Chapter 2 Getting Started

Now that you have an understanding of the interface and controls found in ACID® software, you are ready to begin learning the techniques needed to pick, paint, and play in ACID projects. In this chapter you will learn the skills that will allow you to create music, from locating media files to writing the finished project to CD.

Starting projects

Double-clicking the ACID icon on the desktop starts the software. You can immediately begin building your ACID project using the application’s default project properties. However, you may prefer to customize the project properties prior to beginning the project.

Setting project properties

ACID allows you to configure project properties and add summary information prior to beginning a project. Choosing New from the File menu displays the New Project dialog. This dialog contains two tabs: Summary and Audio. Selecting the Start all new projects with these settings check box configures the software to use the parameters and information in both tabs as defaults when starting all subsequent projects.

Note: You can edit project audio properties and summary information at any time. Choose Properties from the File menu to display the Project Properties dialog, which contains the identical tabs and parameters as the New Project dialog.

Using the Summary tab

This tab allows you to enter information about the project. These boxes may be left blank or if information exists, you may change it at any time.

Item

Description

Title

Enter the name or title of the project.

 

 

Artist

Enter the name of the narrator, band, or artist(s) being recorded into the

 

project.

 

 

Engineer

Enter the name(s) of the people who mixed and edited the project.

 

 

Copyright

Enter the date and ownership rights of the project.

 

 

Comments

Enter information that identifies and describes the project.

 

 

Universal Product Code/Media

Enter the Universal Product Code (UPC) and the Media Catalog Number (MCN)

Catalog Number

to be written to your CD for identification purposes.

 

 

Start all new projects with these

Select this check box if your projects’ requirements do not change or you want

settings

consistent settings for future projects.

 

 

Using the Audio tab

This tab allows you to set different characteristics the project uses to handle the audio.

Item

Description

Master bus mode

Choose either Stereo for a standard audio project or 5.1 Surround for a surround

 

project.

 

 

Number of additional stereo

Enter the number of stereo busses that you want in your project. You may add up to

busses

26 busses. The busses appear in the Mixing Console window. For more information,

 

see Using audio bus channel strips on page 164.

 

 

Sample rate

Choose a sample rate from the drop-down list or enter your own rate. The sample rate

 

range is 2,000 Hz to 192,000 Hz. Higher sample rates result in better quality sound, but

 

also mean larger audio files.

 

 

Bit depth

Choose a bit depth from the drop-down list. A higher bit depth results in better quality

 

sound, but also means larger audio files.

 

 

Enable low-pass filter on LFE

Select this check box to limit the audio sent to the LFE channel in a 5.1 surround

 

project. For more information, see Working with 5.1 Surround on page 235.

 

 

GETTING STARTED 29