This article includes the following:

• Track Follows Modes: Time and Tempo
  • Changing an audio track from Track Follows Tempo to Track Follows Time mode
  • Changing an audio track from Track Follows Time to Track Follows Tempo mode
  • Workflow: Changing the tempo of a song and conforming audio and Instrument tracks
• Adding audio files and tracks
  • Importing an audio file
  • Dragging an audio file into the Tracks browser
  • Dragging an audio file onto the Timeline
• Assigning track colors
• Comping tracks with Versions
  •  Comping to a new or existing version on the same track
  • Comping to a new track
• Making Tempo and Time Signature Changes
  • Setting the tempo and making tempo changes
  • Setting a tempo
  • Setting the time signature and making meter changes
• Using Markers
• Warping and pitch shifting audio
  • Changing audio pitch or duration
  • Pitching an audio clip up or down while maintaining track length
  • Warp Trimming
  • Warping within a clip

Track Follows Modes: Time and Tempo

Audio tracks can be in one of two Track Follows modes: Time or Tempo. 

• A track in Track Follows Time mode maintains its original playback time, regardless of changes in the tempo of the session. All audio clips on the track, and elements associated with those clips, maintain their original time duration, including start and end points, edits, fades, and automation. 

• A track in Track Follows Tempo mode adjusts to the tempo of the session and any session tempo changes. An audio clip that is configured in Track Follows Tempo mode will adjust shorter or longer, if the session tempo is adjusted. All audio clips on the track, and elements associated with those clips, scale to the new tempo. Clip start and end points, duration, edits, fades, and automation all scale to the new tempo. 

 

Track Follows Time mode	Track Follows Tempo mode
Default for imported audio files that have no embedded tempo value, and audio tracks created as a result of AAF import.	Default for all newly created audio tracks and imported audio files that have an embedded tempo value.
Clips start and end on a time value.	Clips start and end on a tick value.
Fade ins start on a time value at the clip start, and end on a tick value relative to the clip start time. Fade outs start on a tick value relative to the clip end, and stop in time at the clip end.	Fades start and end on a tick value relative to the clip start and end.
Automation breakpoints are stored at time values.	Automation breakpoints are stored at tick values.
When an element is saved on a time value, its position remains fixed in time no matter what happens with the tempo. Tempo changes cause the element to move and change duration visually, though the sound of the element doesn’t change. The time it takes to play events does not change, but the start point and visual duration on the timeline moves relative to the tempo map.	When an element is saved on a tick value its position remains fixed to a position in the tempo map.

 

Changing an audio track from Track Follows Tempo to Track Follows Time mode

Changing an audio track from Track Follows Tempo to Track Follows Time mode will not change the duration of the clips on the track. If the clip has been previously time-stretched or time-compressed by a tempo change, the clip will not revert to its original duration. When you change the clip mode from Track Follows Tempo to Track Follows Time, two markers are added at the start and end of the clip, to mark the exact tick-based start and end of the clip. The clip will still move in time so that the start of the clip stays in the same relative spot, but the duration of the clip will no longer change with tempo changes.

Changing an audio track from Track Follows Time to Track Follows Tempo mode

When you change an audio track from Track Follows Time to Track Follows Tempo mode, the duration of the clips on the track does not immediately change. However, the clips on the track are now “anchored” to the ticks at which they are currently located. Any tempo change to the session or on the Timeline that affects a clip will time stretch or time compress the clip. Session tempo changes also affect fades, crossfades, edits, and automation breakpoints on the audio track, and such fades, crossfades, edits, and automation breakpoints are stretched or compressed with tempo changes.

Restoring a time-stretched or compressed clip to its original duration

To restore a clip to its original duration and remove any warping, double-click the top of clip, and in the Clips window, click Reset Warps.

Workflow: Changing the tempo of a song and conforming audio and Instrument tracks

The typical situation for this workflow is one where you have recorded some or all of the session tracks, and decide to change the tempo of the session to change the feel, for creative or other reasons.

To change session tempo, you’ll need to configure your audio tracks to follow the tempo, and configure the Warp algorithm for the different types of tracks. 

Recommended warp algorithms

As a starting point, the following warp algorithms are recommended:

• LUNA Razor Blade for drum loops and multitrack drum tracks. Razor Blade will maintain the best phase coherence and the most accurate transients and tails for time-stretched or time-compressed drum tracks, though with extreme stretching or compressing, audio artifacts can occur. 

• LUNA Polyphonic or Polyphonic for polyphonic material, instruments, and vocals.

• Monophonic for vocals or single-note lines. For example, a bass line or a monosynth without complex overtones might sound better with the Monophonic algorithm than the Polyphonic algorithm.

You can easily change Warp algorithms while material plays to audition different algorithms.

Note: You can apply Warp algorithms to a track and/or individually to audio clips. You can also apply different algorithms to different clips on the same track.

To configure audio tracks for tempo changes or warping:

 

To configure an audio clip for tempo changes or warping:

 

You can now make a global tempo change, or any other type of tempo change, and your audio and Instrument tracks will automatically adjust to the new tempo. See Setting the tempo and making tempo changes for more information.

Adding audio files and tracks

Audio files are imported differently, depending on whether they have embedded tempo information. A file with embedded tempo information (for example, an ACIDized wav file) is stretched or compressed to fit the tempo, and set in Tempo mode. A file without embedded tempo information is placed at the start of the session but the audio is not transformed in any way, and the track is set in Time mode.

Importing an audio file

You can import an audio file using File > Import. A file with embedded tempo information (for example, an ACIDized wav file) is placed at the playhead, aligned to the grid, stretched or compressed to fit the tempo, and set in Tempo mode. A file without embedded tempo information is not transformed in any way, and the track is set in Time mode.

When you import audio files with embedded tempo information into an empty session, you are prompted to either keep the session at the current tempo, or adjust the session to the tempo of the audio files.

Choose whether to keep the session at the current tempo, or to use the tempo from the imported audio file.

Dragging an audio file into the Tracks browser

You can drag audio files into the tracks browser. Each audio file will be created as a new track. The previous rules apply; if the audio has embedded tempo information, it is stretched or compressed to the tempo of the session, and set in Tempo mode. If the audio does not have embedded tempo information, it is set in Time mode and unchanged.

Dragging an audio file onto the Timeline

You can drag audio files directly into the timeline. The previous rules apply; however, audio that you drag to the timeline is placed at the spot where you drop it. If you drop an audio file onto an existing track or tracks, the audio is added on that track or those tracks at the location where you dropped it. If you drop the audio into an empty part of the workspace, the audio is placed at the time location where you dropped it on a new track or tracks.

Assigning track colors

There are three color hotspots you can click to assign track colors:

• The colored strip at the bottom of a track in the Mixer
• The colored strip at the left of a track in the Timeline
• The colored square to the left of a track name in the Tracks browser

To assign colors:

1. Click one of these locations to assign a track color. The Color browser opens, with a color wheel and a block of your recently used colors at the bottom of the color wheel. 
2. On the Color wheel or in the block of used colors, click the color to use. The color is assigned to the track controls and track clips. 
3. To exit the Color browser click Done or press Esc.  

Comping tracks with Versions

In LUNA, you can comp or create a compilation track from a recorded track to assemble a compilation of audio or MIDI on the same track or another track. The comping workflow in LUNA uses Track Versions. Track Versions are similar to what other applications may refer to as versions, playlists, or lanes.

Two methods for comping are provided here. 

• Comp to the same track: this method for comping assembles the comp track on the original track, by switching between versions and copying and pasting sections to either an existing track version or a new track version.

• Comp to a different track: this method for comping requires two tracks. With this method, you can either duplicate the track you are comping from, or you can create a blank track on which to assemble the comped track. 

To prepare for comping:

• Record a track.
• If you want to record an entirely new version, open the Versions panel, and click the plus (+) to create a new Version.
• To record Takes, simply loop record over a selection. A Take is the same as a version, but the name in prepended with a T to indicate it is a Take.

 

 Comping to a new or existing version on the same track

Repeat this process for each phrase or selection you want to comp. In this way, you can move through a number of versions and takes, selecting phrases and assembling a final comp track.

Comping to a new track

Repeat this process for each phrase or selection you want to comp. In this way, you can move through a number of versions and takes, selecting phrases and assembling a final comped take.

 

Tip: When comping from one track to another, you can use Solo Exclusive mode to quickly solo between your comp source and comp target track, without hearing duplicate or conflicting audio. To enable Solo Exclusive mode, toggle the Mix workflow and click the Solo Exclusive mode button. For more information about Workflows, see Using Workflows.

 

 

Making Tempo and Time Signature Changes

You use the Tempo and Signature rulers to specify tempo and time signature, and make tempo and time signature changes.

Setting the tempo and making tempo changes

When you change the session tempo, elements in the LUNA session that are tempo-based adjust to the new tempo. Instrument tracks are adjusted, and audio clips that are set to Tempo mode are stretched or compressed to fit the new tempo. Audio clips that are time based are not stretched or compressed, but LUNA keeps the start of each clip at the same relative point in the Timeline.

Setting a tempo

To set the overall tempo of the session:

• Hover over the Tempo control. The cursor changes to a double arrow. Click and drag up or down to adjust the tempo by 1 BPM increments. To adjust by .1 BPM increments, hold Shift while you click and drag. Release the cursor to set the Tempo. You can click and drag to change tempo while the session is playing to hear your changes in real time.

• To type the new tempo, click to select the Tempo in the control bar, type a new tempo, and press Return. 

 

To set the session tempo by tapping:

 

To add a tempo change:

The tempo change is added at the location specified.

Changing tempo over time

You can use the tempo curve dialog to add a gradual tempo change.

 

In  the tempo curve dialog, you can determine the shape of a tempo change over time, with these options:

• Start and Stop points for the Tempo curve (set by selecting a range in the Timeline).
• Tempos at the start and the end of the tempo curve. You can set tempos by tapping.
• The shape of the tempo curve, which specifies how linear or curved the tempo change is over time.
• The Grid on which the tempo curve is defined. A tempo event is added to the Tempo ruler at each grid marker, as specified.

To specify a tempo change over time:

1. Select a range in the timeline to specify the start and end points of the tempo curve.
2. Click the Tempo ruler control area.
3. Set the Start and End tempo. You can select and type or Tap the tempo for each field (remember to tap at least four times).
4. Use the Shape slider to specify the curve of the tempo change. A curve of 0 is linear. A negative curve ramps up sharply, then slows towards the end of the tempo change. A positive curve starts more slowly and ramps up more quickly towards the end of the tempo change.
5. Specify the Grid for the tempo change over time. A tempo change event is added at each gridline, as specified, so the finer the grid, the less “stepped” or abrupt the tempo change might seem.
6. Click Apply to apply the tempo change. The Tempo Curve is applied.

To draw (automate) a tempo change:

 

 To edit tempo events (automation):

• Click and drag a tempo event up or down.

 

• To edit a range of events, click and drag above or below the tempo line to select a range. Click on a tempo line and drag up or down. 

 

To delete tempo events:

• Double-click a single tempo event to delete it.

• To delete a range of tempo events, click and drag above or below the tempo line to select a range. Press the Delete key to delete the range of tempo events.

Setting the time signature and making meter changes

When you change time signature, elements in the LUNA session do not change, but rather, the way they are counted changes. For example, if you add a change from 4 / 4 time to 3 / 4 time, bar lines will move and the click will indicate a three bar measure instead of a four bar measure. However, audio and MIDI will not move, stretch, or expand.

To set the time signature of a session:

The Time Signature is changed on the ruler, at the bar you specify.

To add a time signature change:

1. Click in the session where you want the time signature change to be located.
2. Hover over the Signature ruler and click the plus (+) symbol. The Time Signature browser opens. 
3. Type a bar number where you want the time signature change to start. The nearest preceding bar is automatically populated. 
4. Type the number of beats in a bar.
5. From the Note pull down, choose the note value that represents one beat. For example, choose 4 for a quarter note, or 8 for an eighth note.
6. Press Return or click Apply. 

The Time Signature change is added to the ruler, at the bar specified.

 

Other time signature operations

• Move a time signature marker on the Signature ruler by clicking the icon and dragging.

 

• Edit a time signature by double-clicking the time signature marker to open the Time Signature browser. Make your changes and press Return or click Apply.  

• Delete a time signature marker by selecting the marker in the time signature ruler and pressing Delete.

• You can have the time signature markers follow your edits when arranging your session. Just be sure to select the Signature ruler along with other elements when you copy, cut, and paste elements in your session. 

Using Markers

Markers are an easy and colorful way to mark locations such as verses, choruses, or any other sections in your session. You can use markers to define locations, and easily navigate between locations in your session. 

To add a marker:

To edit a marker:

1. Double-click the name of a marker on the marker ruler. The Marker browser opens.
2. Edit the options for the marker, and press Return or click Apply.

The marker is updated with the options you set.

Other marker operations

• To move a marker, click and drag the marker.

 

• To delete a marker, select the marker, and click Delete in the Marker browser.

 

• To move the playhead to a marker, click the marker name. 

• To make a selection to a marker, place the playhead where you want to start the selection, then hold Shift and click the marker.

• You can copy, cut and paste markers by selecting on the Markers ruler. Make sure to select the start of the marker to copy or cut the marker..

• When you edit items on any other ruler, or audio or MIDI clips in the Timeline, you can copy, cut, paste, and delete markers along with those items by including the Markers ruler in your selection, or selecting and editing on the All Tracks ruler. Note that only markers that have their start selected are edited with other items.

• To move the playhead to the next marker, press Control+Option+’.

• To move the playhead to the previous marker, press Control+Option+L.

 

Warping and pitch shifting audio

You can warp a clip to change the tempo of the clip with or without changing the pitch of the clip. You can also warp audio to correct the timing within an audio clip, or to create an effect. 

You warp audio in Warps view. Enter Warps view by clicking View on the Timeline track controls, and choosing Warps from the browser. 

 

Warps view shows transient markers that are automatically generated in audio clips on a track. Warps view also allows access to the Warp Trim Editing Tool, with which you can time-stretch or time-compress a clip. You can adjust these warp markers independently or in combination, or you can add manual warp markers.

You can also pitch shift an audio clip with clip controls.

Warp algorithms

Warp algorithms are applied when you stretch or compress Tempo-based clips by adjusting session tempo, and when you pitch shift audio using the clip pitch controls. Warp algorithms also affect how LUNA plays back warp trimmed audio, and how audio plays when you make inter-clip adjustments using warp markers. Warp algorithms are applied non-destructively during playback. 

You can audition different warp algorithms by changing the warp algorithm while playing back warped or pitch-shifted material. 

 

Algorithm	Description
Polyphonic	The polyphonic algorithm is the default setting for tempo-based tracks. This algorithm works for most material, including complex musical material (for example, an instrument playing chords), and for multiple instruments, bands, and other complex material. This algorithm can also work for monophonic material and drums, though LUNA Razor Blade will give more accurate results on drums.
Monophonic	The monophonic algorithm is best suited for use on monophonic material, such as a bass line or a vocal.
Varispeed	The varispeed algorithm changes the pitch of source material as the tempo is changed, lowering pitch as the source is slowed, and raising pitch as the source speeds up. This can be useful for tape transport style effects or creative sound manipulation.
LUNA Razor Blade	The LUNA Razor Blade algorithm is a UA-designed algorithm that is specifically designed for percussion and drums, and attempts to minimize artifacts and preserve transients during warping. With LUNA Razor Blade, transients retain their original sound so drums don’t lose impact when stretched or compressed. LUNA Razor Blade is also very effective when tempo-shifting or Warp trimming multitrack drums, without introducing phasing or other artifacts.
LUNA Polyphonic	The LUNA Polyphonic algorithm is developed by UA, and provides a more general-use warping algorithm than LUNA Razor Blade. LUNA Polyphonic does not preserve transients as accurately as LUNA Razor Blade, but sounds good on a wider range of transients and pitched instruments. For example, LUNA Polyphonic may sound better on a guitar recording with crisp staccato attack, whereas LUNA Razor Blade may sound better on a snare track.

 

Changing audio pitch or duration

You can easily change the pitch of an audio clip. You can change the duration of an audio clip while retaining rhythm and pitch, or while changing the pitch and rhythm. 

Configuring a track for warping or pitch shifting:

1. In Timeline view, click View Mode on the track controls, and from the View browser, choose Warps. You can click the buttons to apply the change to All tracks or selected tracks, or press Esc or click the X to exit the View browser.
2. If you are adjusting tempo and want the track to conform to tempo changes, click Track Mode on the track controls, and choose Tempo from the popover.
   Note: you can apply pitch changes to clips, adjust warp markers and Warp Trim clips in Time or Tempo mode; however audio tracks will only adjust to session tempo changes in Tempo mode.
3. Click Warp on the track controls, and choose a Warp algorithm from the algorithm drop menu. 

To apply these changes to multiple tracks, select multiple tracks before you make the selections.

 

Pitching an audio clip up or down while maintaining track length

To pitch an audio clip up, use the pitch clip controls. You can do this with the Pitch Editing Tool or the clip controls.

Change clip pitch using the Pitch Editing Tool:

1. Hover over the pitch control in the clip header. The Pitch Editing Tool appears.

2. Slide the control up or down to raise or lower the pitch. To type an exact value, double-click the pitch control, and type the pitch change value in semitones and cents in the popover, then press Return or click OK.

 

Change clip pitch using the Clip header controls:

Warp Trimming

You can Warp Trim to time-stretch or time-compress a clip. With Warp Trim, you can easily conform an imported loop to a tempo, or stretch a clip to double-time or half-time. You can also warp trim clips for creative effect. 

Note: If you set the Warp Algorithm to Varispeed, Warp Trimming changes the pitch of the clip based on the amount of time stretching or time compression.

Warp Trimming to time-stretch or time-compress a clip in Clips view:

1. With Clips view enabled, hover the cursor at the start or end of a clip, near the vertical center. The Trim Editing Tool appears.
2. Click and drag to Warp Trim. Warp Trim snaps to the grid if Snap is enabled unless you hold the Command key while trimming.

Warp Trimming to time-stretch or time-compress a clip in Warps view:

Depending on the algorithm, extreme Warp Trims may not play or may have undesirable audio artifacts. For UA-developed algorithms, extreme settings are indicated by the waveforms appearing red as they approach settings that may have undesirable audio artifacts, or may not play.

 

Warping within a clip

Within a clip you can easily move elements back and forth in time with warp markers. LUNA automatically adds indicators to transients in each audio clip, and you can also add arbitrary warp markers. When you add warp markers, you can then move (stretch and compress) audio before and after the warp marker.

There are three ways you can add Warp markers to a clip:

• Adding a single warp marker on a transient indicator.
• Adding a Bounded Warp (three Warp markers on three adjacent transient indicators) with the Bounded Warp Editing Tool. A bounded Warp allows you to adjust the center Warp freely, while the Warp markers to the left and right prevent the changes from affecting the rest of the clip.
• Adding an arbitrary warp marker.

To add and adjust a single warp marker:

1. Hover the cursor over a transient indicator. The Warp Editing Tool appears.
2. Click to add a warp marker.
3. Click and drag to adjust the warp marker. The warp marker snaps to the grid if Snap is enabled. 
4. To drag without snapping to the grid, press Command while you drag.

 

To add and adjust a Bounded Warp marker:

1. Hover the cursor below the vertical center of the clip, below a transient indicator. The Bounded Warp Editing Tool appears.
2. Click to add a Bounded Warp. A warp marker appears on the transient you hovered over, and on the transient to the left and right.
3. Click and drag to adjust the warp marker. The warp marker snaps to the grid if Snap is enabled. 
4. To drag without snapping to the grid, press Command while you drag.

 

To add an arbitrary warp marker:

1. Hover the cursor near the top of the clip, where the transient indicators appear. You can add a warp marker anywhere (your cursor will snap to the grid if Snap is enabled).
2. Click to add a warp marker.
3. Click and drag to adjust the warp marker. The warp marker snaps to the grid if Snap is enabled. 
4. To drag without snapping to the grid, press Command while you drag.

 

To delete warp markers:

There are several ways to delete one or more warp markers.

• To delete a single warp marker, double-click it, or select the warp marker and press Delete.
• To delete multiple warp markers, select multiple markers and press Delete. 
• To delete all markers from a clip, double-click the top of the clip. In the Clip popover that opens, click Reset Warps. Note that this will remove all warp markers and warped audio, and also revert any Warp Trim operations.

To select and move multiple warp markers:

• Hold Shift, then click in the vertical middle of the clip and drag to select multiple contiguous warp markers. Click one warp marker and drag to adjust all selected markers.

 

•  Hold Shift, and click and drag over only each warp marker you want to select, to select multiple non-contiguous warp markers (tip: disable Snap). Click one warp marker, and drag to adjust all selected markers.