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
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, |
| |
|
|
Sample rate | Choose a sample rate from the |
| 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 |
| sound, but also means larger audio files. |
|
|
Enable | 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