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Loops
The Apple Loops that come with Soundtrack Pro comprise an outstanding collection that adds substantial value to the application. The sound design and Foley libraries cover a wide range of sounds, including people, explosions, transportation and sports & leisure. Plus, an extensive instrument collection spans Classical, Rock, Hip Hop, Country and other genres. Apple Loops automatically match a project's tempo and key (if they're tagged for looping), which makes it easy to find appropriate sounds or instrumental loops. You can scroll through the files manually on any drive attached to the computer, search by category, or type in keywords to search for specific instruments or sounds. Clicking on any file will preview it. Clips can be dragged into tracks in the Project window from the Browser or Search tabs in the Media and Effects Manager.
Other loop collections and non-looping audio files can be used, too -- Soundtrack Pro handles AIFF, WAV (including ACID loops), MP3, AAC, Sound Designer II and QuickTime (.mov) audio files. The entire library can be made searchable by keyword. Wave or AIFF files can be tagged using the Apple Loops Utility, which converts any looped file to an Apple Loop, and allows MetaTags to be added to non-looping files for indexing in the search engine.
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| Apple Loops Utility |
For those who want to supplement the loops by recording their own tracks, Soundtrack Pro is a capable digital audio recorder with support for sample rates up to 24-bit/96kHz -- although it records only one track at a time. Mobile recordists can record with Soundtrack Pro on a laptop, and then edit and arrange with Soundtrack Pro in the studio (sync options include MIDI time code and SMPTE). Composers can start with a rhythm track or any looped source, then record additional digital audio tracks directly into the timeline. Those who prefer to record via MIDI will have to use a third-party application, however -- Soundtrack Pro does not have MIDI recording and sequencing capability. But it can receive MIDI clock and MTC signals from a MIDI application or external device.
Project Window
The main Project window is a clean interface that eliminates clutter by providing floating window access to important functions such as the Media and Effects Manager, the Waveform editor, the Mixer and the Utility window. This way, only the windows you need are open. Multitrack projects can be started from scratch here by dragging loops and other audio files from the Browser or Search tabs in the Media and Effects Manager. Once in the timeline, clips can be moved left or right to align them with other clips or with video events. Snap properties can be adjusted so that clips will align to Ruler Ticks, Seconds, Frames and Markers -- or snapping can be disabled to make small movements possible.
Clips can be viewed at any size in both the Project window and the Waveform editor, using the Timeline view controls at the bottom left. These offer multiple ways to quickly view the entire project or one portion of a clip all the way down to the sample level. A slider control adjusts the horizontal clip width, while four clickable boxes instantly resize the vertical clip height up or down. The Scroll bar not only moves the view left to right, it can also adjust the horizontal view when its edges are moved in or out. At the top of the interface, the Global Timeline view shows the entire Timeline and the playhead position in miniature, and can be used to zip vertically or horizontally through the project. Finally, a handy little button at the very top of the interface called Fit in Window offers a one-click project overview.
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