Chapter 6 Using the Chopper

The Chopper™ feature in ACID® allows you to quickly create slice-and-dice effects. For creative ways to use the Chopper, see Slicing and dicing in the Chopper on page 302.

Working in the Chopper window

Selecting an event loads its clip in the Chopper.

Toolbar

Beat ruler

Time ruler

Transport bar

Viewing the Chopper

To display the Chopper, choose Chopper from the View menu or press Alt+2.

Changing the Chopper grid

The Chopper’s grid uses the same increments available on the track view. To change the grid display, right-click the waveform area of the Chopper, choose Grid Spacing from the shortcut menu, and choose the desired display from the submenu.

Changing Chopper snapping options

The snapping behavior of the track view and Chopper are linked. To enable snapping in both components, choose Snapping from the Options menu and choose Enable from the submenu, or press F8.

When snapping is turned on, you can choose between snapping only to the grid or snapping to all elements. For more information, see Using snapping on page 89.

Magnifying the Chopper

There are three ways of adjusting the magnification of the Chopper.

•Click the Zoom In Time and Zoom Out Time buttons located in the lower-right corner of the window.

•Click within the Chopper and use the mouse wheel.

•Quickly magnify a selection by right-clicking and choosing Zoom to Loop Region from the shortcut menu.

Previewing in the Chopper

The Chopper contains a dedicated transport bar that can be used to preview selections prior to inserting them into the project.

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