If the Auto Preview button is selected, you can click a file in the Explorer window to preview it. Click the Stop Preview button to stop the preview, or turn off the preview feature by deselecting the Auto Preview button.

When the Auto Preview button is not selected, click the Start Preview button to hear a loop.

You can preview loops during project playback to help you decide which loops work well together. Begin by playing the project, and then select any loop to preview. The selected loop will play in sync with the rest of project. If you like the loop, double-click it to add it to the project. If you do not like the loop, simply choose another to preview.

Very small files that have not been optimized may not preview correctly. If the file�s tempo is not estimated correctly, it must be optimized first for proper results.

When the Enable multiple-selection preview in Explorer window check box is selected on the Other tab of the Preferences dialog (Audio tab in ACID Music Studio software), you can select multiple files in the Explorer, and they will be played back in order when you click the Play button (or when the Auto Preview button is selected).

Each file’s icon will change to a play icon during playback. Press Ctrl+Enter to add the currently playing file to the timeline, or press Enter to add all selected tracks.

Tips:

• Use the Other tab in the Preferences dialog (Audio tab in ACID Music Studio software) to indicate how long each file should play.

• When you’re playing back a selection in looped playback mode, this feature will help you find the perfect loop to match your project.

Drag the Preview fader in the Mixing Console window to adjust preview volume.

This setting also controls the loudness of media played through the Chopper window and Beatmapper Wizard. When adding media to the project, the new track’s volume is set to the preview volume.

If the Preview fader is not displayed, right-click the Mixer and choose Show Preview Fader from the shortcut menu.

Adding tracks

Double-click a file in the Explorer or drag it to an area of the timeline that does not contain a track to add it to your ACID project and create a track.

Right-click and drag a file to the timeline or track list to specify the type of track that will be created. When you drop the file, a shortcut menu is displayed that allows you to choose whether the file will be treated as a loop, one-shot, Beatmapped track, or as an autodetected type.

Until you set a default track volume in the Set Default Track Properties dialog, the setting of the Preview fader will determine the volume of new tracks.

Adding clips

Drag a file from the Explorer to an existing track in the timeline to create a new clip and set the new media file as the active clip.

Tips:

• Before using long media (one-shots or Beatmapped tracks) from CDs or shared network folders, copy the media to your local drive for the best possible performance.

• To add multiple files to the timeline, Ctrl+click (or Shift+click) to select the files and drag them to the timeline or track list.

• To add a track from an audio CD, browse to your CD drive and double-click a .cda file (or drag it to the timeline). The track is extracted from the CD and added as a track in your ACID project.

  To get CD information from Gracenote MusicID, browse to the CD and click the button in the Explorer window.

• When a media file is added to a project from a removable device, a copy of the media file is stored in a subf
  older within a temporary files folder. This keeps the media file available for use even if the source of the media is no longer accessible.

  Be aware that these subfolders are cleared when you close then application. However, they are not cleared if the application closes inappropriately.

Adding MIDI files to your ACID project is just like adding audio: you can double-click a MIDI file to create new tracks and events, or you can drag a MIDI file to an existing track to add a new clip.

When you select a MIDI file in the Explorer window, its length, tempo, type, and number of tracks are displayed at the bottom of the window:

When you right-click a MIDI file in the Explorer window, you can choose how you want to add it to your project:

Select the My Favorites folder or choose My Favorites from the Address Bar to view the contents of the My Favorites folder. This folder contains shortcuts to folders that you use often.

Adding a folder to the My Favorites folder

1. Browse to the folder you want to add.

2. Right-click the folder and choose Add Folder to My Favorites from the shortcut menu. A shortcut to the folder is created.

Removing a folder from the My Favorites folder

1. Select the My Favorites folder.

2. Right-click the folder you want to delete and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

Deleting a folder from My Favorites deletes only the shortcut to the folder; the target folder is unaffected.