab then select the Audio Devices page.
2. Select an output device. Assuming you have the necessary drivers installed and the device
hooked up, it should appear as an option for the Output: property.
Chapter 4 - Audio Device Setup 19
macOS - Audio Device Output and Input Properties
Note: With macOS, USB audio interfaces that follow USB Audio Class 1 (1998) or USB
Audio Class 2 (2009) will function without installing any additional driver. In the product
specs for such devices they are often listed as “class compliant.”
1. Select an Input device
Tip: We strongly suggest that you select the same device for the output and the input. In
this example, we are using a “USB iTwo” which is a simple 2 in / 2 out interface.
Note: On macOS and Windows you can select the input device and output device
separately. In most cases you will set them to the Output and Input the same.
Audio Device Test Button on Mac
Test Button
There is a convenient Test button next to the audio device parameter. Click it to send a short
test tone to the audio device’s output. If you hear the tone, you know your device has been
configured correctly.
Audio Device Setup in Windows

If you haven’t already, navigate to Settings tab > Audio Devices page.
Audio Device Type

Waveform gives Windows users four choices for audio device type.
• Windows Audio
• Windows Audio (Exclusive)
• DirectSound
• ASIO
Windows Audio Device Types
Any of the above four options might work with your computer, but there are definite differences,
and best options.
Note: Waveform is not supported on XP or Vista. We recommend Windows 10 as the best

option.
ASIO
This is the best choice if you are using an external audio interface. You will need to install the
manufacturer’s driver. Using ASIO will usually give you the best low latency performance for
recording and playback. Many modern audio interfaces include a mixer app to control low
latency mixing within the unit. When using ASIO, you simply choose the device both inputs
and outputs.
Windows Audio
Use this if you are running Windows Vista/7/8/10 on your computer, and are using the internal
sound on your machine. This solution is best when you don’t have an ASIO audio interface
such as when using a laptop’s internal sound. This device type uses WASAPI (Windows Audio
Session API) which offers nicely optimized access from applications software to audio I/O.
Windows Audio will also function with USB Audio Class 1 interfaces.
<I>Tip: Windows Audio used to be the preferred option for those using Windows Vista or Windows
7 however we don’t support Waveform on either of those legacy windows Windows versions.
Windows Audio (Exclusive Mode)

This is the same as Windows Audio, but Waveform will not allow any other application to
use the audio interface while running. For the lowest latency and most critical applications,
choose this option when using your internal sound.
Note: Before the 2017 Windows 10 “Creators Update” no version of Windows supported
USB Audio Class 2 devices natively. But now if you have a fully up-to-date installation
of Windows 10, you can likely use your USB device using Windows Audio. This applies
to most modern USB2 or USB3 interfaces. If you have an earlier version of Windows,
Class 2 interfaces might seem to function because they default back to USB Audio Class
1. However, for best performance and access to all features we still suggest you install the
manufacturer’s drivers, and use ASIO.
DirectSound
This used to be the preferred option back when Tracktion was running on Windows XP with
internal sound. This is not a good choice for Windows 8 or Windows 10. For Windows 8 and
10, it is deprecated and might not work at all. Since XP is not support, we suggest you stay
away from this option.
Tip: If you aren’t on Windows XP don’t use the DirectSound device type. Also, don’t
attempt to run Waveform on Windows XP, it’s not support by TSC or Microsoft.
Choosing the Audio Interface

With the audio device type set, you can choose any audio interface connected to your computer or
the internal sound. Select your device if it’s not already shown for the Device property.
ASIO Device Setup on Windows
Control Panel
On some but not all audio interfaces, clicking the Control Panel button will open the
manufacturer’s driver control panel to set the buffer size. Many audio interfaces don’t allow
you to set the buffer size or the sample rate through host software. If that is the case, locate
the control panel software on your system, and open it. Set the Sample Rate and Audio buffer
size there. In some cases, you will need to restart Waveform for the change to take effect.
Setting the Sample Rate

The default for the sample rate is 44100 Hz, which matches the sample rate for CDs. We suggest
choosing this sample rate unless you have a specific reason to choose a different sample rate.
Setting the Sample Rate
Testing for Audio Playback

It is a good idea to test playback to make sure you get sound as well as a complete stereo image.
Here is one way to do that:
Loading the SubWays Demo
1. Go back to the Projects tab and select one of the demo tunes - Subways is a good choice.
2. Locate the Edit on the right (SubWays T4) and double-click to open it.
3. Click Play (spacebar) and you should hear music!
Successful Play Back
About Latency
The process of mixing your tracks together, calculating digital effects, and triggering instrument
samples takes time in any DAW. It is impossible for digital mixing to happen instantly. The amount
of time your computer needs to compute, process, mix and playback from input to output is called
‘latency.’ Latency is the amount of time you allow the computer think and is normally measured in
milliseconds,from just a few to several hundred milliseconds.
During playback, you experience latency as a delay between hitting play and hearing playback. This
results in a barely detectible lag in the transport functions, and doesn’t cause much trouble.
Latency during overdubbing is more of an issue. If you are hearing playback of existing tracks a bit
late, then what you are recording is not going to line up correctly because your timing reference
is shifted, either late or early. Even a few milliseconds will effect feel. At 30 or 60 milliseconds, the
timing will seem off. This can have an impact on the feel of the recording or even make the timing
seem completely off.
For these reasons, all DAWs include a “latency compensation” feature. Following recording, the
audio tracks are essentially shifted to compensate for latency in the A/D process, mixing, and plugin
DSP processing.
Managing Latency
Audio buffer size by default is 512 samples (11.6 ms) on macOS and 256 samples (5.8 ms) on Windows.
On modern macOS computers, you can usually run with the buffer size set to 256 as well.
Note: The choice of available buffer size options varies. It depends on what what audio
interface, connection type, and driver technology you have available.
Let’s consider a latency of 11 ms. In reality, 11 ms is a very short period of time. In the real world
if you are playing a MIDI controller into a virtual instrument, there will be an 11 ms lag between
when you play a note and when you hear the note. It’s the same thing if you’re working with a
virtual guitar amp or amp simulator. When you play a note the guitar you hear the sound 11 ms
later. Sound travels through air at the rate of approximately one foot (0.34 meters) per millisecond.
So this latency is like playing with your guitar amp or keyboard monitor 11 feet (3.4 meters) away.
There is a delay but you might get by. At 6 ms delay, usually the delay is barely noticeable.
With computer recording, we alway aim to strike a balance between noticeable latency and getting
clean playback. Why not just lower it all the way down? Because, the computer needs time to ‘think’
and produce the sounds and process effects. If we get too aggressive with lowering the buffer, the
computer starts to complain in the form of pops, clicks, dropouts, and the like. So during recording
you might keep the buffer smaller; during editing and mixing you can increase it.
Tip: Try 256 samples when you get started. While your songs are simple, this should work
fine on most modern systems. If you feel there is to much delay when playing virtual
instruments, try a lower buffer value. If the audio starts to break up, try higher settings.
Note: When using Melodyne Essential for editing audio, you will need to increase the
buffer size to at least 1024 samples, in order to prevent getting a warning message and to
have clean playback.
Calibrating Input Latency Compensation

If you use Waveform for any overdubbing, this is possibly the most important lesson in this book.
Waveform requires you to run Auto-Detect using a loopback connection on your audio interface.
Warning: This test sets up up a deliberate feedback loop. Switch your speakers off during
this test.You will be connecting an output to an input using a patch cord, so be careful.
Here are the steps:

1. Turn off your monitor speakers!

2. Make sure any input monitoring knobs, buttons, or mixers or off or turned down.
3. Connect one output back to one of the inputs. To make it simple, connect the left output to
input one.
4. Turn the gain up about half way on the input.
5. In Waveform go to Settings > Audio Devices.
6. In the Channels list click on one of the Inputs
Select an Input
6. In the Properties section click Auto-Detect.
Auto-Detect & Time Adjust Parameters
7. Click Run Test. Waveform will send a short test signal from the output to the input. It will calculate
the delay between output and input.
Recording Synch Test Dialog Box
8. Click Apply and Waveform will copy the delay value to the Time Adjust property.
Applying the Auto-Detect Result to Time Adjust
For recordings to be aligned during overdubs, you must repeat this every time you make a change
to the Sample rate or Audio buffer size. If you don’t, your recordings will be several milliseconds
out of alignment with existing tracks.
Tip: You can keep a note of the Time Adjust values at different settings an enter it manually
for the settings you commonly use.
Warning: To configure Waveform for recording, you must use the Auto-Detect feature
along with a hardware loopback. If you don’t then your overdubbed tracks will not be in
alignment with existing tracks. While this is not difficult, it is essential to do this manual
step anytime you change the Audio Device Setup.
Other Audio Device Settings

We have just covered the essential tasks to get going. There are more settings here that you might
be curious about. To be complete, here is an explanation of each:
Other Audio Device Settings
CPU Cores to Use

This can be set from one to the number available. Usually you leave this at the maximum cores
available. The maximum is typically the number of hardware cores in your CPU times two.
For example, if you run a four-core processor, the maximum cores will be reported as eight. If
you are running some other software alongside Waveform that needs more CPU power, then
you can reduce this number to make Waveform leave some cores open for other tasks CPU.
Cases where this is necessary are rare except when debugging specific problems.
Use 64-bit Maths When mixing Tracks
Normally this setting is left on, especially if you have a nice fast computer. It gives you a little
bit more headroom in the mix engine, but you probably won’t notice much difference if it’s
on or off. If you have a very old computer with limited CPU, leave it off. By default it’s off;
we usually leave 64-bit maths turned on.
Only Show Enabled Devices
The Channels list on the Audio Devices page includes a check mark next to each input and
output. Click that check mark and it turns to a red ‘X.’ This disables that hardware; after that
Waveform will no longer present it as an option in other menus. Well, this setting Only Show
Enabled Devices will hide disabled inputs or outputs when turned on. I usually leave it off.
Max Monitoring Latency
This is the maximum allowed latency, when in low latency monitoring mode. If latency
exceeds this, Waveform will shut off some plugins. We suggest you leave this at the default 5
ms, as it has no effect unless you engage low latency mode.
Low Latency Buffer Size
This is the alternative buffer size to use when in low latency mode. Leave this at the default
and don’t worry about. It also has no effect unless you engage low latency mode.
Tip: If you are curious about low latency mode, click the ‘i’ next to the Max Monitoring
Latency or Low Latency Buffer Size parameter. You enable low latency mode from the
CPU usage window which is opened by clicking on the icon in the upper right corner of
the Waveform window header.
CPU Usage Meter Icon
Internal Buffer Multiplier

Another setting related to low latency mode. Usually just leave this set at 1X and forget it.
Resetting to the Defaults

If you are playing around with the values on this page and you just don’t know how they should be
set, click Reset Audio Settings.
Reset Audio Settings Dialog Box
Leave the page at the defaults and press OK. This resets the page to the factory settings.
If you tick Reset input devices option, all the settings for input devices will get reset. Those include
Input gain, Trigger level, Time adjust, and recording options.
If you tick Reset output devices then the output options are reset. Output options include Treat as
stereo pair, Dithering Enabled, Left/Right Reversed and Alias parameters.
Moving On
Audio device setup is straightforward, apart from running the Auto-Detect loopback test. Even so,
you don’t need to fully understand everything on the Audio Devices page. Follow the guidelines in
this chapter and you will be ready to move on.

Chapter 5 - Getting Around in
Waveform
This chapter is an overview of how to operate Waveform. You will also learn how to set up Waveform
for an efficient workflow, as well as how to change the tempo of your song.
Tabs and Menus

With Waveform open, you see the Projects tab and the Settings tab. Click on the tab name or icon
to switch to that tab. Switch back and forth between those two tabs by clicking the tab you want or
by pressing F4.
Projects Tab & Settings Tab
Notice that there are no menus along top, as with other macOS and Windows programs. Menus are
located at the left side of the Controls panel, in the Menu section. The Menus are different depending
on if you are on the Projects tab or an Edit tab.
Menu Section in the Projects Tab

Chapter 5 - Getting Around in Waveform 32
Menu Section in the Edit Tab
The only useful item you will find in the normal menu location is the command to quit Waveform.
Quit Waveform in the macOS Menu
Controls Panel & Toolbar

The Menu section is part of the Controls panel that includes the Properties section, Master section,
and Transport controls.
Close icon on the Controls Panel
You can shrink the Controls panel down to a compact Toolbar by clicking the close icon.
Open icon on the Toolbar
From the Toolbar you can open back to the full Controls panel by clicking the corresponding open
icon.
Pop-up Help
Example of a Pop-up Help Message
Pop-up help is helpful at first. It might quickly become annoying as you get more more familiar with
the Waveform.
Disabling Pop-up Help
Disable pop-up help from the Menu section using Help > Turn off pop-up help. Even with pop-up
help disabled, you can see available pop-up help by pointing at an item on screen and pressing F1.
Roll-over Help
In addition to pop-up help, Waveform offers roll-over help. Rollover help messages appear in the
upper right for controls and objects. The messages appear automatically as you hover the pointer
over items on the screen.
Example of Rollover Help
Note: We are always working to improve the accuracy of pop-up help and rollover help
messages. If you find any help messages to be wrong, unclear, or missing please email a
screenshot and short description to support@tracktion.com.
Creating a Project
The very first step to produce a song in Waveform is to create a project. To do so:
The New Project button on the Projects tab
1. Go to the Projects tab

2. Click New Project and the New Project dialog box appears
3. Fill in the Name
4. Select the Location
5. Click Create Project
The New Project Dialog Box
After clicking Create Project you will see the contents of the project in a list to the right with the
title All items in project: projectname.
For now, the most important entry in the “All Items” list follows the word “edit”; that file is called
an Edit. In our example, the Edit name is “SummerSong100 Edit 1.”
All Items List
Note: Creating a project creates a folder, that in turn contains sub-folders that contain the
project media, a Project file (.Waveform) and an Edit file (songname.tractionedit). The
folder, Project, and Edit all use the name you provided in the New Project dialog box.
Project Folder on Disk
Tip: Another way to create a Project is to click the plus to the right of the tabs. Select New
Project and the rest of the steps are the same.
Click Plus on Tabs to Create a Project
Opening the Edit

An Edit is the workspace in Waveform where you record, edit, and mix your songs. Double-click
the Edit in the All Items list; and it opens to a new tab. This type of tab carries the name of the Edit
and is called an ‘Edit tab.’
Edits and Revision Control: In Waveform you can have as many Edits per Project as you want.
This gives you a great system for revision control. At key milestones in your workflow, go back to
the Project tab click Create a Copy. This copies the Edit to a new file. Rename the copy appropriately
and resume work using the new Edit. You can return to the previous state of the Project at any point
by opening an earlier Edit.
The Edit Tab

The Edit tab is where most of the action occurs while working in Waveform. What other DAWs
call a “project” or “song”, Waveform calls an Edit. In a way, this is similar to the terminology used
in many video editing programs. You have a collection of media that you organize into an Edit. In
concept, you can organize the same media into other Edits. In music production, having multiple
Edits gives you revision control and flexibility to have multiple mixes of a song all contained within
the Project.
Basic Navigation
What you need to know to navigate an Edit:
Start and Stop Playback

The obvious way to play and stop is to use the Play/Stop button located on the transport in
the Master Section. Alternatively, press the spacebar to toggle between start and stop.
Stop the Cursor from Jumping Back
Tip: By default, the cursor will jump back to the start position when you stop playback.
If you would like the cursor to remain at the stop position, there is a setting for that in
the menu Options > Return cursor to start position when play stops. Turn that off, and the
cursor will pause at the point you hit stop.
Zooming In and Out

Here are some basic ways to control zooming:
• Use the Up and Down keys to zoom in and out

• Use the zoom controls in the lower right corner
• On the timeline just above the cursor, grab and drag up or down
Quick Zoom Tool

In Waveform you can also use the quick zoom tool:
• Hold Shift + Opt / Shift + Alt and drag to select an area. The pointer changes to a magnifying
glass. When you release, the view zooms in to your selection.
Dragging a Selection with the Zoom Tool
• To step back from that zoom level, once again hold Shift + Opt / Shift + Alt and click in the
arrangement.
• Waveform remembers the zoom levels, so you can zoom in repeatedly. Then, press Shift + Opt
/ Shift + Alt click to zoom back out.
Tip: Quick zoom can really speed things up. Give it a try! The zoom tool is multilevel.
Zoom in several times then again hold Shift-Opt / Shift-Alt and click to zoom back out.
Each click steps you back one zoom level.
Tip: There are keyboard macro actions that you can assign to the keyboard to undo and
redo the action of the zoom tool. The actions are found at Basic Actions > Zooming > undo
mouse select+zoom and Basic Actions > Zooming > redo mouse select+zoom from the Script
Editor. See Chapter 37 - Keyboard Macros to learn how to use scripts.
Zoom Tool Undo/Redo Macro Actions
1 // Undo Zoom
2 Tracktion.undoSelectZoom();
1 // Redo Zoom
2 Tracktion.redoSelectZoom();
Positioning the Cursor

The cursor position is used as the playback start time, and is also used to reference many of
Waveform’s editing functions. In other DAWs it is called a playhead, now time, or playback cursor.
In Waveform we call it the ‘cursor.’
There are numerous ways to position the cursor, including:
• On the timeline just above the cursor, grab and drag it left or right
• Opt-click / Alt-click the timeline and the cursor will jump to that spot
• Click in the background of the arrangement
• Use the left and right arrow keys to move the cursor backward and forward
Drag to Position Cursor Setting

Tip: You can change the way clicking on the Timeline works by selecting Options >
Timeline drag action > Drag to position transport. With this set, when you click in the
timeline, the cursor jumps to that position. If you drag in the timeline, the cursor follows
as well.
Note: In this mode, to drag zoom, you need to hold down Opt / Alt. Since you can still
zoom in and out with the mouse wheel or the up and down arrow keys, this mode is a
great way to get around in Waveform.
Scroll Behaviour
Scroll behavior can be tailored to your preference. By ‘scroll’ we mean how the cursor moves and
how the tracks move past your screen during playback and recording.
The choices are available from the menu - Options > Scroll Behaviour.
Options > Scroll Behaviour
The default is Scroll with playback. Here is a rundown of what each option does:
Scroll with playback (default)

During playback the cursor stays on screen. As the cursor goes past the right edge, the tracks
page over keeping the cursor in view.
Scroll smoothly
During playback, when the cursor arrives at a fixed position near the center of the screen, the
tracks scroll under the cursor. This is a matter of personal preference.
Keep cursor on screen
During playback the cursor will stay on the screen. Even while editing or manually panning,
the cursor always stays on screen. As you pan over right the cursor stays at the left edge of
the screen.
No options selected
During playback the cursor will move past the right edge of the screen and then move out of
site.
Tip: For most users we suggest leaving Scroll with playback enabled and the other two
options off.
Changing the Tempo

Tempo in Waveform is managed using the Tempo track at the top of the screen. You can hide or
show the Tempo track using the Tempo button at the upper right.
Show or Hide the Tempo Track with the Tempo Button
The Tempo is represented as a line in the Tempo track. This line is called the “Tempo Curve.” For a
fixed tempo tune it will appear as a line set to a beats-per-minute (BPM) value.
Fixed BPM Tempo Curve
For tunes with tempo changes it might appear with step ups or step downs in tempo, or even gradual
tempo changes represented as curves (thus the name Tempo Curve). In other software this is often
called a “tempo map.”
Varying BPM Tempo Curve
To change the tempo of your Edit:

Changing Tempo: A, Click BPM Readout. B, Adjust BPM property.
1. Click the tempo BPM readout in the Master section. The Properties section will show the
Tempo properties
2. Adjust the BPM parameter to the desired tempo. Either click and type it in, or drag the slider.
3. Alternatively, open the tempo track and drag the tempo curve line up and down.
Note: Setting the tempo this way changes the tempo only for the segment of the tempo
curve that is under the current cursor position.
Video Clip: To learn how to use the tempo track to map tempo changes to an existing
recording, Check out the video on Creating a Tempo Map12
Changing Tempo at a Specific Bar

To change the tempo at a specific bar, use the action Insert tempo change at cursor (Opt + T / Alt +
T). Here are the steps:
12
https://w-edstrom.wistia.com/medias/687engp5ar
Right-click Timeline: Insert tempo change at cursor
1. Position the cursor where you want the tempo change to occur
2. Right-click on the timeline, and select Insert tempo change at cursor
3. In the Properties section, adjust the BPM parameter to the new tempo.
4. To see the results of the tempo change, open the tempo track to see the step up or down on
the Tempo Curve
Note: The Tempo Curve can also be adjusted with more detail in the Tempo track in much
the same way as automation. Click to add points (nodes) to the curve and drag them to
shape your tempo changes along with an adjustable Curvature.
Removing Tempo Changes

Click on any tempo point, to select it. In Properties, click Delete > Delete this tempo setting.
Removing all Tempo Changes
Click on the Tempo curve line. In Properties, click Delete points from curve > Delete all points
from the curve.
Offsetting and Scaling the Tempo Curve
Displace Curve and Scale Curve Controls

Displace Tempo Curve

Click anywhere on the Tempo Curve. In Properties, drag left or right over Displace Curve to
move the entire tempo curve up or down.
Scale Curve
Select the Tempo Curve, then drag left or right over Scale Curve to reduce or emphasize the
amount of tempo variation across the entire Edit.
Moving On
This chapter was a basic introduction to the operation of Waveform. You can now operate the
transport; you can open the demo files; you can create a new blank project; and you can adjust
the playback volume and tempo.
That is enough to start exploring Waveform. Stay tuned, there is a lot more to come!
Chapter 5b - The Projects Tab
This chapter is a collection of topics related to the Waveform projects tab. The Projects tab the
starting point for creating new Edits and organizing all of your file.
Project Tab - Three Column View

The Projects tab shows a three column view of the files associate with your projects. These columns
represent the Edit list, assets pool, and exported files. You can choose which columns to have on-
screen using the View Options selector at the top right.
Project Tab View Options Selector
If you prefer the long single list from earlier version of Tracktion, choose View as single list from
the View Options selector.
Selecting the Classic Single List View

Chapter 5b - The Projects Tab 46
Project Tab Two Column View
Project Tab - Edit Previews

The Project tab Edit list includes an audio thumbnail preview of each Edit. Waveform renders this
preview in the background during idle time, when an Edit is open, and updates it periodically. It’s
all automatic and you don’t need to do anything to maintain it. Click the thumbnail to play the
preview and drag the play cursor around to hear different parts of the song.
Edit Preview Thumbnail
The Share button to the right of the preview thumbnail gives you two ways to share the Edit.
Preview Share Button Options
Share as archive of this edit takes you directly to the Create Archive dialog box. From here you can
export the Edit as a project bundled with with all necessary assets to load back in to Waveform on
another computer.
Create Archive Dialog Box
The other option on the Share button is Share a preview of this edit. This simply locates the preview
audio file on your file system. From here you can do what you want with it. It’s in the Ogg Vorbis
Chapter 5b - The Projects Tab 47
format.
Share Preview Option
Note: Don’t drag, move, or erase the preview file. You need to leave it in this location for
the preview to work on the Project tab. If you want to use it somewhere else, copy it first.
Project Tab - Get Demo Songs

The Menu at the lower left of the Project tab includes a button Get Demo Songs. Click that for a
quick way to download the Waveform demo Projects. For a full description of this feature refer to
Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo Projects.
Moving On
This chapter was a basic introduction to some of the features of the Project tab.
Chapter 6 - The Settings Tab
The Settings tab is organized into pages for configuring global preferences. Click one of the page
headings along the left to select a page. The settings for that page appear on the right and a short
description of the page appears in the lower left. In this chapter, you will learn what each page is
about.
The Settings Tab
Tip: Useful keyboard shortcuts: Press F2 to jump directly to the Setting tab. Press F3 to flip
between Settings and your Edit.
Chapter 6 - The Settings Tab 49
Audio Devices Page

Use this page to select your audio device, configure inputs and outputs, and manage latency. learn
all about the Audio Devices page in Chapter 4.
Note: The Auto-Detect feature for inputs is also accessed from this page. This essential to
getting your overdubs to properly sync to existing tracks. Pay particular attention to that
discussion in Chapter 4.
MIDI Devices Page

Use the MIDI Devices page to configure external MIDI keyboards, MIDI ports, or MIDI instruments
to communicate with Waveform. You can also configure your computer keyboard to act as a virtual
MIDI keyboard from this page. The MIDI Devices page is covered in Chapter 22.
Plugins Page
While Waveform includes basic effects and virtual instruments, it also hosts third-party VST plugins
in Windows, plus VST and AU (AudioUnit) plugins on Mac. To use third-party plugins, you need
first to tell Waveform to scan for them.
To do that, click Scanning and Sorting then select from one of the plugin formats to scan. You need
to repeat the scan for each of the plugin formats that you want to use. Read more about plugin
scanning in Chapter 28.
General Behaviour Page

There are lots of settings and actions available on the General Behaviour page. These give you many
ways to customize Waveform to match your preferences and the types of projects you work on.
Settings Tab, General Behaviour Page
Here is a rundown of the essential settings on the General Behavior page:

Username
Customize Waveform with your name, band name, or studio. This gets saved with Projects
and Edits.
Import/Export User Settings

Use Export User Settings to save most of the preferences on the Settings tab to a file. You
can name this and save it anywhere on your system. The user settings file will always have
a .trksettings file extension. You can restore settings by clicking Import User Settings and
loading the file.
Tip: Many Waveform settings can be saved to text files, making it easy to restore them
to another computer or just save them in case you need to reinstall the software. To keep
exported settings organized and easy to back up, we recommend creating a set of folders
under the main Waveform folder to hold them.
Waveform Settings Folders
Audio Clip Import

We suggest you set Audio Clip Import to Always copy file. When you import audio files in to
a Project, Waveform can either reference the original file, or copy the file to the Project folder.
We suggest you set Waveform to always copy imported files, as it makes it far less likely the
the audio will get separated from the project. It also makes it easier to back up your projects,
since all the media will be contained within the Project folder structure. The only reason to
choose the other option is if you have very limited drive space.
Link Clip to Track Colour

With Link clip color to track colour enabled, clips will match the color selection for the track.
If you change the track color clips will change color to match. This tends to give better color
definition to different tracks.
Automatically Assign Colours to new tracks

With this off tracks will not have a specific color and will just match the theme of the rest of
the program. This will translate to Mixer channels as well. With this option enabled, tracks
will have a color however it will be very faint. It’s mostly to work in connection with the
option above where you link clips to the track color. The clip colors are much more vibrant
and so are the mixer channels. Most users leave both of these options enabled.
Track Resizing
When you double-click a track header (the track name) in Waveform, the vertical track height
toggles to a larger size. You have three choices for how the resizing works. You pick the best
choice using the property Track Resizing. Try each mode and choose the one that works best
for you.
Rename Mode
We suggest you set Rename Mode to Only rename a source file if it is in the project folder.
This option avoids renaming a file accidentally. Note that this setting won’t matter if you set
Audio Clip Import as suggested above.
Automatically Hide and Show Panels

With the Browser, in-inline Mixer, Toolbar, or Controls panel hidden, move the mouse pointer to
the appropriate edge of the window, and the panel will slide open. When you move your pointer off
the panel, it will be hidden away again. Notice the animation as a panel slides in and out.
To turn off the auto hide/show panels action, deselect Automatically hide and show panels in the
Settings tab, General Behaviour page.
Turning off Auto Hide/Show Panels
Other Settings
There are several other settings like Meter Response, Peak Hold, and Solo Behavior, which will be
covered in context, in later chapters.
Keyboard Shortcuts Page

The Keyboard Shortcuts page is used to configure keyboard shortcuts for dozens of actions. You can
click the View as HTML button at the bottom to generate an HTML version of the keyboard shortcuts
list. You can search it or print the resulting HTML file as a reference. You can also learn a lot about
what is possible with Waveform by looking through shortcuts list and trying them out. Keyboard
Shortcuts are covered in detail in Chapter 14.
The Keyboard Shortcuts page also includes the Script Editor for creating macros. Macros and the
Script Editor are covered in Chapter 37.
Loop Database Page

This page is used if you want Waveform to index your existing loop file folders. To do so, enter
the path to your loop libraries and select one of the scan options. Following the scan, the loops will
appear in the search results on the Browser Search tab. Once indexed, you can assign tags to loops
to organize them further.
Note: Having Waveform index your loops is entirely optional. If you already have loops
organized into folders, you can simply bookmark your loop folders in the Browser Files
tab. The downside of indexing your loops is that you get a longer list of results when using
the Browser Search tab. This can make it a bit harder to see relevant results when searching
for plugins.
Control Surfaces Page

Use this page to setup external control surfaces. These are typically hardware units that control the
transport or provide knobs and faders that you can assign to on-screen controls.
Moving On
Now you should have a better understanding of the General Behaviours page of the Settings tab.
Chapter 7 - Getting Help
This chapter is a summary of the various ways to get help when working with Waveform.
Pop-up Help
The first source of help is pop-up help. While useful at times, you can also turn off pop-up help with
Options > Help > Turn off pop-up help. Press F1 to view pop-up help for the item under the pointer.
Refer to Chapter 5 for an illustrated guide to pop-up help.
Roll-over Help
Roll-over messages appear in the upper right for items under the pointer. These messages give you
a description of the object under the mouse pointer.
Quick Start Guide

Waveform includes a Quick Start PDF file. Access this brief printable guide from the Help menu.
Keyboard Shortcut List

There is a complete reference for the standard default keyboard shortcuts in Appendix B. Studying
the keyboard shortcut is a great way to get more familiar with Waveform.
Navigate to the Settings tab, Keyboard Shortcuts page. Here you will see all the assignable actions
grouped by category.
View as HTML Button

Chapter 7 - Getting Help 55
For a searchable list click View as HTML to load the current list in your web browser. From here you
can search it with Cmd + F / Ctrl + F or print it out.
HTML View of Keyboard Shortcuts Assignments
Videos Tutorials
The Waveform videos page13 has a nice selection of training videos. The series “Tracktion T7 Update
Explained” is available from Groove 3, Inc14 along with other Tracktion related videos. Groove 3 is
a deep resource for all things music production.
Also checkout this YouTube channel15 for various free videos demonstrating Tracktion and Wave-
form features.
This user guide includes links to videos many of which are only available here. Check out Appendix
A16 for a complete list of videos linked from within this user guide.
13
http://www.tracktion.com/support/videos
14
http://goo.gl/GKbdlM
15
http://goo.gl/hywdxh
16
appendix-a
Tracktion and Waveform Forums

There is a growing Tracktion - Waveform Users Group17 on FaceBook. If you use FaceBook join the
group. Many new and veteran Waveform users are active there. The TSC team are also members
and occasionally drop into the conversations.
The long term forum for Tracktion and Waveform Software18 is hosted at KVR19 . This the oldest
Tracktion related forum on the Internet. Here you can interact with other users, TSC staff, and
developers.
Also check out the Tracktion Software official Facebook page20 for updates, news about Waveform,
promo offers, and artist profiles.
TSC Support
In large part, your success with getting issues resolved, requesting features, and reporting bugs,
depends on following the recommended guidelines, when filling out the support request form.
Support Request Form21
17
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Tracktion/
18
http://goo.gl/YaygV6
19
kvraudio.com
20
http://goo.gl/Hv3Xjr
21
https://tracktion.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Support Request Form
Support Request Form Checklist:
• Use “FR:” in the title for feature request

• Use “BR:” Bug Report in the title for bug reports
• Include the Waveform version number (from the Waveform About box)
• Include your operating system and version
• Note your system specs like processor type and the amount of RAM
• List the steps to recreate the bug
• Attach the log file (Help > Show the Tracktion log file)
• Attach or link to screenshot or screen video
• Report one issue at a time
Follow these same guidelines when posting bugs and feature requests to the KVR Tracktion Software
forum22 .
Don’t hesitate to provide feedback positive, negative or even your creative ideas for the future. User
input really shapes future direction of Waveform.
Moving On
Those are the key ways to get help when learning and using Waveform. Next, let’s get into more
detail on using Waveform!
22
http://goo.gl/YaygV6
Chapter 8 - The Edit Tab
In this chapter you will learn the layout of the Edit tab. The Edit tab is where most of the action
occurs during recording, editing, and producing your song. This chapter is important, as you will
learn the terminology for the Waveform interface and objects used throughout the rest of this user
guide.
The Parts of a Waveform Edit

The Edit tab is made up of four main parts: The Browser, the Arrangement, the Mixer, and the
Controls panel.
Parts of the Edit Tab: A, Browser. B, Arrangement. C, Controls panel

Chapter 8 - The Edit Tab 60
The Browser
The Waveform Browser resides along the left side of the Edit. You can open or close it by clicking its
icon or by pressing B. The Browser includes a collection of tabs, giving you quick access to media,
plugins, and markers.
Tip: You can move the Browser to the top or right side of the Edit, by dragging its icon to
the appropriate edge of the screen.
Browser Open/Close Icon, A. Browser Tabs, B.
Here is a short description of each Browser tab:
Files The Files tab gives you quick access to the audio files used in the project, as well as the project
folder structure. It also gives you quick access to common locations and drives on your system.
Most import however, is the ability to bookmark folders for quick access. Using bookmarks is
the easiest way to access a loops library. Audio files and loops can be easily auditioned from
the Files tab as well.
Tracks
Use the Tracks tab to filter tracks in the arrangement by tag. First, you need to tag them by
selecting one or more tracks and setting tags in Properties.
Search
The unified Search tab, allows you to search for loops, presets, or plugins in a single interface.
The tag field dynamically updates to show the relevant tags for filtering.
Markers
Use the Markers tab to add bars & beats or timecode markers to the Marker track. Navigate to
any marker by simply clicking on the marker name. You can also quickly delete the selected
marker, change its name or marker type in Properties.
Clipboard
Use the Clipboard tab to see what is currently in the clipboard. Put selected items from an
edit or project on the clipboard by pressing Cmd + C / Ctrl + C. Then, drag clipboard contents
to the arrangement from the Browser Clipboard tab. The clipboard can contain clips, plugins,
or racks. It is particularly useful when copying items from other projects on the Projects tab.
For much more about the Browser check out Chapter 9 - The Browser.
Tip: Resize the Browser by dragging the edge left or right. This is particularly helpful when
working with the Search tab, which has numerous search columns that might be hidden.
The Arrangement
The Arrangement is made up of the Timeline, Track Headers & Inputs, Tracks, and the Inline Mixer.
Parts of the Arrangement: A, The Timeline. B, Track Headers & Inputs. C, Tracks. D, The Inline Mixer
Timeline
The Timeline acts as a ruler, measuring the time of the edit. While it is commonly set to show the
bars and beats of your song, it can also show seconds and milliseconds or seconds and frames with
a simple right-click selection.
The Timeline is related to several other onscreen features:
In-marker & Out-marker

The range between between the In-marker and the Out-marker defines what is called the
“marked region” in Waveform. In other DAWs this is called often called the “loop” or “cycle.”
The marked region defines looped playback, loop recording, and many of Waveform’s editing
options. The keyboard shortcuts are I to position the In-marker, and O to position the Out-
marker.
Tempo Track
The Tempo track appears below the timeline, when open. Here you define the the tempo and
tempo changes. Open and close the Tempo track using F9.
Tempo Track
Note: The Tempo track is sometimes referred to as the ‘Global track’ within Waveform.
This is because it contains global song key and time signature changes in addition to the
tempo map. In this user guide we typically call it the Tempo track because that’s how the
track is labeled in the application.
Marker Track
There are actually two marker tracks that can be opened below the Timeline. One is for
bars & beats markers, such as song sections. The other is for absolute time in terms of
hours:minutes:seconds and milliseconds. Cycle through the options with F10.
Marker Track
The Clip Object

Above the right side of the Timeline you find the Clip object. Some Waveform users call the
Clip object a “clip dragger” or “clip maker.” All of the terms are descriptive of how it works.
Drag it to a track to create an empty clip of any of the four types - MIDI clip, Audio clip, Edit
clip, or Step clip.
Clip Object and Plugin Object
The Plugin Object

Drag the Plugin object to the inline mixer section of any track to insert an audio effect plugin
or virtual instrument. When you drop the Plugin object, you get a menu of all available plugins
and instruments. You can control the organization of the menu from the Settings tab Plugins
page. Refer to Chapter 29 - Using Plugins for much more about inserting and using plugins.
1 Right-click the Plugin object to launch the visual plugin selector. This is fu\
2 lly explained in [Chapter 29 - Using Plugins](#chapter-29)
Show/Hide Buttons
Several areas of the Edit tab can be opened for use or closed to declutter the screen. Here are
the buttons to control those along with the corresponding keyboard shortcuts.
Show/Hide Buttons Key
• Show/Hide Tempo Track (F9)

• Show/Hide Marker Track (F10)
• Show/Hide Inputs Section (Shift + F12)
• Show/Hide Inline Mixer Section (M)
• Show/Hide Controls Panel (F11)
The Track Section

Tracks appears as parallel lanes that contain and organize clips of audio and MIDI. Signal flow
follows from left to right from Inputs, to Clips for recording, to the inline Mixer and any plugins it
uses, then on to the Master section. There is really only one kind of track in Waveform. Tracks can
hold any kind of clip: Audio clips, MIDI clips, Step clips, or Edit clips. To create a new Track simply
press T.
Track Headers
The leftmost column of the Arrangement forms a list of track headers. Select a track by clicking
directly on the track name within the header. Additional track properties including the Name
became available in Properties. To rename a track, simple edit the name property. Tracks can
be reordered by grabbing any track by the header and dragging it to a new location.
Track Headers
Inputs
Inputs appear as right facing rectangular arrows. Click on an input for a menu of options
that includes a selection of available inputs. Use the menu to set up a track for recording.
Additional input options are available in Properties. You can even drag an input to another
track to continue recording.
Inputs
Tip: Resize tracks using the zoom tools in the lower right corner of the arrangement.
Clips
You can drag in audio files and loops to build your Edit, or record them directly. The same goes for
MIDI clips. Step clips are a unique inline step sequencer. Step clips are variation on MIDI Clips. Edit
clips allow you embed an entirely different Edit into your song as single clip. Select any of the kinds
of clips to access more properties and actions in Properties.
Audio Clips
Audio clips are created during recording or can be dragged in from the Browser or desktop.
Audio clips are one of the key elements of a Waveform arrangement. Waveform gives you
a rich set of tools to work with Audio clips to split them, combine them, reverse them, or
change the pitch, timing, or speed. You can also edit Audio clips with Melodyne to adjust the
intonation of recorded notes. Clip Layer Effects give you even more options to manipulate
Audio clips. See Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects to learn more.
Audio Clip
MIDI Clips
MIDI clips are the Waveform container for MIDI performance data. The clips have many of
the same editing features as Audio clips. Expand MIDI clips vertically to see the full inline
piano roll MIDI editor. The MIDI editor comes with a full set of tools for editing, entering,
and modifying MIDI notes. Double click to open in the MIDI editor.
MIDI Clip
Step Clips
Step clips are a unique type of inline step sequencer that gives you amazing flexibility to
enter MIDI notes on a grid. Step clips are ideal for programming drum beats and rhythms,
they can also be used for baselines, synth leads or just about anything else. Some Waveform
users program complete compositions entirely with Step clips!
Step Clip
Edit Clips
Edit clips are another unique Waveform concept. You can embed an entire Edit into a clip.
You can also use Edit clips to separate out all your drum programming to another Edit as an
aid when doing complex drum programming. Use Edit Clips to compose songs in blocks -
develop the verse, chorus, and bridge in separate Edits and bring them together in another
Edit. Teachers use it when recording several students singing over the same underlying track.
It is a very unique feature and uses for it are still being discovered!
Edit Clip
Edit clips behave in the arrangement just like Audio clips. How can you tell the difference? They
have an additional tab in Properties to manage the link to the underlying Edit.
Edit Clip Properties
The Inline Mixer

Waveform’s default inline Mixer is one of it’s unique, defining features. For each track, signal flows
from left to right - Input to Track, Track to Mixer, Mixer to Master. The Mixer is where you arrange
plugins to create whatever channel strip you need for the track. If you have MIDI clips on the track
then insert virtual instrument as a sound source. If you need to EQ a vocal, drop in an EQ.
<I>Note: Waveform also has a full Mixer view that represents channels and plugins as they would
be on a mixing console. To use the Mixer view, click on the show/hide mixer panel button in the
upper right corner of the Waveform interface. See Chapter 38 - Mixer View to learn all it.
The Volume & Pan and Level Meter plugins are installed on new tracks by default, however you can
remove, reorder, or even add more instances of them. You will find the following things on every
track by default:
Mixer Default Setup: Volume & Pan Plugin, Level Meter Plugin, Solo Button, Mute Button
Volume & Pan Plugin

This acts as like the channel fader and pan controls on a conventional mixer. When you click
either element, a larger version pops up allowing you to easily adjust level or panning. When
selected, the full set of properties appear in Properties.
Level Meter Plugin

The level meter shows the level of audio on the track. You can add additional instances or
put the meter anywhere in the track using drag and drop. You can change the meter response
between Peak, RMS, and Sum & difference from the right-click menu or from Properties.
Mute
The Mute button mutes and un-mutes the track.
Solo The Solo button silences all other tracks so you can hear one track at a time. Settings > General
Behavior > Solo Behavior allows you to customize exactly how Solo works. Choose from
Cumulative or Exclusive modes. From the right-click menu you can choose Solo Isolate which
allows the track to continue to play if another track is soloed. This is particularly useful if a
track is configured as an effects bus.
Tip: Right-click on either Mute or Solo to access a menu. From here you can reset all the
solo and mute states for all tracks.
Mute/Solo Right-Click Menu
The Controls Panel

Making up roughly the lower third of the Edit tab, the Controls panel is made up of three main parts:
The Menu section, the Properties section, and the Master section.
Sections of the Controls Panel: A, Menu section. B, Properties section, C, Master section
The Menu Section

A full set of menus related to the Edit are available in the Menu Section. Of particular importance
are the Export, Click Track, Snapping, and Options menus. In this user guide, we make numerous
references to the Menu section using a path syntax separated by “greater-than” symbols. For
example, “to set a one bar count-in choose Click Track > Pre-record count-in length > Use a 1 bar
count-in.
Menu Section of the Controls Panel
Properties Section
What is shown in Properties depends on what object you have selected. Each track, input, clip,
plugin, rack, and automation point has its own set of properties. Click to select any object and
Properties will automatically switch to show the values and actions that are relevant to whatever
you have selected. This is a key concept when using Waveform, and is central to its design.
Properties Section of the Controls Panel
Master Section
The Master section contains cursor position information, the Transport, Master plugins, Master
volume control, and a set of global control buttons.
The Master Section
Cursor Position Info

At the top of the Master section, you will notice three key pieces of information about the
current cursor position: The tempo, the time signature, and the location counter.
• Click the tempo display to see tempo properties.

• Click the time signature for time signature properties.
• Click and edit any of part of the location counter to move the cursor to that location.
You can also drag any of the components of the location up and down to move the cursor. The
location counter format will change to match what you have set for the Timeline.
The Transport
The Transport is made up of a set of eight buttons that include all the usual suspects: Play/Stop,
Record, RTZ, Rewind, and Fast Forward. In addition, there are buttons for Automation Read,
Automation Write, and Panic. The Panic button restarts Waveform’s audio engine. All of these
can be assigned to keyboard shortcuts for fast access.
Master Plugins Area
The Master section also contains a plugin area to insert final processing like compression and
limiting. With no plugins installed, it will display (Drop Master Plugins Here). Drag plugins
from the Browser or the Plugin object here or right-click to add them.
Master Section Buttons

The Master section includes eight buttons to access commonly used global on/off functions.
More on these buttons in a moment.
Master Level
The Master level provides the final volume adjustment for the entire mix. The corresponding
pan control provides control of the balance between the left and right signals. For most
applications the master pan control will remain centered.
Master Meter
The Master meter shows the final output level. Right-click the meter to set the meter mode or
reset any overload indicators.
Master Section Buttons

The Master section buttons include some of the most used functions in Waveform. This is a
description of what these buttons are for along with the shortcut used to toggle the button.
The Master Section Buttons
Loop
Loop (L) turns looping between the In-marker and Out-marker on and off. This is for both
playback and loop recording.
Click
Click (C) turns the metronome click on and off.
Auto Lock
Auto Lock is short for “Automation Lock.” As the name implies, this button locks automation
to clips. When on, as you move clips around the automation curves follows along.
Punch
With Punch (P) tuned on, Waveform will only record when the cursor is between the In-
marker and the Out-marker.
Snap
Snap (Q) button turns snap-to-grid on and off.
Scroll
With Scroll (S) turned on, Waveform pans the screen to keep the cursor on screen during
playback and recording.
MIDI Learn
Click MIDI Learn to enter MIDI Learn mode. In this mode you can easily assign external
controller knobs and faders to on-screen controls.
MTC
With MTC enabled, Waveform will chase sync to incoming MIDI Time Code. Unless you are
still syncing to tape or hardware sequencers, leave MTC off.
Compact Toolbar
To save space while recording Waveform offers an alternative to the traditional Controls Panel. The
compact Toolbar does most everything the standard Controls Panel does while taking up a fraction
of the screen space. Not only that, you can switch back and forth between the Toolbar and Controls
Panel easily.
The New Compact Toolbar
To open the full Controls Panel from the Toolbar, click the open icon at the far left.
Click the Open Icon
To shrink the Controls Panel down to the Toolbar, click the close icon at the top right of the Menu
Section.
Click the Close Icon
The left side of the Toolbar includes icons to open and close the Menu and Properties sections along
with dedicated Undo and Redo buttons. Also, all of the buttons from the Master section appear as
icons on the Toolbar.
The Toolbar Icons
Tip: Hover your mouse pointer over any icon on the Toolbar and look at the rollover help
in the upper right corner of the Waveform window to see what it does.
Working with Properties in Compact Mode

In Waveform you constantly need access to Properties. With the compact Toolbar, the pop-out
Properties panel closes every time you select a different object: clip, track, automation curve, or
plugin.
Properties Lock Push-pin

To keep Properties open you can pin it using the push-pin icon at the upper right. With it pinned,
Properties will only close when you click its icon on the Toolbar. You can always leave it pinned all
the time, and open and close Properties manually.
Tip: There is a macro action to enable the Properties push-pin under Basic Actions > Editing
> Lock properties panel. See Chapter 37 - Keyboard Macros to learn how to use scripts like
this.
1 // Pin Properties Panel Open

2 Tracktion.lockPropertiesPanel();
Keyboard Shortcut to Toggle the Toolbar

If you want to easily switch back and forth between the Toolbar and the standard Controls Panel,
there is amacro action to do so. Here is how to set it up:
1. Go to the Settings tab, Keyboard Shortcuts page.

2. Open the Script Editor at the bottom of the page.
3. Click Add a new macro.
4. Fill in a name such as “Toggle Controls Panel Size.”
5. Right-click the editor and navigate to Basic Actions > Zooming > Toggle between full and
minimal controls panel.
Selecting the Toolbar Toggle Action
1. That’s all there is to the macro. Now, assign it to a keyboard shortcut, such as F11.
The Completed Toggle Controls Panel Size Macro

Note: In the default key-mapping used in this user guide, F11 is assigned to Show/Hide
Controls Panel. You may find that toggling between the Toolbar and the Controls Panel is
a much better use of F11.
Moving On
That was a broad overview of sections, controls, and buttons on the Edit tab. Next, we start to break
all this down so you can have fun making music with Waveform.
Chapter 9 - The Browser
The Waveform Browser provides quick access to files, loops, plugins, and presets. It allows
previewing loops, filtering of your Tracks by tags, and bookmarks to you favorite folders. When
you have located media files and plugins in the Browser, you add them to the Edit using drag and
drop. The Browser also has tabs for notifications and the clipboard. In this chapter you will learn
about each of the tabs.
Browser Positioned to the Right
Open and close the Browser (B) with the Browser icon. Drag the Browser icon to the top, right, or
left edge of the Window to reposition it. You can also resize the Browser tab by dragging the right
edge right or left.
Chapter 9 - The Browser 78
Browser Icon
Another way to set the Browser position is available on the Settings tab, General Behaviour page.
Locate the setting Side Panel Position and set it to Left, Right, or Top.
General Setting to Position the Browser
Browser Files Tab

The Browser Files tab allows you to find audio files on your system to include in your project. You
can also preview audio files and set bookmarks. After you export mix downs of your song, you can
easily find them in the Files tab as well.
Browser Files Tab Controls

Here are controls at the top of the files tab.
Browser Files Tab Controls
Browser Files Tab Menu

In use, the Files tab shows a list of files. Click the Files menu button to choose what to list.
The menu is divided into sections. These aren’t labeled in the software, but the graphic here
shows what each section does.
Browser Files Menu
Creating Bookmarks
To create a bookmark to a favorite file location, navigate in the Files tab to any drive and
folder on your system. When you locate a frequently used folder, open the Files tab menu and
select Bookmark current folder.
Tip: Using bookmarks is a great way to access your loop library if you already have it
organized by folders. This is often a more direct way to get to certain loopset than searching
in the Search tab.
Removing Bookmarks
To remove a bookmark, navigate to that folder, click the Files menu icon, and select Delete
bookmark for current folder. Notice that the delete option will only be available when the
current folder has been bookmarked.
Tip: A quick way to located exported mixes of your song is to use the Browser Files tab.
From the Files menu, select Project folder > Exported. By default all your exported files go
into this subfolder of the parent project folder. To get to the resulting file directly on your
system, right click any file and select Open the folder containing this file…
Tip. Quickly Locate Exported Mixes in Project folder > Exported
Browser Files Info

Information about the selected file shows in the Files tab footer. This includes the sample rate,
bit depth, stereo or mono, length, number of beats, BPM, and time signature. The info varies
depending on what meta data is included with the file.
Browser Files Tab Footer
Auditioning Files
Click any audio file in the files list and use the Play/Stop button along with the Audition level
to preview it. By default, audio files start to play immediately when you select them. You can
turn that off by deselecting Auto-Play. With Loop enabled, files play continuously until you
press stop or select a different one. You can also see a thumbnail of the waveform along with
a moving playhead line during the audition.
Tracks Tab
The Tracks tab works in conjunction with track tagging. Once tracks are tagged, you can filter which
tracks to view from the Tracks tab by enabling Show Only Tagged Tracks and then clicking on the
tags for the tracks to view. All tracks that do not include the tags are hidden.
The most common scenario is to tag tracks of a similar kind like “drums”, “guitars”, or “vocals.” Then
you can filter by those types.
Tagging Tracks
To add tags, select one or more tracks in the arrangement, and type the tags into the Tag field
in Properties. You can enter as many tags as you like separated by commas.
Tagging Tracks
Note: Tags are case sensitive, so “GTR” is a different tag than “gtr.”
Filtering by Tags
To filter the visible tracks in the arrangement by tags, enable Show Only Tagged Tracks at the
bottom of the Tracks tab. Click a tag to show only tracks that include that tag. You can click
several tags to show additional tracks. If no tags are selected, then all tracks are shown. If you
turn off Show Only Tagged Tracks, then all tracks are shown.
Show Only Tagged Tracks
Removing Tags
To remove a tag from a single track, edit the Tag property in Properties for that track. Remove
a tag from all tracks by right-clicking the tag in the tag field of the Tracks tab and selecting
Remove Tag. A dialog box will appear to confirm the deletion. Click OK and the tag will be
removed from all tracks.
Search Tab
The Search tab allows searching by keyword and filtering by tags for loops, presets, and plugins. This
unified search also gives you all the same preview functions offered in the Presets tab for auditioning
loops.
Searching
To search for a file, simply start typing into the Search box. The results will immediately
appear in the results list. Searching and the results list include the Name, Tags, Category, and
Manufacturer organized into columns. You can sort by any column by clicking on its header.
You can rearrange the columns by dragging them. Search terms are not case sensitive.
Search Results List
Tip: If you can’t see all the search list columns, expand the width of the Browser by
dragging the right edge.
What to Search For?

You can further refine searches by selecting which type of things to include. Click the search
loop icon and select from Loops, Presets, and Plugins. Notice that the tag field will adjust to
include only the appropriate tags for the types of items enabled.
Browser, Search Tab Filters
Tag Field
To filter by tags, click any combination of tags. The logic for the selection is “and.” What I
mean is this. If you select both “Drums” and “Mallets” tags, the results list will only show
items tagged with both Drums and Mallets.
Browser Search Tab, Tag Field
Setting Tags
You can set or change the tags for one or more items in the results list with a right-click. The
exact process is a bit different between loops, presets, and plugins. For Plugins and Presets,
you right-click and select Set Tags A single line field opens for editing where you and type in
or edit the tags. Separate the tags with commas.
Browser, Search Results List Right-click Set Tags
For loops, the same right-click and Set Tags opens the larger Tag dialog box. From there you can see
available tags, type in new ones, or edit the existing ones.
Edit Preset Name

Right-click to open the Preset Details dialog box which presents Name, Description, and Tags
fields that you can edit and save.
Audition
Select a loop in your search results and press the Play/Stop button along with the Audition
level to preview it. By default, loops play immediately when you select them. You can turn
that off by deselecting Auto-Play. With Loop enabled, files play continuously until you press
stop or select a different one. The preview also features a nice waveform thumbnail to give
you a visual reference to the loop content.
Audition with Thumbnail Preview for Loops

Using Search Results

Anything you find and want to use, drag from the search results to the arrangement. Track
loops to tracks, drag plugins to the mixer or Audio clips. Drag instrument presets to the mixer.
Drag track presets to tracks.
Indexing Your Loop Library

If you want Waveform to be able to search for loops, you need to index your loop library.
Do that from Settings > Loop Database > Scan for Loops. You will see options on that page to
enter paths to your loops.
Note: If you don’t want to use Waveform to search your loop library, then you don’t need
to have it scan and index your files. You can simply create bookmarks to your loop library
folders on the Files tab.
Markers Tab
Use the Markers tab to add Bars & Beats or Timecode markers to the Marker track. You can also use
it navigate to any marker by double-clicking on the marker name. You can also quickly delete the
selected marker or change its name in Properties.
Browser, Markers Tab
We have complete coverage of Markers and the Markers tab in Chapter 10 - Using Markers.
Clipboard Tab
The Clipboard tab shows the most recent item copied or cut. Copies at typically done using Cmd +
C / Ctrl + C while cuts are done using Cmd + X / Ctrl + X. There are also on screen buttons for copy
and cut depending on the object and context.
To use the last item copied or cut you typically use Cmd + V / Ctrl + V. Alternatively you can go to
the clipboard tab and drag items onto the arrangement. It is particularly useful when you want to
copy elements from other projects on the Projects tab, then drag or paste them into a different Edit.
You can also copy and paste between Edits.
Browser, Clipboard tab
Here are few things to know about the clipboard:
Adding Items to the Clipboard

The best way is to use the keyboard shortcut to copy a selection of clips (Cmd + C / Ctrl + C).
The shortcut for “cut” will also work (Cmd + X / Ctrl + X). These commands are also usually
available from right-click menus.
Dragging Clipboard Items to the Arrangement

When you drag items from the clip board you get all or nothing. However before dragging,
you can remove the items you don’t want by right-clicking and selecting Remove item from
clipboard.
Removing an Item from the Clipboard

Clearing the Clipboard

To remove all items from the clipboard. Right-click any item and select Clear clipboard.
Multiple Browser Panes

With Waveform you can easily set multiple views into the Browser at the same time. To add a
Browser pane, click the tiny + icon at the top right.
Click the Plus to Add a Browser Pane
When you have multiple panes, each pane has a drop-down menu at the top to choose the Browser
view: Files, Tracks, Search, Notification, Markers, or Clipboard.
Choosing the View
You can open as many Browser panes as you want. You may want to have one pane showing your
Files and another set to Search by plugins.
Browser Setup With Two Panes
The above image above shows the Browser at the top.

To close a Browser pane, click the small X in the upper right.
Click X to Close a Browser Pane
Synchronized Previews
If you have multiple Browser views open and focused on loop files, you can audition the loops
against your song synced to the Edit tempo.
Multiple Browser Preview
Since Waveform allows multiple Browser panes, you can start previews for several loops at the same
time. The Browser preview options have been updated with this in mind. Click the preview options
button to open the selections.
Browser Preview Options
Play All
This is a new option to start the preview of all selected loops across all open Browser panes.
Stop All
This stops all preview playback in all Browser panes.
Re-trigger on play
Whenever you start playing back a new loop, all Browser panes that have loops playing will
re-start from the beginning. You will want to enable Re-trigger on play for each open Browser
pane for synced auditioning.
Auto-play
With Auto-Play enabled, each time you click a loop or select a new loop in a Browser, preview
playback will start.
Loop
With Loop on, preview playback will keep repeating until you stop it. With Loop disable, the
preview plays a single time then stops.
Tip: Enabling Re-trigger on play is essential to have multiple Browser panes preview in-
sync.
When you find a set of loops that work well together using multiple Browser panes, you probably
want to drag them to your Edit. You can do this in a single operation by dragging one loop while
holding Shift. The Shift modifier causes all the loops to be included in the drag. Next, drop the all the
loops and you are presented with a list of options. Select how you would like the clips to be added
to the Edit.
Multiple Clip Shift-drag Options
Video Clip: This video tutorial23 demonstrates this feature but was created before the
Options menu was implemented.
Moving On
Reading about all the features of the Browser should give you more insight into the capabilities of
Waveform. It will make even more sense after you get familiar with the core workflows of recording,
editing, and mixing.
23
https://youtu.be/KEVGBgm9U28
Chapter 10 - Using Markers
In this chapter, You will learn about using markers in Waveform. There are four different kinds of
markers:
In-marker and Out-marker

Together these define the “marked region”, that is the region for looped playback and loop
recording. Many editing functions rely on the position of the In-marker and Out-marker.
In-marker and Out-marker
Bars & Beats markers (B&B Markers)

Bars & Beats markers can be used to identify song sections, give you a visual guide to the
song, and provide quick navigation to different parts of your song. They are arranged as clips
on the Marker track. Bars & Beats markers appear with a musical note icon on the Marker
track. They also appear as narrow pointers on the Timeline when the Marker track is closed.
Bars & Beats Markers on the Marker Track
Bars & Beats Markers on the Timeline (with Marker track closed)
Timecode Markers (TC Markers)

Timecode markers mark a specific time offset into the Edit, and are not dependent on tempo
changes. They can can aid with navigation, especially when working with video. TC markers
appear as clips with a clock icon on the Marker track. They appear as rounded pointers on the
Timeline if the Marker track is closed.
Chapter 10 - Using Markers 92
Timecode Marker on the Marker Track
Timecode Marker on the Timeline (with Marker track closed)
Note: In Waveform, the term ‘marked region’ means the range of an edit that occurs
between the In-marker and the Out-marker.
Wave File Markers

You can add yellow arrows directly to Wave files that then appear on Audio clips. These are
the least useful type of markers. More about them near the end of this chapter.
Wave File Markers

Position the In-marker and Out-marker by dragging the I and O flags along the Timeline. The In-
marker and Out-marker together define the range over which playback will loop when the Loop
button in engaged in the Master section. They also define what is called the “marked region” used
for numerous editing actions.
The In-marker & Out-marker
• Pressing I places the In-marker at the cursor position

• Pressing O places the Out-marker at the cursor position
Tip: To set the marked region over a selection of clips press A. This also works for Marker
clips making it a great way to set the In-marker and Out-marker over a song section.
Drag to Set In-Marker & Out-marker

A really useful trick is to drag across right to left across the body of any track, even blank tracks while
holding they keyboard modifiers Cmd + Opt / Ctrl + Alt. The drag action sets both the In-marker
and Out-marker.
Timeline Drag to Set In-marker & Out-marker

With Waveform, the loop range is defined by the In-marker and Out-marker. Users of other DAWs
are used to dragging along the timeline to draw in the loop range. You can do this in Waveform if
you know trick.
Double-click Drag to Set In/Out Markers
Double-click on the Timeline and start dragging right. The double-click positions the In-marker at
the starting point. As you drag right, the Out-marker drags along and is set when you lift the mouse
button.
Video Clip: Here is a video tutorial24 demonstrating how to drag to set the In-marker and
Out-marker.
Navigate Using the In-marker & Out-marker

You can quickly navigate to the In-marker or Out-marker using the square bracket keys. Press [ to
locate the cursor to the In-marker; Press ] to locate the cursor to the Out-marker.
24
https://youtu.be/zaPg04Iype4
Zooming to the In-marker/Out-marker

When you have a marked region set between the In-marker and Out-marker you can quickly zoom
in to that region. To do that, right-click the Timeline and select Zoom to show the marked region or
simply to press F7.
Right-click the Timeline, Zoom to In-marker/Out-marker
Looping Playback Over the Marked Region

To continuously repeat playback over a section of your tune, set the In-marker and Out-marker
to define the loop range. Turn on looped playback by engaging the Loop button (L). Playback will
repeat that section over and over until you stop playback.
Enabling Loop Playback
Note: When Loop is enabled, playback will only play within the marked region. If the
cursor is located earlier than the In-marker or after the Out-marker when you press Play,
it will jump to the In-marker and play from there.
Auto Punch and the Marked Region

To use Auto Punch, first set the In-marker and Out-marker over the range where you want to punch
in. Enable the Punch button (P) in the Master section. Make sure Loop is turned off. Now enable
a track for recording, position the cursor before the In-marker and press Record on the Transport.
Even though the track is armed for recording, no recording will happen until the cursor gets to the
In-marker.
Enabling Auto Punch Recording
Tip: Auto punch recording means that recording is only allowed between the In-marker
and Out-marker. Also, punch recording only works when Loop is off.
The Marker Track
Marker Track
Let’s take a closer look at the Marker track. You can open and close the Marker track with the Marker
track show/hide button.
Marker Track Show/Hide Button
The Marker track can contain either Bars & Beats markers or Timecode markers. If you don’t like
to see the types mixed together on the same track, there is an additional split mode that shows each
type on separate lanes.
Marker Track Split Mode
To access that mode, select the Marker track by clicking the header. Then in Properties, de-select
Use a single track for all types of marker. In this mode, the Marker track has two lanes. The top lane
shows Timecode Markers and the bottom lane shows Bars & Beats Markers.
Marker Track Properties Setup for Split Mode

Note: F10 is assigned to action Toggle the marker view mode. Pressing F10 cycles through
the three marker track states - hidden, normal, and split mode.
Tip: You can click on any blank space in the Marker track to instantly position the cursor.
Adding Markers
Here are the various ways to add markers to the Marker track:
Drag the Clip Object

Drag the Clip object to the Marker track and choose which type of Marker to create. This
creates a Marker clip you can drag and resize. It has left and right trim handles to adjust the
length. You can also drag a marker by its header and move it around. If the Marker track is
in split mode, the type of Marker (B&B or TC) is determined by which lane you drop the Clip
object on.
Adding a Marker by Dragging the Clip Object
Press Return
The Return key (Enter on PCs) has several functions related to Marker navigation during
playback. At the most basic level, pressing Return adds a new Marker at the cursor position.
The type of Marker clip matches the most recently added Marker. If a Marker clip is selected,
it adds one of that type. Markers added with Return, use the next available sequential Marker
number.
Right-click the Marker Track Header
Right-click the Marker track header and choose which type of marker to add at the cursor
position.
Add a Marker from the Marker Track Right-click Menu

Marker Track Properties Buttons

Click the Marker track header to select it, then look in Properties. There you will find the
buttons New Bars & Beats Marker and New Absolute TC Marker.
Add a Marker from Marker Track Properties
Browser Markers Tab Add Button

You can add either kind of Marker Clip using the selections on the Browser, Markers tab.
Add a Marker from the Browser, Markers Tab
Marker Clip Properties
Marker Clip Properties
Marker clips behave like other clips in several ways. You can adjust the length using the trim handles,
you can split them, drag them, duplicate them, or nudge them. They also contain several properties,
described below:
Number
Marker numbers are issued sequentially as you add Marker clips. You can edit the Number
property if you want. If you change Number to one that is already in use, then the other clip
using that number will be assigned the next available number. Marker numbers can be used
for quick navigation during playback.
Tip: If you feel compelled to renumber all your Markers to get them into a nice sequential
order, you might want to skip some numbers, in order to make it easier to insert new
Markers. For example, if you have a lot of markers in the song, you could re-number them
by 5s.
Type
Type allows you choose which type of Marker clip you want: Bars & Beats or Absolute. Bars
& Beats markers adjust to the tempo changes in the song. Timecode markers are fixed to a
specific time offset into the Edit and are not affected by tempo changes.
Note: Timecode markers are also called “absolute markers”, “TC markers”, or “absolute
timecode markers” within Waveform. All those terms refer to the same thing. For this
book, I usually call them Timecode markers.
Name
The Name property sets the name shown on the Marker clip. By default it will be “New
Marker.” Most users rename it based on song section. For example: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge,
or Outro.
Start
The Start property shows the bar, beat and tick start time for B&B markers. For Timecode
markers it shows Hours/Minutes/Seconds/Milliseconds. For either type, you can edit Start
directly to move the marker to a different location.
Length
Similarly, Length shows B&B marker length in Bars/Beats/Ticks format. For Timecode
markers, it shows length as Hours/Minutes/Seconds/Milliseconds. Edit the Length property
and the Marker clip length will change to match.
End End values are in the same format as the Start property. Edit it to change the ending time.
When you change the End value, Length gets adjusted to match. Start always remains the
same. If you edit End to fall before Start, it will be set to match the Start time. In that case,
Length gets set to zero.
Colour
Choose from one of the nice colors. This sets all selected Marker clips to the color you choose.
Tip: You can change a Marker clip from Bars & Beats to Timecode using nudge. Press F10
until the Marker track split mode is showing. Select the marker clip to convert and press
Shift-up or Shift-down to nudge the clip to the other lane.
Navigating by Markers
Once you have Markers set up, you can quickly navigate using the Marker number and the Return
key. Just type in a Marker number like ‘5’ or ‘11’ and hit Return (‘Enter’ on PCs). As you type the
number you will see it appear in green in the upper right of the Waveform window. When you see
the number, you have about two seconds hit Return before the number disappears.
Marker Number As It Appears Momentarily
If you enter a number that doesn’t have a matching Marker, then Waveform will insert a marker
with that number at the cursor. Also, if you just press Return, a Marker clip is inserted at the cursor
position.
Undo (Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z) removes a marker if you didn’t intend to insert it.
Tip: The Number + Return approach to navigation works during playback but also works
when Waveform is idle. If it doesn’t seem to be working when playback is idle, click the
header of the Marker track or select any Marker and try again.
The Browser Markers Tab

Use the Browser Markers tab to add Bars & Beats or Timecode markers to the Marker track. You can
also use it navigate to any marker by double-clicking on the marker name in the list. You can also
quickly delete the selected marker or change its name in Properties.
Browser, Markers Tab
Select Marker Clips

Single-click a marker in the list to select it.
Navigate to a Marker clip

Double-click on a marker in the list to jump to that position. This works during playback too.
Rename a Marker
Click a marker to select it. Then, edit the Name property in Properties.
Add a Marker
Click Add at the bottom of the Markers tab. Select from the two types: Absolute timecode
marker and Bars & Beats Marker.
Adding a Marker from the Markers Tab
Delete a Marker
Select a marker in the list and click Delete or just press Delete on your keyboard. Undo (Cmd
+ Z / Ctrl + Z) restores a deleted marker.
Change a Marker from One Type to the Other

Select the marker and edit the Type property in Properties. Or drag it from the TC Marker
track to the B & B Marker track or vice-versa.
Absolute Timecode Marker Track - Marker - TC
Renumbering Markers
It is sometimes too easy to get your marker numbers out of order, but there is an easy trick to
renumber them: Open the Markers tab in the Browser. Select all of the markers and edit the Number
property. For example if it shows “1” with all the markers selected change it to “2.” The markers
instantly renumber starting from “2.” If you really want them numbered starting from one, simply
do it again, changing the Number property back to one.
Adjust Markers (Wave File Markers)

There is another type of marker in Waveform, also called “markers.” They appear to mark spots in
a clip, but actually are stored in the underlying Wave files. You work with these markers from the
Adjust Markers actions in Audio clip properties. You also add and remove them by dragging the
marker object in Audio clip properties View Source Info.
Wave File Markers in View Source Info
Adjust Markers Options in Audio Clip Properties
<T>Tip: Don’t bother using this kind of marker. This a hold over from legacy versions of Tracktion
that required much more interaction with the undying files.
Moving On
Markers can be extremely useful in the context of recording and editing. Not only do they keep your
project organized, they also provide easy navigation into important locations within the Edit. Now
you are familiar with all of the various types of markers in Waveform.
Chapter 11 - Selecting and Snapping
In this chapter, we start working with clips. The examples focus on Audio Clips and MIDI Clips.
Keep in mind that most of these techniques also apply to Step clips, Edit clips, and Marker clips.
First, you’ll learn how to select clips and groups of clips. Then, you will learn about the snap-to-grid
functions. Snap-to-grid makes it easy to align clips to the bars and beats of your song. Let’s get
started with selecting clips.
Selecting a Clip
To select a clip, simply click on the clip. The clip is highlighted and its properties appear in Properties.
A Selected Clip
Auditioning a Clip
To audition a clip, double-click and you will hear it play back, starting at the spot where you have
double-clicked. Click within the clip to jump to a new spot as playback continues. Click anywhere
outside the clip and the auditioning will stop. Moving pointers above and below the clip indicate
the playback position.
Audio Clip Being Auditioned
Auditioning essentially solos the clip; everything else within the Edit is muted in this mode.
Chapter 11 - Selecting and Snapping 104
Selecting Multiple Clips

To select more than one clip, hold down Cmd / Ctrl then click on each clip that you want to add to
the selection.
Multiple Clips Selection
Once you have multiple clips selected, you can perform operations on them as a group, such
as moving them by dragging, duplicating, or deleting them. We’ll cover more about clip editing
operations in Chapter 12 - Basic Audio Editing. To clear a multiple selection, simply press the Esc
key.
Another way to make a multiple selection is to use the lasso tool. Here’s how that works:
Multiple Selection with Lasso
1. Hold down Opt / Alt until you see a plus cursor.

2. Now as you drag, the cursor draws a yellow box.
3. Anything the yellow box touches gets selected.
Tip: You can further customize a multiple selection by holding down Cmd / Ctrl then click
any clip you want to de-select.
Shift Selecting Clips

Waveform also supports Shift-select. This is a quick way to select a contiguous range of clips. Here’s
how:
1. Select the first clip.

2. Hold down Shift and select the last clip. This will select the first clip, the last clip, and all the
clips in between.
Shift-select works for clips on a single track, and even across multiple tracks.
Tip: Shift-select also works for many other kinds of Waveform objects including Browser
lists and tracks.
Deselecting Clips
You can always press Esc to deselect everything.
Tip: Pressing Esc also works to clear selections of other objects in Waveform like plugins
and tracks.
Using Snap-to-Grid
Snap-to-grid makes aligning clips and notes to musical time accurate and efficient. Working with
this powerful feature is crucial to using Waveform for editing audio and MIDI.
Enable/Disable Snap-to-Grid
To toggle snap-to-grid on or off, click on the Snap button (Q) in the Master section. When snap-to-
grid is enabled the Snap button appears highlighted.
Snap Button Enabled in the Master Section

Snap Enabled on the Compact Toolbar
Pressing Q also toggles Snap on and off. You can also control the snapping state from the menu
section - Snapping > Enable snapping.
Tip: Remember the keyboard shortcut Q is short for quantize. Snap-to-grid is a form of
quantizing. If you don’t like that shortcut, you can always remap it to another key.
About Snap Resolution

The snap resolution is dependent on the zoom level. If you’re zoomed way out, the snap resolution
might be one bar. The more you zoom in, the snap resolution gets finer and finer.
Hover Over Timeline to See Snap Resolution
Tip: You can always see what your current snap resolution is by hovering the mouse pointer
over the Timeline. A tooltip appears showing Snap resolution: Bar, Snap resolution: Beat ,
or Snap resolution: Half beat for example.
Snapping Clips to the Grid

As you drag a clip, it snaps to the grid increments. If you want to see exactly where it’s snapping,
look at the Start parameter in Properties. Snap-to-grid makes it easy to align a clip to a bar or beat
of the music.
Clip Properties Start
Note: Snap-to-grid is an alignment of the beginning of a clip to a grid line. Notice that
snapping also applies to editing functions like trimming.
Snapping the Cursor to the Grid

Snapping may affect how the cursor is positioned depending on another setting. Turn on Snapping
> Snap cursor movement and the cursor position will snap to the grid. Remember that the snap
resolution is determined by the zoom level.
caption
To test this, zoom out so that the snap resolution is “Beat.” Now move the cursor around and it will
obviously snap to the nearest beat.
Tip: To get clear indication of exactly where the cursor is, look at the time display in the
Master section.
Snapping Clips to Other Clips

Another snap behavior is to Snap clips to neighbors. With Snap clips to neighbors off, clips snap to
the grid normally. However, with Snapping > Snap clips to neighbors turned on, clips snap to other
clips. It seems as if they are magnetically attracted to each other. This is useful for any editing where
you want to arrange clips end-to-end, for example when editing voiceover tracks.
Snap Clips to Neighbours Option
Tip: A problem with Snap clips to neighbors is that you need to have snapping enabled for
it work. To snap clips to other clips with with snap-to-grid disabled, just hold down Opt /
Alt as you drag. This is really the best way to arrange clips end to end!
Overriding Snap-to-Grid
Temporarily override snap-to-grid by holding down Cmd / Ctrl. Using this modifier, you can freely
position clips without first turning off Snap.
Nudging Clips
To move clips using the keyboard, select a clip then press Shift + Right Arrow or Shift + Left Arrow.
The nudge action moves the clip by one grid increment. You can also move clips track to track using
nudge. To nudge clips track to track, use Shift + Up Arrow and Shift + Down Arrow.
You can use nudging when moving large selections of clips over, to add a song section or make room
for an intro.
Note: Nudging works the same whether snapping is on or off. The nudge move is by one
grid increment.
Nudging Notes
Snapping is useful when working with Audio clips, but equally so when working with MIDI notes.
We cover MIDI editing in Chapter 25 However, here is a preview while we are on the topic of
nudging.
The Waveform MIDI Editor
Double-click on the header of a MIDI clip. It goes into the large view so you can see the in-line MIDI
editor. MIDI notes work much like clips, in that they respect the snap resolution. You can drag a note
to snap by the current grid increment: bar, for example. You can nudge notes forward or backward
in time by the grid increment as well. To do so, hold Shift while pressing the Left Arrow or Right
Arrow.
Tip: Remember the keyboard shortcut Q to toggle Snap on and off.
Moving On
Now that you’ve learned how to get around in Waveform, it’s time to start having fun manipulating
audio. We’ll jump into that in the next chapter.
Chapter 12 - Audio Clips and Editing
Audio
In this chapter, you are going to learn how to work with Audio clips. and how to work with the
integrated editing handles that are part of each Audio clip.
Parts of an Audio Clip

Notice that an Audio clip has several parts. It has a header that includes trim and slip handles. It has
a body that contains the waveform thumbnail and fade handles.
Main Parts of and Audio Clip
Header
Move Audio clips by dragging from the header. The header includes the trim handles (hollow),
slip handles (solid), and other tools.
Chapter 12 - Audio Clips and Editing Audio 111
Audio Clip Header
Body
The Audio clip body features the waveform thumbnail, fade handles, and the clip name.
Audio Clip Body
Plugins
Audio clips can host plugins directly, so you might see one or more plugins right on the clip
body. Learn more about that in Chapter 32 - Clip Effects.
Audio Clip Effects

Properties
Like most other objects in Waveform, Audio clips have lots of additional properties and
controls in Properties.
Audio Clip Properties
Note: If you accidentally move or edit an Audio clip, you can always press Undo (Cmd +
Z / Ctrl + Z) at the top of the Menu section to get right back where it was.
Moving Clips
As you move the mouse pointer over the Audio clip header, it changes to a grabbing hand. Use that
to drag the clip forward or backward in time. If Snap is on, the beginning of the clip will snap by
grid increments.
Move Audio Clips by Dragging from the Header
Note: As we discussed previously, the grid resolution depends on the zoom level.
You can also drag Audio clips from track to track. With snap enabled, track-to-track drags will
usually stay in sync. However, with snap turned off, it is easy move the clip slightly off time. To
prevent that, hold down Shift as you drag track to track. The Shift key, constrains the timing of
track to track drag moves.
Tip: Another way to move a clip track-to-track without changing the timing is to use nudge.
Select the clip the hold down Shift and press Up Arrow or Down Arrow to nudge it to an
adjacent track.
Deleting Clips
The easiest way to delete a clip is to selected it and press Delete or Backspace. The cut (Cmd + X
/ Ctrl + X) keyboard action does the same thing. If you need yet another way to delete, locate and
click the convenient Delete button in Properties.
Audio Clip Properties Delete button
Tip: As you work with clips sometimes you just want clear the selection. The fastest way
is to just hit Esc.
Audio Clip Handles

Each Audio clip header includes six handles that you use for trimming, slipping, stretching. These
are represented as four arrows and two boxes.
Trimming
Hollow left and right arrows on both of the upper corners of the clip are trim handles. Grab
a trim handle and drag left or right to trim the start or end of the the clip. Notice that
trimming this way directly changes the Start and End values in Properties. With Snap turned
on, trimming snaps to the grid. To trim freely, hold down Cmd / Ctrl as you drag or turn Snap
off.
Audio Clip Trim Handles
Slip Editing
Slip editing means moving the waveform within the clip without altering its Start, Length,
or End values. Drag the solid box shaped handle left or right to slip edit. You can override
snap-to-grid during slip editing by holding down Cmd / Ctrl.
Audio Clip Slip Handle
Reframing
The hollow box shaped handle allows reframing the clip. Drag it left or right and the clip
moves but the waveform doesn’t. It essentially allows you to reframe the audio without
affecting its timing.
Slip Trimming
The solid left and right arrow handles are for slip trimming. Try dragging the left solid arrow.
Notice that it moves the clip Start while keeping the End planted. Now try the right solid
arrow. Moving that one, moves the End while keeping the the Start planted. Although this
operation seems similar to trimming, the difference is that the underlying waveform slips
relative to the end that is not moving.
Tip: With Snap on, hold down Cmd / Ctrl as you drag to temporarily override snapping
for most editing operations.
Video Clip: Basic Audio Editing25
Splitting a Clip
Splitting Audio clips, is essential for audio editing. Here is the quickest way:
1. Select the clip

2. Position the cursor where you want to make the split
3. Press slash (/)
Audio Clip, Right after Split
Tip: If you want to make numerous splits, you can keep holding down the left mouse button
as you drag the cursor and press slash (/) - never lifting the mouse button.
Audio clip Properties also has Split Clips actions. Look to the far right of Properties and find the Split
Clips button. You will find options to split at the cursor along with options to split at the In-marker
or Out-marker. Keep in mind that these actions will only affect selected clips.
Audio Clip Properties, Split Clips Actions
Duplicating Clips
To duplicate one or more clips, select the clip and press D. That will copy the clip and paste it right
after the original clip. Duplicate works like copy and paste, all in one action.
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Tip: If you want to use a different key for the duplicate action, you can change it in Settings
tab > Keyboard Shortcuts > Editing Functions: Duplicate.
Fade-in/Fade-out
In the upper corners of the Audio clip body, notice the fade handles. Each is shaped like a tiny box
with a diagonally line through it. Grab a fade handle and pull it inward. This action draws a fade-in
or fade-out.
Audio Clip Fades
Video Clip: Fade-in/Fade-out Demo26
By default, you will get a linear fade, but there are other fade types available in Properties for the
clip. For more control, directly edit the Fade In and Fade Out numerical values in Properties.
Audio Clip, Fade Properties

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Pitch Fade
Right click on the fade handle, and you can select between a volume fade and pitch fade. Pitch fade
gives you a very cool tape stop effect or tape run-up effect. The fade graphic is shaded darker than
for volume fades.
Right-click Fade Handle, Pitch Fade Speed Up
Here is a video tutorial demonstrating pitch fade:

Pitch Fade Video Tutorial27
Crossfades
A crossfade is fading out one Audio clip while fading in another. Some controls in Waveform are
labeled “X-Fade” when referring to crossfade. Here are the steps to create a crossfade:
1. Drag a clip so that it it overlaps another one somewhat.

2. Press X on the keyboard.
Crossfaded Audio Clips
That’s it: a crossfade. It’s a fade-out that overlaps the fade-in of the next clip. You can adjust the
fade shapes using the buttons in Properties, just like any other fade.
Fade-in/Fade-out Shape Buttons
Note: Keep in mind that the fade shape buttons only operate on the selected clip. You will
need to select the clip on the appropriate side of the crossfade for the fade shape buttons
to work.
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Drag Crossfade
The Settings tab, General Behaviour page has a setting labeled Default Drag X-Fade. It has two
possible settings: On by default or Off by default. When set to On by Default, the simple act of
dragging a clip so that it overlaps another clip will create a crossfade. Other DAWs call this “auto-
crossfade.”
Settings Tab, General page, Drag Crossfade Default
Note: In Waveform, Drag-X Fade is actually a property of each Audio clip. When you
change Default Drag X-Fade it will only take effect for new clips you create or add to the
Edit.
Edge Fades
When editing, sometimes you need to apply short fades to both edges of an Audio Clip to avoid
popping. This is especially true if you split a clip in the middle of a note. The solution is add as short
fade-in and fade-out to the clip. Waveform calls those “edge fades.”
Apply Edge Fade
The good news is that you can instantly add edge fades by clicking Apply Edge Fade in Properties.
This applies 7 ms fades to the start and end of all selected clips.
Copy and Paste

Typical cut, copy, and paste commands also work with with Audio clips:
• Cut (Cmd + X / Ctrl + X)

• Copy (Cmd + C / Ctrl + C)
• Paste (Cmd + V / Ctrl + V)
Clip Gain, Mute, & Pan

Adjusting the gain of an Audio clip is great tool for mixing. Simply split out one phrase, or even
one note and tweak the gain level. Waveform has not only clip gain but also clip mute and pan - all
available in Properties. When working with stereo Audio clips, Pan works as a balance control.
Audio Clip Gain, Mute, Pan, & Active Channels
Gain
Drag the slider left or right to adjust the Gain value. Alternatively, click the slider and type
in a value directly. The gain change is reflected right away in the height of the waveform
thumbnail on the clip.
Mute
Click the Mute icon to silence the clip. The waveform thumbnail will dim to gray.
Pan (Mono Clips)

Drag the Pan slider left or right to adjust the stereo placement of the clip. You can also click
and type in values directly. Full left is -1.00, centered is 0, and full right is 1.00.
Pan (Stereo Clips)

With stereo Audio clips, Pan acts as a balance control. What that means is that as you slide it
more right the left side gets quieter. Slide it left and the right side gets quieter. At the extreme
left and right positions the opposite side is silent. The really cool thing about this is that the
waveform thumbnail updates dynamically show to show the effect.
Active Channels (Stereo Clips)

For stereo clips you can turn off either the left or right channels using the Active Channels
buttons in Properties. When you click Left, for example, it toggles the left side off. But it’s not
just muting the left side, it switches the clip to a mono version of the right side material. The
great thing is that the waveform thumbnail updates to show this instantly.
Reversing Audio Clips

Another cool thing you can do is reverse a clip so the audio plays backwards. Simply click the
Reverse button in Properties. The waveform thumbnail reverses and the sound will be backwards
on playback.
Reversing an Audio Clip
Deselect Reverse to return the clip to normal playback.
Merging Clips to One Clip

Following editing, you may want to combine several clips back into to a single clip. To do so, select
all the clips using shift select or a lasso selection - that means dragging while holding Opt / Alt.
Then choose Render Clips > Merge the selected clips in Properties.
Render Clips > Merge the selected clips
In a few moments, Waveform combines the clips into a single contiguous clip. There are many other
ways to merge, render, and export that we will explain later.
Merge Clips, Before and After
Here is video demo of merging clips:

Merge Selected Clips Video Demo28
Group Clips
With Group clips, you can combine clips on a track into a single grouped clip without rendering.
The advantage of this is that you can ungroup at anytime for access to the individual clips.
To create a Group clip, select the clips you want to group on a track. It doesn’t have to be a contiguous
selection, but the clips do need to reside on the same track.
Select the Clips to Group
Next, click Create Group Clip in Properties.

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Click Create Group Clip in Properties
Notice that the resulting clip has a “Group” label and icon on the lower left which indicates the
number of clips it contains. It also has a simplified header.
A Group Clip
To ungroup the clip back to the original state, select it and click Ungroup in Properties.
Click Ungroup in Properties
If you like, you can create a macro and assign Group Clips and Ungroup to keyboard shortcuts. In
the Script Editor, locate the actions under Basic Actions > Editing > Group selected clips and Basic
Actions > Editing > Ungroup selected clips.
Here is the code:
1 // Group Clips Macro

2 Tracktion.groupSelectedClips();
1 // Ungroup Clips Macro

2 Tracktion.ungroupSelectedClips();
Group Clips can be useful when working with beats created from sliced up audio. You can treat the
Group Clip as a single single clip making move and duplicate operations straightforward. At any
point you can ungroup it to modify the various parts.
Linked Clips
You can also easily create linked copies of clips that reference the same underlying audio file or
MIDI data. Changes to the original clip then are reflected to any of the linked copies. This works for
Audio clips, MIDI clips and Step clips.
To create a linked clip, drag the Linked Clip handle from the clip header. As you drag, you are
dragging a copy referenced back to the source clip.
Linked Clip Handle
In the following image, we have dragged over a linked copy of an Audio clip. Notice that the lower
left of each clip shows a “link” icon indicating that this is a linked clip.
Linked Audio Clips
To test the link, we have reversed the audio on the first clip. Since this changes the underlying file,
the second clip is also reversed.
Reversed Linked Audio Clips
Non-destructive edits like splits and fades don’t affect the linked copy. However, anything that affects
the underlying file will. For other examples of this type of edit, select an Audio clip then in Properties
open View Source Info > Edit Audio File > Basic Editing Operations.
Basic Audio Editing Operations
From this dialog you can perform several kinds of edits to the underlying file. These operations will
affect all linked copies as well as the original.
Linked clips might be even more useful for MIDI clips. Any changes made to one of the linked clips
are reflected to all the copies. This can be useful when creating a beat that is used many places in a
song. If you update one linked copy, images/94/39.pngthey all get revised.
Linked MIDI Clips on Separate Tracks
While you could so something similar with looped clips, looped clips are a series of continuous
repeats on a single track. Linked clips appear as separate clips and can even be placed on separate
tracks.
Linked Step Clips Green Handle
Step clips can also be copied using the Linked Clips handle.
Tip: It’s a bit more difficult to identify linked Step Clips because they don’t have clip names
along with the link icon. You can identify linked Step Clips because the Linked Clip handle
in the header turns green whenever there are linked copies present. This holds true for
linked Audio clips and MIDI clips as well.
Deleting a Section of Audio Removing Space

You can easily delete a section of audio from one or more clips and remove the space between clips.
While it’s not entirely obvious how to do this, it is easy if you follow these steps:
1. Set the in-marker and out-marker over the section you want to delete.
2. Select all the clips on all tracks (Cmd + A / Ctrl + A)
3. In Properties, choose Delete > Delete marked region of selected clips, and move up any selected
clips (Cmd + J / Ctrl + J).
Delete a Section Removing the Space

Edit with Melodyne

Waveform integrates the incredible Celemony Melodyne ARA technology, for pitch and time
manipulation. A Melodyne Essential license is included and you will have received information
on how to install it, along with your Waveform order.
Here is how to invoke Melodyne on an Audio clip:
1. Select an Audio clip.
Change Stretch Property to Melodyne
1. In Properties change the Stretch property to Melodyne. The word Melodyne appears at the
center of the clip.
Audio Clip with Melodyne Invoked
1. Click the word “Melodyne” at the center of the clip to open the Melodyne UI.
The Melodyne UI
1. Edit pitch and time by manipulating the note “blobs” in the Melodyne UI. Note that the
transport and loop is synchronized between Waveform and Melodyne as you edit.
Tip: To learn all about Melodyne click Help > Manual within the Melodyne UI. Skip the
section on Loading, Transferring and Saving, as those operations are handled automatically
by ARA.
Here is how to remove Melodyne from a clip:

1. Select an Audio clip that is using Melodyne.

2. In Properties change the Stretch property to No Time-Stretching or Elastic Pro. Melodyne is
removed from the clip.
Video Clip: Here is a video clip that explains how to invoke Melodyne in Waveform29 .
Moving On
Those are the simple but powerful tools in for editing Audio clips in Waveform. But, these are the
fundamentals. Let’s move on to looping Audio clips in the next chapter.
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Chapter 13 - Working With Loops
In this chapter we introduce the looping capabilities of Waveform. You can drag in files from your
loop library as Audio clips, repeat them with the Duplicate (D) action, or switch any Audio clip
into looping mode and roll out repetitions over as many bars as you want. This makes it easy, for
example, to extend a short loop into a beat to play over the full length of a song. Loops have a special
tab in Properties. which we will explore in this chapter as well.
Getting Loops Into Waveform

There are four ways to copy loops into an Edit.
1. Use the Browser Files tab and navigate to wherever you have audio files and loops on your
system. Drag loops you find there to tracks in the Edit. As you drag in loops they appear as
an outline until you drop them.
2. Use the Browser Search tab and search for loops and then drag them into your Edit. The
Browser also gives you the ability to preview loops to help you select the right one for the
song.
3. Simply drag them from you computer desktop drop them onto tracks .
4. From the menu section, select Import > Import an audio or MIDI file. Navigate to a file on
your system and click open. The Select a file to import dialog box even includes a basic file
audition function with Auto-play.
Setting the Edit Tempo

If you know the tempo of the loop, you might want to set the tempo of your Edit to that tempo
before dragging the loop in. That will give you the most natural results.
Changing the Tempo
Here is how to change the tempo:

Chapter 13 - Working With Loops 130
1. Click on the BPM setting in the Master section. Properties will show the BPM value.
2. Click on the BPM value and type in the new tempo.
Dragging Loops to a Track

As you drag a file to to a track, you’ll see an outline of the Audio clip before you drop it. Position the
beginning of the clip right where you want it on the track, then just drop it. If it’s not in the right
place, grab the Audio clip from the header and drag it into place.
After dropping a loop, notice that the cursor jumps to the end of the loop. This is to position the
cursor to drop in the next one, as you build up a track.
Tip: If you don’t like having the cursor jump to the end when dropping in loops, hold down
Opt / Alt as you drag. This prevents the cursor from jumping to the end.
If Snap is on, loops you drag in will snap to the grid.
Dragging in Multiple Clips from the Browser

To drag in several clips at once, make a multiple selection in the Browser and drag the selected loops
to a track. They will be arranged on the track end-to-end.
Tip: To drop a selection of clips to parallel tracks, hold down Cmd / Ctrl as you drag and
Waveform asks if you want to put them on one track or separate tracks. This is great when
working with multitrack drum loops. It even creates additional tracks if there aren’t enough
available.
Dragging Loops to Separate Tracks
Looping the Loop

Audio clips have an L icon on the header. Click the L to toggle looping mode for that clip. Once the
clip is in looping mode it will immediately appear to be twice as long. Enabling looping gives you
one repeat right away.
Audio Clip Loop Mode
To repeat the clip, drag the right trim handle and roll out as many repeats as you want. You will see a
white repeat divider at the start of each repetition. The underlying audio wave file is not duplicated,
it is just being replayed over and over. All other editing operations work the same as any other loop.
To stop looping, click the L icon again to toggle looping off. That returns the clip to a single cycle.
There is another way to activate clip looping. Select the clip then click Loop this Clip in Properties.
From there you can select the number of times to loop. This is an alternative to dragging the right
trim handle to roll out repetitions.
Loop this Clip in Properties
The nice thing about looping is it doesn’t take up any additional space in the project. You can loop
just about any clip. You could take a four bar drum loop and separate out one or two bars of the
main groove then loop it. That can give you the starting point for a song. Roll it out across the entire
song, and you’ve got something more inspiring than a simple click track to play against.
Duplicating Clips
Another way to repeat a clip is to duplicate it. To do so, select a clip and press D. Duplicate is the
equivalent of copy followed by paste. The duplicate clip is placed immediately after the selected clip.
Duplicating a Clip
This is the best approach if you plan to edit the audio in a unique way for that section of the song.
Loop Properties
Notice that Properties has a second tab labeled Loop Properties. This tab appears whenever you select
an Audio clip. These properties are related to the underlying wave file. Tweaks to these properties
affect how the Audio clip will respond to tempo, pitch, and time stretching. Here is a description of
the most essential properties on the Loop Properties tab:
Loop Properties Tab in Properties
Auto-Pitch
With Auto-Pitch enabled, Waveform will change the pitch of the clip appropriately to match
key change events in the Tempo track. This only works if you have a Root Note set for the file;
more on that in a moment.
Auto-Tempo
With Auto-Tempo ticked, the Audio clip will be automatically stretched to match the song
tempo and tempo changes in the Tempo track. For Auto-Tempo to work, you need to make
sure you have the Root Tempo set for the file and Stretch set to an appropriate algorithm.
Warp Time
With Warp Time enabled the waveform view to the right becomes a Warp Time editor. You
can add warp points and do fine timing adjustments. This powerful feature is covered in detail
in Chapter 18 - Warp Time.
Time Signature
Edit Time Signature values to set the time signature of the file.
Root Tempo
Root Tempo is the original tempo of the loop file. Waveform uses this when stretching the file
to sync it to the Edit tempo. If Root Tempo is not recorded along with the loop file, you can set
it here. Files created within Waveform will automatically have the Root Tempo set to match
the Edit tempo.
Beats
The Beats parameter is the number of beats in the file. Using Beats and Root Tempo Waveform
calculates the length of the loop file in musical terms.
Pitch Offset
If you just want to pitch the file up or down, enter an offset value for Pitch Offset.
Stretch
Stretch sets time stretching algorithm used for this loop file. Usually you will want to use
Elastique (Monophonic) for lead vocals and solo instruments. Use Elastique Pro for everything
else. Melodyne is typically selected and used for pitch correction using it’s own window.
Waveform View
The waveform view allow you to play the file. You can also adjust the in and out loop points
by dragging the purple lines inward. There is a convenient level control here as well. This
view is replaced by the zoomable Warp Time editor when Warp Time is enabled.
Loop Start/End
This button contains a few quick tools to set the start and end loop points of the underlying
wave files to match the current Audio clip start and end points.
Beat Points
Beat Points are a type of marker that shows where the transients are to assist with time
stretching. This concept is very similar to how acidized files work. With the latest Elastique
Pro stretching algorithms manually manipulating the beat points is not necessary.
Add to Library
If you create an Audio clip loop and might want to reuse it in other projects, click Add to
Library then give it a name and tags.
Note: When you use Add to Library, the loop file will be saved to the User Loops Path
folder as designated on the Loop Database page of the Settings tab.
Tip: If you want more control when adding loops to your library, try Export > Render
to a File. If you choose, Only Render Selected Clips you get much more control over its
properties and where to put the resulting file.
Moving On
There’s a lot more you can do with clip looping, loop files, and loop libraries in Waveform, but those
are the fundamentals.
Chapter 14 - Keyboard Shortcuts
In this chapter you will learn how to customize the keyboard shortcuts in Waveform. In Chapter 1
we covered how to change to the default keyboard mapping for shortcuts. Use the default mapping
to match the shortcuts presented in this manual.
Keyboard Shortcuts Page

The Keyboard Shortcuts page on the Settings tab shows all of the key-mappings. You can easily
change those to your liking or match them to a DAW you are already comfortable with.
Keyboard Shortcuts Page on the Settings Tab
Waveform allows you to have more than one shortcut tied to a single action. This is really helpful
if you want to have a way to do something on your laptop, but then take advantage of the extended
keypad when you’re working on a desktop computer.
Setting a Keyboard Shortcut
Map Record to the Asterisk on the Keypad

Chapter 14 - Keyboard Shortcuts 136
Let’s take a look at an example. To start recording you click the Record button in the transport or
press keyboard shortcut R. When working on a computer that has a full size keyboard, you may
prefer to start recording by hitting the asterisk (*) key on the keypad. To do so:
Setting a Keyboard Shortcut
1. To the far right of each action there’s a plus icon. To create or add a keyboard shortcut to an
action, click the corresponding plus icon. The New Key-mapping dialogue box opens up.
2. Type the key or key combination that you want to trigger this action. The key or key
combination will be identified in the dialogue box and it will also show you if there’s a conflict
with an existing mapping. For our example, press asterisk and then click OK.
Now, both R and the keypad asterisk are assigned to the Record action. Back in the Edit test this by
turning Record on and off using either R or asterisk.
Note: Keyboard mappings are global. Any changes you make will be active for all your
Edits.
Changing a Keyboard Shortcut

To change an existing shortcut, click directly on the key-mapping at the far right of the action.
Choose between Change this key-mapping and Remove this key-mapping. If you choose the Remove
option, the key-mapping disappears. If you choose the Change option the New key-mapping dialog
appears and you can enter a new assignment.
Click to Change or Remove a Key-mapping
Saving Keyboard Shortcuts to a File

Once you have your keyboard shortcuts set up the way you want, you can save the entire key-
mapping to a file, a very good idea. If you run Waveform on a different computer, you can simply
import the file, and will then have all your familiar assignments ready to go.
Save Key-Mappings Button
To save your shortcuts setup, click Save Key-Mappings and Waveform presents a dialogue box
requesting a file name and path. You can store the key-mapping file anywhere you like. Waveform
key-mapping files have the .Tracktionkeys extension.
Save Key-Mappings Dialog Box
Tip: You could create a ‘settings’ folder under your main Waveform folder to hold such
files, naming the key-mapping files with a version number at the end. This gives you the
ability to easily roll back to a previous version if you ever change your mind about a new
keyboard layout.
Loading Keyboard Shortcuts from a File

If you’re working on a new installation or move to a new computer you can load your custom key-
mapping file. Go to the Keyboard Shortcuts page on the Settings tab and click Load Key-Mappings.
Find your exported key-mapping file then click Open. All your key-mappings are restored.
Load Key-Mappings Button
Printing a List of Keyboard Shortcuts

If you want to print a list of all your current keyboard shortcuts, click View as HTML at the bottom
of the Keyboard Shortcuts page. This loads a nicely formatted, searchable view of all the current
key-mappings into your browser. From there you can search it or print it using normal web browser
features.
View as HTML Button
HTML View of the Keyboard Shortcuts List
Moving On
At this point you should have a good handle on how to customize the keyboard shortcuts in
Waveform. Since T6, Waveform offers powerful macro scripting you can use to further customize
keyboard shortcuts. For more about that, see Chapter 37 - Macros.
Chapter 15 - Recording Audio
Now it’s time to learn how to record your own instrument or vocal tracks into Waveform. First, you
will learn how to configure track inputs for recording. Next, you will learn how to use Waveform’s
built-in metronome to provide a reference click, in order to to keep your recordings in time. Then
we walk through recording a take and exploring the record modes.
Configure the Input

We covered audio device setup back in Chapter 4 - Audio Device Setup. Refer back that chapter if
you have any questions about setting up your audio interface.
As a reminder, before recording with Waveform you need to use the Auto-Detect feature to establish
proper recording sync between playback tracks and newly recorded tracks. This essential step,
calibrates the timing offset so that system latency doesn’t throw off the timing of your overdubs.
Re-run Auto-Detect test anytime you change your interface hardware or buffer setting. The Auto-
Detect procedure is explained in detail in Chapter 4.
Warning: To configure Waveform for recording you must use the Auto-Detect feature
along with a hardware loopback. If you don’t then your overdubbed tracks will not be in
sync with existing tracks. While this is not difficult, it is essential to do this manual step
anytime you change the Audio Device Setup.
The Input Object

At the far left of every track, you will find the input section. Each track has an input object that
looks like a rectangular arrow pointing right.
Track Input Object
Tip: If you don’t see the input objects, click the Show/Hide Inputs (Shift + F12) button at
the top right corner of the Edit tab.
Chapter 15 - Recording Audio 140
Show/Hide Inputs Button
Click on an input object to see a menu of options. From the menu, select which hardware input
to use for recording to this track. You can set it to No input or select any input from your audio
interface. In this case it’s set to Input 1.
Input Menu
When you select an input, the input object shows the input name, a real-time input meter, and the
record arm “R” button. Also, a full set of input properties appears in Properties.
Input Controls & Properties
Customizing Input Names Globally

If you are happy with the default input names that’s great, however, you can customize them with
friendlier names using the Alias property.
To change your hardware input alias names globally, go the Settings tab, Audio Devices page. Select
an input in the Channels list and edit the Alias name in Properties.
Customizing Input Names for an Edit

There is another way to rename inputs, but only for the current Edit. In the Edit, select an input and
notice the Alias name in the Properties section. Change this to customize the input name for that
particular song. As an example, you could use this to indicate the microphone used in the session.
Customized Input Names Using the Alias Property

About MIDI Inputs

Notice that on the input menu, you can choose MIDI interface inputs. There’s really no difference
between an audio and a MIDI track. A track can contain Audio clips or MIDI clips. You just need to
set the input appropriately and insert the correct kind of plugins.
MIDI Devices on the Inputs Menu
In essence a track behaves like an audio track if you set an audio input; it works like a MIDI track if
you set a MIDI input and insert a virtual instrument plugin.
Setting Up Inputs for Multi-track Recording

It’s very convenient to assign all inputs to consecutive tracks using Assign all inputs to consecutive
tracks from the inputs menu. It does exactly what the name says, allowing you to quickly set up
for multi-track recording. This is great if you’re setting up to record a live performance through a
digital mixer with a lot of inputs.
Assign All Inputs from the Input Menu
Number of Inputs
This feature is something uniquely Waveform. You can set up more than one input on a single track,
up to four inputs assigned to a track.
Assign up to Four Inputs to One Track!
Now, if you record with more than one input armed, you will get a separate clip for each. This results
in stack of audio clips.
A good use of this feature is to have several recording chains configured and ready to go, when
auditioning microphones and preamps. Simply arm the input you want to try and away you go.
It makes it super efficient to switch to a different mic/preamp combination by simply arming the
desired input.
Enable a Track for Recording

To enable (arm) a track for recording, click the R symbol on the input object. The R illuminates to
indicate that the track has been armed for recording.
Input Armed for Recording
Test the input signal. If you’re using a microphone or a guitar, play a note or have the singer sing
something. You should see the meter moving on the input while testing. If not, check your input
level on the hardware and make sure phantom power is on if necessary for the mic.
Tip: Once recording has started you can still click R to enable and disable recording on the
fly. This allows you to do manual punch-in and punch-out style recording. Here is a video
that explains Punch In/Out on the Fly.30
30
https://w-edstrom.wistia.com/medias/wgjyszl1i6
Hit Record
With the input setup done, recording is a matter of clicking Record (R) on the Transport. While
recording, Waveform draws the waveform on the track. To stop recording press Spacebar.
Recording always starts at the cursor position. There are several ways and options to stop recording
which will be explained in a bit.
Enable Recording for All Inputs at Once

If you are doing multitrack recording with many inputs you can arm all the tracks at once from the
input menu using the option Enable/Disable all devices for recording (Cmd + R / Ctrl + R). You can
even use this on the fly during recording to start and stop recording without stopping the transport.
Input Meters
Click on an input to select it. Notice the large meter along the bottom edge of the Properties section.
This gives you a good reference for setting up the input level.
Large Input Meter at the Bottom of Properties
Tip: As a rule of thumb, you want to set input level to hover around the middle of the
range shown on this meter. The input level is adjusted using the gain controls on your
audio interface or preamp.
If you’re doing multi-track recording and you want to see large meters for all the tracks at once,
press F12. Waveform will go into “big meters” mode. This superimposes a very large meter onto each
track.
Big Meters Mode
Note: The big meters obscure your view of clips on the tracks, so you will want to toggle
it off (F12) when not recording.
Dragging the Input Object Track to Track

Here’s a unique aspect of the input objects. You can drag the input object from track to track. For
example, say you recorded something on track one, and now you want to record something else
using the same microphone onto track two. Simply, grab the input object and drag it from track one
to track two. The set up is done instantly.
Dragging and Input to other Track
Note: Dragging the input track to track is a really useful function in Waveform. Once you
start using this feature you will miss it when you record with any other DAW!
Renaming a Track
To rename a track, click directly on the track name, then edit the Name property in the Properties
section. A really quick way to do this is to click Name, press Tab, and start typing. As soon as you
tab off the Name property or click elsewhere in Waveform, the new track name will be set.
Recording Steps in Review

Here is a review of all the steps needed to test your recording setup:
1. Arm the track or tracks for recording by clicking ‘R’ on the track input.
2. Make sure Loop is turned off in the Master section.
Note: Waveform supports loop recording but we’ll get into that in a later chapter.
1. Make sure the cursor is rewound to the beginning by clicking Return-to-zero (Home) in the
Master section.
2. Verify that Click (C) is turned off (for now) in the Master section.
3. Click Record (R) in the Master section. Play something into the input using your instrument
or your voice depending on the kind of input selected.
Note: As you record, you’ll see the meters and you’ll also see the waveform start to draw
on the Audio clip.
1. Press Spacebar to stop recording.

2. To hear what you recorded, click rewind then press Spacebar to play. You should be able to
hear what you just recorded.
Tip: If your recorded take just isn’t really going well, you can press Abort or Abort &
Restart on the transport. These options only appear during recording.
Abort and Abort & Restart During Recording
Working with the Click

While recording, it’s usually very helpful to have an audible timing reference. Waveform has a
built-in metronome that offers a steady click for just this purpose.
Enabling the Click Track

To enable the metronome click, turn on Click (C) in the Master section. That turns it on but the setup
is in the Click Track Menu. Here are explanations for the options:
Click Settings
Enable Click
Another way to enable or disable click is to open the Click Track menu and select Turn on
click track or Turn off click track. That does the very same thing as pressing C or clicking the
Click button in the Master section.
Click Volume
Adjust the volume of the click using the Click Track > Volume slider. There are also Low
volume (-14dB) , Medium volume (-4.4dB), and Full volume (0dB) presets available.
Note: Curiously, Full volume is not actually full. The Volume slider goes to +3db. That’s
three more than Full volume if you are keeping score.
Count-in
While recording, you can have the click start a bit before the cursor position. This gives you
time to get into the groove before performing. Enable the count-in from Click Track > Pre-
record count-in length. Select from none, one bar, two bar, or two beats for the count-in length.
With count-in enabled, you will hear the click during recording. If the cursor is at the beginning of
the Edit, you will hear the count-in then the cursor will start moving. If the cursor is not at the start,
it will actually jump back by the count-in length and play from there.
Count-in Options
Click During Playback

If you want to hear the click during playback, make sure to leave Click Track > Only click
during recording disabled.
Emphasize Bars
To clearly hear the downbeat of each bar, enable Click Track > Use loud clicks to emphasize
bars. With that enabled, Waveform uses a different sound for the first beat of each bar.
Click Sound
To change what sounds are used for the click, select Click Track > Change Click Settings. This
opens the Click Track Settings dialog box. From here, you can change the samples used to
make the click sound. Just select the audio files for the normal and emphasized beats. If you
leave the File properties blank, you will get the default sounds.
Configuring the Click Sound
Not too many people still do this, but it’s possible to use an external MIDI sound module for your
click sound. If you are inclined to do that, you can set the MIDI note numbers in the Click Track
Settings dialog box.
Click Output Device

If you want to redirect your click so it’s not coming through your main speakers, look at the
click output device options (Click Track > Output device for click). Normally and by default
this is set to Default audio output. You can pick any audio output on your system or even any
MIDI output. If you select a MIDI output, it should be a sound module of some sort. When
using MIDI for the click, you can set the click sound note numbers as explained in the previous
section.
Using a click is an essential reference tool for studio recording, so it is great to have a synchronized
click built-in and ready to go.
Listening on Headphones While Recording

Ideally, you will monitor what you’re recording through headphones, and set up the level and mix
on your audio interface outside of Waveform. Most audio interfaces give you the ability to mix
your live input with the playback from previous tracks. You use the mixer on the audio interface to
balance the live input sound with the sound being played back by Waveform.
Audio Interface Mix Knob
Simple audio interfaces have a mix knob that allows you to mix between the inputs (your mic) and
playback (previously recorded tracks). For example, when recording a vocal leave the mix knob just
about in the middle. Half of what you hear is the live input off your mic, the other half is what’s
being played back from Waveform.
Some audio interfaces do not have a specific knob on the front panel to control the mixer level,
and instead have an application that you run alongside Waveform that features a virtual mixer.
These applications allow you to set up the monitor mix in your headphones separately from what’s
happening in the recording software.
Live Input Monitoring

There are situations where you need to use live input monitoring through Waveform, rather than
through your interface. The two main use cases for that that are when playing through virtual
instruments, or virtual guitar amps while recording. We will cover the details later in the book, but
here are a few points for those curious about such things.
Step 1. Disable Hardware Monitoring

To try live monitoring through Waveform, first set up a track and arm it for recording. Now,
play something into the input using a mic, guitar, or other instrument. At this point you
shouldn’t really hear anything through Waveform to your headphones or speakers.
Step 2. Enable Live Input Monitor

Now make sure the input is selected and look for the Live Input Monitoring option in
Properties. Click to enable it. You should hear the input going through Waveform and back
out to your speakers (or headphones).
The downside is latency. You might possibly notice a delay between when you play a note and when
you hear it. It’s a time lag between you sing and when you hear it in your headphones. At high buffer
settings it will sound like an annoying delay slap or echo. At lower buffer settings it might sound
like a hollowness if you are singing with headphones on. When playing an instrument, you might
not hear any problem at all.
To really hear the effect of latency, try turning the buffer size up to 1024 or even more. Then as you
play you’ll hear a noticeable delay between when you sing, speak or play a note and when you hear
it.
Note: Latency delay is more of a problem for singers than it is for somebody playing guitar
or another instrument. The sound of your voice is coupled through your skull right into
your ear with zero latency. When combined with your voice slightly delayed by the latency,
the result might sound hollow or “phasey” in your headphones. This won’t be recorded,
but might throw you off during recording.
Why then would you ever use live input monitoring? You need it for guitar amp simulators and for
virtual instruments. For normal vocal and instrument recording, it is preferable to use your audio
interface to provide zero latency monitoring.
If at First You Don’t Succeed

With a track armed, hit Record (R) and record away. Press Record a second time (or Spacebar) to
stop recording. If you don’t like what you’ve recorded select the Audio clip and press Delete or
Backspace. Rewind and try again! You can alternatively press Undo (Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z) to undo
the last recording take.
Recording in Process
Abort Record and Delete the Take

If you are impatient to delete a failed recording take, then you will love this feature: Abort recording
and delete the take. With a single keystroke you cancel the take, throw it out, rewind to the beginning,
and get set to try again. The Abort button on the transport does the same thing.
Abort Buttons on the Transport During Recording
There is a variation on this feature: Abort recording, delete take, and restart. That does the same
thing, but then drops right back into recording. This action appears on the transport during
recording.
Recording a Stereo Signal

If you are recording a pair of microphones or a stereo source like a keyboard, you can treat two
adjacent inputs as a stereo pair. This is done in the Settings tab, Audio Devices page. Click on an
input then enable Treat as Stereo Pair in Properties.
Now instead of two inputs, you have one stereo input. This will appear over in the Edit when you
select inputs for a track. The pairs are always created with the odd numbered input on the left and
the even numbered input on the right.
Treat as Stereo Pair
When you record from a stereo input, you’ll wind up with a stereo clip showing both the left and
the right waveforms.
Stereo Waveform
Retrospective Record
You know how there are times where you wish you were recording because a practice take was so
amazing? Or maybe a singer sings a pickup just before the downbeat. Waveform’s “Retrospective
Record” feature actually keeps a recording buffer running for any track that has an input set up.
To enable this feature, from the Menu choose Option > Retrospective record and select the buffer
size. We find that the 30-second buffer is usually enough to safe-guard against chopped off picks or
endings. For live shows or recording speeches, set it to 10 minutes.
Enabling Retrospective Record
To recover lost audio, simply click the retrospective record icon in the upper right corner of the
Waveform window. The buffered audio will be added as Audio clips to the appropriate tracks. If you
click the icon while the transport is still running, the audio will be synched to the timeline. If you
click the icon with the transport stopped, the audio will be placed at the cursor. In that case you will
need to manually align the clip to the track.
Click Retrospective Record Icon
Retrospective record doesn’t consume much CPU and is a great safeguard against losing important
audio or a killer take.
Safe-Record Mode
When recording shows, doing long recordings, or if you ever need to leave your computer
unattended while it’s recording, consider enabling Safe-Record (Options > Safe-Record mode).
Safe Record Mode
In safe-record mode, you starting recording in the normal way. However, as soon as recording starts,
Waveform shows a the Safe Record modal dialog box. You can’t do anything in Waveform including
stop the recording without entering the four key shortcut.
Here is how to get out of safe-record mode:
OS X: Shift + Opt + Cmd + R Windows: Shift + Alt + Ctrl + R
How to Exit Safe Recording
Those are the defaults, but you can change those to any other crazy key combination you want.
Moving On
That was a lot of information about recording audio in Waveform. In the next chapter we will
continue on with overdub recording.
Chapter 16 - Recording Overdubs
In this chapter we walk through an example of recording a simple song. In the previous chapter, we
explained how to use the Click feature to hear a metronome tempo reference while recording. In
this chapter we will use a drum loop instead. Later you will learn the steps to overdub guitars and
bass, in order to create a simple tune.
Tip: For overdub recording, you typically do all the recording wearing headphones with
your main speakers off. This prevents bleed from one track to the next for cleaner mixing
later on.
Here are the tracks we will have by the end of the chapter:
• Track 1: Drum Loop

• Track 2: Acoustic Guitar
• Track 3: Acoustic Guitar - Double
• Track 4: Bass
Set up the Drum Loop

1. First, set the desired tempo. Click on the tempo (e.g. 77 bpm) in the Master section. Then click
on the BPM value in Properties and type in the tempo.
Click BPM to Edit Tempo
1. Drag in a loop from the Browser, for example a two bar loop. This will create an Audio clip.
The example shown uses Track 1 for the loop, which has been renamed to “DrumLoop.”
Start With a 2-Bar Drum Loop

Chapter 16 - Recording Overdubs 155
Tip: If the loop doesn’t align to the bars correctly, hold Opt / Alt and drag the right trim
arrow and stretch the loop until it snaps to the bar line. Make sure Snap is enabled for
perfect loop.
1. Click the L icon on the Audio clip to convert it to looping mode. Now drag the right trim
handle to roll out as many repetitions of the loop as you need.
Roll Out Repeats of the Drum Loop
Get Ready to Record

1. Set up the input. In this example, the drum loop is on the first track, and the second track is
used for recording the acoustic guitar rhythm part. We have selected Input 1 where the mic
is connected.
Configure the Input
1. We won’t use loop recording, so make sure the Loop button is turned off in the Transport
section.
2. Turn off Click because we are using the drum loop track for the timing reference.
3. Let’s use a two bar count-in. To set that up, select Click Track > Prerecord count-in length >
Use 2-bar count-in.
Record the Rhythm Guitar Part

1. Use your audio interface mix knob or app to balance the level of the guitar mic with the level
of the drum loop track. On the guitar mic input, make sure Live Input Monitoring is turned
off.
2. Next, arm the track for recording by clicking the R icon on the input. When you try this you
will see the metering on the input moving if you play a chord.
3. Test the input level by playing at the loudest level you plan to use for the track. Adjust the
level using the gain control on the audio interface.
4. Verify that the cursor is at the beginning of the edit. If not, press Home.
5. Press Record (R) on the Transport to start recording. Now record a take of your song. At the
end hit Spacebar to stop recording.
Recording the Guitar Part
Tip: If recording doesn’t go as planned, delete the Audio clip and try again. We went over
several ways to do this in Chapter 15.
Note: If you hear some kind of weird phasing as you play your instrument, then it probably
means you have Live Input Monitoring enabled while also monitoring through your audio
interface. Disable Live Input Monitoring.
Doubling the Rhythm Guitar

1. Following recording the initial rhythm guitar part, rewind and play it back. Use the Volume
& Pan plugins in the mixer section to balance the signal with the drum loop.
2. To double the rhythm guitar, drag the Input object to the the next track. Now track 3 is
immediately ready to go for recording an overdub.
Tip: You might want to lower the original track by 3 to 6 dB using the Volume & Pan plugin
to better balance the recorded track with your live mic.
1. Rewind then click Record in the Transport.

Recording the Second Guitar Part
1. After recording, play back and balance the new recording with the original guitar track. To
get a wide stereo effect from the doubled part, pan the tracks to opposite sides using the Pan
slider from the Volume & Pan plugin.
Panning Guitar Parts Left and Right
Overdub a Bassline
You can record the bass by connecting it directly to the audio interface; no amp, no mic.
High Impedance Inputs. Identify which input on your interface supports a direct 1/4” high
impedance input. This is often indicated by the guitar, gtr, or hi-z. Sometime you need to engage
a switch or button for the high impedance mode. Your bass or electric guitar will sound better if
you have the hi-z mode enabled.
1. Connect your bass to the interface using a normal 1/4” to 1/4” guitar cord.
Engage High Impedance Mode on Your Audio Interface
1. From this point, recording works exactly the same as with a mic. Select the correct input and
adjust the input level. Make sure the bass has a good level but is not activating the clip LED
on the interface using the gain knob on the audio interface.
2. Arm the input for recording if it’s not already. Adjust the levels of the existing tracks so that
you can hear the the tracks. At the same time, you want to hear what you are playing on the
bass.
3. Rewind and hit Record. If if the take doesn’t go well, stop, press Undo and try again.
Overedubbed Bass Line
Tip: If you get a good take but think you can do better, don’t delete the clip. You can drag
the input to another track and try again. Just mute the original track or clip so that you
don’t hear it while recording the next take. The first take might wind up being the best
take!
Rename Tracks
As you record overdubs, it’s good idea to stay organized. One key is to name the tracks appropriately.
Click directly on the track name in the track header then edit Name in Properties.
Renaming a Track
Tip: It can get annoying when renaming several tracks. You keep mousing between the
track and the Properties section. To avoid all the extra mouse mileage, click the track name
then press Tab. Tab puts the focus directly on the Name property ready for typing. Follow
this link to watch a video that demonstrates using this technique to rename tracks: Tab to
Rename Tracks31
Adding Additional Tracks

If you get to this point and you do not have enough tracks in your project, you can easily add tracks.
There are several ways to do that.
1. Press T. Select any existing track and press T. That creates a new track directly below the
selected one.
2. Right-click. Right-click in any blank space or on any track and select Create new track.
3. Track Menu. Another way is to select Tracks > Create a new track. using the Tracks menu.
Or, select Tracks > Create several new tracks to add up to sixteen new tracks in one go.
Create Tracks from the Tracks Menu
Tip: Like most things in Waveform, you can undo creating tracks using the Undo button
(Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z). To remove a track from your project, select it and hit Delete or
Backspace.
31
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Rearranging Tracks
To rearrange the tracks, drag the track from the track name area and drop it in the new position. As
you drag the track, a glowing bar will appear between tracks showing you the target for your drop.
When that bar is in the right spot, let go of the drag and the track will be repositioned.
Adjust the Mix

At this point you can adjust the levels of all the recorded track or continue to record and overdub
vocals, keyboards, or other instruments. As you add more tracks, you will need to reduce the level
of each to avoid overloading the master level.
Adjust the Mix
Tip: If you temporarily overload the master meter, you can reset the overload indicators
using the backslash key ( \ ).
Moving on
That was a walk-through of overdubbing. At this point, you should be getting familiar with basic
recording in Waveform and have a handle on how to work with tracks in Waveform.
Chapter 17 - Clean-up Editing
After you have some basic tracks recored, you can use the Waveform editing tools to clean up the
clips and fix small problems with the takes. We covered Audio clip editing in Chapter 12. In this
chapter we will show you a few practical examples of how to use them.
Note: Sometimes it is easier to make timing edits if you move the track you’re working on
near the drum part. That way you can see the timing of your notes compared to the timing
of the essential rhythmic elements of the song.
Trimming
The trim handles are a great way to clean up the beginning and ending of recording takes. Trim the
beginning to keep the track silent until the part actually comes in. Then trim the end to silence any
extra noise that happens after the song is done.
Trimming an Audio Clip
To use the trim handle just grab and drag. If you leave Snap on, trimming will snap to the grid. With
Snap turned off, you can trim freely.
Tip: You can temporarily override snapping by holding Cmd / Ctrl while trimming.
You can also trim multiple Audio clips at the same time. Just select several clips using Opt-drag /
Alt-drag and then adjust the lengths using the trim handles on any of the select clips.
Chapter 17 - Clean-up Editing 162
Correcting Small Timing Problems
Bass Note Timing is Early
Look at this example baseline compared to the drum loop. One of the bass notes is early. Ideally, you
would re-record this part. If that’s not an option you can easily correct small issues like this. The
strategy is to separate the out-of-time note to its own Audio clip, them move it slightly.
1. Turn off Snap. 2. Select the Audio clip you want to fix. 3. Position the cursor just at the beginning
of the note that needs fixing and press slash ( / ) to split the clip.
Split the Beginning of the Note
4. Position the cursor just after the note and press slash ( / ) again. The bad note is now separated to
its own Audio clip.
Split After the Note
5. Click to select the single note. Trim the clip to shorten it a bit.
Trim the Clip
6. Zoom in enough so you can see the alignment between the note and the drums. Grab the note
and slide it to line up with the correct drum hit.
Drag the Clip to the Correct Time
7. Complete the edit by trimming and crossfading into the other notes.
The Completed Correction
Splitting & Selecting. Right after you split a clip, you’ll notice that the two resulting clips are both
selected. If you trim, slip or move a clip the action will apply to all selected clips. That might not be
what you want. To select a single clip, just click one of the clips. At any time, you may hit Escape
to de-select everything.
Correcting Timing by Slip Editing

Another way to correct timing is with slip editing. With this approach you “slip” the waveform
within the Audio clip rather than moving the clip. The key to this approach is to put the initial split
exactly where you want to the note to start.
1. Turn Snap off 2. Zoom in enough to see where the note should start and select the clip to fix. 3.
Position the cursor at the exact spot you wish the note had started and press slash ( / ) to split the
clip.
Split the Clip Where the Note Should Start
4. If the note was early, trim back the previous clip to get rid of the extra bit.
Trim Back the Extra Bit From the Previous Clip
5. Position the cursor at the end of the note and press slash to split it again. The bad note will will
have a separate Audio clip.
Split After the Note
6. Select only the note you want to adjust. Grab and drag the slip handle (solid box). The waveform
will slip within the window of the Audio clip. Align the waveform so it starts just after the leading
edge of the clip.
Drag the Slip Edit Handle to Adjust Timing Within the Clip
7. Clean up the edges with trimming and crossfading.

The Completed Edit
Note: If you have automatic crossfade turned on then as you move one clip to overlap an-
other, a crossfade will be created automatically. See Chapter 12 for more about crossfades.
Fade-outs
You can also adjust the fade-outs at the end of takes simply by using the fade handle and dragging
it to the left for each track appropriately.
Adjusting Fade-outs
Remember, you can adjust the shape of the fade-out by selecting one of the four preset shapes in the
Properties section.
Fade-out Shapes in Properties
Stretch an Ending Note

If a note at the ending isn’t held out long enough, you can apply a time stretch quite easily. Re-
recording the take would be preferable, but if that’s not an option, here’s how you can do a quick
time stretch to lengthen an ending note.

1. First, separate out the note that you want to stretch using split as in the other examples.
2. Hold Opt /Alt and drag the right trim handle to extend the note to the desired length.
Hold Opt / Alt While Trimming to Stretch a Clip
3. Audition the playback to make sure that it sounds clean. The more you stretch it the more chance
you have to degrade the audio quality, but you will be surprised at how well this really works.
Note: Besides just simply cleaning up the takes, you can do detailed editing on Audio clips
to completely change the timing or even the arrangement. While writing songs, you can
use these tools to compose bass lines that tightly lock in with the drums. You can do this by
adjusting the timing, removing notes, or shortening notes; It all depends on the nature of
your music production. When writing a song, you can use these tools to try many different
ideas.
Fixing Clicks at the Edit Points

When you do this type of editing, you might occasionally hear a click at the beginning or ending
of a clip. This occurs when you split across a waveform that’s actually got some energy at the split
point. You can easily correct those by putting a very tiny fade at the beginning of the clip.
Example of and Edge Fade

You could zoom way in and add tiny fades to the beginning and ending of each clip. The easier way
is to select the clip and click Apply Edge Fade in Properties. This instantly puts 7 ms fades at the
beginning and ending of all selected clips.
Apply Edge Fade in Properties
Rendering to a Single Audio Clip
Chopped Up Audio Clip Following Editing
If clean-up editing leaves your track looking like a shredded mess, you can quickly render all the
clips back to a singled clip. To do so:
1. Select all the clips you want to combine to one clip. One way to do that is to click the first clip,
hold down Shift, then click on the last one.
Selected Clips before Rendering
2. In Properties select Render Clips > Merge the selected clips. Merging is a single command, which
is a great enhancement to the workflow.
Render Clips > Merge the selected clips

Audio Clip After Rendering
Moving On
Those are the essential editing techniques you can use to clean up your recorded tracks. Use these
techniques to trim clips, apply fade-outs, make minor timing adjustments, and then render all the
changes to a single clip.
Chapter 18 - Warp Time
Warp Time is an audio editing option that was introduced in T6. Rather than needing to split out
notes to move them, as discussed in the previous chapter, you can drag Warp points to bend and
stretch audio into time. Apart from simply correcting timing problems, you an apply it creatively to
compositions and loops to alter the feel of recorded audio.
The implementation is actually very simple. You can get up and running with Warp Time very
quickly.
Tip: Warp time is also available as one of the Clip Layer effects, as described in Chapter
41. Clip layers allow you to use Warp time directly on Audio clips in the arrangement.
Warp Time Mode

Here is how to switch into the Warp Time mode:
1. Select an audio clip

2. In Properties, go to the Loop Properties tab
3. Enable the Warp Time option
Enable Warp Time Mode
The waveform view on the Loop Properties tab switches to the zoomable Warp Time editor.
Chapter 18 - Warp Time 171
The Warp Time Editor
Warp Time Editor on the Loop Properties Tab
The Warp Time Editor is working on the underlying audio in the clip so there might be much more
audio shown than you see on the Audio clip. This will usually be the case if you have trimmed the
Audio clip before hand.
Tip: If you want the Warp Time editor view to exactly match the waveform on the selected
Audio clip, render the clip using Render Clip > Flatten the selected clip. This will create a
new underlying file. After that, what you see and hear in the Warp Time editor will match
what you see and hear in the Audio clip.
Zooming In & Out

To zoom the waveform, use the mouse scroll wheel. On many laptops you can use a two finger
up/down gesture in place of a scroll wheel. On Mac laptops you can also use a two finger left
or right trackpad gesture to slide the waveform left and right.
Warp Points
Click on the timeline to add a Warp point. When you drag a Warp point left or right, time is
stretched or compressed between that point and surrounding Warp points.
Tip: You can add a Warp point and drag in a single action. Just click on the timeline, hold
and start dragging. The waveform will stretch until you stop dragging.
Warp Point
Removing Warp Points

Shift-click any existing Warp point to remove it. Right-click any existing Warp point for
options to rename it or remove all Warp points.
Warp Point Right Click Menu
Working with Warp Points

By default, the Warp Time editor will always have starting and ending Warp points. If you add a
Warp point and move it, the audio will be stretched between the beginning and ending of the wave.
Before Warping
Dragging a Warp Point to the Left

Dragging a Warp Point to the Right
To correct audio timing over a constrained area, you can think about a three point technique. You
typically want to add Warp points just before the beginning of notes or percussive hits. That would
be just before a transient. If you do that then stretching occurs over the note not in the middle of it.
With the three point technique, you insert Warp points before and after the note you want to alter
to lock down the timing. Then add a Warp point right at the transient you want to change and drag
it into to time.
Warp Points and Snapping

As you drag Warp points, you will notice they snap to the grid. The snap grid for Warp points is
based on the zoom level of the Warp Time editor, not the zoom level of the Edit.
To override snapping when adjusting Warp points, hold down Cmd / Ctrl as you drag the points.
Limitations of Warp Time editing

Warp Time editing works best for single track parts. If you use it on multitrack drum parts, you will
find it seriously affects the phase alignment of multi-miked drum kits. This is the same for other
instruments that are recorded with multiple mics.
You can use Warp Time on stereo tracks. If you have two mono tracks, first render them to a stereo
track before using Warp Time.
Time Stretch Algorithm

By default Warp Time uses Elastique Pro but you can switch it use any of the other modes as well.
There is little benefit in selecting other modes, since Waveform does the actual stretching offline.
Stretch Property Options
Most of the time, Elastique Pro will give you the best results. If you have specialized needs, you can
experiment with the other Elastique options under the spanner icon.
Elastique Options
Note: If the Stretch property is set to “Melodyne” or “No Time-Stretching,” Waveform still
uses the Elastique Pro algorithm for Warp Time.
Moving On
Here is a video demo of Warp Time that you might find interesting:
Warp Time Video Demo32
Warp Time, the standard editing tools, and Melodyne give you amazing potential to manipulate the
timing of your Audio clips.
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Chapter 19 - Loop Recording
Loop recording is a really cool way to quickly record multiple takes of a part onto a single track.
Following loop recording, you can easily pick the best take and make it active, so that it is the one
you hear during playback.
Loop recording also sets you up to use the track comping tools that are built into Waveform. Comping
allows you to go phrase by phrase through the different takes and choose the best phrases and create
a composite best take. We cover comping in detail in Chapter 20.
Getting into Loop Recording Mode

Getting into loop recording in Waveform is simple - enable Loop (L) in the Transport. Now when
you click Record, recording will only occur between the In-marker and Out-marker. The transport
will “loop” between the In-marker and Out-marker allowing you to automatically record take after
take, until you hit Stop.
Turn on Loop for loop recording mode
Loop Recording Step-by-Step

1. Set the In-marker and the Out-marker over the range that you would like to do the loop
recording. To set the In-marker, position the cursor and press I. To set the Out-marker, position
the cursor at the end of the loop and press O.
Set the In-marker & Out-marker
Note: The Click count-in works for loop recording. If you want a running start for each
take, set Click Track > Pre-record count-in length to one or two bars.
Chapter 19 - Loop Recording 176
1. Configure the input and check your levels just like we did for standard recording.
Configure the Input for Recording
1. Click Record (R) on the transport to start recording.
While recording when the cursor hits the Out-marker, Waveform will automatically loop back for
the next take. When you have enough takes, press Spacebar or R to stop recording.
Selecting the Best Take

After loop recording, you will have a number of takes stacked within the Audio clip. The very last
take you recorded is what you will hear during playback. This is called the “active take.” To select a
different take for the active take, click the plus (+) sign in the lower right corner of the clip. You will
see a list of all takes there. Pick the one you want to promote to the active take. You can audition all
the takes and make your favorite one the active take.
Choosing the Active Take
Tip: With your takes recorded this way, it is perfectly set up for comping, which we will
cover in the next chapter.
Chapter 19 - Loop Recording 177
Unpacking Takes to Tracks

If you want to work with your loop recorded takes as separate audio tracks, it is easy to unpack the
takes to tracks. To do so, click the plus (+) sign and then select Unpack to new tracks.
Unpack Takes to Tracks
That instantly coverts an Audio clip full of takes to a series of tracks containing separate Audio clips.
Now you can use normal audio editing to move them around, chop them up, or arrange them into
a song.
Moving on
The secret to loop recording is to set the In-marker and Out-marker over the section you want to
record, make sure Loop is turned on, and then record like you normally would. Loop recording also
sets you up for comping, which is covered in the next chapter.
Chapter 20 - Comping
In this chapter, we’re going to go over the cool comping features in Waveform. Comping is an editing
technique where you select the best phrases from numerous takes to build a composite or “comp.”
The idea is to create the best possible take. Engineers have been doing this for years, but Waveform
makes it much easier than the traditional methods.
Comping typically starts with takes recorded in Loop mode, covered in Chapter 19 - Loop Recording.
Loop recording is not a a prerequisite for doing comping. Waveform also allows you to build
composites from any collection of tracks, using the Comp Groups feature. More on that later in
the chapter.
Copy Your Edit

Before you start comping, it is a good to create a copy of the Edit. This is so you can return to the
raw takes, in the event you later wish to do the composite a different way.
Note: We are assuming that you have already recorded using the technique in the previous
chapter. If not, go back to Chapter 19 and get some takes recorded!
1. When you finish loop recording, make sure to save the Edit with Save > Save edit (Cmd + S /
ctrl + S).
2. Go to the Projects tab and select the correct Edit. In the Controls panel, click Create a Copy.
3. It is recommended to keep your Edits organized by adding a revision number. Do so by clicking
on each Edit, then editing the Name property.
4. On the original Edit, add a comment that says, “This version is before comping” or similar.
5. Close the tab for the original Edit and open the new copied version.
Strategically creating copies of your Edits and naming them in a logical way, works like a revision
control system. You can always roll back if something goes wrong, or if you just change your mind.
Chapter 20 - Comping 179
Comping Takes
Now that everything is setup, it’s time to get to the creative part of the process.
1. Select the Audio clip that contains the takes you want to comp.
Show the Takes Following Loop Recording
2. Click on the plus (+) icon in the lower right corner of the clip and select Show takes. That expands
the clip to show all of the individual takes. If you play back over this section of the Edit, you will
hear the very last take you did during loop recording.
Takes in the Expanded View

3. To build a composite take, click and drag a range over a phrase from any take. That phrase is
instantly promoted to the active take. This drag-to-select action is called “swiping.”
Swipe a Phrase to Add it to the Active Take
Tip: While comping, sometimes it’s helpful to have the cursor return where you started
playback whenever you stop playback. Do so by enabling Options > Return cursor to start
position when play stops. This makes it easier to audition phrase by phrase without needing
to constantly reposition the cursor.
4. Continue swiping and auditioning to build up the composite. If you want to switch a selected
phrase to a different take, just click another take. The selection instantly moves to that take.
Building the Composite Take
5. If the swipe selection doesn’t fully enclose a phrase, adjust either edge of the selection by simply
dragging the edge to trim it.
Trim the Edges of a Selection
Note: While comping sometimes you’ll use a little bit from every take. Other times you’ll
predominantly use one take and just fix a couple of bad phrases.
Once you have finished, click the plus (+) icon and select Hide takes. At that point, you’re finished
comping!
Hide Takes
Tip: After comping, it is a great time to create another copy of the Edit and add a note that
this was saved after comping. This gives you the option to roll back if you ever want to
make some changes.
Flatten Comp
If you feel compelled to remove the underlying takes from the Edit, click the plus (+) icon on the clip
and select Flatten current comp. This gives you the option to delete the source files. Keep in mind
that this operation is permanent.
Flatten Current Comp
Tip: Don’t flatten the comp without first saving a copy of the Edit. Also, we do not
recommend selecting the option to delete the source files as this will remove them for
your other saved Edits.
Setting up a Comp Group

T6 introduced Comp Groups, a feature that allows you to use swipe comping with any group of
tracks. This works similarly to the techniques described above for comping takes. The difference is
that you first add the tracks involved to a Comp Group.
Select Tracks to Comp

Select all the tracks you want use to build the composite. These are typically recorded as
various takes of a lead vocal or solo instrument. However you can use any collection of tracks
you want.
Select the Tracks to Comp

Create a Comp Group

In Properties, open the Comp Group menu and select Add group. This opens the Comp Group
Name dialog box. The name will default to Comp Group 1 which is fine. You can change it to
something more descriptive if you want. Click OK.
Creating a Comp Group
Add a Track to a Comp Group

Any tracks pre-selected at the time you created Comp Group 1 are automatically added as
you create the Comp Group. To add another track to Comp Group 1, select the track, open the
Comp Group menu and select Comp Group 1.
Adding Another Track to Comp Group 1
Removing a Track from a Comp Group

To take a track out of a comp group, first, select the track. In the Comp Group menu, select
None.
Comping Tracks Using a Comp Group

With some tracks added to a Comp Group, it is easy to start comping.
1. Select one of the tracks then in the Comp Group menu select Show Editor > Edit track comps.
This puts the tracks in to comp mode.
Enable Comp Mode
1. Now you can start swiping to select phrases from any of the tracks. On playback only the
selected phrases are played back.
Swiping Phrases to Create a Composite
1. You can adjust the window of your selection by dragging either edge of range. This works
very similarly to comping takes which we covered earlier in the chapter.
Tip: If you want to have good control over the silent parts of a comp, it helps to add a blank
track to the Comp Group. For the parts you want to silence, simply swipe over that range
on the blank track.
Comp Group Editor

Here are few more things to know about the Comp Group Editor.
Show Track Comps

When you enable comp group editing using Show Editor > Edit track comps, another option,
Show track comps is also turned on. This enables the color coding of the swipe selections
on the tracks. You can turn this on separately if you want. This way you can see the comp
selections but leave Edit comp groups turned off so you don’t accidentally change them.
Show Track Comps
Render Comp
When you have the composite complete, you can render the result to single track. The Comp
Group menu gives you two options for this. Render and replace comp group replaces the all
the comp group tracks with the resulting track. Render comp group to a new track leaves the
existing tracks in place and adds a new track with the composite.
Rendering a Comp to a New Track
Add, Rename, Remove

These options on the Comp Group menu give you all the features need to manage your comp
groups.
Comp Group Management Features
One interesting thing about comp groups is that you can have as many of them active in the Edit as
you want. There are many uses beside typical comping, for example you could comp silence with
tom tracks instead of gating. Comping is also a fast way to mash up two beats or two different songs.
Moving On
The comping features in Waveform are very easy to use. As you are learning Waveform, make sure
to explore these powerful features.
Chapter 21 - Using an Amp Simulator
Plugin
In this chapter, you will learn how to use an amp simulator plugin while recording direct with an
electric guitar in Waveform. Out of the box, Waveform doesn’t include an amp simulator plugin.
However, most of the third party amp simulator plugins will work. If you don’t have any of these,
there is a great sounding free amp sim plugin from Voxengo called Boogex, used as an example for
this chapter. You can download it from Voxengo.com33 .
Free Boogex Amp Simulator from Voxengo
Setting Up the Track

Here is the setup:
1. Connect your guitar to the high impedance input on your audio interface as described in Chapter
16. If your interface doesn’t have a guitar input then use a suitable preamp.
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Chapter 21 - Using an Amp Simulator Plugin 188
Connect Your Guitar to your Interface
2. Create a new track, select the input, and arm it for recording.
Select the Input and Arm It
3. Make sure that direct monitoring of your signal though the audio interface is turned all the
way down or disabled. To make this work you need to monitor 100% of your guitar signal through
Waveform.
Turn off Any Input Monitoring on Your Interface
3. Select the input and turn on Live Input Monitoring. At this point you should be able to hear your
dry unprocessed guitar signal.
Enable Live Input Monitoring
4. Open the Browser and go to the Search tab, and type in a few characters of the name of your amp
simulator plugin. Drag the plugin to the mixer section.
Drag the Amp Sim Plugin to the Mixer
5. If the UI window for the plugin didn’t open, double click it. If you have Live Input Monitoring
enabled you should hear sound through the plugin when you play. Select a preset and it should sound
like you are playing through a guitar amp, maybe even amps, effects, cabinets, whatever your plugin
simulates.
Tip: To bypass the plugin just click on the plugin to select it and press F. You can also enable
or disable it using the Enabled control in Properties. The shortcut F will enable or disable
any selected plugins.
Amp Sim Plugin Shown Disabled
Recording with the Amp Sim

At this point, recording works the same as before.
1. Record-enable the track, make sure the cursor is at the beginning.

2. Click Record in the Transport. If you want to do loop recording then have Loop on and then
you can record several takes in a quick succession.
3. Once you have actually recorded the part, you can still tweak the sound.
Recording with the Amp Sim
A big advantage of recording this way is the ability to tweak the sound after the fact. You can also
record using an endless variety of guitar rigs that you don’t own. Plus, you can do this without
disturbing the neighbors!
An important but subtle advantage is when you go to edit your guitar tracks. Edits that occur before
the amp and distortion sounds more natural and are way less apparent than when you edit a fully
processed guitar part.
Guitar & Impedance

Guitars connect to your audio interface through a quarter-inch, unbalanced connection. This is
a high impedance connection. It might not be super important to understand what that means
electrically. You will get a better tone and feel if connect to a proper high impedance input. It’s
just the nature of guitar pickups. Going into a standard input loads them down and you lose
articulation and punch. On most audio interfaces, the first one or two channels of the interface have
guitar inputs. Many times there is a switch or button to enable high impedance on those channels,
meaning that it will accept high impedance pickup like a guitar or bass. So while your guitar
might actually work through a normal low impedance input, it is going to give you better picking
dynamics and tone if you go through the high impedance input and have the high impedance mode
engaged.
Managing Latency
When working with guitar amp simulators, latency can be a factor. If you have the Audio buffer size
set too high, you get a big delay between when you play and when you hear a note. If you set it too
low the you might get pops and clicks if the computer doesn’t have adequate CPU power to handle
the low latency you have chosen. The challenge is to find a good setting that feels responsive, but
still has perfect sound quality.
Latency is determined by Audio Buffer Size parameter. Here is how to set that:
1. Navigate to the Settings tab, Audio Devices page.

2. Locate the Audio buffer size setting. The value shows a number of samples followed by a calculated
latency delay.
Settings Tab, Audio Devices Page - Audio Buffer Size
3. Enter an Audio Buffer Size value. Values around 256 or lower tend to work pretty well depending
on what else is going on in the Edit.
Speed of Sound Through Air

Here is some background on the impact of the buffer size. In this example, a buffer setting of 256
samples offers 5.8 ms of latency.
What this means is that when you play a note on your guitar, you are going to hear the sound about
5.8 ms later. Now the speed sound through air is about 1 ms per foot (1ms per .3 meters). A 5 ms delay
would be similar to playing your guitar amp if it were 5.8 feet (1.8 meters) away from your ears. You
would need to add in the actual distance from your monitor speakers as well. If your speakers are
two or three feet away, it might be like having your amplifier nine feet away. Most guitar players
can deal with latency delay in that range. It’s similar to the distance you would be standing from
your guitar amp on stage. If it starts getting much longer than that, then you are going to hear a
noticeable lag and that will affect the feel and potentially impact your playing.
Here is another example. If you have your Audio buffer size set to 1024 samples, that gives you 23
ms of delay, That is going to give you the feeling of playing with your amplifier 23 feet (7 meters)
from your ears. That is going to be really hard to work with.
Why not just set the buffer size as low as it will possibly go? That could affect the performance of
the computer. If you set the buffer size too low, especially if you have a lot of other plugins and other
virtual instruments going, the playback might halt or it might not sound clean.
Note: It’s always a balancing act between setting the buffer size as low as possible to
get the latency down while keeping it high enough to have clean, solid playback. When
mixing, you can increase latency to approximately 1024, mostly because that is required
for Melodyne ARA.
Dialing in the Guitar Tone

You can dial in your ideal guitar tone using the controls on the amp simulator. Flip through the
presets or start with a preset and tweak the controls until you get what you like. Keep in mind, one
of the powerful things about recording guitar this way is you don’t really have to commit to the
sound at this point. Just dial in something that’s inspiring so that you can get a good performance.
You can always come back and tweak the amp settings later.
Using a Tuner Plugin

If you are recording direct with a guitar or bass, you might want to add a tuner plugin before the
amp sim. Waveform does not include a native tuner, but if you have a tuner plugin, you can just
drop it into the effects section of the mixer for the track. That will give you a quick and easy way
to tune up.
Tip: If you don’t have a tuner plugin, consider downloading one as part the the MFreeEf-
fectsBundle from Melda Production34 .
Tuning with the MTuner Plugin
Assuming you have a tuner plugin available, here is how to get it going:
34
http://www.meldaproduction.com/plugins/product.php?id=MFreeEffectsBundle
1. Open the Browser, go to the Search tab. Make sure Plugins is selected from the search options
drop down menu. Type in a few characters of the name of your tuner plugin. The plugin will
show up in the search list.
2. Drag the tuner and drop it in the plugins area of the track. Normally, as soon as you drop it,
the user interface window will pop open. If not double click the plugin to open the UI.
3. Play a note on your guitar. If the tuner does not respond make sure to arm the track for
recording and enable Live Input Monitoring. This is necessary for the signal to flow through
the track to the mixer section and to the tuner plugin.
Tip: To keep the plugin open, click the pin icon in the upper right corner.
When you are finished with tuning, click the red X in the upper left corner of the tuner to hide its
user interface.
Moving On
You can always record in the traditional way by miking your guitar amplifier. It’s also interesting
to split your guitar signal and record the direct signal along with your miked guitar amp. That way
you can blend the sound of the amp sim with the real amp when mixing.
Chapter 22 - MIDI Setup
We’re going to move on to MIDI recording and editing in this and the next few chapters. The first
step is to set up a MIDI keyboard so that you can play notes into Waveform. If you don’t have a
MIDI keyboard, you can enter notes manually into the MIDI editor, or you can use the computer
keyboard as a virtual MIDI device.
The setup is quite simple. We are using a USB external keyboard controller, but the setup works
much the same for other types of controllers.
MIDI Drivers
Before you dive in here, you might need drivers for your controller. Check the manufacturer’s
website for drivers for the controller model and your operating system. With Waveform closed,
download and install the drivers. Once you’ve done that, the rest is easy.
Set Up the MIDI Inputs

Go to the Settings tab, MIDI devices page. You will see a list of all available MIDI inputs and outputs
that are connected to your system. In this example I have four of them. To enable the MIDI inputs
and outputs, click to toggle between Enabled and Disabled next to each entry.
Click to Enable/Disable MIDI Inputs and Outputs
Tip: If you don’t see your devices listed, make sure the controller is connected and has
power. If that checks out, then make sure the latest drivers are installed. At any time you
can click Refresh. Refresh initiates a scan for connected MIDI devices.
Chapter 22 - MIDI Setup 197
Naming MIDI Inputs/Outputs

From the Settings tab, MIDI Devices page, click on a MIDI input or output in the MIDI devices
list. Notice that in Properties, there is an Alias value. Edit that to give your MIDI input or output a
friendly name. I often make this match the name of the controller that is connected.
Tip: You can customize Alias for a specific Edit, by selecting the input in the Edit tab and
changing it in Properties. Changing Alias on the Edit tab takes precedence over the Alias
property in the Settings tab.
Disabling Unused MIDI Inputs

Your audio interface might also include MIDI in and out hardware connections. Those allow
connecting legacy controllers that don’t support USB. If you don’t plan to use the hardware MIDI
in and out connections, you can leave them disabled. In this example we have them disabled.
Disable Unused MIDI I/O
This hides unused MIDI ports from the selection list when setting up track inputs later.
Configuring the Track

Back in your Edit, choose a blank track or create a new one.
1. Click on an input and select the MIDI input that matches the controller you just configured.
Select the MIDI Input Device
1. Play some notes on your keyboard. You will see the meter registering the MIDI activity on
that track.
Input Meter Activity
1. With the input selected look in Properties. Turn on Enable Input Monitoring if it isn’t already
on.
Enable MIDI Input Monitoring
With this done, MIDI events come into the track from your keyboard and the pass through to the
virtual instrument that we’re going to setup next.
Insert a Synth Plugin

To hear what you play, you will need to insert a virtual instrument. Use the Browser Search tab to
locate a synth plugin. In this example we are using the Waveform FM Synth.
Search for a Synth Plugin
1. Insert your synth plugin ahead of the Volume & Pan plugin. By ‘ahead’ we mean to the left
which puts it ahead in the signal path. So in this example, we have dropped FM Synth to the
left of Volume & Pan.
FM Synth Installed in the Mixer
1. Play some notes on your keyboard and at this point you should hear synth notes.
Note: There is no difference between a MIDI track and an audio track in Waveform. To
configure a MIDI track, just set a MIDI input and insert a virtual instrument plugin as a
sound generating source. Then, as you record your performance, you’ll create a MIDI clip
instead of an audio clip like we did in the previous examples.
Using a Virtual Keyboard

If you don’t have a physical MIDI keyboard, you can use your computer qwerty keyboard to play
notes. Here is how to set it up:
1. Go to the Settings tab, MIDI Devices page

2. Click Create New Virtual MIDI Input
Create New Virtual MIDI Input
1. Enter a name such as ‘Qwerty Piano’ into the Virtual MIDI device dialog box
Name the Virtual MIDI Device
1. Back in your Edit create a track

2. Choose Qwerty Piano as the input
Select the Virtual Device as the Input

1. Notice the piano keyboard along the bottom of the screen. To play the keyboard first click on
any key with the mouse then use keys A,S,D,F,G,H,J,K,L as white keys. Use W, E,T,Y,U,O,P as
black keys. This virtual keyboard lets you play notes in the range from C4 to E5.
Tip: Click the ‘lock’ icon in the upper left corner Properties. This locks the Waveform
keyboard to the Virtual MIDI Piano feature. Also, when attempting to record, it helps to
start recording using a keyboard shortcut. If you click record, the qwerty piano loses focus
until you click a key on the virtual keyboard.
Lock the Input Properties While Playing the Virtual
Note: When you are finished using the virtual keyboard, unlock Properties by clicking on
the lock icon again. It will stay stuck on the virtual keyboard until you do that.
Moving On
In the next chapter, you’ll learn how to record a MIDI performance onto the track. Waveform also
includes powerful MIDI chord and melody generator functions which we will explore later in this
manual.
Chapter 23 - MIDI Recording
In this chapter you’ll learn how to record a MIDI performance from your controller. Your controller
could be a keyboard or any other sort of instrument that you can use to generate MIDI note data.
We covered how to set up a MIDI controller in the previous chapter.
In this chapter, we’ll go further and cover the details of how to record your MIDI performance. You
will also learn about the various MIDI recording modes. The MIDI implementation in Waveform is
fairly comprehensive while also being quite easy to use. Let’s get started.
Setting up a Track
There isn’t a special type of MIDI track in Waveform. Any track can be used for audio, MIDI, or
Step Clips. To record MIDI, pick any unused track or create a new track. On the track, set up the
input by selecting your MIDI controller. Play a few notes on your MIDI controller to see if you have
MIDI activity.
A Track Set Up for MIDI Recording
To hear any sound, you’ll need to insert a virtual instrument. Do so by dragging the plugin object
to the mixer section, or search for the synth plugin in the Search tab on the Browser. When you find
it, drag it over to the mixer section of your track. We usually recommend dropping it to the left of
the Volume & Pan plugin. As soon as you drop it, the user interface will open up for the instrument
plugin. Choose a suitable preset for the part.
We covered all of this in the previous chapter. If when you play notes on your controller you don’t
hear anything, go back to Chapter 22 and make sure the MIDI input is set up correctly.
Recording a MIDI Performance

Recording MIDI is very much like recording audio:
1. Enable the track for recording by clicking the red R on the track input
Enable Recording
Chapter 23 - MIDI Recording 203
2. In the Transport, click the red Record button to start recording. You can also do this using the
keyboard shortcut R.
Start Recording
3. Record your MIDI performance
MIDI Recording in Process
4. To stop, either press R again or just hit the space bar.
Tip: To record your MIDI performance with a metronome click, configure and enable Click
using the procedure outlined inChapter 15.
Playing Back a MIDI Performance

If everything went according to plan, you’ll have created a MIDI clip. Notice, the MIDI notes on the
clip. If you zoom the track vertically, the MIDI clip will, at one point, flip to the in-line MIDI editor
mode. In this mode, you can edit MIDI notes, which we cover in Chapter 25 - MIDI Editing. There
is also large MIDI Editor which you can open for even more detailed control and editing. More on
that later in the book.
MIDI Clip Following Recording
Position the cursor before the newly recorded MIDI clip, the press the spacebar again to playback.
You should be able to hear the exact performance.
Tip: If you don’t like what you recorded, simply select the MIDI clip and press backspace
to delete it then try again!
In-line Piano Roll View

As I mentioned above, as you expand the track vertically, you’ll notice that at a certain point MIDI
clips will switch to edit mode. The in-line MIDI editor is what is commonly called a piano roll view
(PRV). In this view, you can clearly see the notes along with a vertical piano graphic located along
the left.
Track Expanded to the MIDI Editor
Note: The PRV in Waveform allows you to see the timing of notes as they relate to the
timeline, and the pitch of notes as they relate to a piano keyboard. The graphic length of a
note represents how long that note is held in musical time.
The MIDI editor PRV includes everything you need to edit MIDI data. You can add notes, delete
notes, copy notes, and duplicate them. You can also work with velocity and other controller values.
We’ll get into the details later when we go deeper into MIDI editing.
MIDI Record Modes - The Action Property

Select a MIDI input and look in Properties at the item labeled Action. The drop down menu for
Action gives you a variety of record modes.
MIDI Record Modes
Merge Mode
By default, Action is set to Merge newly recorded MIDI into any existing clips. If you rewind and
record in some more notes, you will find that they’re merged into the MIDI clip that you created
in the first pass. It doesn’t replace notes that you recorded before; it just adds new notes and and
merges them with the original MIDI clip.
If you mess up an otherwise good performance in merge mode, undo the new notes by pressing Cmd
+ Z / Ctrl + Z.
Tip: Merge mode can be very helpful if you’re building up a part pass by pass, particularly
when layering a drum part and adding additional drum hits in each pass.
Replace Mode
If you wanted to replace what you played previously, change Action in Properties for the input
to Replace existing clips with newly recorded MIDI clips. Now when you start to record, the new
recording will create an entirely new MIDI clip and it will gradually overwrite what you had before.
It doesn’t exactly erase the original clip. If any portion of the clip is still visible, you can trim the
edges of it and expose the original data. Of course, Undo will get you back to where you started from
if things don’t go well.
Note: You can envision replace mode as being similar to tape recording. As you record
something new onto tape, you are erasing the section you are recording over.
Overlay Mode
In overlay mode, as you record you’ll get a new MIDI clip stacked on top of the original clip. After
you have recorded this way, you’ll hear the output from both clips mixed together.
During playback, you will hear the overlapping MIDI clips merged together.
MIDI Input Quantize

To find MIDI Input Quantize, click on the input and locate the Quantize property. The drop down
menu for Quantize offers a wide variety of beat subdivisions.
Notice how this works; you are selecting a subdivision of the beat (not the bar). For example, if you
want to quantize your input to the nearest eighth note, you don’t select 1/8 beat from this list, you
select 1/2 beat, because an eighth note is half of a quarter note (when working in 4/4 time).
Input Quantize Options
As you record, you’re going to hear the notes however you play them, but on playback all of your
notes will be snapped to the value you set in Quantize.
Note that the results of input quantizing can sound somewhat unnatural, because this approach
quantizes both the note start and the note ending. Notes get stretched out and tend to sound
mechanical. In general, input quantize is more useful for drum programming than playing something
like a piano part.
Note: Input quantizing does not happen in real time. You hear the result during playback
not during recording.
There are other ways to quantize and apply groove after the fact. We’ll be getting into that in Chapter
26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes.
Moving On
That’s an introduction to MIDI recording. You learned the essential options to set up a MIDI input.
You learned about the MIDI record modes. We also took a quick look at input quantizing. Next up,
loop recording with MIDI!
Chapter 24 - MIDI Loop Recording
In this chapter you’ll learn about loop recording and MIDI. Loop recording in merge mode can be
useful for layering up a drum part, or building a chord over a couple of passes through the loop.
Waveform also supports MIDI loop recording to layers, which gives you the capability to build a
composite MIDI performance in the same way you can do with audio.
Loop Recording in Merge Mode

In the last chapter you learned about MIDI merge mode. Here are the steps again:
1. To put your track into MIDI merge mode, click on the track input, then in Properties set Action
to Merge newly recorded MIDI into any existing clip.
MIDI Merge Mode
1. To prepare for loop recording, set the In-marker and the Out-marker over the area you want
to loop.
Set the In-marker & Out-marker
1. Toggle the Loop button to until it’s enabled.

Chapter 24 - MIDI Loop Recording 208
Enable Loop
1. As Waveform cycles through the loop, you’ll immediately hear the results of what you played
in previous passes. Keep adding passes until you’re happy with the part.
2. To stop recording, either click Record again or hit Spacebar.
MIDI Clip After Recording
Following loop recording, you’ll have a single MIDI clip containing the part you built up over
successive recording passes.
This technique is particularly useful for programming drum parts, especially if drumming is not
your main skill. For example, on the first pass play in the high hat. Then, on the second pass add the
kick and snare. Finally, strategically add a crash on the downbeat.
Recording to Prepare for MIDI Comping

Comping is usually associated with audio recording and editing. With comping, you record multiple
takes of a part then use simple editing tools to select the best phases from the various takes.
To prepare to comp with a MIDI recording, leave everything set up the same way as for merge mode,
but change the Action parameter to Overlay new clips containing newly recorded MIDI.
Enable Overlay Mode
Set the In-marker and Out-marker and turn Loop on. Hit Record and record a performance during
each cycle through the loop.
When you hit Stop you’ll have separate takes in the MIDI clip for each loop pass, just like in audio
loop recording.
Comping MIDI Takes

To see the takes, click the plus icon in the lower right corner of the MIDI clip; You’ll see a list of all
your takes. From here, you can choose the best take from the list and that will make it active.
Takes Following Loop Recording
You can also expand the view to show all the takes below the track. Click the plus icon and select,
Show takes.
View following Show takes
Not only does this show the takes, but it puts you in comping mode. Swipe over the phrases you
want to keep and build a composite from the best parts of each take.
Comping the Takes
Flattening the Composite to a Single Clip

Once you have the composite assembled, you can convert it to a single MIDI clip. Click the plus icon
and select Flatten current comp. You will need to press Delete on the Delete Unused Takes dialog
box to proceed.
Flattening the MIDI Composite
Note: When you select Flatten current comp Waveform asks if you want to delete the
unused takes. If you want to flatten the takes to a single MIDI clip, you need to accept this.
Note that you can use Undo following this action.
Delete Clips Warning Message
Moving On
Loop recording and comping are really powerful tools for MIDI composition, just as they are when
working with audio. Next up, learn how to edit MIDI clips and MIDI notes.
Chapter 25 - MIDI Editing
In this chapter you will learn MIDI editing. There are two aspects to MIDI editing. You can, of
course, edit individual MIDI notes, but you can also edit the MIDI clip. Editing a MIDI clip is similar
to editing an Audio clip, but with a few key differences. We will go over both approaches in this
chapter.
MIDI Notes can be edited using the inline MIDI editor or the separate MIDI Editor window. Both
editors have similar features and we will go over both approaches to note editing after going over
how to work with MIDI clips.
Working with MIDI Clips

Many of the tools for working with clips work much like they do with Audio clips. Each MIDI clip
header has several drag handles. Let’s take a look at how they work.
Trimming MIDI Clips

To trim a MIDI clip, drag one of the trim handles left or right. The trim handles are the hollow
arrows at the left and right of the MIDI clip header.
Trim MIDI Clips by Dragging a Trim Handle
Note: One difference between Audio clips and MIDI clips is that the MIDI clips don’t have
fade handles.
Moving MIDI Clips

To move a MIDI clip forward or backward in time, drag from the header area. Don’t drag starting
from any of the icons, but instead drag from the blank space in the header area.
Chapter 25 - MIDI Editing 213
Moving a MIDI Clip
Moving a MIDI Clip Track-to-Track

To move a MIDI clip track-to-track, grab the header area and drag it up or down. To move track-to-
track without affecting the timing, hold down Shift as you drag.
Slip Editing MIDI Clips

The three solid color handles are used for slip editing: left arrow, right arrow, and the box. The
essential tool for slip editing is the solid box in the center of the header. Grab the solid box and drag,
in order to slip edit the notes within the frame of the window.
MIDI Clip Slip Handles
Use the left solid arrow to slip the notes later in time, while leaving the ending of the clip anchored.
The right solid arrow works the opposite way. You can slip the end of the clip, while leaving the
beginning of the clip anchored.
Reframing a MIDI Clip

The hollow box tool in the center of a MIDI clip allows you to reframe the entire window of the
clip, leaving the notes in their original place. This is done by dragging the hollow box left or right.
Splitting a MIDI Clip

To split a MIDI clip, select it then position the cursor at the time you want to make the split. Press
the slash key (/). This is the exact same workflow you use for splitting Audio clips.
Split MIDI Clips Using the Slash Key
You can also split using the Split Clips actions at the right side of Properties. The various actions
give you more control over splitting.
Split Actions Button in Properties
Note: As you split MIDI clips, any notes that are sustained across the split area are separated
into two notes.
You can even split a mixture of Audio clips and MIDI clips across multiple tracks, by selecting a
combination of them at once.
Determining MIDI Clip Key

It’s often helpful to quickly determine the key of a MIDI clip. Waveform can quickly analyze the
note data in a clip and give you it’s best guess at the key. It can be a helpful reference or just a double
check. To this select a MIDI clip then choose Identify Key from Properties.
Identify Key Button in Properties
This returns the informational box that gives you percentage certainty for each potential key.
Key Results for MIDI Clip

MIDI Note Editors

As you increase the vertical size of a track holding MIDI clips, you’ll see that there’s a point at
where it switches to the inline MIDI note editor. This gives you a comprehensive view of the notes
contained within the MIDI clip. This type of view is commonly called a piano roll view (PRV).
The MIDI Note Editor
If you double-click the on the MIDI clip header you will open the a separate MIDI Editor view
docked above the Controls panel. You can do all your MIDI editing in this editor if you like. It can
be undocked and made large on second screen if really want to zoom in your work.
Dedicate MIDI Editor View
Everything you can do with inline MIDI editing can also be done in the separate MIDI Editor view.
It has some added features as well that well will cover later in the chapter.
Setting the Number of Octaves & Note Height

You can adjust how many octaves you see in the in-line MIDI editor in the Options menu. By default
Options > Default MIDI editor vertical scale is set to 2 octaves, a reasonable starting point. If you
want you can set this to show more or fewer octaves.
Default MIDI Editor Vertical Scale Setting
To fine tune the vertical size of MIDI notes, drag the arrows above and below the piano graphic.
Use Arrows to Adjust Vertical Size

Mouse Wheel Options for MIDI Editing

You can use your mouse wheel to scroll vertically within the MIDI editor. During mixing you may
prefer to disable this function, in order to prevent scrolling within the MIDI clips unintentionally.
Mouse Wheel MIDI Scrolling Setting
You may find it’s generally helpful to have MIDI scrolling on during MIDI editing. You’ll find this
setting in the menu under Options > Mouse wheel action > Mouse wheel scrolls MIDI grid.
Basic MIDI Editing - Pitch

Next, let’s look at the tools for editing the actual MIDI notes. In general, editing works by selecting
notes and then doing an action.
Select a Note and Drag Up or Down to Change Pitch
The most basic edit? Click a note to select it. Drag it up or down to change the pitch.
Per Note Automation

As you start to drag MIDI notes around, you will immediately see the per-note controller editing
area appear above or below selected notes.
Drawing Per Note Automation
If you don’t see the per-note automation editing area, you can turn it on and off in Properties.
Turn Per Note Automation Editing On or Off
To begin, select any single note. The automation editing area will appear for the full length of the
note. By default you will be editing Volume (controller 7). Select the pencil tool and draw in the
desired automation curve by click-dragging over the editing area.
Note: You need to select the pencil tool to draw in the per-note automation.
The curve will appear as steps based on the current snap resolution. The snap resolution is set by
the zoom level; To draw in a more detailed curve, zoom in more.
Selecting the Controller Type for Per Note Automation
You can select any other control by clicking the Type button on the MIDI editor toolbar. This type
of editing gives you detailed control over performance details and articulations.
Note: Not all virtual instruments respond to this type of data.
Nudging Notes
Nudging notes works much like it does for Audio clips and MIDI clips. Select a note, hold down Shift,
while pressing the arrow keys. Shift-up and Shift-down change the pitch. Shift-left and Shift-right
change the timing.
Nudging is particularly helpful when changing the pitch, since there there’s no chance of altering
the timing of the note.
Tip: Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z works as undo for most editing operations.
Note Length
You can trim the length of a note by grabbing the left or right edge and dragging left or right.
Trimming a MIDI Note
Snapping During Note Editing

Many of these editing operations will snap to the grid as long as you have Snap enabled. To edit
freely, disable Snap. The keyboard shortcut Q enables or disables snapping.
Note Editing Will Snap if Snap is On
Copying and Duplicating Notes

To copy a note, hold down Cmd / Ctrl and drag the note to create a copy. Another way to do this is
with the Duplicate keyboard shortcut. First select the note that you would like to copy, make sure
the cursor is where you’d like the copy placed and then hit the keyboard shortcut D.
Copying a Note
Adjusting Pitch and Velocity in Properties

Another way to adjust pitch and velocity is to select the note and then edit the values directly in
Properties. Both Pitch and Velocity can easily be edited this way.
Adjust Pitch and Velocity in Properties

Note Start, Length, & End

You can also make very precise adjustments to the Length, Start Time, and End Time by editing the
values directly in Properties for the selected note.
Start, Length, & End Settings in Properties
The Pencil Tool

The pencil tool is used to draw in notes. Simply select the pencil tool and then start painting in notes
where you’d like them to appear on the piano roll.
Draw in New Notes with the Pencil Tool
The Eraser Tool

Use the eraser tool to swipe over any series of notes that you would like to erase.
The Eraser Tool
The Line Tool

There’s also a line tool. We usually recommend using this for drawing in controllers, but it is also
possible to use it for notes as well. Draw a line to create a stepped series of notes.
Draw a Series of Notes with the Line Tool
Tip: For quick assess to the MIDI editing tools, right click in the MIDI editor and menu
will popup to change tools or do other useful actions.
MIDI Editor Right-click Tool Selection Menu
Note Colors
The color selection along the top edge of the MIDI editor allows you to select set a note color. Select
a group of notes, click on a color and then it will change those notes to that color. It doesn’t affect
playback, but it gives you a way to visually organize a sequence. For example, when programming
drums you could make snares, hi-hats, and kick drum all different colors.
Note Colors
Selecting Multiple Notes

Selecting multiple notes is easy. Use the arrow tool and drag a selection around any group of notes
that you’d like to select together.
Note Multiple Selection
You can also add or remove notes from a multiple selection by holding down Shift (or Cmd / Ctrl)
then clicking additional notes you’d like to toggle in and out of the selection.
To select an entire row of notes that are the same pitch, hold down Cmd / Ctrl and click on the PRV
keyboard key corresponding to that row of notes; doing so selects the full row of notes.
Selecting a Row of Notes with Cmd / Ctrl
Once you have a multiple selection, move all the notes in time or by pitch by dragging with the
arrow tool. Alternatively, you can change values in Properties that will apply to all notes in the
selection. Nudge also works on well on a multiple selection of notes (Shift plus the arrow keys).
Splitting Notes
Select one or more notes then press Cmd + slash / Ctrl + slash to split a note into two equal length
notes.
Split notes with Cmd + slash / Ctrl + slash
If you have a selection of more than one note, you will split each not into two equal length notes
Tip: Use the note split feature to draw in one note and quickly divide it into a series of
notes by repeatedly pressing the keyboard shortcut.
Split Notes Action in Properties
Note split is also available from Properties. Select a note or notes then click Modify Notes in Properties
and select Split Notes.
Quantising Notes
When you quantise a note you adjust the timing to match the rhythm of the tempo perfectly. In the
Waveform MIDI editor, select group of notes and click Quantise from the MIDI toolbar. From her
you can select a variety of options. The most common option is to Quantize note start times.
Quantise Menu Options
In the image above, the selection is Quantize note start times > To nearest 1/2 beat. In 4/4 time that
would mean quantizing to the nearest eighth note.
The same Quantise menu is also available from Properties for the selected MIDI notes.
Quantise Menu in Properties
To learn all about quantizing see Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes
Applying Groove
If quantizing notes seems to restrictive, you can apply groove instead. Groove gives you a flexible
way to quantize in a way that doesn’t perfectly align to the bars and beats of the tempo. Groove is
also way to import a swing feel to MIDI notes. The Groove menu is available from the MIDI editor
toolbar and from Properties. Learn all about it in Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes.
Legato Notes
You changed a series of notes have a more legato feel quickly. Select a series of notes then click
Modify Notes > Legato Notes (shift + L) in Properties.
Legato Notes Action in Properties
This has the effect of adjusting the note lengths so that each note plays out to exactly the start of
the next note.
Before Applying Legato Notes
After Applying Legato Notes
This is a great way to smooth out MIDI parts that might have sound too choppy.
Editing the Note Velocity

To quickly change the velocity of a note, select the note and then select a value from the Velocity
drop down menu. This gives you a variety of preset values at popular levels.
Quickly Set Note Velocity
If you choose Other, from the velocity drop down, you can type in whatever value you want from
0 to 127.
You’ll See this if you Select Other
Tip: Here’s another trick way to adjust velocity. Select a note then hold Shift as you drag
up and down over the note. Notice the Velocity value changing in Properties as you drag.
Step Entry Mode

When the Step button is toggled on, the MIDI clip goes into step entry mode. In this mode, any notes
you play to the track will be entered at the cursor position. Then, the cursor will advance to the next
step based on the Snap grid resolution. You can adjust that based on the level of zoom.
Step Entry Mode
Hearing Notes While Editing

You have the option to trigger notes that are being moved so you can hear the pitch. You can enable
or disable this using the speaker icon at the far right at the top of the MIDI editor tool bar.
Enable Speaker Button to Trigger Notes During Editing
The Velocity Editor

You can edit MIDI note velocity from the velocity area below the PRV. Click the Velocity button at
the left of the MIDI editor toolbar to expose the velocity editor. For the selected note, grab the stalk
which represents the velocity and drag it up or down. You will notice the Velocity parameter moving
in Properties for that note as you drag.
The Velocity Editor
You can also edit multiple velocities together by first selecting several velocities. Say we want to edit
the velocity of all the C4s. Hold down Cmd / Ctrl and select all the C4s, then just grab one of them
and they will all adjust together.
Editing other Controller Data

You can use a view similar to the velocity editor with any kind of controller. Click the Control button
and then click Type to choose which controller to edit.
Editing Other Controller Data
Example editing aftertouch: In the MIDI editor click Control > Type > Channel Pressure. Now the
channel pressure data will appear in the same way velocity appears.
Shaping Controller Data

When you select a group of notes, notice three shaping handles above the controllers over the
selection. Grab and drag either corner handle to tilt the shape of the series of controller.
Controller Shaping Handles
Grab the center handle and drag to scale the magnitude of the controllers. This works great for
velocity scaling as well as shaping any type of controller.
Randomising Velocity Data

Randomising velocity is a great way to add some variation to static sounding programmed parts.
You can easily do this by selecting some notes and choosing Modify Notes > Randomise Velocity
from Properties.
Choosing the Randomise Velocity Action
Following this, you see a dialog box where you enter the minimum and maximum velocity to use
while randomly setting the values.
Setting the Minimum and Maximum Values for Randomising
The velocity for the notes will be truly randomized over that range. If you don’t like the results try
again. The results will be different each time.
Results of Randomised Velocity

MIDI Editor View

As we mentioned before, you can double click any clip to open a full, dedicate MIDI Editor that by
default is docked above the Controls panel. Everything we explained above can be done in either
the inline MIDI editor or the separate MIDI editor view.
All the features of the MIDI toolbar are the same. The inline MIDI editor the toolbar is at the top
of the clip while for the separate MIDI Editor the toolbar is along the bottom. There are however,
several cool and unique things you can do with the larger, separate MIDI editor.
The Large MIDI Editor in a Separate Window
Show/Hide the MIDI Editor

At the top right of the Edit you will find several small buttons that show or hide various
Waveform panels. One of those is the Show/Hide MIDI Editor button. It resembles a piano
keyboard.
Show/Hide the MIDI Editor

1 You can also show or hide the MIDI editor from Properties for a selected MID\
2 I clip by clicking the *Show/Hide MIDI Editor* button.
Show/Hide MIDI Editor in Properties
Undock the MIDI Editor

With the MIDI editor visible, click the undock icon to launch it in a separate window.
Dock the MIDI Editor

With the MIDI editor undocked, click the dock icon to move it back to the Edit below the
arrangement.
Click this Icon to Dock the MIDI Editor
Hide Show Velocity Pane

This is just like the inline MIDI editor. Click the Velocity button in the MIDI toolbar to open
or close the Velocity pane for working with note velocity graphically.
Hide/Show Controllers Pane

Click the Controllers button on the MIDI toolbar to open or close the controllers pane. If the
Velocity pane is already open, the controllers pane will appear below it. Click the small down
arrow next to the Controllers button to choose which continuous controller to work with.
Set a Background Audio Clip

If you want to align MIDI notes to the rhythm of an audio clip in the Edit, click Background
Audio Clip in the lower right of the MIDI editor. This allows you load in any Audio clip in
the Edit by name. The waveform of the clip will be visible behind the note editing area. You
can use this to align your MIDI notes to the audio transients visually.
This is Where You Set the Background Audio Clip in the MIDI Editor
Select the Background Audio Clip in the MIDI Editor
1 The background Audio clip is selected from clips that already exist on a trac\
2 k in the Edit. To choose the clip to use, click on the *Background Audio Clip* a\
3 rea at the lower right of the MIDI editor. There you can select from a list of a\
4 vailable audio clips.
5
6 The audio clips waveform will be visible as the background for the MIDI edito\
7 r but only at the place in time it occurs in the Edit.
Background Audio Clip Visible in the MIDI Editor
Working with Clips Across Multiple Tracks in the MIDI

Editor
The MIDI editor will work with all the clips you have selected in the arrangement. If you
select clips across multiple tracks they appear in the list on the right side of the MIDI editor.
List of MIDI Clips

When you first select a group of clips, the notes will appear and be available to edit. When
you add new notes using the pencil tool this notes are added to the clip you have selected in
this list.
Lock Icon
When the lock icon is dim, the MIDI clip is unlocked and the notes can be edited. Click it to
lock the clip. With the lock illuminate you can’t edit the notes for that clip but you can still
see them for reference.
Note: If the clip is the one selected in the list, it becomes the active clip and you can edit
regardless of the state of this lock.
Eye Icon
With the ‘eye’ icon illuminated the clip is visible in the MIDI editor. With the icon dim the
clip is hidden and cannot be seen or edited.
Pencil Icon
The ‘pencil’ icon in the MIDI clip list is a further indicator that new notes entered will go into
this clip. It is automatically set when you click to select a clip in the list.
Enter Chords
Waveform has several ways to help you enter the notes for common chord types. You do this by
selecting a MIDI note then choosing the kind of chord from the Chords menu. The note you select
is used as the root note for the chord. The additional notes are added above. The Chords menu is
available from the MIDI editor toolbar or from Properties for the selected note.
1. Select a note then choose the chord type from the MIDI Editor toolbar:
Choosing the Chord Type
Waveform build the chord using your selected note as the root:
Chord Notes Added Above the Root
If you select several notes, then chords are built above each of them.
Chords are Built Above All Selected Notes:
You can also choose the chord using the Create Chord menu from Properties for the note:
Create Chord in Properties
Create Triad and Create Seventh are available from the right click menu for each note.
Right-click a note for Create Triad or Create Seventh
Moving On
Those are the fundamentals of MIDI clip and note editing. We’re going to get into quantizing MIDI
notes and applying groove in the next chapter.
Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes
The idea of quantizing is to correct the timing your MIDI performances. At a basic level, quantizing
snaps each note to the nearest correct note on a virtual grid defined by the bars and beats of your
song. Waveform gives you tools to define that grid in musical increments like quarter note, eighth
note, but it does so using divisions of a beat.
Waveform takes quantizing further with groove templates. Groove templates allow you to quantize
in a way that’s not perfectly aligned to straight timing. An important use of this is to introduce
musical swing to the timing. You have all the tools needed to impart the desired feel into your
performance.
How to Quantize
Within a MIDI clip, select all the notes you want to quantize. If you want to quantize all of them,
you can use select all (Cmd + A / Ctrl + A). The quantize actions are available by clicking Quantize
in Properties.
MIDI Quantize Actions
There are four different quantize actions available, as shown above. The most common option is the
first one - Quantize note start times. To complete the action, you pick which beat division to use.
The beat division selection can be a little confusing. Musical divisions in Waveform are represented
as fractions of one beat. For example, if you want to quantize to eighth notes and you’re in 4/4 time,
Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes 246
then you select To nearest 1/2. One half of one beat would be an eighth note. If you want to quantize
to sixteenth notes, then select To nearest 1/4 beat from this menu.
MIDI Notes Before Quantizing
MIDI Notes After Quantizing Note Starts to Nearest 1/2 Beat
You’ll will notice right away that quantizing perfectly tightens up up the performance. It will snap
the notes to the nearest increment of the division that you selected.
Note: If you’re playing was so far off that it actually snaps it to the wrong note, then you
might need to do some MIDI editing to clean that up!
Tip: Some styles of music are based on perfectly quantized timing while other styles aren’t.
To get a more natural feel but also fix timing errors, you can always edit timing note-by-
note manually with Snap turned off. Groove quantizing also gives you other options for
“quantizing with feel”. More on that later.
Quantizing Note Lengths

If you choose the option to quantize the note lengths you’ll see that the notes become the full length
of that particular note value.
Note Lengths Quantized to 1/2 beat
With something like a piano part, this can lead to a choppy, unnatural feel. You could try quantizing
the note lengths to 1/4 beat (sixteenth note) if the playing is that inconsistent.
In most cases, it’s not really important to quantize the note lengths. It can be useful for things like
quantizing the note lengths on drum parts, because it helps play out the full attack and decay of a
drum hit.
Quantizing with Groove

Next let’s look at how to quantize with groove. This feature can be as simple a choosing a preset,
or as complex as finely programming a groove template. Groove can be applied to both MIDI clips
and Step clips, which we will cover in the next chapter.
First lets look at the basics:
Select the notes to quantize and click Apply Groove in Properties.
Apply Groove in Properties
You will then get a large menu of groove presets. These are custom templates that allow you to apply
fine adjustments to the timing.
Apply Groove Presets in Options
The most common scenario is to apply swing: Delaying the eighth notes that follow the four primary
beats in a bar. To locate the groove templates for standard swing, look at those starting with Swing
1/2. Swing 1/2 as in half beat. In normal musical terms, that’s eighth note swing. To apply a nice
groovy swing, try Swing 1/2 60%.
Groove Presets for Swing
Note: In 4/4 music, eighth note timing is counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. In swing timing, the
“&” beats are delayed. The swing presets in Waveform let you pick how much delay as a
percentage from subtle (10%) to dramatic (90%).
Before Applying Groove
After Applying Groove - Swing 1/2 60%
After you apply swing, you’ll see it lays back all of the “and” notes to be a little late; groovy!
Waveform will also adjust the note lengths appropriately as shown above.
Defining Groove Templates

To take groove to the next level, you can build grooves to your own definition using the Groove
Template Editor. At the bottom of the Apply Groove menu, you’ll find Edit groove templates. This is
also available in the Menu section under Snapping > Edit Groove Templates.
Snapping > Edit groove templates
Select this to open the groove template editor. Click on any of the presets to see how the logic works.
Groove Template Editor
In the image above, we have selected the Swing 1/4 60% template we used for the examples in this
chapter. A groove template consists of a pattern length, note subdivision, and the timing for each
note. For each step of the pattern, you choose the amount that that note falls ‘early’ or ‘late’ relative
to perfect timing.
Swing 1/2 60% Template Example
The example in the figure shown above is the setup for a basic swing beat, with each ‘and’ eighth-
note delayed. You can adjust the intensity of the swing feel by how much delay you put on the
eighth notes.
Complex Groove Templates

Since you can create groove templates with as many steps as you want, you can dial in exactly the
feel you want. For example if you want to vary the swing within the bar of music, you could create
a template with eight notes with each swing element slightly different.
Groove Template with Variable Swing
Alternatively, you can create a groove that pushes the timing over two bars, which will give
excitement and tension like the FastSlow2 preset.
FastSlow2 Groove Template
Tip: It can also be useful to create a ‘No Groove’ template to help you remove the effect of
groove. This is particularly useful when applying groove templates to Step clips; more on
that in the next chapter!
Creating a ‘No Groove’ Template
Managing Groove Templates

Waveform gives you all the tools you need to create new groove templates, rename them, and import
and export them. Exported templates have the .trkgroove file extension. This allows you to share
them with other Waveform users or installations.
Create, Rename, Import, or Export Groove Templates
While editing a groove template, you may reset it. This removes the late/early timing for the pattern,
but doesn’t change the length or note division settings.
Resetting a Groove Template
Any groove template that you don’t need, you can delete using Delete Template.
Deleting a Groove Template
Moving On
You should now have a pretty good understanding of MIDI, MIDI recording, MIDI editing, and even
quantizing with MIDI. But there is one more thing: Step clips. And that is up next!
Chapter 27 - Step Clips
On the surface, a Step clip is a simple MIDI step sequencer, allowing you to turn notes on and off.
However, they go much deeper than that.
In this chapter, you’ll learn all about Step clips and how to use them to create drumbeats, synth lines,
or bass lines.
Step Clips Overview

Step clips act like a special type of MIDI clip. However, the notes are represented on a grid where
each column is a ‘step’ indicating a musical increment. By default, there are 16 steps in a pattern
to match popular drum machines and step sequencers. That means in 4/4 timing, there are four
steps per beat. You can change this to other values, but this is usually a good starting point for
programming drumbeats.
Here is a breakdown of the key concepts you need to work with Step clips:
Parts of a Step Clip
Step Clip
Step clips are similar to MIDI clips at a high level. You can add, delete, and copy them. They
are always in loop mode so you can drag the right trim handle to roll out repetitions. Step
clips need a synth plugin in order to make sound, just like MIDI clips.
Chapter 27 - Step Clips 255
Header
Click the Step clip header to select it. With the clip selected, you have access to a wide variety
of settings and actions in Properties. Drag the Step clip by the header to move it forward or
backward in time, or track-to-track.
Footer
Click the Step clip footer for access to a drop down menu and additional actions and values
in Properties. These properties are related to working with patterns and sections.
Pattern
A pattern is the grid of notes that you program to do something musical. Each column is a
‘step’ and each row is a ‘channel.’ A Step clip can hold any number of patterns. Patterns and
sections are easily confused, so keep in mind that they are not the same thing.
Step A pattern is defined by how many steps it has, and what each step represents musically. By
default a new pattern will have 16 steps with a step length of 1/4 beat. A step is one column
of the grid that makes up a pattern.
Channel
Each row on a Step clip is a channel. A channel is assigned to a single MIDI note. Channels
live at the clip level of each Step clip. Channel assignments are the same for all patterns within
the clip. It is possible to assign channels within one Step clip to different virtual instruments.
More on that later.
Note
A note is the cell formed at the intersection of steps and channels. You program patterns by
clicking notes to toggle them on or off.
Section
By default a Step clip has a single section which is assigned to one active pattern. You can
create longer Step clips by adding more sections. Each section is then assigned to a pattern.
Pattern Number
Patterns are numbered local to each Step clip. The pattern number for any section is shown
on the footer.
A Step Clip with Four Sections
Tip: You can think about Step clips as follows: Step clips hold a series of sections. Each
section is assigned to a pattern. You can assign the same pattern to more than one section
if you so desire.
Note: Patterns can exist in a Step clip that are not assigned to any section.
Inserting a Step Clip Into the Edit

There are four ways to insert Step clips onto a track:
Insert Using the Clip Object

Like all the other kinds of clips, you can drag the Clip object to a track and then choose Insert
new Step Clip from the menu.
Insert by Dragging the Clip Object
Insert from the Track Header

Another way is to select the track where you’d like the Step clip to go, position the cursor
where you’d like it to start, then right-click on the track header and select “Insert Step Clip”.
Right-click Track Header
Insert from Track Properties

Select a track by clicking on the track name. In Properties, click “Insert New Clip > Insert New
Step Clip.”
Insert from Track Properties
Inserting a Step Clip Preset

Since you can save Step clip setups as presets, a great way to get a starting point is to drag in a
preset. You can find any existing Step clip presets in the Browser Search tab. Filter by Presets
or enter a search term if you know the name.
Use a Step Clip Preset from the Browser
Programming a Drum Beat with a Step Clip

If you create a Step clip by dragging the Clip object to a track, the channels will be pre-assigned to
General MIDI drum notes. This makes it really fast to get started programming beats.
Default Step Clip
Here are the basic steps to programming a drum beat using a Step clip:
1. Insert a drum instrument onto a track and select a preset.

2. Insert a Step clip on the track.
3. Set the In-marker and Out-marker over the Step clip and turn Loop on.
4. Start playback, and turn notes on and off by clicking on the individual note cells within the
pattern.
Programming a Step Clip
As you toggle notes you will hear the result. You are are now programming a Step clip pattern!
Video Clip: This video overview is a great way to get a better understanding of how all this
works. While the video was created using Tracktion T6 the workflow is almost identical
for Waveform. Step Clips Overview35
Step Clip Properties

A Step clip has a header that is similar to that of MIDI clips and Audio clips. Click the header to
reveal all the actions and settings in Properties. The following properties are the most important
when working with Step clips:
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Click the Header for Step Clip Properties
Name
Give your Step clip a descriptive Name. This will be particularly helpful when you go to save
a Step clip as a preset. The Step clip name is used as the basis for presets.
Color
Use the color selection to give your Step clip a unique color.
Clear All Patterns

Clear All Patterns removes all the notes from all patterns contained within the clip. Since
patterns act like layers, you might not be able to see all the patterns while you’re working on
a Step clip.
Warning: Clear All Patterns clears all patterns whether you can see them or not, so really
be careful when using this feature. Fortunately, you can click Undo (Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z) if
you change your mind right after zeroing out all your patterns!
Delete All Unused Patterns

With Step clips, you can string together a series of patterns by adding additional sections.
Delete All Unused Patterns means that you’re going to remove all the patterns that aren’t
assigned to play in any section. While you don’t need to use this feature, it’s a way to clean
up unused patterns after you’re happy with what you have playing.
Add Channel
Add Channel will add another row of notes at the bottom the Step clip. You can also insert a
channel from Properties for any selected channel. This inserts the new channel just above the
selected one.
Render Clip
Use any of the Render Clip options to convert a Step clip to an Audio clip.
Note In the Render dialogue box, make sure you have Pass Through Plugins selected. If
you don’t, then Waveform won’t produce any sound and will not be able to render the
Step clip to audio.
Standard Clip Operations

Step clip properties also includes Select Clip, Set Edit Tempo, Split Clips, and Move Clip. These
are standard operations shared by all the other kinds of clips.
Render to MIDI Clip

Render to MIDI Clip is an important feature of Step clips. This will convert any selected Step
clips to a MIDI clip. This allows you to continue working on Step clips in the MIDI editor,
using the piano roll view.
Create Preset
Create Preset gives you tools to create presets of a Step clips. This is an extremely useful feature
that allows you to set up templates of grid patterns and channel assignments for specific drum
instruments, or even create a library of popular drum patterns that you’d like to reuse in other
songs. We’ll get into that more later in the chapter.
Delete
Delete allows you to delete the selected Step clip. Alternatively, just select the Step clip, press
Delete, Backspace, or Cmd + X / Ctrl + X. Any of these will delete a clip.
Tip Just like any other clip, Step clips can be copied (Cmd + C / Ctrl + C), pasted (Cmd +
V / Ctrl + V), and duplicated (D).
The Step Clip Footer

When you click on the Step clip footer, you select the section and whichever pattern is actively
showing. With the footer selected, you are selecting both the section and the active pattern. You can
tell which pattern is active by the small number indicated on the footer.
Selected Step Clip Footer Shows Pattern & Section Properties
In Properties, the first two columns of controls are related to the pattern. The last column is related
to sections. Let’s go through what these options are all about.
Note: The section and pattern numbers are shown in the title line of Properties when a
footer is selected. For example, “Section 1 (Pattern 8).”
If you have more than one section in a Step clip, you select a specific section by clicking its footer.
Right-click a footer (or click the footer if the clip’s already selected) and you’ll get a menu of actions
related to that section. All of the actions also appear in Properties. They are available from the
right-click menu, for your convenience.
Section Footer Right-Click Menu

Pattern Options
Pattern Options in Properties
Set Active Pattern

If you have more than one pattern available in your Step clip, you can choose which one is
active from the list. This is also available by right-clicking on the section footer.
Step Length
By default, step length is one-quarter beat. This means each beat is divided into four steps.
If you change this to some other value, it will change it for the active pattern but not for the
entire Step clip.
Number of Steps
Number of Steps is the number of steps in the pattern. By default, this is 16. With a step length
of one-quarter beat and the Number of Steps set to 16, each beat in 4/4 timing is divided into
four steps. This is the most common setup for a step sequencer. This also gives you one bar of
music.
Common Length Setups

Common Length Setups gives you some preset combinations of Step Length and Number of
Steps to create one or two bar patterns.
Common Length Setups in Properties

Step Clip Pattern Actions
Pattern Actions in Properties
New Pattern
New Pattern simply creates a new blank pattern and makes it active for the section. You’ll
notice that the pattern number is automatically assigned. It will be the next available unused
pattern number.
Copy to New Pattern
If you want to quickly make a variation on a pattern that you really like, click Copy to New
Pattern. This copies the active pattern to a new pattern so you can program a variation.
Clear All Notes
Clear All Notes clears all steps of any notes that have been turned on. This is a simple way to
erase the active pattern and start over with some new programming.
Randomize Each Step
The Randomize Each Step button randomly turns on and off notes throughout the entire
pattern. This might give you some creative inspiration or just simply serve as a quick way
to test creating a new pattern.
Video Clip: Step Clips Randomize Each Step36
Tip: The Randomize function worked differently back in T5. In T5 Randomize Notes gave
you a cacophony of overlapping sound. Starting with T6, this was refined to trigger a single
note per step, which can be more musically useful. If you skipped over this feature in the
past, give it a try!
Note: Keep in mind you can also randomize a channel of notes. We’ll get to that shortly.
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Apply Common Groove

Apply Common Groove is usually used to impart a swing feel to your programmed pattern.
This button applies groove to all the channels in the pattern. There is a way to apply groove
individually to separate channels and we’ll cover that a bit later as well.
Step Clip Section Actions
Step Clip Section Actions
Insert Duplicate Section

Insert Duplicate Section makes a copy of the selected section and inserts it pushing any existing
sections to the right.
Tip: If you insert or duplicate a section but don’t see it, grab the right trim handle and pull
it to the right to expose any hidden sections.
Reveal Appended Sections with Trim
Append Duplicate Section

Append Duplicate Section puts a copy of the current section at the end of any existing sections.
Note: To be clear, Append Duplicate Section doesn’t simply insert a copy of the section to
the right of the current section. It puts it all the way at the end of any existing sections.
Tip: Keep in mind that after you append or duplicate sections, you can quickly assign them
to play whatever pattern you like. Right-click the footer and select which pattern you want
it play.
Assigning the Active Pattern to a Section
Remove Section
To remove a section, select it then click Remove Section from the menu or Properties. This
doesn’t remove any patterns; they’re still there and can be assigned to other sections.
Step Clip Channel Properties

In Step clip terminology, each row of the grid is a channel. Each channel has a note assignment,
a name, and a variety of actions you can use to manipulate the notes on that channel. Channels
can even be set to a destination. This allows you to route individual channels to different virtual
instruments which is a really cool feature. We’ll be covering that shortly.
Step Clip Channel Properties
Here are the things you can do with Step clip channels:
Assign a Note Value

If you know the MIDI note value you’d like the channel to play, then you can set it with the
Note property. Alternatively, drag the yellow arrow along the virtual keyboard at the bottom
of Properties and set it to the desired note there. As you drag the arrow, you’ll hear the notes
play.
Velocity
Velocity sets maximum MIDI velocity for the channel. Using the Step clip V/G editor (more
on that shortly), you can set each note to a percentage of this value. The default Velocity value
is 96.
MIDI Channel
MIDI Channel sets the output MIDI channel number. If you’re playing into a multi-timbral
virtual instrument, this sets which instrument is being played from this Step clip channel.
Note On Every
The Note On Every parameter is followed by a series of buttons. Those buttons complete the
sentence “Note on every (blank) steps.” Your selection fills in the black. For example, click 2 to
mean “Note on every 2 steps.” This works as a shortcut for programming repeating sequences
of notes on one row.
Groove
Earlier, we explained how you can set the groove for an entire pattern by selecting the pattern
and choosing Apply Common Groove. You can set the groove for an individual channel by
selecting the channel and then choosing Groove in the groove drop-down list. Also, if groove
has been applied to the pattern through pattern properties, that groove setting will show up
here in the channel groove property. In reality, groove is set at the channel level. When you
apply it at the pattern level, it just copies the groove to all the channels.
Note: Normally, groove is used to apply swing. In real mathematical terms, that means
slightly delaying off-beat eighth notes assuming a 4/4 time signature. Applying different
groove per channel would be an advanced programming technique and I wouldn’t
recommend it unless you really know what you’re doing. More on groove a bit later.
Video Clip: Step Clip Groove37
Name
Name is the Step clip channel name. As you hover the mouse pointer over a Step clip, you’ll
see the channel names appear along the left. If you want to set a unique name for a channel,
then select the channel and update Name in Properties.
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Step Clip Channel Actions
Step Clip Channel Actions in Properties
Insert New Channel

To insert a channel into your Step clip, select a channel and then click Insert New Channel.
This will put a new channel row above whichever channel you started from. Channels are
always numbered from the top down, so if you insert a channel, all of the following channels
get renumbered.
Clear Channel
The Clear Channel button simply erases any notes that have been programmed in to that row.
This gives you a blank row to program.
Randomized Channel
Randomize channel randomly programs the on or off state for all of the notes on that row. If
your Step clip has multiple sections, it will randomize the row across the active patterns on
all of the sections.
Shift Notes
The left and right arrow buttons following Shift Notes does exactly that. It shifts the series
of notes in each step one increment left or one increment right per click. This interesting to
experiment with and can lead to unexpected and useful rhythms.
Set Destination
Set Destination opens up one of the coolest features of Step clips. It allows you to choose which,
of many, virtual instruments you assign that particular channel. For example, you could have
your bass drum being played by EZdrummer while your high hat is played by MDrummer.
Then, you can set up a hand clap being played by the Waveform Sampler.
Note: For this feature to function, Waveform automatically wraps the virtual instruments
you drag into the track in a plugin rack. For the most part, Waveform handles the details
automatically when you apply Set Destination.
Video Clip: Route Step Clips to Different Synths Video38
Deleting a Channel
Select any channel in your Step clip, click Delete Channel and that removes that channel. All the
following channel numbers are then re-sequenced to keep them in numerical order.
Delete Channel Button in Properties
Tip: When programming Step clips, there’s really no reason to have all eight default
channels taking up space on your screen if you are not using that many at first. Use Delete
Channel to simplify your Step clips. It’s easy to add another channel at any time using
Insert New Channel.
Velocity Gate Editor

Take your Step clip programming to the next level using the Velocity Gate editor. When you click
V/G in the upper left corner of any Step clip, the V/G view appears below the patterns. This give
you a quick graphical view of the velocity per note for the selected channel.
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Step Clip Velocity Gate Editor
Here is how to use it:
1. Click V/G at the upper corner of the Step clip to toggle the V/G view. If you don’t see it, expand
the vertical height of the track a bit until it appears.
2. Select one the channels in your Step clip by clicking its name. The V/G editor shows the
velocity of each note in a bar graph format. Click or drag within one of the velocity bars to
adjust its percentage.
Adjusting a Velocity Bar in the V/G Editor

Note: The V/G setting is a percentage of the velocity value set in Properties for the channel.
By default it starts at 100%. If you want the notes to hit harder, then increase the channel
Velocity and adjust the V/G percentage to taste.
1. To adjust the velocity for a series of notes, hold down Shift and drag across the bars. This
allows you to paint in velocities for an entire sequence of notes. This is really useful for
channels with lots of notes like high-hats or snares.
Adjusting a Series of Velocities with Shift Drag
1. You can also gate the length of notes by dragging the right side of any velocity bar to narrow
it. This give you freedom to get gated, glitchy notes if you want, or just to tighten up the hits.
Adjusting Note Gating in the V/G Editor
Video Clip: Step Clip Velocity/Gate39
Looping Step Clips

MIDI Clips and Audio clips have a loop mode that allow you to roll out repetitions by dragging the
right trim handle. Step clips are always in loop mode. Grab right trim handle at any time to loop it
over part of your song.
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Looping a Step Clip
By default, Step clips loop only the last section. We find it more useful to loop the entire Step clip.
Fortunately, there is an option for that in Properties: Repeat Whole Sequence.
Enable Repeat Whole Sequence
Render a Step Clip to MIDI

When you get to a point where you want to do more detailed ending on your Step clip sequence,
convert it to a MIDI clip and use the MIDI editor, as follows: Select a Step clip and then choose
Render to MIDI Clip in Properties. A new MIDI clip will be created right on top of the Step clip.
From there, you can drag it away or delete the underlying Step clip.
Render a Step Clip to MIDI
Step Clip Presets

Waveform includes the ability to save presets of your Step clips. This is very useful for creating a
library of beats, as well as other elements for use in future productions. You may want to create
presets and use them as templates, holding your preferred starting points for Step clip channel
assignments and names.
Always use Create Preset > Include patterns
To save a preset, select the Step clip by clicking the header. Then click Create Preset > Include patterns
in Properties. You can name and tag your preset. To find it later, use the Browser Presets tab and
filter by Step Clips.
Preset Details Dialog Box for a Step Clip
Tip: We suggest you always use Create Preset > Include patterns. Create Preset > Exclude
Patterns is also available, but that will always have the default 16 step blank pattern
since the save function doesn’t include any patterns. If you use this option, you may be
disappointed to see that presets don’t appear to save correctly. If you want a blank preset,
clear all the notes, then save it using Create Preset > Include patterns.
Moving On
Step clips are an incredibly powerful and fun way to work with MIDI data and virtual instruments.
They are also unique to Waveform, and are one of the key things that makes it special. Use them as
a secret weapon for creating cool and expressive beats!
Video Clips: Check out this series of videos, which you may find helpful when learning to
use Step clips:
Step Clips Overview40

Step Clips Velocity/Gate41
Step Clips Randomize Each Step42
Step Clips Groove43
Step Clips Route Channels to Different Synths44
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Chapter 28 - Scanning Plugins
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to get Waveform to recognize your third-party plugins. This is
essential to do before using third party effects and virtual instruments. The next few chapters are
all about using plugins, so learning this step is essential before moving on.
Scanning Plugins
All scanning action happens on the Settings tab, Plugins page. If you have previously scanned
plugins, you’ll see a list of all the plugins on your system. If not, the list will be blank.
Setting Tab > Plugins, Plugins List
To scan your system, click Scanning and Sorting. If you’re on a PC, you can scan for VST or VST3
plugin. If you’re on a Mac, you can scan for AudioUnits, VST, or VST3 plugins.
Scanning and Sorting Menu
If you are just getting started with Waveform and the plugin list is blank, run scans for each type of
plugin. You will also do this each time you install new third party plugins.
To reset your list of plugins, choose Clear List. That will reset the list, removing all the plugins.
Remove any plugins who’s file no longer exist is also useful to cleanup the list, especially if you have
been trying out and deleting a lot of plugin demos.
Chapter 28 - Scanning Plugins 276
When you run a scan, Waveform increments through all plugins on your system. This might take
several minutes, depending on how many plugins you have.
Note: If Waveform can’t load a plugin correctly, you’ll see a message indicating that the
plugin was deactivated sometimes. This will often abort the scan. If you get a message like
this, redo the scan for that type of plugin. Waveform also makes sure to skip plugins that
are deactivated during successive scans.
Tip: When you have trouble loading a plugin, first make sure both Waveform and the
plugin are on the latest version. Also, report any plugin issues to Tracktion Software so
they can work with the manufacture to establish compatibility.
64-Bit Versus 32-Bit Plugins

Keep in mind that the 64-bit version of Waveform will only load 64-bit plugins. If you rely on 32-bit
plugins, then you need to run the 32-bit version.
Sorting the Plugins List

Once your plugins are all loaded they appear in alphabetical order. You can sort the view by clicking
any of the column headers.
Sorting Plugins List by Clicking the Headers
Once sorted by a column, clicking that header again toggles the sort order between ascending and
descending alphabetical order.
Setting the Style of the Plugin Object

To insert an effect into an Edit, grab the plugin object in the upper right corner and drag it to the
in-line Mixer section of any track or Mixer view.
Drag the Plugin Object to Insert a Plugin
As you drop it, you’ll see the selector menu. Pick the plugin you want from this menu. There are
numerous ways to have the selector menu displayed, based on the the Plugin Selector and Selector
Sorting options at the bottom of the Settings tab, Plugins page.
Plugin Selector
The default for this is Popup menu but you can choose a Popup tree view instead. You can
optionally organize a fully custom configured menu as described here shortly. The custom
popup can also be in tree or menu format. If those options aren’t already enough, you can
optionally tag all your plugins and select a view based on the tags, a very flexible approach.
Selector Sorting
The Selector Sorting property allows you set the sort order of the selector menu or tree. Many
of us set this to Sort by manufacturer when using the standard popup menu, however Sort by
category and Sort by disk location are available options.
Plugin Object - Selector Sorting Options

Building a Custom Plugin Selector

If you set Plugin Selector to Custom popup menu or Custom popup tree, you can organize the menu
however you like in the Custom Plugin List. To do so, drag plugins from the main list and drop them
on the Custom Plugin List pane on the right.
Custom Plugins List in Settings Tab, Plugins Page
Note: If you don’t see the Custom Plugin List, then enable Show Custom Menu Editor below
the plugin list.
Show Custom Menu Editor Option
To further organize your menu, create groups to hold collections of plugins like ‘Favorites’ or
‘Compressors.’ To create a group, click the ‘plus’ icon at the lower right. This adds a New Group
folder to the bottom the Custom Plugin List. Right-click the group to rename it or remove it. Drag
it to the desired position and then drag some plugins to the group.
Click to Add a Group to the Custom Plugin List
Opening Plugin Windows

The Settings tab, Plugins page includes the setting Opening Plugin Windows. Here, you can choose
whether you want to single-click or double-click to open plugin windows. You are choosing whether
you single-click it or double-click plugins in the in-line Mixer or Mixer view it to see its UI window.
Single-click or Double-click to Open Plugins
Note that this feature may work inconsistently. If you set it to single-click, some plugins may still
require a double-click. You might want to experiment with this to see how it works with your
plugins.
Locking (Pinning) Plugin Windows

You can make any plugin window stick on the screen, using the padlock icon in the upper right
corner. Since the icon is a padlock we call it locking here in the manual. The same concept is referred
to as ‘pinning’ on in some places.
Padlock Icon to Lock or Unlock a Plugin Window

By default, a plugin window is not locked, unless you specifically click the icon to lock it. However,
you can change that behavior on the Settings tab, Plugins page. Changing the property Pinning
Plugin Windows.
Open Plugins Pinned, or Not
Plugins can be locked or unlocked when open. Test this behaviour by opening a plugin and make
sure it is unlocked. Now, open another plugin and notice that the first one closes. Next repeat this
with the plugin pinned. The pinned plugin stays visible as you open additional plugins.
Setting Tags
You can add tags to your plugins if you want, and can then use these tags in the Browser Search tab
to filter for specific kinds of plugins. You can also use tags to organize the Plugin Selector menu as
described above.
The Settings tab, Plugins page has a drag and drop approach to set tags. Select some plugins from
the list and drag them to the Add Tag button at the lower right. This gives you options to choose
any exiting tag or create a new one.
Drag and Drop to Set Tags
To remove tags, drag a selection of plugins from the list to the Remove Tag button and choose which
tag to remove.
Tip: You can also set tags directly in the Browser from a right-click menu whenever you
see a plugin in the search results.
Moving On
Once you have your plugins scanned and recognized, you are ready to use them in Waveform, and
that’s what’s coming in the next chapter!
Chapter 29 - Using Plugins
In this chapter, we will show you how to apply effects plugins using the flexible In-line Mixer section.
Most this applies to the newer Mixer view as well.
Note: Back in the day, Tracktion used to called effects and synth plugins ‘filters.’ Over
the past several releases we moved away from this nomenclature and have adopted the
industry standard term: ‘plugin.’ You might still run into the old terminology in the older
tutorials or in conversation with long term Tracktioneers!
The In-line Mixer

The In-line Mixer section resides along the right side of the Edit, and completes the left-to-right
signal flow of each track. You can open and close the Mixer using the open/close icon at the upper
right, or also using keyboard shortcut M.
Button to Open Close the Mixer (M)
Whenever you create a new track, it will automatically have a Volume & Pan plugin and a Level
Meter plugin inserted. These behave just like any other plugin. You can change the order, remove
them, or even add additional instances of them on the same track.
Chapter 29 - Using Plugins 282
Default Plugins Volume & Pan and Level Meter
For example, you might want a level meter before and after a compressor. Of course, you can add
other plugins, both built-in and third party to the Mixer section.
Level Meter Before and After a 3rd Party Compressor
Tip: Each Mixer channel is stereo. If the track contains mono clips, you will still typically
want to choose stereo versions of plugins for the Mixer, as mono plugins might only effect
the left side of the signal.
Adjusting the Size of the In-line Mixer Section

Try moving the mouse pointer from the arrangement slowly to the in-line Mixer section. As your
pointer crosses over from the arrangement to the Mixer, notice the vertical highlight line.
Resizing the Mixer

Drag the highlight line to the left to expand the Mixer section. If you drag it right, then you can
make the Mixer section smaller. All of the plugins on the Mixer are dynamically resized.
Tip: If you accidentally delete, change, or move a plugin, or simply change your mind, click
Undo on the Menu (Ctrl + Z / Cmd + Z) to restore it.
Working with Plugins

You can fully customize the in-line Mixer channel for each track by inserting a chain of plugins.
This is a compelling feature of Waveform. There is no need to switch between a horizontal track
view and a vertical console view - that is, unless you want to! A full Mixer view is also available.
Here are the essentials for working with plugins in the Mixer:
Inserting Plugins
To insert additional Waveform plugins or third-party plugins, drag the Plugin Object to a
track and then select the plugin that you would like from the list.
Drag the Plugin Object to Insert a Plugin
For third-party plugins, the UI window will pop up. Apart from the core built-in plugins, each has
its own graphical user interface.
Right-click to Insert
Right-click on any existing plugin and select Add new plugin. This pulls up the plugin selector
menu and you may pick any plugin to add. It will be added to the left of plugin you started
from.
Note: If you don’t see some of your plugins, review the previous chapter that details how
to scan your system for all available plugins.
Visual Plugin Selector

A right-click to the Plugin Object launches the Visual Plugin Selector. This is another great
way to get to your favorite plugins quickly and visually. For all the details refer to Chapter 39
- Visual Plugin Selector.
Plugin Properties
To select a plugin, click on it. When selected, Properties shows a wide variety of settings and
actions related to that plugin. Most of the built-in plugins have the entire user interface in
Properties.
Select a Plugin to See its Properties
Duplicating Plugins
To duplicate a plugin, select it and press D. This gives you a new instance of the plugin to
drag to a different position or to another track.
Duplicate Plugins by Pressing D
Deleting Plugins
To delete a plugin, simply select the plugin and hit Delete or Backspace. You may alternatively
click the red Delete Plugin button in Properties.
Moving Plugins
To move a plugin from one track to another track, simply grab the plugin and drag it wherever
you would like to put it, even to a different track. As you drag, a red illumination appears
showing where the plugin will be after you drop it.
Moving a Plugin
Copying Plugins
To copy a plugin, hold down Opt / Alt and drag it to where you want the copy. Alternatively,
press D to duplicated it then drag the duplicate to the target location.
Bypassing a Plugin
To bypass a plugin, select the plugin then turn off Enabled in Properties. Or, simply select the
plugin and press the keyboard shortcut F. A bypassed plugin appears crossed with a red X the
Mixer.
A Bypassed Plugin
Plugins in the full Mixer view show with an LED style indicator at the left when active. When
bypassed this will LED appears dimmed. Access the Enable or Disable for plugins on the Mixer
view with a right click.
Tip: You can bypass several plugins at once, by first selecting them and then pressing F.
Assigning a Quick Control Parameter

You can assign a quick control parameter to any instance of a plugin. This allows you immediate
access to tweak one parameter without mousing back to Properties or opening the UI for the plugin.
For example, we like to set the mix control for the delay plugin as quick control. You could also set
this to the delay time.
Delay Mix Set as a Quick Control Parameter
To set up a quick control parameter, right-click the plugin and choose Select quick control parameter.
Next, choose which parameter to use.
Right-click to Set the Quick Control Parameter
Waveform Delay has only two parameters, but many third-party have many more to to choose from.
Quick control parameters appear on plugs in the full Mixer view as as slider below the plugin insert.
If you don’t see it the expand the height of the mixer.
Quick Control in the Full Mixer View
Third-Party Plugins
Third-party plugins are inserted in the same way as built-in plugins. One difference is that the UI
(user interface) does not appear in Properties. Each plugin has its own UI window.
Sonimus SonEQ, an Example 3rd Party Plugin
To open the UI for a third-party plugin, double-click the plugin in the Mixer.
Note: You can change to a single-click to open plugin windows the Settings Tab, Plugins
page. The parameter is Opening Plugin Windows.
Setting to Open Plugins with a Single-click
Searching for Plugins

The Waveform Browser includes a Search tab. This allows you to search for plugins. When you find
one you want to use, drag it to your Edit. Here are the steps:
1. Open the Browser and click the Search tab

2. Type in a few characters of the name of the plugin
3. From the search results, drag the plugin from the Browser to the Mixer.
Searching for Plugins Using the Browser, Search tab

The search uses an index that includes plugin names, tags, and manufacturer. We covered how to
set tags in the previous chapter.
Tip: It often helps to disable the options for Loops and Presets when searching for a specific
plugin. This gives you more targeted results.
Limiting Search Filters to Plugins
Using Master Plugins

To apply processing to the full stereo mix, add plugins to the Master section. The drop target says
Drop Master Plugins Here.
Master Section Plugins Area
Typically, you might put a bus compressor, a limiter, and maybe an EQ on the master. Another great
option is Waveform’s own Final Mix plugin, which combines all of those functions in to one package
expressly designed for use on your full mix.
Master Mix inserted in the Master Section
Tip: You can right click the Drop Master Plugins Here area then choose Add new plugin
to open the plugin selector menu. You may find this a bit faster than dragging the plugin
object down there!
Right-click to Add new plugin
Using the Visual Plugin Selector

To open the window into the Visual Plugin selector, right-click on the Plugin object. You will see all
your plugins represented by thumbnail images along with the name.
Right-click to Open the Visual Plugin Selector
Note: If all you see are a lot of question marks, then read on; we will explain how to scan
your plugins to capture thumbnails in a bit.
Visual Plugin Selector
From here you can scroll through all your plugins. When you find one you want to use, drag it and
the window will close but continue dragging. Now drop it on the track in-line Mixer or the plugins
area of the Mixer view.
The Visual Plugin selector window offers just few controls to make finding the right plugin simpler.
Visual Plugin Selector Controls
1. After opening the Visual Plugin selector, start typing in search characters to filter the list.
2. Adjust the size of the thumbnail images using the slider at the right.
3. If you decide not to pick a plugin, click the X at the upper left or press ESC to close the window.
4. As you drag a plugin, the window will close and you’ll be dragging a transparent image of
the plugin which you can drop wherever you want to use it.
Dragging a Plugin
Determining Plugin Technology

As you over the mouse pointer over a thumbnail, an icon will appear in the upper left corner. This
indicates which interface technology is used by that plugin: AU, VST, or VST3. This helps you pick
from plugin thumbnails that otherwise look the same.
Audio Units Icon
VST Icon
VST3 Icon
These same icons are used in the Browser Search tab to differentiate the plugin technology.
Customizing the Thumbnail Image

Open any plugin in Waveform and notice the camera icon in the upper right corner. Click that
camera to take a snapshot of the plugin window and update the thumbnail image. If you want more
interesting thumbnails, use this to capture the plugin in action with the meters moving or with an
interesting EQ curve.
Customize a Plugin Thumbnail
Scanning to Capture Thumbnails

When you first start using Waveform, the Visual Plugin selector thumbnails appear as blank question
marks. When you open a plugin for the first time, Waveform grabs the thumbnail image. Over time,
the thumbnails will begin to fill in.
If you want all of the thumbnails populated right away, you can! Locate Scan for plugin thumbnails
on the Settings tab, Plugins page.
Capture Thumbnails Options

There are three options: You can scan all plugins, scan for new plugins (those without thumbnails),
or scan from a selection in the list of installed plugins. When you first start with a new Waveform
installation you probably want to use Scan for all plugins.
Thumbnail Scan Progress
Opening Visual Plugin Selector with a Shortcut

There is a macro action to open the Visual Plugin selector. To use it create a new macro, right-click
on the script editor on the Settings tab, Keyboard Shortcuts page. Navigate to Advanced Actions >
Plugins > Show or hide the plugin selector page.
Action to Open the Selector
That adds the necessary code to the macro.
The Completed Macro
Assign a keyboard combination that makes sense. In this example, we have used Option + F11 / Alt
+ F11.
Plugin Sidechains
Plugins that support a sidechain input have a side chain assignment list in the plugin header at the
upper left. Pick which track you want to route into this plugin’s sidechain.
Selecting a Sidechain Input
In the above example, we selected the kick track to feed the sidechain input of a gate on the bass
track. It’s a common trick to lock the bass to the kick.
Video Clip: Here is a video tutorial45 demonstrating how to use the plugin sidechain
feature.
Moving On
Plugins give Waveform complete flexibility in processing sound and using virtual instruments.
Waveform has many ways to organize, find, and apply plugins. Now you should have a pretty
understanding of the range options.
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Chapter 30 - Built-in Effects Plugins
The Waveform built-in effects are really quite simple. They act as plugins that you can combine to
build up more complex effects chains in the mixer, or within plugin racks. We won’t touch on every
single effect here, But we will go over the essential ones. Let’s get started.
Tip: Some bundles of Waveform include the excellent Tracktion DAW Essentials46 plugins.
These plugins are more advanced and can be used in place of many of the standard plugins
outlined in this chapter. Each of the DAW Essentials effects has a link to its manual from
within the Help menu within the plugin. Make sure to check them out!
Waveform Effects
Drag the plugin object to the mixer and select Waveform Plugins. You’ll see the list of built-in effects.
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Chapter 30 - Built-in Effects Plugins 296
Built-in Plugin Effects in Waveform
In this chapter, we will go into more detail about the plugins hightailed in the image above. The
other effects provide specialized functions, or are not typical audio effects. We’ll get into some of
those in later chapters.
Volume & Pan Plugin

Whenever you create a track, you will see a Volume & Pan plugin at the right in the mixer section.
This gives you basic level and pan controls like you’d expect to find on any mixer channel. Since
the Waveform mixer is made up of plugins, the Volume & Pan plugin can be moved before other
plugins or deleted entirely. You can even add another Volume & Pan and use it as a trim control for
gain staging.
Adjusting Volume
To control volume, click and drag the volume slider up and down. A large volume slider
appears as you drag giving you nice readable dB markings for fine level adjustment. The
numeric value for the Volume setting appears in Properties.
Volume & Pan Plugin, Adjusting Volume
Adjusting Panning
The pan adjustment works similarly. Click the panner graphic then drag left or right to adjust
left to right stereo positioning.
Volume & Pan Plugin, Adjusting Panning

Resetting Controls
To reset either Volume or Pan to their default position, hold down Opt / Alt as you click the
control.
Properties
With a Volume & Pan plugin selected its values and actions appear in Properties.
Volume & Pan Plugin Properties
The Volume slider is repeated in Properties along with buttons for Reset and Mute. Pan is repeated
in Properties along with a Centre Panning button that resets panning.
Pan Law
Properties also holds a setting for Pan Law. By default this is set to Linear but you can change
it to other popular formats. For example, many DAWs use a -3 dB pan law so that as you pan
to the center it lowers the volume slightly to make it easier to keep a track in balance as you
adjusting panning.
Tip: To apply a velocity offset to notes going into a virtual instruments, insert a Volume &
Pan plugin before it and enable Apply to MIDI velocities. Adjust the fader to offset MIDI
velocity to increase or reduce the velocity. This is a quick way make your MIDI drums
hit harder - much easier than going back to editing the MIDI data. This only works if you
insert Volume & Pan ahead (to the left) of the virtual instrument.
Level Meter
The Level Meter plugin is also at the right end of the mixer for every track by default. Level Meter
is stereo and shows what the left and right levels are doing.
Level Meter Plugin
When you select a Level Meter, Properties displays a large horizontal version of the meter, that also
includes dB markings.
Large Meter in Properties
The meter indicates signal overload with a red indicator at the top of the meter. You can reset the
meter by clicking the red overload indicator.
Tip: To clear all overload indicators in the Edit, right-click any level meter and choose Reset
all overload indicators ( Backslash ).
By default the Level Meter is set to peak mode. This is typical of the metering in most DAWs. You
may change the meter mode in Properties or from the right-click menu. Here is an explanation of
each of the modes:
Meter Modes for the Level Meter Plugin
Peak Mode
Peak mode shows the digital peak. This is the normal mode for Waveform and most other
DAWs. From a technical point of view, you want to keep this out of the red to prevent ugly
digital clipping.
RMS Mode
To get a sense of the overall perceived volume your signal, try RMS mode; it emulates the
response of legacy VU meters and gives you a better indication of how loud one track is
perceived, compared to others.
Sum & Difference Mode

Sum & difference is a specialized mode that gives you a visual representation of both the level
and the stereo spread. The left part of the meter shows the level of sum of left plus right. This
represents the combined level of the stereo signal.
The right side of the meter shows the difference between left and right. The more difference you see
the wider the stereo spread between the two channels. This gives you a visual indication of stereo
spread. If both channels are playing exactly the same thing, then left minus right will cancel to zero
and the right side of the meter will show no activity: a mono signal.
Tip: The level meter will also indicate MIDI activity if you enable Show MIDI activity in
Properties. This can be a very useful diagnostic if you ever wonder why a virtual instrument
is not triggering.
Level Meter, Show MIDI activity
The 4-Band Equalizer

The 4-band Equalizer has a graphical interface that shows up in Properties. You’ll immediately notice
that there are four bands, which correspond to four movable nodes on the frequency response plot.
The high band and the low band are shelving filters, the middle two bands are peaking filters.
The 4-Band Equalizer
To adjust the gain of any of the bands, grab the node directly in the middle by the small square and
drag up or down. To set the frequency of any band, drag the node left or right. To adjust the width
(or Q) of the filter drag within the perimeter of the node clockwise to make the band narrower or
counterclockwise to make it broader.
On the shelving bands, drag clockwise to make the slope increase or drag counterclockwise to make
the slope shallower. As you adjust these values you’ll see the actual numeric values over to the right
for Frequency, Gain, and Q.
Just under the frequency plot, notice the Reset button. Click Reset to return all four bands back to
their default values giving you a flat frequency response plot.
Also, the notice the controls for saving and loading presets. Using these you can create a library of
common presets to use in your mixing projects. The 4-band Equalizer is very simple and the graphic
adjustment makes it very quick to sweep through the frequencies to quickly locate your cuts and
boosts.
Reverb
Waveform’s Reverb plugin doesn’t have a fancy user interface; You get just a few simple sliders. It
is however a very effective, low-CPU tool to add some depth to a track, and may be all you need to
get a nice variety of reverb sounds.
Traction Reverb
Tip: You may find it speeds up mixing to assign Wet Mix (Wet Level) as the quick control
parameter when using Reverb. Mixing with a little reverb on a track gives you another
dimension to mix with, in addition to level and panning. More reverb pushes the track
further back, less reverb sounds closer. Combine that with left and right placement from
panning for more spacious mixes.
Reverb, Wet Level as the Quick Control Parameter
Delay
The Waveform Delay is an extremely simplified mono delay effect, with delay times up to one
second. You control Length with a slider, allowing you to enter delay times between zero and
1000 milliseconds. You can also adjust the Feedback amount with the Feedback slider, from no
feedback all the way up to 0 dB (which is essentially full feedback). The Amount parameter
is a mix control, and allows you to set the percentage of the effected signal to pass through.
The Delay plugin also has a Tempo parameter. It is not really a host sync, but rather just helps you
calculate delay times based on musical divisions of the beat at the current tempo.
Waveform Delay Tempo Selection
For example, if you want to get an eighth note delay, click Tempo and select Set delay length to 1/2
beat and it calculates the delay time and sets the value in Length. It is a one time calculation; If you
change the Edit tempo, then you need to set it again.
Chorus
The Chorus plugin gives you a classic chorusing effect. It works as a type of doubling and provides a
shimmery, smooth quality. It can be used on just about any source, but is common on guitars, pads,
electric pianos, bass, and vocals.
The Chorus Plugin Parameters

To get the classic chorus effect, the plugin modulates the delay time; the delay time is gradually
changing, getting longer and shorter. The amount of variation is controlled by the Depth parameter.
The Speed slider controls the quickness of modulation to get results from warbling to smooth. The
Width slider adjusts how far apart the dry signal and the wet signal are panned to give you a wide
stereo effect or a narrow doubling. Finally, Amount controls the overall mix of the original signal
with the chorus effect.
The Phaser
Phase shifter pedals became popular in the late ‘60’s and during the ‘70’s. It gives you an intense
swirling impression you will instantly recognize. While a phaser is most commonly used as a guitar
effect, it is also frequently used on synths or any track that needs some movement.
The Phaser Plugin
The Speed parameter controls the speed of the LFO that modulates the phase shifting effect.
Depth controls the number of octaves the phase shift will sweep through. Feedback lets you adjust
resonance which makes the phasing more or less intense. The Tempo parameter allows you to set
the Speed of the LFO to a musically useful division of a beat based the current tempo.
Tip: As you work with effects you can easily change the order of effects on any track by
grabbing the plugin and dragging it left or right. As you drag, a red drop target will glow
in the spot where the effect will be inserted when you drop it.
The Compressor/Limiter
Waveform’s Compressor/Limiter is a very basic compressor, that includes most of the common
parameters you expect to find in a compressor: Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release, and make-up gain
(Output).
The Compressor/Limiter Plugin
As the signal goes above the Threshold, the compressor reduces the output signal by the amount set
by Ratio. So, if you set Ratio to 4:1, Attack sets how long it takes for the 4:1 ratio to fully kick in.
Release is the amount of time it takes for the compressor to recover after the signal goes back below
the threshold.
You can set Threshold and the Ratio by dragging the appropriate nodes on the frequency response
transfer plot.
Compressor/Limiter functions as a limiter when you set the Ratio to the maximum of 20:1. When
used as a limiter you also want to set a very fast attack time. In this mode it really clamps down on
transients.
Compressor/Limiter Configured as a Limiter
Note: The built-in Compressor/Limiter lacks metering, but you can insert a Level Meter
before and after the compressor and look at the difference between the two meters get an
idea of gain reduction.
Pitch Shifter
The Pitch Shifter plugin uses DSP processing to change the pitch of the signal in real time. For
audio tracks, this uses the Elastique Pro algorithm, or whichever algorithm you select in the Type
parameter.
The Waveform Pitch Shifter Plugin
Pitch Shifter is set in semi-tones; if you want to go up an octave, set Pitch to 12. If you want to go
down one octave set it to -12. To reset back to the original pitch, select Pitch and type in zero.
Pitch Shifter, Set Pitch
Tip: You nay find it’s usually a lot easier to control the Pitch value by typing in the digits
than it is to use the slider.
Note: If you insert Pitch Shifter ahead of a MIDI instrument, it works on the MIDI data
stream to transpose notes up or down by the value you set in the Pitch parameter.
The Low/High-Pass Filter

You may use this plugin frequently because of its simplicity. Drag the Low/High-Pass Filter to any
track; in Properties choose if you want it to be Low-pass or High-pass.
High/Low-Pass Filter Properties
Once you’ve made that selection, drag the Frequency slider or type in the frequency. For example,
if you want to just create a common rumble filter to apply to a vocal, Choose High-pass and set
Frequency to 100 Hz.
Tip: A quick way to create a low-fi effect on any track is to insert two of these filters, one
set to High-pass and one set to Low-pass. For example, set the high-pass frequency to about
300 and set the low-pass frequency to about 3,000. That will give you a nice starting point
for a low-fi sound.
Text Plugin
The text plugin is a convenient tool to keep your Edit organized as you record, edit, and mix. Drag
Text it to a track, give it a Name and then type in a Description.
Text Plugin Example
You can type in as much text as you’d like describing how the recording was made, the kind of
microphones used, the artist name, and really anything you’d like to make a note of. Text plugin
Name appears right in the mixer on the thumbnail. While Text doesn’t do anything to your audio
path it can help you remember what you were doing when you come back to a project later on.
Tip: You can enable or disable several plugins at once by simply selecting all of them and
using the keyboard shortcut F.
Saving Presets
Most of the built-in plugins allow you to load, save, and delete presets. Once you have your favorite
presets saved, you can search for presets on the Presets tab or the Search tab of the Browser.
Load, Save, or Delete Presets
As you create presets you can also add tags to make it quick to filter to exactly what you are looking
for; Vocal EQ, Guitar Focus, Bass Boost for example.
Moving On
Now we’ve touched on the built-in effects plugins in Waveform. The built-in effects, along with the
Tracktion DAW Essentials47 plugins, and third-party plugins give you tremendous creative potential
when composing and mixing.
47
https://www.tracktion.com/products/daw-essentials-collection
Chapter 31 - Effects Bus Tracks
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to set up an effects Bus track in Waveform. A Bus track is configured
to be shared by multiple tracks within your Edit. Sometimes this is called a master effects bus.
This is an extremely common production technique that originated when recording was done using
large mixing consoles. When mixing with a console, effects like reverb and delay are created using
outboard hardware.
In the early days, studios only had a limited number of reverbs and chambers to use. The solution
was to use a common bus for the effect and then send the desired amount of each track over to the
effect bus. Sharing and effect with different tracks can add cohesion to a mix and thus the technique
is still extremely popular even in the digital era. It can also help save on CPU load when using great
sounding but CPU hungry effects plugins.
It works the same way in Waveform. You dedicate a track to the effect and then use a special Aux
Send plugin to send part of the signal from your instrument, vocal, or drum tracks to over to the
effects Bus track.
Create the Bus Track

To get started create a new track. The fastest way is select any track and hit T. That creates a new
blank track right after the one that you started with. You can drag the new track anywhere you’d
like.
Next, click on the track name, and rename the track by editing Name in Properties. In this example
you can use a reverb effect and name it “Master Reverb.”
New, Blank Track
Adding the Effect Plugin

The next step is to insert an effect plugin on the Bus track. In this example we’re using Waveform
Reverb.
Chapter 31 - Effects Bus Tracks 309
Insert the Reverb Plugin
Check that the Dry Mix fader is turned all the way down. You want only the wet signal to go through
Reverb. You can tweak the other parameters later, after you get some sound going through it.
Set the Mix to 100% Wet
Tip: If the plugin you’re using has a mix control, make sure it’s turned to the 100 % wet
position. The critical thing here is you don’t want any dry signal being mixed back in
through a different, parallel path.
Aux Return Plugin

So this seems like a pretty ordinary track. How do you make this track behave like a bus? You do
so by inserting the Aux Return plugin, one of the built-in plugins in Waveform. It pairs up with the
Aux Send plugin for just this purpose.
Insert the Waveform Aux Return plugin to the left of Reverb.
Insert the Aux Return Plugin
Notice that it is labeled Aux Return #1 in Properties. Also, you can see it is automatically assigned
to the next available bus: in this case Bus #1.
Automatic Bus Assignment for Aux Return
It’s optional but you can type in something descriptive for the Bus Name property. In this case Verb
1.
Adding a Descriptive Bus Name
The descriptive name appears right on the plugin thumbnail in the mixer, making things much
clearer. This will help even more when you have several effects buses configured.
How the Bus Name Appears in the Mixer
Adding Aux Sends to the Channels

Now that your effects Bus track is set up, all you need to do is insert an Aux Send plugin on each
track where you would like to apply this effect.
Insert Aux Send on a Track
This is important. Insert Aux Send after the Volume & Pan plugin. This way as you adjust the track
volume, you’re also adjusting the amount sent to the Bus track proportionally. Even if you lower
the volume all the way down, you won’t hear a ghosting of the effects bus from that track playing
in your mix.
Note: On a conventional mixing console, this position is called “post fader.” Hardware
consoles will have a special switch or maybe even a special knob that allows you to send
post fader. In Waveform you do this in a very direct way: rearrange the order of the fader
so that it comes before the Aux Send plugin.
Adjusting the Send Level

Now that it’s all set up, as you play back, adjust the send level by clicking on the Aux Send plugin,
and adjusting the Send level slider that pops up.
Adjust the Aux Send Level
Alternatively, you can just click on the Aux Send plugin and adjust Send in the Properties section.
The more you turn it up the more effect you’ll get. As you turn it down, you get less and less of the
effect.
Assigning the Aux Bus

You can create as many effects Bus tracks as you need for your mix. You might want a reverb for
drums, a different reverb for vocals, a delay for vocals, and other delay for guitars. The steps to set
up the additional buses are the same as outlined above. You just need to make sure your Aux Sends
and Aux Returns are assigned to the correct bus numbers.
Setup with Three Bus Effects Tracks
When we set up Verb 1, we used Bus #1. For DLY1 we used Bus #2 and gave it a unique name.
Assigning Buses to the Aux Returns
As you insert the Aux Send plugin onto each track, select which effect you want to use by choosing
the correct bus.
Selecting the Effects Bus for Aux Send
Tip: Feel free to assign more than one Aux Send to the same track.
Your effects tracks aren’t limited to a single plugin. You can create an entire effects chain, for example
combining compression, EQ, reverb, or delay on a single Bus track.
Solo Isolate
There’s a special solo mode that you will likely to want to use on Bus tracks, called Solo isolate. To
do so, right-click the Solo button on one of your Bus tracks and choose the option Solo isolate.
Enable Solo Isolate on Your Effects Tracks

Notice how that the Solo button changes from “S” to “SI.” With Solo isolate enabled, if you solo any
track, this track will also be soloed. This is useful because when you solo a track, you usually want
to hear it along with its send effects. If you don’t use Solo isolate on your Bus tracks, the effects get
muted when you solo a track.
Tip: Waveform includes a track tagging feature that allows you to quickly view any tracks
that share a tag. You can tag all of the effects buses with the tag “FX.”, which makes it really
easy to pull up a view of all of your effects Bus tracks using the Tracks tab in the Browser.
Take organization one step further by giving your effects Bus tracks a specific color.
Effects Bus Track Presets

If you commonly use a similar set of send effects, you can create some presets for your Bus tracks,
and then recall them for your next project. To do so, right-click the track name and select Save preset
> whole track.
Saving an Effects Track Preset
In the Preset Details dialogue box, put in an appropriate name for your preset such as “Master
Reverb.” In the tags area, the tag Track will automatically be entered. You can also add another tag
such as Effects Bus.
Preset Details Dialog Box
Remember to separate tags with a comma. Click OK, then the next time you want to create a very
similar effects Bus track, go to the Search tab in the Browser and filter by Effects Bus. Drag the preset
onto any track to instantly configure your favorite master effects set up.
Moving On
In a full mix, you may have four or more effects buses configured at once, such as two reverbs and
two delays: drum reverb, vocal reverb, stereo delay, and a mono slap back delay.
One key is to group the Bus tracks together and to put them at the top of the Edit. You can also make
them a unique color, tag, and label them appropriately.
Bus tracks set up this way also appear on the full Mixer view as with channel faders just like they
would on a mixing desk. If you move the Mixer view to a second monitor you can quickly control
the levels of your effects from these faders.
Once you get a hang of the set up, using effects Bus tracks in Waveform is very straight forward.
Chapter 32 - Clip Effects
In Chapters 29 through 31 we covered using effects plugins in a variety of ways. Now, we want to
show you how to apply plugins to individual Audio clips. Let’s get started.
Inserting Plugins on Clips

To insert a plugin on an Audio clip, drag the plugin from the Browser or the plugin object, and drop
it onto the Audio clip. You’ll notice that the plugin thumbnail appears in the lower right corner of
the clip. You can add as many plugins as you’d like to create a chain of effects, all operating on that
one clip.
Plugins Using Clip Effects
Note: Clip effects work with Audio clips, but not MIDI clips or Step clips.
The rest of the operation is pretty much the same as using plugins in the mixer. Select a plugin and
hit F to enable or disable it. You can also enable or disable the effect with the Enabled button in
Properties.
For third-party plugins, clicking or double clicking on the plugin opens its user interface.
Tip: How plugins open, depends on a setting in the Settings tab Plugins page: Opening
Plugin Windows. It can be set to either Single-click on a plugin to open its GUI window or
Double-click on a plugin to open its GUI window.
Removing Clip Plugins

To remove a plugin, simply click on the plugin to select it then press Delete or Backspace. You can
also select multiple plugins by holding down Cmd / Ctrl to select multiples, and then press Delete
to remove them.
Chapter 32 - Clip Effects 316
Creative Uses
One of the reasons to use clip effects is if you want to put an effect on just part of a track, even a
single word or a single phrase. Without using clip effects, you’d need to move a piece of the clip to
another track to apply a different type of an effect. This is really useful for something like an echo
throw where you’re applying an echo effect to a single word, or if you want to process one phrase
of a vocal line with a lo-fi effect. Just separate the phrase or word to its own clip, then apply the
effect only to that short clip.
Echo Throw Example

An echo throw is taking one word, usually the last word of a phrase and then applying an echo to
it. Here are the steps:
1. First, separate the final word of the phrase from the rest of the phrase. To do that position the
cursor where you’d like to make the split and hit the slash (/) key.
2. Now that clip is separated into its own clip, drag in the Delay plugin.
3. Dial in the Delay parameter so it echoes out in a musically useful way, maybe using eighth
notes or quarter notes. Add a little bit of Feedback so you get some echoes that die out over
time.
4. Playback and tweak the Delay parameters until you get the echo throw effect that you like.
Moving On
The same technique is great for lo-fi effects as well. Apply a high pass and a low pass filter in order
to cut the highs and the lows, or even apply chorusing to a few words in a vocal line. Clip effects
are super easy to use in Waveform, and they unlock all kinds of creative options!
Chapter 33 – Folder Tracks
With the Folder tracks feature, you collect a group of tracks into a folder, allowing to you work with
them together as unit. The obvious advantage is to collapse the view so that related tracks, like your
drum tracks, can be viewed as a single entity.
Folder Tracks also give you a convenient way to apply volume automation, so that you can do a
fade across a number of tracks at the same time. Folder tracks allow you to solo every track that is
contained within it with a single click. You can also do basic editing across a folder of tracks. Let’s
take a closer look.
Creating a Folder Track

To create a Folder track, right-click the track name for any existing track and select Create a new
Folder track. The Folder track appears below the original track.
New Empty Folder Track
Alternatively, right click on the background of the Track section and choose Create a new folder
track.
Either of these methods will create a new empty Folder track. There are easy ways to create a Folder
track containing existing tracks, which we will cover that shortly.
Working with Folder Tracks

Putting Tracks into a Folder Track
To put a track into a Folder track, simply grab the track by the track name, drag it, and drop
it on the folder. Just before you drop it, the Folder track will glow, usually with a red color,
indicating it’s ready to receive your track.
Folder Track after Dropping in One Track

Chapter 33 – Folder Tracks 318
If you already have some tracks in the folder you can drag it over the folder and then downward;
You’ll notice a red glowing insertion point, where you can put your track between other tracks to
get the order you want.
Naming a Folder Track

Naming a Folder track works exactly like any other track. Click on the header part of the track
where the name is, and then edit Name in Properties. By default, it will have a name similar
to Folder 1 or Folder 2.
Naming a Folder Track
Tip: One of the most common uses of Folder tracks is to organize all of your drum tracks
into a folder. In this case, you might want to name it ‘Drums’ or ‘Drums Folder.’
Reorder Tracks within a Folder Track

To reorder the tracks within your Folder track, grab any track and drag it to the correct
position. The red insertion line shows the target, so you know exactly where the track is
going to go. When you drag a track directly onto the Folder track and drop it, that track goes
to the topmost position.
Reordering Tracks within a Folder
Collapsing and Expanding a Folder Track

Click the small triangle to the left of the Folder track name to expand or collapse the folder.
When the folder is collapsed it doesn’t affect playback. All the tracks that are contained within
the folder still play and respond as normal.
Expand/Collapse a Folder by Clicking the Triangle
Soloing/Muting a Folder Track

Folder tracks have Solo and Mute buttons, just like any other track. However, they operate on
all of the tracks that are contained in the folder. So if you have a Folder track set up for your
drums and you click Solo, you will solo all of your drum tracks. Likewise, Mute mutes all the
tracks with in the folder
Folder Track Solo
Note: When you solo a Folder track, the tracks contained in it are soloed with a blinking
Solo button. This indicates that the track is being soloed by the Folder Track and not directly.
If you click the blinking Solo it will change to the standard solo state with a steady indicator.
The Solo and Mute functions are really good reasons to set up Folder tracks for the different
instrument types. You can set up Folder tracks for drums, for guitars, for keyboards, and another for
vocals.
The Folder Track VCA

VCA stands for “voltage controlled amplifier.” For those of you with experience with analog gear,
that name relates to a similar feature on automated mixing consoles. In essence, the VCA on the
Folder track remotely controls the level of all the included tracks proportionally. This gives you a
master level control for all the tracks in the folder.
Folder Track VCA
Keep in mind that no audio passes through the Folder track itself. The VCA acts as a remote control,
proportionally controlling the volume of all of the individual Volume & Pan plugins of the tracks
contained within the Folder track. It’s a very convenient way to add high-level mixing to your groups
of instruments, without going through the complexity of adding numerous additional bus.
Note: You can’t insert plugins on Folder tracks, since no audio actually passes through the
track. To do so you would need to create a Submix track, which we’ll cover in the next
chapter - Chapter 34.
Creating a Folder Track with Existing Tracks

With multi-track drums, you often have 10 tracks or more that you need to put into a Folder track.
Rather than drag each track individually, there is a quick way to pack all of them into a Folder track
at once:
Create a Folder Track Contain Existing Tracks
1. Select the first track by clicking on the track name. Hold down Shift and click on the last track.
All of the drum tracks will then be highlighted.
2. Next, right-click on the track name for any of the tracks and choose the option Create new
folder track containing. This instantly creates a Folder track containing all of your drum tracks.
3. Finally, select on the Folder track and give it a descriptive name in Properties.
Tip: This isn’t limited to drum tracks. Create new folder track containing is a great way to
create Folder tracks for any related selection of instruments or vocals.
Editing With Folder Tracks

Folder tracks get even cooler when you discover the editing possibilities. Here is a rundown of what
you can do:
Splitting Contained Clips

Split clips across all of the contained tracks by simply selecting the Folder track clip, position
the cursor, then press Slash ( / ).
Split All Clips Within a Folder Track
Rearranging
After splitting the Folder track clip, you can rearrange everything within the folder by
dragging the Folder track clips to any order. You can use this rearrange a song or just swap
verse 1 and verse 2. If you put all your tracks in to a Folder track you can use this to block
arrange your song.
Rearranging Clips within a Folder Track

Trimming
The beginnings and the endings of the Folder track clips have trim handles. Drag to trim all
the included clips.
Trimming Using the Folder Track Clip
Deleting
In addition to moving and splitting clips, you can delete entire sections of the contained tracks
by separating out a section, selecting it, and pressing Delete or Backspace.
Automating a Fade within a Folder Track

You can automate the VCA fader to create a fade-out or fade-in on a Folder track. We’ll get into more
detail about automation in a later chapter, but here is a step by step recipe for creating fade-outs:
1. Grab the little “A” icon on a Folder track. That is the automation icon. Drag it and drop it on the
VCA fader. A red line appears on the Folder track. That is the automation curve for the VCA fader.
Activate Automation for the VCA
2. Double-click the automation curve to add points. Add two points: one before and one after the
section you would like to fade.
Add Automation Points to the VCA Curve
3. Drag the last point all the way down to the bottom of the clip to draw in your fade-out.
4. Between the two points you added, notice an additional point was automatically added. This is a
curvature point. Drag the curvature point to adjust the shape of the fade.
Customizing the Fade with Curvature
Tweak the speed of the fade by dragging all these points until it the fade sounds right. The automation
points snap to the current snap increment. Turn Snap off for finer adjustment.
This technique is really a time-saver because you don’t have to go in and edit each individual clip
in order to do a fade-out.
Moving On
Folder tracks are a powerful feature in Waveform. You may have seen this concept in other digital
audio workstations. Once you get the hang of how this works in Waveform, you will be amazed at
the creative things you can do.
Chapter 34 - Submix Tracks
In professional mixing, it is common to submix drums to a stereo bus to add compression, EQ, and
limiting before mixing it with other other tracks. Actually, it is common to submix other things like
vocals, guitars, or instruments. A Submix track resembles Folder track but with a important twist;
you can process a Submix track with plugins.
You also have the have the option to use any track as a submix. This is carried over from earlier
versions of Tracktion. We will show you how to configure a track as a submix later in the chapter.
Creating a Submix Track

Creating a Submix track in Waveform is super easy:
1. First, select all the tracks you want to include.
Creating a Submix Track
1. Right-click any of the tracks and choose Create submix track containing. The same action is
also available in Properties as Create Submix Containing.
Chapter 34 - Submix Tracks 325
A Submix Track
The result looks very similar to a Folder Track. It differs in that the audio actually passes through
the Submix track. You can use the Volume & Pan plug and add any additional plugins you want.
Working with Submix Tracks

Adding Tracks
To add a track to a Submix, just drag and drop it on the Submix folder. You also drag tracks up
or down within the Submix track to re-order them. This works exactly like it does for Folder
Tracks.
Removing Tracks
To remove a track from a Submix, simple grab it by the track name and drag it back out.
Tip: When dragging tracks, grab them by the track name.
Open/Close a Submix
A Submix works just a like Folder track in that you can open and close it with a triangular
icon at the far left of the header.
Adding Effects
You can add any built-in or third-party effect you want (accept for the Waveform Freeze Point)
to Submix tracks. Just drag them to the mixer like any other track.
Muting
Mute works like you would expect, muting everything within the Submix track.
Soloing
Soloing works a little differently than you might expect. When you click Solo on a track
contained in Submix track, it mutes all other tracks, including the others contained within
the Submix track.
Creating an Old School Submix Track

â€¨The tradition way to create a submix in older versions of Tracktion was to configure a track as a
submix. We will review how this is done since you may encounter older Edits that used this method.
1. Create a track in the normal way.
Creating an Old School Submix Track
1. Name the track appropriately. In this example, we named it Drums Submix.

2. Select all the tracks you want to route to the submix.
3. In Properties, click Track Destination. Select your the Drums Submix track. This effectively
routes the output of each selected track through to the drum Submix track.
Set the Track Destination on the Source Tracks
Now, you can use the Volume & Pan control on your Drum Submix track to control the volume of all
the tracks that you have just routed to it. You can also add any plugins you want to the new Submix
track. In this example, we have inserted a tape simulator and a third party bus compressor.
Submix Using Third Party Plugins
Of course, you can use any processing that you like. That depends largely on which kind of tracks
and the style of music.
Moving On
Like Folder tracks, Submix tracks help you organize an Edit especially when the number of tracks
starts to get high. Submix tracks also allow you to apply plugin effects processing across the mix of
the tracks contained in the submix. This is a powerful technique that is used in studios on hit songs
all the time. Submitting is particularly useful when mixing drums but it extends to any collection
of tracks such as background vocals, guitars, horns, or keyboards. Waveform makes this powerful
production technique easy to set up and use.
Chapter 35 - Automation
This chapter is an introduction to the automation features in Waveform. Automation allows you
to program changes to many of the parameters that exist within a track. You can easily program
changes to volume, pan, and plugin parameters. You can program automation using external
hardware, like controllers that have knobs and faders. Alternatively, you can program automation
by adding points and changing the shape of the graphic automation curve that appears as a line on
or below the track.
Waveform has excellent features designed to keep all of your automation nicely organized. For
example, you can add Automation tracks that appear as lanes nested below a track. You can open
Automation tracks when you’re working on automation changes and edits, and then close them
when you move onto other tasks.
Tip: You can also do volume and pan automation using Clip Layer Effects which are
explained in detail in Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects
In this chapter, we’re going to focus on Volume & Pan automation and then offer an example of how
to extend automation to parameters within plugins.
Activating Automation on a Track

The keys to automation are the A icon and the ‘plus’ icon that reside at the far right of each track.
The A and Plus Automation Icons
The first step is to click the plus sign, to add an Automation track. You’ll instantly see the Automation
track appear below your original track. The Automation track will have minus, A, and plus icons.
Chapter 35 - Automation 329
Track with One Automation Track
Click the minus icon to remove the Automation track. The A icon allows you to set up the track,
and the plus icon will add yet another Automation track below this one.
Choosing What to Automate

For this example, we’re going to automate volume on the track. To do that, click the A icon. Then
select the menu item, Automatable parameters for this track > Volume & Pan Plugin > Volume.
Select the Parameter to Automate
You’ll see an “automation curve” appear as straight line. The line is labelled with the name of the
parameter, and the value of the parameter is listed over on the right. This line is the “automation
curve.” There’s no literal curve to it yet, because it’s just a line. As you will see shortly, it’s easy to
draw curves, steps, and ramps.
The Automation Curve Line
Click the curve to select it, then check out its Properties. You can change the Name or choose from
several actions. Those make more sense once you have some automation points on the curve.
Automation Curve Properties
Tip: A fast way to set the automation parameter for the track is to grab the A icon and just
drop it on the thing you would like to automate. Then choose the parameter from the list.
For example, to automate panning, drag the A and drop it on the Volume & Pan plugin and
then choose Pan from the list. This also works for third party plugins.
Adding Points to the Automation Curve

To give your Automation curve some shape, you need to add some points to it. Add points with
either double-click or Opt-click / Alt-click. Here is how to work with the automation points:
Creating a Ramp
To draw a ramp add two points then drag one of them up or down. This adjusts the steepness
of the ramp. Drag the points left or right to adjust the start and ending of the ramp.
Drawing an Automation Ramp
Shaping with Curvature

To shape the line segment between points drag the Curvature point. A Curvature point
is automatically inserted midway between two automation points. Adjust Curvature by
dragging diagonally.
Adjusting a Curvature Point
Tip: An Automation point can also be adjusted in Properties using the Value parameter
slider. You will also find a slider for Curvature in Properties.
Value and Curvature Properties
Drawing an Automation Step

Insert two points that define the position of the step. Hold down Cmd / Ctrl and drag the line
segment between the points up or down. You’ll see that the line segment moves separately
from the overall automation curve. This makes it really easy to draw in a step shape on your
automation. If you don’t hold down Cmd / Ctrl, then the entire automation curve moves.
Hold Cmd / Ctrl to Draw a Step
Automating Fade-ins and Fade-outs

To program a fade shape with automation, add a point where you’d like the fade to start, then add
another point where you’d like the fade to end. Drag the second point all the way down until the
value reads zero. Adjust the speed of the fade by dragging the other point right for a quicker fade
or left for a more gradual fade. Drag the curvature point to adjust the shape of the fade ramp. Of
course, you always have the option to adjust the parameters directly in Properties.
As we discussed in a Chapter 33, if you program an Automation curve for a Folder track, you can
apply a fade across all the tracks together.
Converting a Clip Fade-in or Fade-out to Automation

As you’ve already learned you can easily apply fade-ins or fade-outs to Audio clips with the fade
handles on the upper left and right corners of the clip body. If you’d like more control over the fade
shape you can convert a clip fade to an Automation curve.
Clip Fade
To convert a clip fade to automation, first select the clip and then click Copy Fade To Automation >
Transfer Fade-in to Automation, Transfer Fade-out to Automation in Properties.
Copy Fade to Automation
That will redraw the automation curve in the shape of the fade and remove the clip fade from the
clip. Now you can apply additional points and shaping using the automation tools.
Result of Copy Fade to Automation
Reading Automation
Once you’ve drawn automation as described above, Waveform performs the automation dynami-
cally during playback, as long as you have Automation Read enabled on the Transport.
Automation Read Enabled
As you playback, watch the controls changing in real time as the cursor moves through the Edit. If
you go back about three decades that feature would cost you about a million bucks!

The automation curve has several of its own properties. Click on the curve to selected it and look at
Properties. Here is a rundown of the controls:
Curve
The Curve property is the name that appears above the automation curve. This is shown for
reference only. You can’t change it directly. It is made up of the track name, the plugin name,
and the parameter.
Displace Curve
Displace Curve allows you to drag left or right which offsets the curve up or down. It basically
takes the entire programmed curve and set of points, and moves them down if you drag left
or up if you drag right. This is very useful to make minor mix changes after the automation
is already programmed.
Scale Curve
Think of Scale Curve to function like an intensity control. As you drag to the left, it
proportionately lowers all of the points on the curve, squashing the shape of the curve.
Dragging to the right expands the curve, scaling it upward.
Only Displace/Scale the Marked Region

This parameter works along with Displace Curve and Scale Curve. When enabled, any scaling
or displacing, only occurs between the In-marker and the Out-marker.
Simplify
If your automation curve becomes very complex with lots and lots of points, use Simplify to
thin out the points. You can usually choose Simplify the entire curve and then pick from Light,
Medium, and Strong. The Light option does the least thinning where Strong thins the most.
This is particularly useful if you recorded automation from a hardware controller that added
hundreds of points.
Automation Curve Simplify
You also have the option to Simplify only in marked region. You can use this if you want to simplify
a section that was recorded from hardware while leaving the rest of the curve unchanged.
Delete Points from Curve

This set of options allows you to completely reset the automation curve. If you delete all
points from the curve, you’ve basically taken it back to a flat line. Sometimes this results in
the automation value being set very low. You might need to drag the Automation curve line
back to a good starting position.
1 You can also *Delete points within the marked region* which means you’ll delet\
2 e all the points between the In-marker and the Out-marker. You can do the same t\
3 hing and "close the gap," means to take out the time within the marked region.
Copy the Marked Region to the Clipboard

Set the In-marker and the Out-marker over a region of automation and click Copy Marked
Region to the Clipboard to copy that region of the curve. Then, position the cursor to the
destination and select Paste From Clipboard > Paste Curves at Cursor Position and that pastes
the automation. This makes it fast to create repeating patterns of automation.
This is also useful if you’ve created a very specific effect using automation and want to reproduce
that effect in a later part of the song.
Paste from Clipboard has two options. Most of the time I would use Paste curves at cursor position.
You can alternatively do that with Cmd + V / Ctrl + V.
Alternatively, choose Paste curves to fit between the in/out markers. That allows targeting the
destination only within the merged region. Normally you paste at the cursor position.
Tip: You don’t need to manually copy automation when moving or duplicating clips on
a track. Enable Auto Lock in the Master section and the automation follows along as you
move or duplicate clips.
How to Find Out What Automation is Active for a Track

It’s pretty easy to program a lot of automation, but sometimes you don’t have all of the automation
curves visible. To see which ones are available click the A icon and select Active Parameter Curves
for This Track. This shows all automation curves for the track and you can choose which one to
make visible.
Active Parameters for a Track
This is particularly helpful if you don’t have each parameter on a separate Automation track.
Remap on Tempo Change

Each plugin has a Remap on Tempo Change setting in Properties. With that enabled, as you change
the tempo of the song, the automation will track the tempo changes. That means it will get smaller
if you speed up the tempo or it will get longer in order to match the clips in your Edit. This is a great
feature but is not enabled by default; You need to turn it on for each plugin.
Tip: We suggest you turn Remap on Tempo Change on as a global option for all new Edits.
To do so, enable Timecode > Default remapping options > Remap plugin automation from
the Menu section.
Make Remap the Default
Note: Remap Plugin Automation is not set as the default or turned on by default, to
maintain compatibility with older projects.
Writing Automation on the Fly

During playback, you can adjust a parameter in real time and have Waveform record it as
automation. You can do this with a MIDI controller, or simply by manipulating plugin controls on-
screen during playback. All you need to do is setup your Automation track and enable Automation
Write mode.
Automation Write Enabled
To go into write mode, enable the Automation Write button on the Transport. Now, during playback,
Waveform will record any dynamic changes you make to the parameter.
Automation from Write Mode
Note: You don’t need to be in Record mode to record automation changes. All you need is
to have automation write turned on during playback.
Tip: When you’ve written automation this way, it’s often a good idea to use Simplify to
thin out the automation points. You will usually get good results with the Medium option.
Automation with Medium Simplification
Automation Lock
Notice in the Master section, there is an Auto Lock button. By default it’s not engaged. If you move
a clip around on a track, the automation will not follow it to the new position.
Automation Lock Engaged
With Auto Lock engaged, automation will follow as you drag the clip to a different place in time.
It’s a great feature, assuming that’s what you want to do.
Tip: If you are automating volume or pan for clips, check out Clip Layer Effects in Chapter
41. This style automation always stays with the clip.
Automation Patterns
Waveform lets you quickly create repeated automation patterns between the In-marker and the
Out-marker using a new feature located in Properties.
1. To get started, create an automation curve for a parameter you would like to modulate. In this
example we are using a simple volume curve.
2. Next, set the In-marker and Out-marker over the range to which you want to apply the pattern.
Volume Automation Between In-marker and Out-marker
3. Select the automation curve, then in Properties click Create Pattern Between the Marked Region.
Create Pattern Between the Marked Region
4. Next, choose from the various pattern shape options. For this example we chose Triangle.
Select the Pattern Shape
5. Choose a note division for the pattern or number of repeats. In typical Waveform fashion, we
chose 1/2 beat in order to repeat the pattern every 1/8th note.
Select Beat Division or Repetitions
Here is the resulting automation.
Repeating Triangle Automation
6. Adjust the curve using the Displace Curve and Scale Curve drag controls or by editing the
automation points in the usual way.
Displace and Scale Curve Controls
Here are examples of the other automation pattern shapes:
Sine Wave
Square Wave
Ramp Up
Ramp Down
Automation Ramps
As a companion to automation patterns, Waveform allows you to ramp patterns up or down in a
very simple and effective way. This works in conjunction with patterns to allow you to increase
or decrease the intensity of a pattern over time. The two Ramp options work as modifiers to the
existing Displace and Scale tools.
Automation Ramps are best explained with an example:
1. Set the In-marker and Out-marker over a segment of automation you would like to ramp in.
Selected Region of an Automation Pattern

1. Click on the automation curve to select it.

2. In Properties, click Ramp from the start of Marked Region to enable the ramp behavior.
Enable Ramp from the start of Marked Region
1. In Properties, manipulate the Displace Curve and Scale Curve sliders. Notice how these affect
the left side of the curve allowing you to fade in the automation pattern.
Taper the Curve using Displace Curve and Scale Curve Sliders
The companion Ramp from the end of the Marked Region allows you to taper automation down.
Ramp from the end of the Marked Region
These new features are easy to miss at first glance, but they provide tremendous creative potential
when programming automation.
Tip: The automation ramp features are also available when working the Volume & Pan
Clip Layer effect which is explained in Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects.
Video Clip: Here is a video clip48 that demonstrates the automation ramp modifiers.
Moving On
There is a lot more you can do with automation, because you can automate almost any parameter.
You can automate sends to effects. You can even automate your Master plugins. Simply create a
separate track then drag the A icon from that track over to the Master section plugins to automate
them.
48
https://youtu.be/koDUoO3XD-0
Chapter 36 - Mixing Down
In this chapter we’re going to go over the steps required to mix down your Edit to a WAV or MP3
file.
Master Section Processing

Before you mix down, you might want to add some Master effects, so that the entire stereo mix is
processed. Master plugins often include a compressor and a limiter to give the final mix a professional
sound.
We won’t get into the details about exactly what you’d apply there, although the included Waveform
Master Mix plugin is a nice choice. It’s a multi-band compressor, EQ, and limiter all in one.
Waveform Master Mix
Make sure that the metering for the Master section is not going into the red before you export the
mix. Exactly how you process the mix depends on what you plan to do with the file after it’s mixed
down.
Chapter 36 - Mixing Down 345
Waveform Master Section
If you’re having professional mastering done, then you probably don’t want to put any plugins on
there. However, if you are immediately going to upload to your website or SoundCloud, you will
want to put some mastering effects on to make your mix sound like a finished product.
Exporting to a WAV File

Here are the steps to export your song as a WAV file:
1. Set the In-marker exactly at the beginning of the song. This defines the start of the export.
Adjust the position of the In-marker to skip any extra bars or count-in at the beginning of the
Edit.
Set the In-marker Just Before the Song Start
1. Set the Out-marker right after the end of the song. This allows you to control the exact length
of the exported file. We recommend leaving a couple of extra milliseconds after the final fade.
Set the Out-marker Just After the Song Ending
1. Select Export > Render to a file from the Menu section. The Render dialog box appears.
Export Render Dialog Box
The above example shows the most common settings for exporting a WAV file. You can customize
the file location and name if you want. Also, make sure to select Only Render Marked Region so that
the In-marker and Out-markers are used to define the export region.
1. Click Render and the export will begin. Waveform starts processing in the background as you
adjust the settings. Much of the time export is already done as soon as you click Render!
Locating the Exported File

Unless you change the file path, the file saves to the project folder. You can find the file either on
the Projects tab or from the Browser.
Locating the Export on the Projects Tab

Click the Projects tab and look at the Exported Audio/MIDI list at the right. Unless you have
changed the filename, your exported file will be there with the word “Export”, and an export
number appended. The exported files appear in the third column. If don’t see the list, make
sure you have Show Exports selected in the View Options list at the upper right corner of the
Projects tab.
The Exported File on the Project Page Files List
To locate the file in Finder or File Explorer on your computer, select the exported file and look at
Properties. In Properties, click the … button to the right of File and choose Open the folder containing
this file. That opens the folder on your system, giving you direct access to the file.
Locating the Export in the Browser

Open the Browser and go to the Files tab. Click the folder icon and select Project folder.
Locate the Project folder from the Browser
Double-click the folder named Exported and you will see your file. To located it in Finder or File
Explorer, right-click and choose Open the folder containing this file.
Exported Folder in the Browser
Exporting to an MP3 File

The steps to create an MP3 file are almost identical. Follow the same steps above except when you
get to the Render dialog box select MP3 for Format. That selection gives you a few extra options for
Rendering.
Add ID3/Vorbis Info

With MP3 exports you can select this option to add metadata to the file.
Add ID3/Vorbis Info
To enter the metadata, click Edit to the right of the option. That gives you the ID3/Vorbis Info dialog
box. Fill in any information you want to embed into your MP3 and click OK.
ID3/Vorbis Info Dialog Box
This information is not required. So, if you don’t care to include the information, leave the Add
ID3/Vorbis Info deselected.
Quality
You can choose from common MP3 quality settings. VBR stands for “Variable Bit Rate” and
helps optimize the file size in exchange for a bit more complicated encoding. CBR stand for
“Constant Bit-rate” and gives you slightly larger files that are encoded consistently.
MP3 Export Quality Options
With today’s fast internet speeds, including for mobile users, we recommend choosing the maximum
320 KB/s CBR. Those will give you good sounding MP3 files to upload to various sites or use in your
own player.
Additional Render Properties

The Render dialog box has numerous settings. Often you can skip looking at all of this stuff and just
hit Render and you will get an output file. However, it is a helpful to know what the other properties
do:
File Name and Location

The first line is the file name and the location of the output file. You can edit that to name the
file with the song name. You can also update the destination folder location on your system.
By default it will be export to an “Exported” folder location in the project folder.
Format
While WAV and MP3 files are the most common choices, Waveform also supports several
other file types:
Export File Format Options
Stereo
For music it is most common to export to stereo files. If you deselect Stereo the file is exported
as mono. You can use mono exports for voiceover files, fore example.
Export Stereo/Mono Selection
Remove Silence at Start/End

This does, as it says. If there is excess silence before the song or if there is a long silence at the
end, Waveform will take that out.
File Export Options
Dithering Enabled
If you don’t know anything about dithering, then leave this enabled and move on. If you do
know about dithering, then you can turn this off and add a third-party dither plugin in the
Master section, configuring it to dither as you please.
Only render the marked region.

Whenever Waveform indicates “marked region”, it means the range between the In-marker
and the Out-marker. When enabled, the exported file only includes the audio between the
In-marker and the Out-marker.
Render Each Track to a Separate File

If someone else is going to mix your song using a different digital audio workstation, then
you might want to export every single track in a fashion that can be imported into another
system. If that’s the case, turn this option on and you’ll wind up with a whole collection of
files: one for each track of your project. For a normal stereo export, leave this turned off.
Render at 1X Play-Speed
If you are using the Insert plugin to mix through some external hardware effect, turn this
option on when exporting your mix. Normally, you leave this option turned off. When enabled
the Edit will render in real time, meaning, it will mix it down in exactly the same amount of
time it would take to play back once. Some feel you will get the best sound quality rendering
at 1X and for that reason, some Waveform users enable 1X rendering for the final master
exports.
Normalize
Normalize adjusts the overall gain of the file so that the highest peak fills up the available bit
depth. Most of the time you will leave this turned off.
More File Export Options
Adjust Level Based on RMS

Adjusting the level based on RMS is a way to set the output to match a perceived volume level.
Modern broadcast standards require your files not to exceed standards based on the country
and use.
Render Automatically
With this feature, in the background, as soon as you open the Render dialog box, it starts
mixing down. It even shows you the progress on the lower waveform display. If you don’t
make any changes to the settings, as soon as you hit Render it’s done instantly. Waveform
already created the file in the background. It’s sort of like working ahead. If you do make
changes, it will start re-rendering right away. If you have a slower computer you can turn
Render Automatically off.
Add to Library
Add to library means you will add what you are mixing down to your loop library, so that
you can search for it and use it in another project. It’s a useful feature if you are mixing a lot
of things to add to your library.
Mastering with CloudBounce

CloudBounce49 is an automatic online mastering service that was developed as part of the Abbey
Road Red incubator program. It does nice general purpose mastering at a very low price. A single
track runs $4.90 USD but low monthly plans are also available.
Waveform is directly integrated with CloudBounce, making it very convenient to get quick masters
done without doing it yourself, or paying high fees for professional mastering. For many projects,
it’s all you really need.
To use CloudBounce, first export your Edit in the normal way using Export > Render to a file. With
the export complete, switch over to the Projects tab and select the exported file from the Exported
Audio/MIDI list.
Select the Exported File on the Projects Tab
With the file selected, you see the waveform and other controls in Properties. This is where you find
the button Master With CloudBounce.
In Properties, Click Master with CloudBounce
Click Master With CloudBounce to upload the exported file to the service.
49
https://www.cloudbounce.com
File Uploading to CloudBounce
When the upload is complete, CloudBounce immediately runs the file through its machine listening
and mastering processors, and creates a 45-second preview.
Audition the Mastered File
Click play to listen to the Preview. If you like the results, login or sign up and select a payment
option or subscription plan. You can also access options to tweak the processing and then download
the finished file.
CloudBounce is fast, effective, and low cost. Would you use it for your most critical projects?
Probably not. But if your budget, time, or mastering skills are limited, it might be exactly what
you need.
Moving On
We have gone all the way from installing the program, to recording, editing, adding virtual
instruments, to using guitar amp sims, mixing, and mixing down. There’s still a lot more that you
can learn and explore about Waveform and your own music. Have fun, and make a lot of music. So
let’s keep going!
Chapter 37 - Macros
Waveform includes not only programmable keyboard shortcuts, but also a full macro programming
environment. You can develop keyboard shortcuts that combine actions in new ways to streamline
your workflow. If the standard keyboard shortcuts don’t meet your needs, you can create custom
macros and assign keyboard shortcuts to them.
While you might think of macros as keyboard macros, you don’t have to assign them to keyboard
shortcuts. You can always launch them from the Run Script button in the Menu section. This
approach can be useful because you don’t have to remember the shortcut to macros you only use
occasionally.
Script Editor
To open the Script Editor, go to the Settings tab, and select the Keyboard Shortcuts page. Enable
Show Script Editor at the bottom right of the Keyboard Shortcuts page. The Script Editor will open.
The Script Editor
You can resize the height of the Script Editor by dragging the line that separates it from the keyboard
shortcuts list. The Script Editor is a basic text editor that you use to enter and edit macro scripts.
Tip: With the Script Editor open, try clicking on some of the existing keyboard shortcuts.
The Script Editor will show you the underlying code, you can use this to get familiar with
the syntax of the actions triggered by each shortcut.
Creating a Macro
To create a new macro, click Add a new macro on the Script Editor. This adds a new macro named
“Untitled Macro” to the bottom of the keyboard shortcuts list under the Macros section.
Chapter 37 - Macros 356
Adding a New Macro
As soon as the new macro is created, the name defaults to Untitled Macro and is selected. Start
typing to give it a suitable name.
In the body of the macro, you can type in a list of actions to create the script. The easiest way is
to build your macros using the right-click menu; more on that in a bit! Actions are separated by
semicolons.
Deleting a Macro
While you can’t delete the built-in keyboard shortcuts, you can delete any custom macros you create.
To do so, select the macro to delete in the keyboard shortcuts list, and click Delete macro in the Script
Editor.
Programming a Macro
The simplest macro is made up of a single action. You can pick any available action by right-clicking
the Script Editor and navigating through the three collections of actions. When you find an action
you want to use, select it and the appropriate code is inserted into the script.
Selecting Actions from the Script Editor Right-click Menu
• Actions > Standard Shortcuts includes all the built-in keyboard shortcuts shown on the
Keyboard Shortcuts page.
• Actions > Basic Actions includes available actions that are not necessarily available as pre-
assigned shortcuts.
• Actions > Advanced actions includes actions that allow you manipulate selected objects
and even display messages on the screen. Advanced actions are provided as tools for more
advanced script programming.
Running a Macro
There are several ways to run a macro:
1. Assign it to a keyboard shortcut. Keyboard shortcuts are assigned to macros in the very same
way as the built-in shortcuts. Find the macro in the list and click the “+” to the far right and
enter the desired key combination.
2. Click Run Script > User Macros from the Menu section of the Edit tab. All your custom macros
appear there automatically. Select the one you want to run.
Running Macros using Run Script > User Macros
1. Add macros to the Custom Menu. At the bottom of the Keyboard Shortcuts page, click to
enable Show Script Tree Editor. Then drag your macros (or any built-in actions) to the tree
editor. Arrange it using drag and drop, add groups, and rename groups. Access the Custom
Menu from the menu in the Edit: Run Script > Custom Menu.
The Script Tree Editor
Javascript Programming
Beyond creating simple step-by-step lists of actions, you can take macro programming to the next
level using the power of Javascript. The Script Editor allows you to program loops and conditions
using Javascript syntax. It even provides color coding for the elements of the script.
Javascript Macro Example
Note: Waveform actions are exposed as methods using ‘dot’ notation. By that, we mean
that they start with the word Waveform, then a dot, then the method. Following the method
you can provide one or more parameter in parenthesis.
Macro Actions ‘dot’ Notation Syntax
Hover Tooltip
If you hover over an action in the script editor for a second or two, you will see a tooltip bubble
explaining what parameters the action takes. If the action returns values, you will see the syntax of
that. These tooltips give you key information when programming macros. Waveform’s developers
use this to give you meaningful clues about how each of the actions work.
Hover Over an Action for a Tooltip
In the above example, the the tooltip shows that the zoom action takes two double precision numeric
parameters. The first is the x-proportion (the amount of vertical zoom), and the second is the y-
proportion (the amount of horizontal zoom).
RTZ Macro Example

By default Waveform doesn’t have a true return-to-zero (RTZ) keyboard shortcut. The built-in
command stops first if it encounters the In-mark so you need, to hit it twice to really get back
to zero. However, you can create a macro that does the action twice, always returning the cursor to
the start of the Edit.
True Return-to-Zero Macro Example
For example, you could assign the RTZ macro to the Home key.
Merge Clips Macro Example

Another feature that you may use often is Merge Clips. Normally you use this by selecting a few
clips on a track that you want to combine to a single clip. Then you select Render Clips > Merge
the Selected Clips from Properties. If you do this frequently, you could do it with a single keyboard
shortcut, for example assigning it to Cmd + G / Ctrl + G.
Merge Clips Macro Assigned
Importing and Exporting Macros

Macros are actually just simple text. You can easily copy and paste the text directly in and out of
the script editor. In addition, Waveform has dedicated buttons to import and export macro scripts
as XML files with a .tracktionscript extension.
Script Input and Export Buttons
Code Samples
TCS engineers have supplied code samples of several macro scripts to get you started:
Rename Clips From Track

1 // Rename Clips From Track
2 var tracks = Waveform.getSelectedEditElements ('track');
3
4 for (var i = 0; i < tracks.length; ++i)
5 {
6 var track = tracks[i];
7 var trackName = Waveform.getName (track);
8 var clips = Waveform.getClipsFromTracks (track);
9
10 for (var c = 0; c < clips.length; ++c)
11 {
12 var clipName = trackName + " " + (c + 1);
13 Waveform.setName (clips[c], clipName);
14 }
15 }
Reset Tracks Solo/Mute

1 // Reset Tracks Solo/Mute
2 var tracks = Waveform.getEditElements ('track');
3 Waveform.setSolo (tracks, false);
4 Waveform.setSoloIsolate (tracks, false);
5 Waveform.setMute (tracks, false);
Next Active Automation Parameter

1 //Next Active Automation Parameter
2 var track = Waveform.getTrackFromSelectedObject();
3 Waveform.changeActiveAutomationParameter (track, 1);
Insert Plugin with Preset

1 // Insert Plugin with Preset

2 var track = Waveform.getTrackFromSelectedObject();
3 var plugin = Waveform.insertPlugin (track, "Massive", 0, "AudioUnit");
4 var preset = Waveform.getPresetFromLibrary ("Massive All Souls");
5 Waveform.setPluginPreset (plugin, preset);
Jump to Tab 2
1 // Jump to tab 2
2 var index = Waveform.getWindowTabIndex();
3 var delta = 2 - index;
4 Waveform.changeWindowTabIndex (delta);
Rename Selected Tracks

1 // Rename Selected Tracks
2 var tracks = Waveform.getSelectedEditElements ('track');
3 Waveform.setName (tracks[0], 'Kick');
4 Waveform.setName (tracks[1], 'Snare');
5 Waveform.setName (tracks[2], 'Hats');
6 // etc.
Save Selected Plugins as Preset

1 // Save Selected Plugins as Preset
2 var plugins = Waveform.getSelectedEditElements ('plugin');
3 Waveform.saveObjectsAsPreset (plugins);
Park the In-Marker & Out-Markers

1 /* Park the In-Marker & Out-Markers

2 Parks the In-marker and Out-marker at Zero then Restores Cursor Position. We wro\
3 te this macro to help a KVR forum member find a quick way to hide the In-marker \
4 and Out-marker.
5 */
6 var SavePosition = Waveform.getPosition ('cursor');
7 Waveform.moveTransportToStart();
8 Waveform.moveTransportToStart();
9 Waveform.markIn();
10 Waveform.markOut();
11 Waveform.setPosition ('cursor', SavePosition);
Search Plugins
1 /* Search Plugins
2 Opens the Browser to the Search tab, enables the Plugin searching while disablin\
3 g searching for Presets and Loops.
4 */
5 Waveform.showSidePanel ('search'); // Opens Browser to the Search tab
6 Waveform.enableSearchLibrary ('plugin', true);
7 Waveform.enableSearchLibrary ('preset', false);
8 Waveform.enableSearchLibrary ('loop', false);
9 Waveform.setSearchPanelText (''); // loads blank text so you can start typing t\
10 he search term right away
Rename selected clips to ‘Drums’

1 // Rename selected clips to 'Drums'
2 var clips = Waveform.getSelectedEditElements ('clip');
3 for (var i = 0; i < clips.length; ++i)
4 Waveform.setName (clips[i], 'Drums');
Undo and Redo Zoom Levels

1 // Undo Zoom - great companion when using the Shift + Opt / Shift + Alt zoom too\
2 l techniques
3 Tracktion.undoSelectZoom();
1 // Redo Zoom
2 Tracktion.redoSelectZoom();
Pin Properties
1 // Pin Properties Panel - Pins Properties bubble open when using the compact Too\
2 lbar. It toggles between pinned and unpined states.
3 Tracktion.lockPropertiesPanel();
Group Clips - Group and Ungroup

1 // Group Clips
2 Tracktion.groupSelectedClips();
1 // Ungroup Group Clips

2 Tracktion.ungroupSelectedClips();
Moving On
These are fairly simple examples. Waveform users are only just starting to explore the powerful
capabilities of macro programming in Waveform. You can use this to assign just about anything to
keyboard common, string together sequence of command, or develop detailed scripted actions. It’s
a wonderfully powerful feature that makes it possible to extend Waveform in new and interesting
ways.
Chapter 38 - Mixer View
Before it was called Waveform, the Tracktion DAW was famous for the inline Mixer section on every
track. This design allowed you to stay in one screen for recording, editing, and mixing. However,
many users still wanted a console view with vertical channels organize like a real life mixing desk.
The Waveform Mixer View
Waveform gives you a Mixer view that is flexible while staying completely optional. If you are used
to the Tracktion workflow you can keep the Mixer view closed and ignore it. However, if you prefer
this way of working, Waveform has a mixer that is both flexible and great looking! This chapter is
all about how to use the Waveform Mixer view.
Tracks and Channels

Waveform automatically maintains perfect sync between the tracks in the arrangement and channels
in the Mixer. Track order is the same as the channel order. Track names are the same as channel
names. If you change the order or name in one view it changes in the other. Even Folder tracks and
Submix tracks stay in sync between the two views - including the open/closed state.
Chapter 38 - Mixer View 366
** Note:** For the most part, tracks and channels in Waveform are two views of the same
thing. Tracks hold clips of your arrangement while channels in the mixer don’t show that
detail. Tracks are represented horizontally with signal flowing left to right. Channels are
represented vertically with signal flowing top to bottom.
Open/Close Mixer View
Mixer Open/Close Button
To open or close Mixer view, click the Mixer icon button in the upper right corner of the Edit window.
Mixer View Controls

The view controls for the Mixer are along the right side. Use this series of icon buttons to turn or
off sections of the Mixer.
Mixer Controls
Dock/Undock
Click to undock the Mixer and move it to a separate tab within the Waveform. You can then
drag the tab free to put the Mixer on a separate monitor if you like.
Channel Width
Use the channel width buttons to select between three different widths: large, medium, small
Channel Width Size Options
Arrangement Overview
Click to show/hide an arrangement navigator view at the very top of the Mixer.
This only appears with Mixer undocked. On the overview, you can do the following things:
• Zoom the timeline in or out by dragging up or down. You can also use Up-arrow and Down-
arrow to zoom.
• Drag the cursor to position it for playback. This is great if you are working in the mixer view
while recording.
• Drag the In-marker and Out-marker to set the loop for playback or to prepare for punch-in
recording.
Arrangement Overview
Show/Hide Meter Overview

The meter overview shows a compact view all the track meters at the top of the mixer. This
works something like a meter bridge - a feature of traditional studio consoles. It gives you a
full overview of mix levels and overloads. Click any of these meters and it selects that channel
in the mixer and pans over to bring it on screen if necessary. It’s great to quickly identify and
address overloads in a large mix.
Meter Overview
Show/Hide Inputs
Click to show the inputs. This allows you to configure inputs for recording right from the
Mixer. If you really like to working with Waveform in the same way as you would with a
tape recorder and mixing desk, this gives you a way to do that. You can run your complete
recording session from the Mixer view if you like. With the inputs shown, access the options
from the right click just like you do when working with a track in the arrangement. You can
also drag inputs from channel to channel to quickly set up for recording the next overdub.
Mixer Inputs
Show/Hide Big Meters

If you like to see detailed meters at the top of each channel enable the big meters view. Big
meters have helpful dB markings. The meters show the level of the final Level Meter plugin
in the plugins area per track. You can increase the height of these meters by dragging the
boundary next to the plugin section or by turning off some of the other option parts of the
mixer. If you hide the big meters, then meters appear next to the channel faders. Showing the
big meters is useful and impressive if you have a large secondary monitor and display the
Mixer full screen.
Big Meters
Tip: To set the meter response for a channel right-click the last level meter plugin and chose
from the options.
Selecting Meter Response Option
Setting Levels and Panning

Setting Fader Level
Drag faders up or down to set level of the last volume pan plugin on the track. Ctrl-drag for
fine resolution adjustment. Double-click to reset to 0 dB. Opt-click / Alt-click will also reset
the fader to 0 dB.
Drag to Adjust a Fader
Setting Pan Position:

Drag pan knobs up or down to set level of the last volume pan plugin on the track. Ctrl-drag
for fine resolution adjustment. Double-click to reset to the center. Opt-click / Alt-click will
also reset pan to the center.
Drag to Adjust Panning
Working with Mixer Channels

Renaming Channels
Double click the channel name to editing the name. Type in the name you want then press
return. Renaming a channel in the Mixer renames the corresponding track in the arrangement.
Renaming a Track
Selecting Multiple Tracks

The typical ways for selecting multiple objects also work for channels. To select a channel
click on the channel name or on the meter. To select additional channels hold Cmd / Ctrl and
click the each of the other channels to add to the selection. Shift-select also works. Click the
first channel to select, hold shift and click the last one and it selects those plus all those in
between. Multiple selection works along with reordering, deleting, and duplicating Channels
that we discuss next.
Multiple Selection of Three Channels
Reorder Channels
To reorder channels, drag a channel to its new position. A red insertion guide illuminates
behind the channel so you know where it will go when dropped. You can also drop channels
into Folders or Submixes from Mixer view using this technique. Reordering the Mixer
channels also reorders the tracks in the arrangement.
Folders
Channels for Folder tracks appear in the Mixer with an open/close triangle and a VCA fader.
There is no pan control and the plugin, output, and meter sections are will all be blank. You
essentially remote control the faders of the contained tracks with the VCA fader. This works
exactly like the corresponding controls on a Folder track in the arrangement. You can add or
remove channels to a Folder using drag and drop. You can also open or close the Folder using
the triangle control at the upper left. The channels inside a Folder appear slightly indented
downward. If you add plugins to a Folder it automatically converts to to a Submix.
Channel for a Folder Track - Closed and Open
Submixes
Channels for Submix tracks work much the same as Folders except they have meters, pan
controls and can take plugins. Use a Submix when you want to apply plugins to a submix of
set of channels.
Channel for a Submix of Drums
Deleting Channels
To delete a channel, select the channel and press delete. This also deletes the corresponding
track in the arrangement so be careful!
Adding Channels
Adding channels is the same as adding tracks. Press T to add a track to the arrangement which
also adds a channel to the Mixer. You can add multiple tracks at the same time from the Tracks
menu in the Controls panel
Duplicate a Channel
Select any channel and press D. This immediately copies the corresponding track and inserts
the copy right after the original one. A corresponding channel is appears in the Arrangement
at the same time. This also works for a selection of multiple channels making it really quick
to duplicate a setup ready to add more takes or parts.
Channel Colors
Channel colors are the same as the track colors. To set the color, select the channel or track
and pick the color in Properties. You can access Properties from the Mixer just like you do
when working in the arrangement.
Set Channel Colors from Properties for the Track
Working with Channel Plugins

Adding Plugins
To add a plugin to a Mixer channel, click the ‘plus’ icon on the plug section of the mixer.
If the plugins are not shown, then turn on that section from the Mixer controls to the right.
Alternatively, if the Mixer is docked below the arrangement, you can drag plugs in using the
Plugin object or drag them from the Browser.
Click to Choose a Plugin to Add
Reorder Plugins
Reorder plugins using drag and drop. You can also drag them to other tracks or copy them by
holding down Cmd / Ctrl while dragging.
Removing Plugins
The easy way to remove plugins from the Mixer it to select one and press Delete or Backspace.
You can also right-click a plugin and choose Delete this plugin from the list of option. One
more way is to select the plug then click Delete plugin from Properties,
Using More than One Volume & Pan Plugin

Waveform allows you to use as many Volume & Pan plugins as you want on a channel.
Normally, there is just one and that is the one that is controlled by the channel fader and
pan control. If you have more than one for gain staging or whatever reason, the last one in
the chain is the one that will be controlled by the channel fader. You will also notice that
additional Volume & Pan plugins will show quick controls right on the plugin in the mixer.
Click the volume or pan icon and a corresponding slider will pop up ready to adjust.
Channel with Two Volume and Pan Plugins
Using a Quick Control

For each plugins, let you can pick one control to assign directly for quick access from Mixer
view. Right-click a plugin to choose the control from the list of its available parameters. A
horizontal slider appears below the plugin which you can use to adjust that parameter.
Limiter Plugin with Quick Parameter Assigned - Ceiling
Moving On
While simple, the Waveform Mixer gives you another view to give you a different perspective. For
mixing, it might offer a more comfortable way to interact with with the recordings. Even though it’s
simple it retains Waveform’s flexible plugin architecture and allows you hide or show the features
that are most important to you.
Chapter 39 - MIDI Chord Player
MIDI Chord player is special plugin that transforms MIDI data. If one note comes in a three note
triad comes out. You can use this before a virtual instrument to make it easy to create harmony parts
even if you have limited keyboard skills. You can also use it as a composition tool to compose chord
progressions by ear.
MIDI Chord Player features a key switching map that you can use with your left hand to chose
from many chord types, then play the root of the chord with your right hand. It also has a mode
that keeps all your chords in the correct key. In this chapter you will learn how to use it.
MIDI Chord Player
Getting Started
First make sure your you have a keyboard or other MIDI controller connected and routed to the
input of a track. Load a virtual instrument, select a patch and make sure you get sound when you
play. We we chose Warm Concert Grand from Tracktion Collective.
Set up a Track with a Virtual Instrument - Collective is a Good Choice

Chapter 39 - MIDI Chord Player 381
Insert the MIDI Chord Player to the left of the virtual instrument. It’s one of the built-in Waveform
plugins.
MIDI Chord Player Installed Before Collective
Now as you play a single note on your keyboard, you will hear a three note chord. By default this
will be a major triad.
MIDI Chord Player Turns One Note into a Chord
Using the Key Switch Modifiers

Hold down one of the notes in the key-switch range as you play your note to play the most common
harmonized chord types. You aren’t limited to simple major triads.
Caption
Key-switch range is highlighted blue and starts at C4 by default. Drag the arrow at the left to move
the key-switch range to a convenient location on your keyboard.
Rendering the Chords

If you record the MIDI performance to a MIDI clip, the clip will show a single note. To render all
the chord notes to the MIDI clips on the track click Render Clips on the MIDI Chord Player.
Click to Render the Chord Player Notes to all MIDI Clips on the Track
Before Rendering Clips
After Rendering Clips
After you render clips, Chord Player is automatically removed as a plugin. This exactly what you
would expect. Playing chords through chord player usually does not create pleasing results!
Locking MIDI Chord Player to Properties

When working with MIDI Chord Player, it shows the notes you are playing on its virtual keyboard.
It is particularly helpful to see if the notes are in the key-switch range. The problem is that if you
select a MIDI clip or other object in Waveform, Chord Player is no longer visible. You can keep it in
Properties by engaging the lock icon. This is helpful trick if your programming the MIDI notes by
hand or playing them from keyboard. Just remember to unlock it when done!
MIDI Chord Player Lock Shown Enabled
Chords in Key Mode

The normal mode for Chord Player is All Chords. In this mode it will create chords based the note
you play but doesn’t do anything to keep you in a particular key.
If you change the mode to Chords in key only, Chord Player will prevent you from using notes that
are outside the key. Outside notes, will not even sound if you play them.
Select Chords in Key Mode
Set the key by clicking on the Tempo track header.

Setting the Key for the Edit
As you play notes, each note will represent one of chords in the key. This allows you to play around
with progressions in any key by ear.
There are only two key-switch modifiers in this mode. Since the chord formula is already decided
by the key, you are choosing from two different four-note chord harmonies 6th or 7th. Like before
you can move the key switch range by dragging the arrow to the left of it.
Chords in key mode is a great companion for songwriting especially if keyboards are not your first
instrument.
Moving On
MIDI Chord Player is one of the cool musicality features of Waveform. It is a useful and fun assistant
when you need some creative input.
Chapter 40 - Track LFOs
Track LFOs allow you to quickly provide movement to any automatable plugin parameter. In this
chapter, we will show you how to use the Track LFO feature.
Inserting a Track LFO

Assign a track LFO to a track by dragging the LFO Creator object to the mixer section of any track.
You either drag it to the top of the track then assign it to a parameter later, or drag it directly to any
plugin and choose the parameter to modulate right away.
Track LFO Creator Object
You can assign as many LFOs to a track as you want. The LFO objects appear above the plugins for
the track. The shape of the LFO is indicated on the object and you can choose from several colors in
Properties.
Track LFOs on a Track
Track LFO Properties

To control how a track LFO behaves and looks, select the LFO then adjust the parameters in
Properties. Properties also lists what parameters are being modulated.
Chapter 40 - Track LFOs 387
Track LFO Properties
To choose and LFO shape, select the LFO then click Wave in Properties and choose one of the five
shapes: Sine, Triangle, Saw Up, Saw Down, or Square. The shape will be represented in Properties
and on the thumbnail image on the LFO object.
Track LFO Shapes
With the shape selected you can choose how to control the modulation speed by clicking Sync and
then choosing Time or Beat. If you choose time adjust the speed by dragging the Frequency slider
left or right, or double click Frequency and type in a value in Hz.
Track LFO Sync Options
If you choose Beat, then the Beat divisions menu appears. Click it and select one of the musical
divisions.
Beat Sync Musical Divisions
In addition to the speed you can adjust the Intensity, Phase, and Offset using additional parameters.
Also of the are useful but I find find Intensity to be the most essential.
Time Sync Properties
Other Properties
Properties for track LFOs contain several other useful controls. Here is an explanation of what these
do:
Enabled
Enabled turns the LFO on or off. If you want to suspend the operation of the LFO without
deleting it, turn Enabled off.

If you choose Beat synced frequency the value is calculated at the time of the selection. If you
want to recalculate the value anytime tempo changes, then leave Remap on Tempo Change
enabled. Normally you will want to leave this on.
Highlight Controlled Plugins

With Highlight Controlled Plugins enabled it does exactly that. It draws a unique color outline
around any plugin that has a parameter tied to the LFO.
Color
Select one of the nine colors to use for the track LFO object. This is useful if you have several
of them on the same track.
Tip: The LFO is also used for the highlight color if you have Highlight Controlled Plugins
enabled.
Learn
Click Learn then move any plugin parameter and it will be added to a temporary list. The
click the check symbol to confirm the assignments. This is a great way to assign numerous
parameters to the same LPO.
Confirm Learn Assignments
Removing LFO Assignments

When you select a track LFO, all assigned parameters are shown in the list at the right side of
Properties. To remove any assignment, click the “X” at the right of the assignment in the list.
Track LFO Assignment List
Tip: To remove a track LFO entirely, simply select it then click Delete LFO in Properties.
Video Tutorial
We have published this video tutorial50 explaining Track LFOs. It shows a few examples of using
them with a virtual instrument.
Moving On
Track LFOs are a great way to add movement to effects or virtual instruments. They can also be
used to add subtle dynamic panning or aggressive tremolo. The best part is that the are super simple
to use.
50
https://youtu.be/9UVEAJAvFZ0
Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects
Clip Layer effects were introduced with T7. They offer quick offline rendering of many common
audio processes but arranged as layers. You can add or remove layers at will and the effects are
rendered in quickly. You can even rearrange the layers. Effects are applied from the top down through
the layers.
You may find Clip Layer effects to be most useful for things like applying clip based volume
automation, conversion to mono, and normalizing. However, those are just a few example of Clip
Layer effects capabilities.
Example Clip Layers
To use Clip Layer effects, click on new FX icon in the header for any Audio clip.
Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects 392
Audio Clip Header FX Menu
From there, select from any of effects. More details on each of these options follows.
FX Menu Add Effect Options
The Clip Layer will appear. As you hover your mouse over it, a set of controls appears to the right.
The following diagram illustrates the available options.
Clip Layer Controls Diagram
Volume - Volume
Adding a volume layer is the Waveform way to do clip based volume automation. You may find
yourself using this instead of track automation when it comes to automating volume.
Volume Clip Layer
When you click the “gear” icon for a volume layer, you will see the Volume & Pan control values in
Properties.
Volume Clip Layer Properties
While somewhat useful, you are probably more interested in working with the volume automation
curve itself. To do so, click on the volume curve (which initially shows up as a line) and then you
have access to the Properties for the that.
Tip: See Chapter 35 for more on editing the automation curve. Everything about editing
automation curves for tracks applies to volume Clip Layers as well.
Volume - Fade
Fade-ins and fade-outs are also available as layers. After creating the fade layer, drag the left or right
fade handles to create the fade in or fade out.
Fade In/Out
Tip: Right click a fade handle to set the fade shape.

Volume - Step
Add a step volume layer to rhythmically gate the clip.
Step Volume Layer
With the step Clip Layer in place, click the gear icon at the right of the layer and then work with all
the Properties to set the step size and divisions. You can then click on the steps to turn them on or
for unlimited synced gating options.
Step Volume Properties
Time/Pitch - Pitch Shift

Add a pitch shift Clip Layer to get access to an automation curve for pitch. Add points and automate
like any other effect to apply anything from simple pitch offsets to dramatic pitch sweeps.
Pitch Shift Layer
When you select the pitch curve on the clip, Properties gives you access to the normal range of
controls for automation curves.
Pitch Curve Properties
Time/Pitch - Tape Stop/Start (Pitch Fade)

You probably already know that you can right-click the fade handles on any Audio clip to apply
pitch fades. Now you can do the same thing as a Clip Layer effect.
Tape Stop/Start Layer
Right-click the fade handle to choose the shape for the curve.
Tape Stop/Start Fade Options

Time/Pitch - Warp Time

Before Clip Layers, you had to go to Properties and then to the click the Loop Properties tab… then
click Warp Time to get going. While that still works, it’s much easier with the clip layers feature;
Just add a warp time Clip Layer.
The header area of the Clip Layer will appears shaded. Click anywhere in the shaded area to add a
warp marker.
Warp Time Clip Layer - Click to Add Marker
Drag a warp points to time stetch audio between warp markers.
Drag to Warp
If you want to remove a warp marker, right-click and remove it or all markers.
Right-click to Remove Warp Markers
You may find this implementation of Warp Time much more convenient, especially if you want
to align transients to things happening on other tracks in the Edit. With the old way, you couldn’t
really see timing in relation to the rest of the Edit.
Effects - Plugin Layer

A plugin Clip Layer allows you to add any plugin including 3rd-party effects to a layer.
Plugin Layer
You will be prompted to select a plugin as you add the layer. The name of the plugin appears on the
Clip Layer at the lower right when the layer is selected.
Here are the key things to know when working with the plugin Clip Layers:
1. Click the gear icon at the right to open the plugin UI. When you tweak parameters, a few
second later the change is rendered in.
Note: Because of the way rendering works, it is a bit hard to audition changes to plugin
parameters. You may find plugin Clip Layers are best for applying known presets. If you
want to do a lot of real time tweaking, then you will probably be better off to use a Clip
effect or normal track plugin.
1. Click the A at the top right to show automation curves. Any exposed automation parameter
can be selected which makes its curves visible. Use all your standard automation editing tools
to draw in appropriate automation.
Effects - Reverse Clip Layer

Using the reverse Clip Layer is really easy. Add the layer and the audio within the clip will now
play backwards.
Reverse Layer
Mastering - Normalise Layer

Normalise adjusts the gain of audio so that it use all of the available the bit depth. The concept is
analogous to “zoom-to-fit” in image editing software.
To use it, first add Normalize layer.
Normalise Layer
Then adjust the Normalize value to keep peaks where you want. In voiceover work, many customers
request the audio to be normalized to -3db.
Normalise Property
Mastering - Mono Layer

To convert to mono, the mono Clip Layer is a greta feature. It is much more convenient to use this
than other approaches in Waveform.
First add a mono Clip Layer:
Mono Layer
The choose one of options for determine how to render to mono from stereo:
Mono Options
Note: Most of the time you will probably select Average of all Channels. This mixes the
left and right channels to to create a mono version.
Mastering - Phase Invert Layer

The phase invert Clip layer is pretty straightforward. It flips the polarity of the wave.
Phase Invert Layer
Moving On
We think you will enjoy exploring and working with Clip Layers. It is really only from experimenting
with this approach that you will understand how it works. There are likely many new editing
workflows that have yet to be discovered, that leverage the power of Clip Layers.
Chapter 42 - Working with Presets
Presets are featured throughout Waveform. You can save your setups and recall them to streamline
your workflow. You can also search for your favorite presets using the Browser Search tab.
Saving Presets
To use the Search tab on the Browser to effectively locate presets, you need to prepare by saving
presets. Here is a quick summary for the most common types.
Preset Line in Properties Section
Plugins
For instrument or effects plugins, select the plugin in the mixer, then click Save in the Preset
line in Properties. This will load the Preset Details dialog box where you can add a name,
description, and tags. After you enter the information, click OK to save the preset.
Plugin Racks
To create a preset for a Plugin rack, open the window for it (usually by double-clicking) then
select Save from the Preset line. This opens the Preset Details dialog box to complete the
process.
Step Clips
Select the Step clip by clicking on its header. In Properties, click Create Preset. You can choose
to include or exclude patterns. Choosing either opens the Preset Details dialog box to complete
the process.
Step Clip Create Preset
Tip: If you exclude patterns, a Step clip will use the default Step Length and Number of
Steps. We suggest always choosing Include patterns. If you want to create a blank template,
simply clear all the notes, before saving.
Chapter 42 - Working with Presets 404
Tracks
To save track presets, right-click on the Track header then click Save Preset. You will then
choose between saving the Whole track or part of the track - Track inputs, Track outputs, Track
plugins. We recommend using Whole track however you might want to use Track plugins for
a convenient way to save a channel strip configuration for quick recall.
Track Header Right-click, Save Preset
Using Presets
Click the tags to filter presets and search for them by name using the Search field. Once you find
a preset to work with, drag it to the appropriate section of the arrangement. Here are some other
important features.
Preset Right-click Menu
Renaming a Preset
Right-click any preset in the list and select Edit Preset. This opens the Preset Details dialog
box. Here you can update the name, description, and tags.
Preset Details Dialog Box
Deleting a Preset
Right-click a preset and select Delete Preset to remove it permanently.
Export a Preset
To export a preset to share with another Waveform user or transfer to another computer,
right-click the preset and select Export Preset. The resulting file contains a description of the
preset and has the .trkpreset file extension.
Importing a Preset
The easiest way to import a preset file is to drag it from your system and drop it on the
Waveform browser. You can also load a preset by right-clicking an existing preset and selecting
Import Preset.
Applying Presets
To use a preset, drag it to the appropriate object in the arrangement: Track, clip, or the mixer. There
are other ways to work with presets, as follows:
The Apply Button

To quickly audition Track or effects plugins, turn on Apply in the Presets tab footer. Next,
select a track to use to try out the presets and start playback. Click on any preset you want
to try for that track and it will be instantly applied. Select various presets to quickly audition.
When you disable Apply, use Undo (Cmd + Z / Ctrl + Z) to remove any plugins applied this
way.
Browser Preset Tab Apply Button
Using Part of Preset

Rack and Track presets are made up of several components (e.g. plugins, instruments, mixer
plugin setups). Click the triangle to the left of this type of preset to expand the view to show
all the components. Now you can drag any of those components to your arrangement.
Expanded View Showing Preset Components
Auditioning Instrument Presets

Select the instrument preset you want to audition. Make sure Preview is enabled at the bottom
of the Presets tab. Click Inputs and enable the MIDI controller or keyboard to use to audition
the sound. Play notes on a keyboard to audition the sound. You can also audition Instrument
presets, by selecting a track that contains MIDI clips and playing it while Apply is enabled.
Selecting Input for Instrument Preview
Moving On
Use presets to customize Waveform and quickly access your favorite settings for plugins, tracks,
clips, groove just to name a few!
Chapter 43 - Plugin Racks
Plugin Racks are an amazing and flexible feature of Waveform for both mixing and creative sound
design. Racks allow you unlimited options to wire together series and parallel combination of plugins
and virtual instruments.
Example Plugin Rack - Phased Delay Preset
On the surface, you use a Plugin track just like any other plugin. However since you can use the
same instance of the plugin on multiple tracks you can do very interesting routing with them. They
are also the key to setting up multiple output instruments when you want to mix the outputs on
separate channels.
Inserting Plugin Racks

You can insert Plugin racks in all the ways you would insert normal built-in or third party plugins.
Drag them in from the plugin object, click the plus (+) on the Mixer plugin section, or right click an
existing plugin and select Add new plugin.
Chapter 43 - Plugin Racks 408
Inserting a Plugin Rack
You may start with an empty rack or load a preset. Saving and re-using customized racks is a
powerful way to speed up music production and mixing. Waveform comes with some cool presets
to get you started.
Plugin Rack Presets
Hide/Show Rack Panels

Plugin racks include input, output, and Properties panels that you can hide or show from the icons
at the top. Properties is integrated directly into the Plugin rack window. This is very useful if you
are using the rack editor in a large view or on a separate monitor.
Collapsable Panels
Properties
To start getting familiar with the Plugin rack layout, load the Phased Delay preset. Open both the
inputs panels and the Properties. Clicking different objects and areas of the screen reveals different
sets of properties.
Plugin Properties
Click any of the plugins used in the rack to see its parameters in Properties. In use, this is how you
tweak and program a Plugin rack when mixing or designing a rack from scratch. Later we will talk
about patching wires between the plugins, Assuming that is already done, you can set the values for
the component plugins by opening the Plugin rack, clicking a plugin and adjust the values.
Phased Delay Plugin Rack with Phaser Plugin Selected
Preset racks usually include a text plugin that explains more about the rack and how to use it. It’s a
great idea when creating your own racks to put in a text plugin to explain what it does and how it
works.
Phased Delay Text Plugin - Read Me
Rack Properties
Click the background between the plugins and wiring to select the rack itself and see the Plugin rack
Properties.
Rack Shown Selected and its Properties
Use these properties to rename the rack and work with presets. You can also add input and output
pins as we will explain in a bit.
Track Properties
With the inputs and output shown click to select the track. This shows the track properties. Here
you can work with routing and adjust the input and output gain levels for the rack.
Note: A single Plugin rack instance can reside on more than one track. In that case the
other tracks will appear hear as well so you an visually patch the routing. This a more
advanced features that we will get to later.
Starting with an Empty Rack

Making your own rack with a chain of effects is quite simple. Drag in the Plugin object and select
Plugins Racks > Create New Empty Rack. Double-click to open the new empty rack.
Add a plugin to your empty rack. Drag the plugin object from the upper right corner and drop it on
the workspace.
Add the First Plugin to an Empty Rack
As you drop the plugin, a dialog appears with two choices Auto-connect or Leave Unconnected.
Choose Auto-connect to automatically route the left and right signals from the input, to the plugin,
then from the plugin to the output. This sets it up to immediately work on the track. You can also
route MIDI to and from the plugin.
Add the First Plugin to an Empty Rack
Racks use virtual patch cables to connect the left and right audio signals to plugins. When you drop
in a single plugin and select Auto-connect, these essential cables get wired up automatically. You can
change these around or draw them in yourself and well talk about that shortly.
An EQ Plugin with Cables Auto-connected
Note: Even if the plugin doesn’t specifically use MIDI, it’s a good idea to route the
blue virtual MIDI connection through it. Not doing so can negatively affect plugin delay
compensation.
Working with Virtual Patch Cables

If you add plugins to your rack unconnected, you can draw in virtual patch cables to complete it.
Patch cables connect between pins. The pins start with the input to the rack. By default there are
three input pins: MIDI, audio left, and audio right. Here are the basics for working with virtual patch
cables:
Pins Pins appear as dots in the rack editor. The left pins connect from the track or previous plugins
to the rack then through your wiring and plugins from left to right. There are input pins,
plugin pins, and output pins.
Connecting Virtual Patch Cables

To draw in the virtual patch cables, drag from one of the input pins and drop on a plugin pin.
As you drag the patch cable appears. When you drop on the connection pin the cable sticks
to that pin making the connection. Once connected, you can even drag the plugin around on
the screen and the cables stay connected as if they are flexible and stretchy.
Disconnecting a Virtual Patch Cable

To disconnect a patch cable, grab the cable from the wire part and pull it free. If you drop it
away from another pin the cable will disappear, effectively deleting it. You can also drag it to
a different pin to change the routing. The wire will disconnect on the end nearest to where
you grab it.
Tip: Don’t grab the cable exactly on the pin to disconnect it; grab from the wire part. If
you grab from the pin you start drawing in a new patch cable.
Once your plugin is wired up, you can drag the plugin around in the rack workspace all the patch
cables will stay connected. As you create more complicated setups with more plugins this allows
you arrange the plugs in and wiring in an organized way.
Creating a Chain of Plugin Effects

To create chain of plugins, drag in all the plugins you want and wire them up in order. If you start
with the the first plugin Auto-connected, additional plugs will be dropped in with no connections.
You will need to detach some patch cables from your first plugin and wire into the next one. Drag
the plugins around to organize the view to your liking.
Tip: It’s a good idea to add text plugin to your rack. Add a text plugin then change the
name to “Read Me” or something similar. Describe how to use the rack in the Description
property.
A Plugin Chain with High Pass, Compressor, EQ, and a meter
Note: In the diagram above, notice that the blue MIDI connection is connected through all
the plugins. This helps with plugin delay compensation.
Creating a Parallel Effects Setup

Plugin racks allow you to do something you can’t with normal insert effects in other DAWs - you can
create combinations of series and parallel effects. This is great for many applications and particularly
good for crafting effects for lead vocals or solo instruments without worrying about setting up buses
in the Mixer.
To set this up, drag in several effects then draw in all the patch cables as described earlier. Since any
pin can have multiple connecting cords, you can wire the input to several plugins.
Rack With Parallel Effects
This example is a set of lead vocal effects that includes delay and reverb running in parallel. In
addition, we added a volume and pan plugin to mix back in some of the dry signal. The two plugin
effects are set to pass 100% processed signal. We have assigned Wet level to the quick control for
each plugin. We have also added a parallel Volume and Pan plugin to use to mix in some of the dry
signal.
Working with Presets

Plugin racks allow you to save, load, and manage presets just like you can for any other plugin. The
important thing is that the preset is the entire rack configuration. This allows you reuse common
chains of effects for tasks like processing vocals, guitars, or drums. It is also great for loading
combinations of virtual instruments and effects setups with stacked virtual instruments.
Saving a Preset
To save a preset, click the background of the rack to select it. In Properties at the lower left
click the Save button. Now select from an existing preset to save over, or create a new one.
Saving a Plugin Rack Preset
Loading a Preset
You can load a preset into an existing rack by clicking Load in Properties for the rack. Click in
the background of the rack to selected it, then click Load and choose from available presets.
Loading a Plugin Rack Preset
Deleting a Preset
To delete a Plugin rack preset click Del in the Properties for the rack. Choose one of your
presets to delete and it goes way.
Note: There is no confirmation for deleting Plugin rack presets. So be sure that’s what you
want to do before clicking Del.
Import/Export
You may have noticed that the Save button includes an Export option. This saves your rack
preset details to a file that you can later load into another installation of Waveform or share
with others. The file has the .trkrack extension.
Plugin Rack Editor Properties

In addition to preset management, plugin rack Properties includes many addition parameters and
actions that give you great flexibility when working with racks. Here is a run down of those
parameters and actions:
Plugin Rack Properties
Name
Click on the Name value to edit the name of the Plugin rack.
New Input Channel

Add an input pin at the left. Then add virtual wires from inputs to plugins in the rack editor.
Delete Input Channel

Remove an input pin on the left that is not needed.
Rename Input Channel

Customize an input pin name based on how it’s used. You can make the names more concise
or descriptive if you like.
New Output Channel

Just like for the input, you can add extra outputs to route the signal flow to different or multiple
tracks.
Delete Output Channel

If you wind up with extra, unneeded output pins you can delete them. Click Delete Output
Channel and the extra pin goes away.
Rename Output Channel

You can give the outputs a custom name if you want. This name appears when you hover the
pointer over the output pin. It also appears on the Properties for the racks’s track inputs and
outputs.
Drag to Insert Rack

Use the Plugin object that resides in Properties for the rack to insert an instance of this rack
onto a track in the arrangement or the Mixer.
Track Input & Output Properties

You can set routing, balance the input and output levels, and set the overall wet dry mixing for a
Plugin rack using the track Properties from the Rack editor. You can also access these settings from
Properties in the Controls panel for the rack in the arrangement or Mixer.
Note: You can edit a rack name from here as well. This is repeated from the Plugin rack
editor Properties.
Plugin Rack - Track Input & Output Properties
Input/Output Routing
You can set the routing from tracks to the input pins of the rack using these settings. You can
also do this graphically if you have the side panels open on the Plugin rack editor. Adjusting
routing graphically works just like explained for the main rack editing panel.
Input/Output Levels
Adjust the input and output levels with separate control for left and right. This is done per
track first select a track in the side panel of the Plugin rack editor to choose which track to
work with. You can also make this adjustments graphically by clicking on the track input and
adjusting the popup horizontal fader. Use the Link Inputs and Link Outputs buttons to adjust
left and right together.
Wet & Dry

Normally the Wet value is turned all the way up and the Dry value turn all the way down.
All the signal passes through the rack. It is possible to mix some of the dry signal with the
signal being processed by the rack. The Wet and Dry faders allow you to do that.
Note: Racks can get pretty complicated with both the routing and plugin delay compen-
sation. Generally it’s better to set up the wet/dry mix within the rack design than use the
Wet and Dry faders in Properties.
Virtual Instruments in Racks

When you place virtual instrument (VI) plugins in a rack you connect it so that the MIDI data comes
in and audio goes out.
Rack with Analog Synth
Stacked Instruments
You can connect one or more VIs in parallel to create stacked instrument sounds. By stacked
we mean that more than one synth is played from the same MIDI performance data.
Analog Synth Stacked with FM Synth
Combining Instruments with Effects

Use the flexible nature of racks to create any combination of virtual instruments and effects.
Stacked Synths Combined with Effects in Rack
Using a Rack with More than One Track

When you copy a Plugin rack from one track to another you are not actually duplicating it, you are
adding the same rack to another track.
Rack Copied from on Track to Another
Warning: Copying a Plugin rack from one track to another does not duplicate the rack, it
adds the same instance of the rack to the new track. This combines the signal through the
same plugin. This is a common point of confusion when working with racks. To avoid this
problem, duplicate your rack setup by saving it as a preset then load the preset to the other
track.
The Same Rack Instance on Two Tracks Combines the Signal - Maybe not What You Want!
That fact that you can have the same instance of a rack on multiple tracks allows for flexible and
advanced routings. It can be helpful for setting up sidechains with in a rack and is also used when
setting up virtual instruments with multiple outputs.
Rack for Multiple Output Virtual Instruments

The most common benefit to use the same instance of a Plug rack across multiple tracks is then
you want to use a multi-output virtual instrument AND you want to run those outputs to separate
channels for mixing. This is a common scenario with drum instruments in particular.
There is a complete walkthrough of configuring a rack for a drum instrument in the next chapter -
Chapter 44 - Multiple Output Instruments
Sidechain Routing
If you are using plugins that have side chains inputs within a rack, you can copy the instance to the
source track to route as a sidechain source.
Using a Rack for Sidechain Routing
Note: For normal sidechain setups, plugin windows include a sidechain input selector at
the top left. You don’t need to use a rack to route your side chain unless you want to create
a more complex set or preprocess the side chain. For more on this see Chapter 29 - Using
Plugins
Preprocesing the Sidechain with an EQ Plugin
Learning More About Plugin Racks

Plugin racks could fill an entire volume and the uses and possibilities are endless. To explore racks
further, check out this video series at Groove 3 called Tracktion Plugin Racks Explained51 . The series
covers all the essentials of creating effects chains as well as using racks to route multi-output virtual
instruments to separate tracks.
Additional information on racks is covered in the series in the Groove 3 series Tracktion T7 Update
Explained52 .
Those two resources along with this chapter should get you well on your way to understanding how
to use racks in your projects.
Moving On
Racks are an incredible, powerful feature of Waveform. Even though it is an advanced feature, you
can get started easily because you combine plugins and routing visually.
51
https://www.groove3.com/Tracktion-Software-training-video-tutorials/Tracktion-Plugin-Racks-Explained
52
https://www.groove3.com/Tracktion-Software-training-video-tutorials/Tracktion-T7-Update-Explained?itemid=10016
Chapter 44 - Working with Multiple
Output Instruments
In Waveform, Plugin racks are used to configure multi-output instruments to route the outputs to
different tracks or channels in the mixer. This chapter is a walkthrough of setting it up with a virtual
drum instrument.
We are demonstrating with the free MTPower Drum Kit53 but the setup works in a very similar way
with EZ Drummer or any number of other similar drum instruments.
MT Power Drum Kit Routed to Six Stereo Tracks
Overview
With this set up we will create a rack to hold the virtual instrument then copy that rack to a series
of tracks, one for each stereo output. We will also use a Submix track to hold the entire setup.
53
http://www.powerdrumkit.com
Chapter 44 - Working with Multiple Output Instruments 427
Step by Step
Here is how to set it up:
1. Create tracks for all the outputs you want to mix separately. In this example we are using Kick,
Snare, HH, Toms, OH, and Room. Here you see the track as channels in the Mixer. It’s easy to rename
them from this view by double-clicking the name at the top of each channel.
Naming the Drum Channels
2. Move all these tracks to a Submix track. To do that, select all the tracks - click the first track, hold
shift while clicking the last track. Then in Properties click Create Submix Containing.
Creating the Submix to Hold the Instrument Output Channels
3. Name the newly created Submix “Drums.” The Submix gives you an overall level for the
instrument and the ability apply effects to the drum mix if you like.
Naming the Submix
4. Create a new empty rack on the first track and rename it appropriately. You can do this from
either the in-line Mixer or the Mixer view.
New Rack Shown in the In-line Mixer
5. Add MT Power Drum Kit to the rack and allow it automatically wire the plugin.
MT Power Drum Kit Right After Adding to a New Rack
6. Copy this instance of the rack to all the other drum tracks by dragging while holding Cmd / Ctrl.
Rack Copied to all the Tracks

Wiring the Rack

When you get to this point, the routing in the rack won’t make much sense. The next step is to
sort the output routing. Our plan is to route our available drum sounds to the six tracks we defined
earlier.
At this Point the Output Routing is a Mess
Note: Keep in mind that all tracks and mixer channels in Waveform are stereo. Typically
outputs for drum instruments like this are also stereo so we will be routing left and right
pairs for each type of drum.
1/. Clear all the output wiring by pulling all of the wires free from track outputs in the right side
panel. The result should look like this:
All the Output Wiring Disconnected
2. Now connect pairs of outputs to each track output. There will be some extra because we are only
connecting six stereo pairs to match up to our six stereo tracks. Here is the resulting routing:
Output Routing Complete to Six Stereo Tracks
Note: MT Power Drum Kit has sixteen outputs configured as eight stereo pairs. If you use
another virtual instrument it will probably have different numbers of outputs.
3. By default MT Power Drum Kit mixes all the drums to the first stereo output. We want to change
this and route out to our six stereo tracks. We do this assignment in the mixer for the plugin. This
will look a bit different in other drum instruments but the idea is the same. In MT Power Drum Kit,
the outputs are numbered by stereo pair. The next image shows the setup.
MT Power Drum Kit with the Outputs Assigned to Our Six Stereo Tracks
At this point the configuration of of the rack is finished. If you want you can clean it up by removing
unused input and output pins and also the audio input routings which are not needed. Here is the
resulting rack:
Complete Setup with Drum Virtual Instrument
Using the Plugin Rack Drum Instrument

Record or Program MIDI
Record MIDI clips in the normal way on any of the tracks and the drums will play to the
different outputs based on what assignments we made before. You can play from a keyboard
or program the notes onto a blank clip. Using a Step clip is a great way test the setup. Just
Drag a new Step clip to one of the tracks and start programming a beat.
Using a Step Clip to Drive the Drum Rack Setup
Mixing
Now we can mix using faders and plugins on drums just like mixing a multi microphone live
recording. Control the level of the entire drum part using the Submix track fader.
Mixing the Drum Output Channels
Processing the Submix

If you like you can apply limiting, compression, or tape emulation to the Submix. Here we
have renamed it Drums and applied bus compression.
Processing Applied to the Submix
Moving On
When setup this way you have flexible control over multiple output virtual instruments. By
containing all the tracks used for the outputs in a submix you can control the entire level from
a single fader and even collapse it to one track when working on another aspects of your song.
Enter Rack Setup Collapsed to a Single Track

Chapter 45 - MIDI Pattern Generator
Waveform has many features that fall into the broad category of musicality functions. Of those, the
pattern generator for MIDI clips has the richest set of tools. That’s what we will be covering in this
chapter.
To locate the pattern generator feature, select a MIDI clip and notice the Pattern Generator tab in
Properties.
Pattern Generator Tab in MIDI Clip Properties
The pattern generator will assist you when composing arpeggios, chords progressions, baselines,
and melodies. It helps you build chord progressions then gives you suggested notes and chords that
you can use as a starting point for further development.
Generating Chords & Progressions

To get started, set up a track with a virtual instrument and drag in a blank MIDI clip. With the clip
selected click on the Pattern Generator tab in Properties. Select Chords from the Pattern Style list.
Chose the Chords Pattern Style
This will reveal the full set of actions and properties for working with chords and progressions.
Chapter 45 - MIDI Pattern Generator 438
Pattern Generator Properties for Chords
Choosing the Fundamental Parameters

If you just play around with these properties you will start to generate chords in your blank MIDI
clip. Let’s walk through what these are for so you can get more predictable results - starting with
the musical properties.
Musical Properties for Chords
Key Click Key to choose from a list of keys for your chord progression. If you choose Global Track,
Waveform will use the key assigned in the Tempo track.
Chose the Key for Chords
Octave
The octave value determines which register for the chord notes. The default is 4 which puts the
chords toward the center of the range on a piano. Lower values will give you lower registers.
Higher values will give you higher pitched chords.
Velocity Scale
This value sets the MIDI velocity for all the notes in the chords. This value is in percent so
100 means 100% which translates to a MIDI velocity of 127.
Note: All generated notes will have the velocity you set here. If you want some variation
you can do that by editing the notes later. The MIDI note action Modify Notes > Randomize
Velocity might be a good way to do that.
Gate Gate sets the note length in percent. At 100 notes will hold out until the next note starts -
typically giving you a legato feel. Shortening this value will make the notes shorter giving a
more staccato feel.
Chord Preset
You can choose from presets that apply rhythmic patterns to the chords. This makes more
sense after you have generated some chords. We will come back to this a bit later.
Entering Chords
You can enter chord progressions three different ways. Chords typically entered by number rather
than by letter names. For example you would enter I, iii, IV, V independently of the key. This makes
it easy to see the chords role in the progression in a way that doesn’t change if you decide to change
the key. You can alternatively enter chords by letter number using the Custom Chord option.
Generated Chords from a Simple Progression
Entering Chords
To enter a chord click the plus icon in the progression area of the Pattern Generator tab in
Properties for the MIDI clip. Select a chord number from the list. The list includes three-note
chords (I, ii, ii, IV, etc) and four note 7th chords (I, ii7, iii7, IV7, etc.) As you add chords to the
progression, the MIDI notes that make up each chord will be automatically drawn into the
clip.
Entering Chords for the Progression
Chord Suggestions
If you want help determining which chord to select next, refer to the Suggestion area to right
of the progression. This list suggests the most likely next chord based on music theory and
statistics. When entering chords like this, all chords will be in the correct key so feel free to
experiment.
Next Chord Suggestions by Strength
Custom Chord (Adding a Specific Chord)

If you want to directly enter a chord by letter name and formula click the plus icon and select
Custom Chord. From here navigate through the chord root and then choose the exact chord
you want. Custom chords are fixed, meaning they won’t change if you update the key.
Add a Specific Chord
Choose Popular Progressions

Another way to enter chords is to start from a pre-defined progression. Choose from popular
three chord or four chord progressions by clicking the *Preset * option.
Choose from Popular Progressions
Choose Preset Progressions

You can also choose preset progressions from the menu on the preset button. By default the
list contains some well known songs. You can also save your own presets here using Save as
Preset.
Using Chords from Other Clips

If you have already put together other MIDI clips with chord progressions you can copy the
progression to the a new clip. To do so, click the menu icon for the progression and select Other
clips. From here you pick from any other clips in the Edit that have a chord progression. When
you select one of the clips, Waveform copies the chord progression to your new clip.
Copy a Chord Progression from another MIDI Clip
Working with Chords

Getting a progression entered and some generated chords is just the starting for composing a song
or part. Open the MIDI editor by double-clicking on the header for the MIDI clip. Notice along the
lower edge, the chords for the generated progression are shown. At first these are shown one chord
per bar but you can change that which we will explain shortly.
Chord Progression Shown in MIDI Editor
You can work with the chords using several tools integrated into the chord progression as it appears
along the bottom of the the MIDI editor. The first thing you will notice is that the exact chord names
are shown here. You can use this as a reference when adding other live instruments like guitar or
bass to your song.
Chord Tools in the MIDI Editor
Inversions
The chord generator enters chord notes into the MIDI clip with the notes stacked with the root
note at the bottom. To make a smoother progression, you will likely want to try other chord
notes as the lowest. The variations of the note stacking order are called inversions. Shift-click
the up/down icons at the right of each chord to try other inversions.
Tip: You can try inversions with keyboard shortcuts too. Select all the notes in the chord
the press Cmd + T / Ctrl + T to up through inversions. Press Cmd + Shift + T / Ctrl + Shift
+ T to move down through inversions.
Adjust the Length of Chords

Drag the divider between chords in the MIDI editor to adjust the start time and chord length
for the progression. As you drag, realize that it will affect the timing of the rest of the
progression. For example if you drag the start of a chord a beat earlier, you might want to
adjust the ending so the next chord starts on the down beat of the next bar.
Trying other Chords

Click the arrow icons at either end of the chord range to cycle through the chord choices
for the key. If you entered chords using the Custom Chord menu, you can increment to the
next root note by shift-clicking the arrow icon. At any time, you can just click the chord in
Properties and pick a different one from the list.
Removing Chord
To remove a chord click the chord in Properties and select Remove.
Removing a Chord
Duplicating a Chord
If you want a chord to play for an extra bar you might want to duplicated it. To duplicate a
chord click the chord in Properties and select Duplicate.
Changing Chord Order

As you build out the progression, you can change the order of the chords using drag and drop.
Drag any chord and drop it to a new place in the progression. The other chords will move to
make room.
Auto Update
With Auto update enabled, each change you make to the progression or its parameters will
immediately generate a new set of MIDI notes in the clip. If you start to manually edit or
move note around, Auto update becomes disabled so progression changes don’t accidentally
wipe out your changes. If you want to regenerate the progression turn Auto update back on.
Auto Update for Chord Generator
Note: Enabling Auto update will over-write any direct changes you have made to MIDI
notes in the clip.
Adding Rhythm to Chords

You can use all of the available MIDI editing tools and techniques to add rhythm to the notes in
your progression. We find that Modify Notes > Split notes action is particularly useful to subdivide
notes - say you want to quickly change from whole note chords to quarters, eighths, or sixteenths.
Just select the notes of the chord and press Cmd + slash / Ctrl + slash a few times.
Applying a Chord Preset

You can also pick a chord preset that contains rhythmic patterns and apply it to your
progression. Click on Chord Preset in the Pattern Generator tab of Properties for the clip
to see the list of preset patterns.
Click Chord Preset to Open the List of Presets
Pick a preset from the list. You can keep trying them to until you find something interesting or
something that fits your song.
Chose a Chord Preset to Add Rhythm to the Progression
Progression with Trance 1 Chord Preset Applied
Managing Chord Presets

Back in the Pattern Generator tab of Properties, click the menu icon on the right end of the
Chord Presets button to access addition options to import, export, or delete chord presets.
Options to Manage Chord Presets
Create Chord Presets

You can easily create your own chord presets. Select any set of MIDI notes that contain the
rhythm you might like to apply to chords progressions. In Properties for those notes, click
Create Preset > Create Chord Preset. You will be prompted to name the chord preset. After
you have done that, it will appear in the chord preset list ready to use.
Create a Chord Preset from any Selection of Notes
Generating Basslines
The process of generating a baseline is nearly identical to that of chords. If you started reading here
then go back and read the section on generating chords because we won’t repeat it all! The biggest
difference is that you select Baseline for the Pattern Style in the Pattern Generator tab of Properties.
Select Bassline to Generate Bassline Notes in a MIDI Clip
You will have all the same options for selecting the key, scale, and apply presets. Initially the
generated baselines will be very simple just following the root of the chord progression. Adjust
the Octave value to put the bass notes in the correct octave. Adjust the Gate value to set the note
length.
Simple Bassline
If you already created a clip with the chord progression, you might want to quickly just copy the
progression to the baseline clip. We went over that before but here it is again. Click the menu icon
for the progression and select Other clips. From here you pick from any other clips in the Edit that
have a chord progression.
Copy the Chord Progression from another MIDI Clip
To make your baseline more interesting, try loading a Bass Preset from Properties. Bass presets apply
both rhythmic and pitch variations to the baseline pattern. Many of the presets will simply apply
rhythmic patterns to the root note. Some of the presets also contain scale patterns or even harmony.
When you apply these, Waveform will make sure the pitch snaps properly to the key and chord.
Bass Preset: Complex 1
Bass Preset: On Beat Arp
Saving bass presets works just like it does for chords. Refer back to that section if necessary. You
can create a bass preset from any selection of notes. If you customize these presets for your style of
music you can really speed production and songwriting.
Generating Melodies
The pattern generator for melodies generates notes for the chord or scale that represent what are
essentially “safe” notes in the key. The trick is that the notes generated are initially all muted. You
use the MIDI note mute tool to un-mute the ones you to use. Waveform doesn’t generate the actual
melody for you but instead assists you with suggested notes that you can turn on or off.
To start, select a blank MIDI clip and go to the Pattern Generator tab in Properties. Select Melody
for the Pattern Style. Adjust the values for Key, Scale, Octave, and Velocity Scale.
Pattern Style: Melody
Set Note Length in musical divisions. For example if you set it to 1/4 your melody will be divided
into quarter notes which will be 4 notes per bar in 4/4 time. Adjust Gate to shorten the note lengths
- just like for chords or baselines discussed earlier.
Melody Note Length Options
At this point Waveform shows you a grid-like series of muted notes. Use the mute brush tool in the
MIDI editor to toggle the mute state of the notes presented. This allows you paint in a melody using
only “safe” notes.
The Mute Brush bv Tool in the MIDI Editor
A melody will start to emerge. Feel free to loop playback over the selection as you tryout different
notes. Turn on and off notes with the mute brush or just swipe across a range of notes to toggle
them.
Creating a Melody with the Pattern Generator
When you are happy with the melody, you might want to delete to the extra muted notes. To do
that select any note in the clip using the arrow tool, then in Properties click Select Notes > Select all
muted notes in the clip. Press Delete to remove the extra notes.
Select Muted Notes and Delete Them
This leaves you with a MIDI clip containing only the melody you created.
Caption
From here, you might continue to edit the melody -possibly adjusting note timing, lengths, and
velocity.
Initially, the medley generator will suggest only the notes that are in the chords of the progression. If
you want to work with all the notes in the scale, you can by enabling All notes in key on the Pattern
Generator tab for the clip.
All notes in key options
Generating Arpeggios
An arpeggio, in musical terms, is a chord played in a pattern one note at a time. Arpeggios are
used in virtually all kinds of music from classical to modern dance styles. The Waveform arpeggio
generator is particularly powerful and interesting. It gives you a tremendous amount of arpeggio
shapes along with an easy way to visually select and audition them.
Example Arpeggio - Length 1 beat, 6 steps
The starting point is similar to the other types of patterns - create a blank MIDI clip then in Properties
go to the Pattern Generator tab. Next, select Pattern Style: Arpeggio and set the Key and Scale.
Arpeggio Parameters
As soon as you have the basic parameters set, Waveform will generate the notes for the arpeggio.
Most these parameters are the same as for the other kinds of patterns. Let’s go over those there are
unique to arpeggios.
Pattern Length
Set Pattern length to number beats for one cycle of the arpeggio to play. If you want the
arpeggio to play out over one bar of music then set it to 4 assuming your time signature is
4/4. If you set it to 1 then it will cycle through the notes much faster - four times per bar in
this case.
Steps
Set Steps to the number of notes you want to play in one cycle of the arpeggio. You can see
here that the values can be between 2 and 8.
Steps Sets the Number of Notes in the Arpeggio
Up/Down
Enable Up/Down to mirror the arpeggio. Whatever you have the arpeggio shape set to it will
repeat using the opposite note order.
Arpeggio
Arpeggio with Up/Down Enabled
Note: Enabling Up/Down effectively doubles the number of steps in the arpeggio. As a
result the notes will play twice as fast when enabled. If you want the notes to play at the
same rate, then double the pattern length when you enable Up/Down.
Play root note

With Play root note enabled the root note of each chord is held out out during arpeggio. This
is useful in many situations when you really want to express the the fundamental strongly. If
you don’t like or need this, disable Play root note.
Arpeggio Pattern with Play Root Note Enabled

Arpeggio Style (Shape Thumbnails)

When you change the various parameters for arpeggios, Waveform calculates the possible
note sequences and shows you thumbnail shapes of the possible arpeggios. Click on any of
them to try out arpeggio patterns. This is a fast and fun way to get creative inspiration.
Click Style Thumbnails to to Tryout Arpeggio Shapes Shapes
Moving On
1 The pattern generator features a powerful set of musicality tools that can reall\
2 y aid in composing any style of music. You need to provide your own taste and ed\
3 iting, while Waveform serves as a creative partner offing up ideas for you to bu\
4 ild upon. And as a reminder, Waveform also features other musicality tools inclu\
5 ding the chord player plugin, the chord entry menu for MIDI notes, and the ident\
6 ify key function for MIDI clips.
Appendix A - Video Links
Listed below are links to helpful Waveform videos. Many are now featured on the Waveform website
and YouTube. For a complete commercial video series on T7 new features, check out Tracktion T7
Update Explained54 from Groove3.com.
54
https://www.groove3.com/Tracktion-Software-training-video-tutorials/Tracktion-T7-Update-Explained
Appendix A - Video Links 463
Creating a Tempo Map
Punch In/Out on the fly
Tracktion Compressor Sidechain
Track Tags
Automation Improvements
Insert Plugin
Creating a Submix
Basic Audio Editing
Warp Time
Pitch Fade
Comp Groups
Merge Selected Clips
Step Clips Overview
Step Clips Velocity/Gate
Step Clips Randomize Each Step
Step Clips Groove
Step Clips Route Channels to Different Synths
Drag to Set the In-marker and Out-marker

Appendix B - Keyboard Shortcuts
macOS Default Keyboard Shortcuts
These are the standard keyboard short Waveform shortcut assignments for macOS
General
Description Shortcut
Flip between edit/project screens F3
Go to project screen
Go to edit screen
Go to settings screen F2
Save the current edit Cmd + S
Save the current edit as shift + Cmd + S
Quit the application Cmd + Q
Help
Show Tracktion’s help documentation

Enable/Disable the popup help
Show popup help for whatever the mouse is currently over F1
Transport Controls
|- |Start/stop playing |spacebar |Start playing |Stop playing |Stop edit and loops playing |Forward
|right arrow |Back |left arrow |Record |R |Abort current recording, and discard anything recorded |F4
|Abort current recording, discard anything recorded, and restart |Arm or disarm all input devices
|Cmd + R |Toggle safe record |Stop safe recording |shift + Opt + Cmd + R |Panic reset the audio
engine |Turn looping on/off |L |Turn snapping on/off |Q |Turn click track on/off |C |Turn punch-in
on/off |P |Turn scrolling on/off |S |Turn MIDI timecode chasing on/off |Toggle timecode between
bars/seconds |Turn playback-in-stop on/off |Punch out of automation record mode |U |Punch out of
automation record mode, clearing any subsequent curve data |Cmd + U |Toggle automation write
mode |Y |Toggle automation read mode |H
Appendix B - Keyboard Shortcuts 465
Moving/Zooming Controls
|- |Move cursor to start of marked clips or edit home, |W |Move cursor to end of marked clips or edit
|end |Scroll up to top of tracks |Cmd + home |Scroll down to bottom of tracks |Cmd + end |Move to
the previous marker |* |Move to the next marker |= |Scroll tracks up |Scroll tracks down |Scroll tracks
left |Scroll tracks right |Vertical zoom-in |Cmd + down arrow |Vertical zoom-out |Cmd + up arrow
|Select the item above the current selection | Opt + up arrow |Select the item below the current
selection |Opt + down arrow |Select the item to the left of the current selection |Opt + left arrow
|Select the item to the right of the current selection | Opt + right arrow |Select the item at the top of
the current selection |Opt + home |Select the item at the bottom of the current selection |Opt + end
|Zoom in |down arrow |Zoom out |up arrow |Zoom out to fit the entire edit on-screen | F5 |Zoom to
fit horizontally and vertically |N |Zoom in to show a few seconds around the cursor| F8 |Zoom in
to show the marked region |F7 |Zoom to show the selected clips |shift + N |Expand or contract the
current track height| Z |Rescale all tracks to fit on-screen |F6 |Set all tracks to the default track height
|shift + Z |Expand or collapse folder track |Show or hide the big input-meters |F12 |Show or hide the
inputs section |shift + F12 |Show or hide the filters section |M |Show or hide the left pane |B |Show
or hide the control section |F11 |Show or hide the inputs, filters and controls |shift + F11 |Show or
hide of the global track |F9 |Show or hide mixer panel |ctrl + M
Editing Functions
|- |Delete |delete, backspace |Cut |Cmd + X |Copy |Cmd + C |Paste |Cmd + V |Paste inserting |Cmd +
I |Duplicate | D |Copy and paste selected clips directly into current edit |Delete the selected clips and
their source audio files |shift + Opt + Cmd + X |Select all |Cmd + A |Deselect all |Esc |Undo |Cmd + Z
|Redo |Cmd + Y |Nudge selected clips left |shift + left arrow |Nudge selected clips right |shift + right
arrow |Nudge selected clips up |shift + up arrow |Nudge selected clips down |shift + down arrow |Split
selected clips at cursor |/ |Insert space in the marked region into Edit |Move start of selected clips to
the cursor position |J |Move end of selected clips to the cursor position | K |Auto-Crossfade selected
clips |X |Mute selected clips |E |Group selected clips |Ungroup selected clips |Pitch up 1 semitone
|Cmd + = |Pitch down 1 semitone |Cmd + * |Pitch up 1 octave |shift + Cmd + = |Pitch down 1 octave
|shift + Cmd + * |Mute selected tracks |shift + M |Solo selected tracks |shift + S |Move selected clips
to back of z-order |shift + Opt + Cmd + Z |Clear marked region of selected clips |Cmd + K |Delete
marked region of selected clips, and move up selected |Cmd + L |Delete marked region of selected
clips, and move up all on track |Cmd + J |Enable/Disable selected plugins |F |Change selected plugin
to its next preset |. |Change selected plugin to its previous preset |, |Change to the previous take for
a looped clip | Cmd + , |Change to the next take for a looped clip | Cmd + . |Reset all level meter
overload indicators|\ \
|Lock/Unlock the properties panel |Insert a new MIDI clip into the selected track |G |Insert a new
|Step clip |Insert a new track into the edit |T |Insert a new folder track into the edit |Insert a tempo
change at the current cursor position |Opt + T |Insert a time signature at the current cursor position
|Opt + S |Insert a pitch change at the current cursor position |Opt + P |Import an audio or MIDI
file |Launch an external wave editor for the selected clip |Show clipboard contents |Show the MIDI
controller mappings window |Show or hide the video window |Show the search side pane |Turn lock
automation to clip on/off |shift + Cmd + A |Rename the selected track
Markers
|- |Set In-marker |I |Set Out-marker |O |Put the markers around the currently selected clips | A |Jump
to the mark-in point | [ |Jump to the mark-out point | ] |Toggle the marker view mode |F10
MIDI Editor Controls

|- |Show or hide midi editor |ctrl + P |MIDI selection tool |Opt + Cmd + 1 |MIDI pencil tool |Opt
+ Cmd + 2 |MIDI eraser tool |Opt + Cmd + 3 |MIDI line tool |Opt + Cmd + 4 |MIDI melody paint
tool |Toggle the ‘velocities’ panel in MIDI editor |Opt + Cmd + V |Toggle the ‘controllers’ panel in
MIDI editor | Opt + Cmd + C |Mute/Unmute MIDI note echo in the MIDI editor |Opt + Cmd + E
|Enable/disable step-editor mode | Opt + Cmd + S |Insert a rest when in MIDI step-entry mode |‘
|Toggle auto display of MIDI toolbar |Opt + Cmd + T |Move midi notes up one octave| Cmd + O
|Move midi notes down one octave |shift + Cmd + O |Nudge selected note start |left arrow |Nudge
selected note start |right arrow |Nudge selected note end left |Nudge selected note end Right |Fit
selected notes on screen |Cmd + F |Create Triad |Cmd + 3 |Create Seventh |Cmd + 7 |Invert Chord
Up |Cmd + T |Invert Chord Down |shift + Cmd + T |Merge Notes |Cmd + M |Split Notes |Cmd + /
|Randomise Velocity |Legato Notes |shift + L |Mute Notes
Windows Default Keyboard Shortcuts

These are the standard keyboard short Waveform shortcut assignments for Windows.
General
Description Shortcut
Flip between edit/project screens F3
Go to project screen
Go to edit screen
Go to settings screen F2
Save the current edit Ctrl + S
Save the current edit as shift + Ctrl + S
Quit the application Ctrl + Q
Help
Show Tracktion’s help documentation

Enable/Disable the popup help
Show popup help for whatever the mouse is currently over F1
Transport Controls
|- |Start/stop playing |spacebar |Start playing |Stop playing |Stop edit and loops playing |Forward
|right arrow |Back |left arrow |Record |R |Abort current recording, and discard anything recorded |F4
|Abort current recording, discard anything recorded, and restart |Arm or disarm all input devices
|Ctrl + R |Toggle safe record |Stop safe recording |shift + Alt + Ctrl + R |Panic reset the audio engine
|Turn looping on/off |L |Turn snapping on/off |Q |Turn click track on/off |C |Turn punch-in on/off |P
|Turn scrolling on/off |S |Turn MIDI timecode chasing on/off |Toggle timecode between bars/seconds
|Turn playback-in-stop on/off |Punch out of automation record mode |U |Punch out of automation
record mode, clearing any subsequent curve data |Ctrl + U |Toggle automation write mode |Y |Toggle
automation read mode |H
Moving/Zooming Controls
|- |Move cursor to start of marked clips or edit home, |W |Move cursor to end of marked clips or edit
|end |Scroll up to top of tracks |Ctrl + home |Scroll down to bottom of tracks |Ctrl + end |Move to the
previous marker |* |Move to the next marker |= |Scroll tracks up |Scroll tracks down |Scroll tracks left
|Scroll tracks right |Vertical zoom-in |Ctrl + down arrow |Vertical zoom-out |Ctrl + up arrow |Select
the item above the current selection | Alt + up arrow |Select the item below the current selection |Alt
+ down arrow |Select the item to the left of the current selection |Alt + left arrow |Select the item to
the right of the current selection | Alt + right arrow |Select the item at the top of the current selection
|Alt + home |Select the item at the bottom of the current selection |Alt + end |Zoom in |down arrow
|Zoom out |up arrow |Zoom out to fit the entire edit on-screen | F5 |Zoom to fit horizontally and
vertically |N |Zoom in to show a few seconds around the cursor| F8 |Zoom in to show the marked
region |F7 |Zoom to show the selected clips |shift + N |Expand or contract the current track height| Z
|Rescale all tracks to fit on-screen |F6 |Set all tracks to the default track height |shift + Z |Expand or
collapse folder track |Show or hide the big input-meters |F12 |Show or hide the inputs section |shift
+ F12 |Show or hide the filters section |M |Show or hide the left pane |B |Show or hide the control
section |F11 |Show or hide the inputs, filters and controls |shift + F11 |Show or hide of the global
track |F9 |Show or hide mixer panel |ctrl + M
Editing Functions
|- |Delete |delete, backspace |Cut |Ctrl + X |Copy |Ctrl + C |Paste |Ctrl + V |Paste inserting |Ctrl + I
|Duplicate | D |Copy and paste selected clips directly into current edit |Delete the selected clips and
their source audio files |shift + Alt + Ctrl + X |Select all |Ctrl + A |Deselect all |Esc |Undo |Ctrl + Z
|Redo |Ctrl + Y |Nudge selected clips left |shift + left arrow |Nudge selected clips right |shift + right
arrow |Nudge selected clips up |shift + up arrow |Nudge selected clips down |shift + down arrow |Split
selected clips at cursor |/ |Insert space in the marked region into Edit |Move start of selected clips to
the cursor position |J |Move end of selected clips to the cursor position | K |Auto-Crossfade selected
clips |X |Mute selected clips |E |Group selected clips |Ungroup selected clips |Pitch up 1 semitone |Ctrl
+ = |Pitch down 1 semitone |Ctrl + * |Pitch up 1 octave |shift + Ctrl + = |Pitch down 1 octave |shift +
Ctrl + * |Mute selected tracks |shift + M |Solo selected tracks |shift + S |Move selected clips to back of
z-order |shift + Alt + Ctrl + Z |Clear marked region of selected clips |Ctrl + K |Delete marked region
of selected clips, and move up selected |Ctrl + L |Delete marked region of selected clips, and move
up all on track |Ctrl + J |Enable/Disable selected plugins |F |Change selected plugin to its next preset
|. |Change selected plugin to its previous preset |, |Change to the previous take for a looped clip | Ctrl
+ , |Change to the next take for a looped clip | Ctrl + . |Reset all level meter overload indicators|\ \
|Lock/Unlock the properties panel |Insert a new MIDI clip into the selected track |G |Insert a new
|Step clip |Insert a new track into the edit |T |Insert a new folder track into the edit |Insert a tempo
change at the current cursor position |Alt + T |Insert a time signature at the current cursor position
|Alt + S |Insert a pitch change at the current cursor position |Alt + P |Import an audio or MIDI
file |Launch an external wave editor for the selected clip |Show clipboard contents |Show the MIDI
controller mappings window |Show or hide the video window |Show the search side pane |Turn lock
automation to clip on/off |shift + Ctrl + A |Rename the selected track
Markers
|- |Set In-marker |I |Set Out-marker |O |Put the markers around the currently selected clips | A |Jump
to the mark-in point | [ |Jump to the mark-out point | ] |Toggle the marker view mode |F10
MIDI Editor Controls

|- |Show or hide midi editor |ctrl + P |MIDI selection tool |Alt + Ctrl + 1 |MIDI pencil tool |Alt + Ctrl
+ 2 |MIDI eraser tool |Alt + Ctrl + 3 |MIDI line tool |Alt + Ctrl + 4 |MIDI melody paint tool |Toggle
the ‘velocities’ panel in MIDI editor |Alt + Ctrl + V |Toggle the ‘controllers’ panel in MIDI editor
| Alt + Ctrl + C |Mute/Unmute MIDI note echo in the MIDI editor |Alt + Ctrl + E |Enable/disable
step-editor mode | Alt + Ctrl + S |Insert a rest when in MIDI step-entry mode |‘ |Toggle auto display
of MIDI toolbar |Alt + Ctrl + T |Move midi notes up one octave| Ctrl + O |Move midi notes down one
octave |shift + Ctrl + O |Nudge selected note start |left arrow |Nudge selected note start |right arrow
|Nudge selected note end left |Nudge selected note end Right |Fit selected notes on screen |Ctrl + F
|Create Triad |Ctrl + 3 |Create Seventh |Ctrl + 7 |Invert Chord Up |Ctrl + T |Invert Chord Down |shift
+ Ctrl + T |Merge Notes |Ctrl + M |Split Notes |Ctrl + / |Randomise Velocity |Legato Notes |shift + L
|Mute Notes
Appendix C - New Features
New in Waveform 8 (2017)
• Mixer view that can be undocked to a separate tab or monitor
• MIDI Editor that can be undocked and enlarged
• Edit multiple over-layed MIDI clips
• Show a reference Waveform from an Audio clip
• Enhanced MIDI editing
• Note entry shortcuts
• Easy Velocity/controller shaping and scaling Assignable MIDI note split action
• Improved MIDI note expression editing and MPE generation
• Easy chord entry in the MIDI Editor
• MIDI musicality tools
• MIDI Chord Player plugin to simplify playing chords with using one or two notes
• Pattern Generator to aid in composing MIDI parts including melodies, chords, bass lines, and
arpeggios
• Master Mix mastering plugin is directly integrated into Waveform
• FM Synth virtual instrument is directly integrated into Waveform
• Improved MIDI note expression editing and MPE generation
• Optimized user interface for improve look and responsiveness
• More color schemes
• Double the number of track and clip colors
• Clips can optionally follow track colors
• MIDI Key commands:
– create triad chord: command + 3
– create 7th chord: command + 7
– invert chord up: + command + T
– invert chord down: command + shift + T
– fit notes: command + F
– transpose up octave: command + O
– transpose down octave: command + shift + O
– merge notes: command + M
– split notes: command + /
– legato notes: shift + L
– Keypad numbers to enter chord numbers
Appendix C - New Features 470
• Technical Improvements
• Improved crash recovery
• Automatic disabling of problematic plugins
New in Tracktion T7 (2016)

• New Interface Look
• Use Low-Contrast Interface
• Compact Toolbar - See Chapter 8
• Browser Position - See Chapter 9
• Multiple Browser Panes - See Chapter 9
• Synchronized Previews - See Chapter 9
• Quick Zoom Tool - See Chapter 5
• Project Tab Three Column View - See Chapter 5b
• Project Tab Edit Previews - Chapter 5b
• Project Tab Get Demo Songs - SeeChapter 5b
• Drag to Set In-marker & Out-marker - See Chapter 10
• Automatically Hide and Show Panels - See Chapter 6
• Visual Plugin Selector - See Chapter 39
• Group Clips - See Chapter 12
• Linked Clips - See Chapter 12
• Automation Patterns - See Chapter 35
• Automation Ramps - See Chapter 35
• Plugin Sidechains - See Chapter 29
• First Run Setup Progress - See Chapter 2
• Scroll Behaviour - See Chapter 5
• Track LFOs - See Chapter 40
• Clip Layer Effects - SeeChapter 41.
• Updated Plugin Racks - SeeChapter 43
• Mastering with CloudBounce - See Chapter 36

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Waveform User Guide

This version was published on 2017-11-23

© 2017-2018 Tracktion Software Corporation

About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Chapter 2 - Installing Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Chapter 3 - Installing the Demo Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Chapter 4 - Audio Device Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Audio Device Setup Setup on macOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 5 - Getting Around in Waveform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Chapter 5b - The Projects Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Chapter 6 - The Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Keyboard Shortcuts Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Chapter 7 - Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Chapter 8 - The Edit Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Chapter 9 - The Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 10 - Using Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Chapter 11 - Selecting and Snapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Chapter 12 - Audio Clips and Editing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Chapter 13 - Working With Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Chapter 14 - Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 15 - Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Input Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

Chapter 16 - Recording Overdubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Chapter 17 - Clean-up Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Chapter 18 - Warp Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Time Stretch Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Chapter 19 - Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Chapter 20 - Comping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Chapter 21 - Using an Amp Simulator Plugin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Chapter 22 - MIDI Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Chapter 23 - MIDI Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

MIDI Record Modes - The Action Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Chapter 24 - MIDI Loop Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

Chapter 25 - MIDI Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

The Velocity Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Chapter 26 - Quantizing MIDI Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Chapter 27 - Step Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

Chapter 28 - Scanning Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

Locking (Pinning) Plugin Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

Chapter 29 - Using Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

Chapter 30 - Built-in Effects Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Chapter 31 - Effects Bus Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

Solo Isolate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Chapter 32 - Clip Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

Chapter 33 – Folder Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Chapter 34 - Submix Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Chapter 35 - Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

Chapter 36 - Mixing Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Master Section Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

Chapter 37 - Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

Chapter 38 - Mixer View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365

Chapter 39 - MIDI Chord Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Chapter 40 - Track LFOs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386

Chapter 41 - Clip Layer Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391

Chapter 42 - Working with Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

Chapter 43 - Plugin Racks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Creating a Parallel Effects Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Chapter 44 - Working with Multiple Output Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Chapter 45 - MIDI Pattern Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

Appendix A - Video Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462