24 TRACK/24 BIT, DIGITAL AUDIO HARD DISK RECORDER AND EDITOR
HDR 24/96
Table of Contents
T
ABLE OF CONTENTS 2
Foreword 7
About This Manual and How To Use It 7
Text Conventions 7
Window / Menu Navigation Conventions 7
Look in the margins! 8
Where/how are you working? 8
Hardware Interface Overview 9
Front Panel and Remote 48 Common
Interface 9
Project Information Display 9
LCD and System Control 9
Menu Navigation 10
Transport Controls 11
Track Controls 12
Current Time Display 12
Status LEDs 13
Remote 48 Interface Additions 14
Jog/Shuttle/Data Wheel 14
LOCATE TIME display with Cue &
Varispeed Indication 14
Autolocator Displays and Controls 16
Other Stuff 20
MENU BAR 24
TOOLS and METERS PANELS 24
TRANSPORT AND TIME DISPLAY 26
RECORD TIME LEFT 26
TRACKS and the TRACK CONTROLS
PANEL 26
LIST PANEL 26
Floating Windows 26
GUI Time Display and Controls 27
Project Information Display 27
Current Time Display 27
Time Bar and Marker Bar 27
Song Offset 28
Track Number button 30
Record Ready buttons 30
Take View and Active Take Number
Buttons 30
Solo and Mute buttons 31
Track Name 31
Lists Panel 32
Region List 32
Cue List 32
History List – Undo and Re-do 34
Media Management 35
Formatting Drives 35
Verify Drive Performance 36
Format or Verification Failure 37
Aftermarket Disk Drives 37
Mount/Refresh Drives 38
Backing up and Restoring Audio 38
Project Management 40
Projects and Playlists – Recorder
Housekeeping 40
What’s A Project? 40
What’s A Playlist? 40
How You Should Organize Your Projects 40
Project Operations 41
New Project 41
Using the Template 42
Open Project 42
Save Project 43
Project Manager 43
Rename a Project 43
Delete Project 44
Copy a Project (Back-up and Restore) 44
Playlist Operations 45
Save Playlist As… 46
Playlist Manager 47
Playlist Applications 49
Transport Operation 50
The Virtual Play Head 50
Basic Transport Controls 50
PLAY 51
STOP 51
REWIND 52
FAST FWD 52
Off-speed Transport Controls 52
Shuttle 52
Scrub 53
Jog 53
The Autolocator 54
What is an Autolocator? 54
Setting and Editing Times 54
Locate Points 56
LOCATE (GUI LOC) 57
Numbered Quick Locate Points 58
Transport Looping (LOC 1 and LOC 2) 60
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HDR 24/96
Auto Punch (LOC 3 and LOC 4) 62 Capture Region 91
Cues 62
Creating New Cues 63
Locating to a Cue 63
Cue Parameters 63
Cues in the GUI 64
Cues on the Remote 48 66
Number Pad and Calculator on the
Remote 48 68
Choosing Time Units 68
Entering Numbers Directly 68
Editing Times 68
Adding and Subtracting Times 68
Storing Times on the Remote 48 70
What to Store 70
Where to Store It 70
Recalling Times on the Remote 48 71
Previewing 72
Pre-Roll 73
AutoPlay mode 74
Time Code Chase 75
Lock Out 76
Recording Operations 77
Recording Procedure 77
Track Arming 77
Recording 77
Punching In and Out 79
One Button Punch 79
Direct Track Punching 79
Slaved Recording 79
Record Safe 80
Delete Last and Undo 80
Rehearse 81
Capturing Punch Points in Rehearse 81
Auto Punch (PUNCH) 82
Auto Take 83
Record Time Left 83
Monitor Modes 84
All Input 84
Auto Input 84
Auto Input On 84
Auto Input Off 85
Solo and Mute 85
Metering 86
GUI Meters 86
GUI Meter Ballistics – Peak and Average
Modes 86
Clip (Overload) Indicator 87
Front Panel meters 87
Regions and Audio Files 88
Regions 88
Region Appearance 89
Region Names 89
Region List 90
Splice Mode 107
Snap Mode and Snap-to Functions 108
Region Editing 110
Split 111
Crop 111
Moving Regions- Clicking and Dragging 111
Insert Time 112
Fades 112
Auto X-Fade (Cross-fade) 113
Volume Envelope 114
Region Editor 116
History List and Undo / Redo 120
What is included in the History List 120
What is not included in the History List 120
Accessing the History List 121
Moving Around in the History List 121
History List and Playlist Relationships 122
History List Caveats: 122
Versions 123
System Setup 124
General 124
Date and Time 124
Window Frames 124
Mouse Speed 124
Waveform colors 124
Footswitch and Footswitch Remote 125
Sample Clock 130
Sample Rate 131
Bit Depth 131
Time Code Source 131
Time Code Frame Rate 131
Time Code Offset 131
Generate SMPTE (MTC) 132
SMPTE Output Level 132
Half Speed Clock 132
Appendix A – Menu Tables 133
GUI Menus 133
File 133
Edit 136
Options 139
Transport 141
Playlist 142
Windows 142
Hot Keys 143
Setup (from the Windows menu) 146
Front Panel Setup and Utility Buttons and
Menus 151
DELETE LAST 151
TRACK (EDIT) 151
PROJECT 154
BACKUP 157
DISK UTIL 157
SYSTEM 158
DIGITAL I/O 160
SYNC Options 162
Appendix B – List of Parameters and How
They’re Saved 164
Setup Parameters – What’s Saved and
When 164
Global Preferences 164
Project-Based Parameters 165
Project-Unique Parameters with Defaults
for New Projects 165
Parameters Saved with the Project AND
in the Template 166
Parameters Not Saved (with a Project or
otherwise) 166
Cables and Routing Hardware Required 173
HDR24/96 TCP/IP Settings 173
The Client Computer’s TCP/IP Settings 175
FTP Client Configuration 177
Making The FTP Connection 178
Accessing Files on the HDR24/96 External
Hard Drive 179
Clever FTP Tricks 179
Labeling Your Drives 180
Session Notes and Track Sheets 180
Making Tracks Easier to Locate 180
FTP Turbo Mode 180
Troubleshooting 181
Connecting Your HDR24/96 In A Larger
Network 182
Networking Glossary 183
TCP/IP 183
FTP 183
IP Address 184
Hub 184
10BaseT vs. 100BaseT 184
Appendix E – 48-Track Configuration 185
Synchronization Setup 185
Sample Clock Synchronization 185
Time Code Synchronization 185
MDS Network – Data and Control
Interconnection 186
Other considerations 188
Pre-flight Check List 189
Appendix F – Synchronization 190
What Makes the HDR24/96 (and Other
Devices Like it) Tick? 190
How can you Sync to Word Clock and
Time Code at the Same Time? 192
Jam Sync 193
Trigger Sync 193
More about Time Code 194
Video Synchronization 195
Working with Time Code 198
A Word or Three about Pull-Ups and PullDowns 201
Safe Synchronization 204
Appendix G – MIDI Implementation Chart 205
Appendix H – Gozintas and Gozoutas 207
Welcome Aboard! Thank you for choosing the Mackie Designs HDR24/96 Hard Disk Recorder -- a
benchmark in affordable professional multitrack audio recording. Occupying only 4U of rack mount
space, the HDR combines the familiarity of a multitrack tape recorder with a powerful, built-in DAWstyle editor.
About This Manual and How To Use It
Your HDR24/96 instruction manual comes in three parts. The Quick Start Guide is intended to help
you get your HDR24/96 up and running quickly, and it serves as a handy reference to the most
common operations. The Operation Guide provides details about interfacing, setup, and operation. It
walks you step-by-step through the processes of recording, overdubbing, and editing, showing you
the HDR24/96’s way of doing familiar tasks and introducing you to the power features that bring it
capabilities far beyond those of a conventional multitrack recorder.
Finally, this Technical Reference gives detailed explanations of all the controls, displays, and menus.
Keep it handy while you’re learning your way around. Here’s where you’ll find more detailed
information on controls, indicators, and functions, files and file management, the complexities of
clocking, synchronization, and interfacing unique to the world of digital recording. You’ll also find
some shortcuts to frequently and infrequently used features.
If you haven’t already done so, install your I/O cards (don’t forget to read their instructions!) break
open the Quick Start Guide, hook up your recorder, connect the optional monitor, keyboard, or
remote controller, and get rolling. This is a hands-on process.
Text Conventions
The following conventions are used throughout this guide:
Keyboard Keys – [S
Key combinations – [C
Key sequences – [ALT
Key modified mouse actions – [CTRL
Mouse button actions – right-click
Functions or type of button group– Record
LCD Display text (and associated SELECT button) – Audio New Open Save Delete
Names of front panel or Remote buttons – TC CHASE
Names of GUI objects (buttons, arrows) or panel controls – TC CHASE
Names of GUI Menus, Menu Items, & Dialog Responders – File | Open
] - [A] - [a]
HIFT
TRL+SHIFT
+f], [o]
+6]
+click]
Window / Menu Navigation Conventions
This manual uses a shortcut notation that will lead you to a window in which a described operation is
performed or a parameter is viewed. The various levels leading to the desired window are separated
by a vertical bar “|”. For example: Windows | Setup | Locator-MMC means: Select
Windows from the top-level menu, then Setup from that list, then Locator-MMC from the
Setup dialog box.
Technical Reference 7
HDR 24/96
Look in the margins!
Extending into the left hand margins, you will see certain icons that provide clues as to what is being
discussed. In this way, as you search the technical reference for information, you may be able to skip
more quickly to what you want, or conversely, realize when you need to read something before
proceeding. These Icons mean the following:
PLEASE NOTE: This symbol may be a warning or perhaps just an amplification of something that is
easily or often misunderstood. Or it may be both. If your area of interest is in the section where this
icon appears, should probably read the text next to it.
HERE'S A BRIGHT IDEA: Or at least we think so. You can interpret this symbol as meaning Tip,
Try This, Recommended Practice, Short Cut, or just Look Here! Often this will appear where a
keyboard equivalent command is described, because such short cuts allow you to work quickly in the
GUI without having to navigate menus, mouse-around, or switch over to the tactile controls.
Where/how are you working?
The HDR24/96 has three primary user interfaces; the front panel of the main rack-mountable unit,
the optional remote control units (Remote 24 and Remote 48), and finally the Graphical User
Interface (or GUI). There are three (actually four – keep reading) icons that appear in the left
margin to denote which user interface controls are being explained. Most operations can be
accomplished from more than one control surface, so in some cases there may be explanations for
each interface in succession. After you have read the general feature description you can use
these icons to jump ahead to the interface that you actually want to use. Some lengthy sections of
this manual cover only one interface in detail. In cases where the operation is identical for both
the Front Panel and the Remote 48, you’ll see the two icons combined into one (that 4th icon).
The front panel icon is shown to the left of this paragraph. The front panel is designed so that if
you’re familiar with almost any multitrack recorder, you can operate the HDR24/96 almost
exactly the same way. Other than the opening and naming of new projects, you’ll feel right at
home. Using only the front panel controls, you can record, overdub, and play back, as well as
back up your recordings to an optional removable hard disk. There’s more to the HDR24/96 than
straightforward recording, however.
The Remote 48 icon shows up in the margin when features described relate to a remote control
unit. Optional remote controllers bring the front panel controls closer to your workspace and
often add more features. We’ll point out differences between operations on front panel and the
Remotes, but for details on extensions that the Remote 48 offers, we’ll send you off to its manual.
The Remote 48 is patterned after the autolocator remote controllers on many industry standard
multitrack recorders, so if you are an experienced recordist you can probably just jump on and
ride it.
Connecting a standard computer keyboard, mouse, and monitor brings the power of a Graphical
User Interface (GUI) to the HDR24/96. When GUI interface features or functions are being
described, you’ll see a computer terminal shown in the left-hand margin. The GUI is where
you’ll find the visual editing tools as well as convenience features such as nameable cue points
for quickly locating significant segments of your project.
In addition, the HDR24/96 responds to MIDI Machine Control (MMC), so you can perform many
operations from another user interface such as a sequencer, mixing console, or dedicated
hardware controller that sends MMC commands.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Hardware Interface Overview
Generally when we talk about Hardware we mean the HDR rack-mount unit. However this section is
more accurately an explanation of how to interface with the HDR via hardware, so really we mean any
tactile controls. In addition to the front panel, there is the Remote 24 and Remote 48. We will usually
distinguish these interfaces from each other unless their controls are the identical as is the case with the
front panel and Remote 48. If you do not find an explanation for some Remote 24 feature, read the
Remote 48 and front panel explanations as the functionality will probably be common to one or both.
Front Panel and Remote 48 Common Interface
The core group of tactile controls is duplicated on the front panel and the Remote 48. These features
include the System Controls, the LCD and its menu scheme, the Time Code window, the Transport
and basic Track Controls. The Remote 24 includes the Transport and basic Track Controls. The
Remote 48 has a complete locator, while the front panel has only two dedicated locates and looping.
The Remote 24 adds two more locate buttons and the associated Auto-punch feature. Only the
Remote 24 has the ability to pick out a take from any track and a single assignable meter.
Project Information Display
The LCD on the front panel and Remote 48, when not displaying a setup or utility operation, is an
informative summary of the current project. A screen saver blanks the display after ten minutes
of display inactivity. To re-activate it, press just about any button. The following information is
displayed on the LCD after boot-up and whenever any menu operation is exited.
PROJECT: Name of the currently loaded project
PLAYLIST: The currently loaded playlist version
DRIVE: The disk drive containing the Project - Internal or External
AVAIL: The amount of recording time left on the disk
LCD and System Control
Originally we plopped all of the controls onto the HDR front panel and found that after a while, it
was entirely filled with buttons. So we decided to lose a few along the way, and hide the ones
that were used less frequently (as often as you visited Aunt Sadie) somewhere under an LCD
menu. To make up for missing buttons and the need for a road map, we stuck in a few Go Here
and Go There buttons and here's what we came up with:
You’ll find two rows of buttons directly beneath the blue LCD on both the front panel and the
Remote 48. The four small SELECT buttons located directly below the display are soft buttons
whose functions change depending on what you’re doing. A text label above the button in the
LCD display indicates it’s current function. If no text appears above a button, that button is not
active in that menu. A red LED appears over each active button, and if one button is the most
likely choice (such as “OK”, “Exit”, or “Continue”), its LED will blink.
Some LCD menus have more than four options, so they’re on multiple pages. The two large
buttons on either end of the SELECT button row scroll the display horizontally to display
additional pages.
System Control buttons; DELETE LAST, TRACK, PROJECT, BACKUP, DISK UTIL,
SYSTEM, DIG I/O, and SYNC are located in the row below the SELECT buttons. Each of these
buttons opens a menu
(-)DEC and (+)INC buttons to the far right of this row are used to edit or enter text in the LCD for
functions such as naming projects or selecting a virtual take.
in the LCD, which contains the labels for the SELECT buttons. The
Technical Reference 9
HDR 24/96
y
You’ll find these System Control buttons in the same relative position on the Remote 48 except
the (-)DEC and (+)INC buttons are found below on the next row of buttons. Since the Remote 48
is designed to control two recorders, a DECK 2 button on this bottom row selects which recorder
you’re controlling.
Menu Navigation
System Control Buttons
Most of the buttons, located immediately above the transport section (“tape deck controls”),
are used to open menus in the LCD interface. These buttons both launch the menu system
and jump directly to designated entry points within the menu.
S
stem and menuing section of the HDR24/96 front panel
Page Left and Page Right Buttons
The large < and > buttons are page navigators. If a menu consists of more than one page,
the top line on the 24 character by 4 line LCD readout will display a ← or → in the upper
left or upper right corner to indicate the direction in which you may page to find more choices
within that menu. The Page Left button can in many instances be used as an Escape key to
exit the current menu level.
Select Buttons
The four SELECT buttons under the LCD are aligned under text describing the choices
available within that menu. Examples include Exit, OK (confirmation), << >>
(scroll through choices), or Next (move down a menu level). The example above lets you
select which Digital I/O card to configure. Follow the signs, you won't get lost. A SELECT
button is a "soft button" whose function changes depending on the overall operation you’re
performing.
Pairs of SELECT buttons with << >> displayed above them are used to scroll through
choices, or to move a V cursor through a text or numeric field. The V cursor points to the
character you about to change with the (-)DEC and (+)INC (decrement and increment)
buttons.
10
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Pressing the SELECT button labeled “OK” in the display performs the menu operation in
process. There’s usually a button labeled “Cancel” should you decide not to complete an
operation. Pressing any menu button
will also back out without performing
the operation.
(-)DEC and (+)INC Buttons
The (-)DEC and (+)INC (decrement
and increment) buttons are used to
modify an alphabetical or numerical
parameter displayed in the LCD such
as Project Name or Time Code Offset.
If the red LEDs above the buttons are
glowing, they’re active. Generally you
can tell that a character can be edited
with the (-)DEC and (+)INC buttons if
it’s sitting above a pair of << >>
characters. The Select buttons below
the << >> characters move a V
cursor through the text or numeric
field, indicating which character will
be changed by pressing the (-)DEC and
(+)INC buttons.
Remote 48 Menu Navigation section (LCD and System
Controls)
button that does something within that menu. Some operations, particularly those that could
be disastrous like deleting data that can’t be recovered, will offer you a Cancel option,
allowing you to quit without changing anything.
Navigation Behavior
Any time you’re working in a menu,
LED’s will illuminate above any
Depending on the menu and how many layers it has, Exit or Cancel may bring you back
to a previous menu or all the way back to the top. You can also leave the menu by pressing
the button that got you there (its red LED will be on to remind you where you are), or by
pressing the Page Left < button when the ← symbol isn’t displayed on the LCD. You need
not completely exit one menu before moving to another; just press another menu button to
jump into a new menu.
NOTE: Whether or not a Cancel or Exit prompt appears above a SELECT button, it’s
okay to jump directly to one of the other top-level menus without responding to a prompt.
It’s a quick “bail out” in case you’ve discovered that you’re in the wrong menu for what you
want to accomplish. Skipping an OK, Cancel, or Exit prompt will not harm or hang the
HDR24/96.
The Front Panel Menu
panel setup and utility controls.
Transport Controls
Transport operating controls are described in detail in other sections of this manual. Jump to
Transport Operation
advanced transport and Locator (which follows basic transport operation), or jump to the section
on Recording Operations
table in Appendix A shows the menu structure for all of the front
(page 50) to see the basics of play head movement as well as the HDR's
(page 77). A Locator (or Autolocator), for those unfamiliar with the
Technical Reference 11
HDR 24/96
term, is a system for keeping track of points within your recording and providing short-cut
mechanisms to return to those points quickly. The HDR front panel does not offer full locating
features, but does offer two Dedicated Locate points which are also used in conjunction with the
looping features
corresponding Auto-punch features (page 82). The Remote 48 offers a fully featured Autolocator
(page 54) with dedicated buttons for many of its mostly industry-standard functions.
Remote 48 Transport – Same as Front Panel but adds LOCATE button
Track Controls
Track Controls are used to arm each track for recording (In the GUI there are also separate
monitoring controls for each track). The front panel buttons are labeled REC, while on the
Remote 24 and 48 the Record Ready buttons are simply labeled with their track number 1 through
24 and 1 through 48 respectively. See the section on Recording Operations
details.
(page 60). The Remote 24 adds two more Numbered Locates and the
(page 77) for more
Front Panel Track Controls
Track arming buttons interact with the Monitoring Controls, which are described in detail in other
sections of this manual (page 84).
Remote 48 Track Controls
Current Time Display
Current transport time is always displayed on the front panel and Remote 48. In these LED
displays the format will be either motion picture timecode or musical score position. If you want
the BBT display, it must be selected through the GUI or the Remote 48 where the TIME UNITS
button will toggle the formats.
SMPTE time in hours:minutes:seconds:frames ................................... HH:MM:SS:FR
•
Musical score (BBT) position in bars:beats:ticks ................................... BARS:BB:TT
•
12
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
NOTE: The GUI Current Time
NOTE: The GUI Current Time window can display two other time formats, samples and
milliseconds. If you select one of these other formats from the GUI, the LED displays on the
front panel and Remote 48 will revert to SMPTE time.
Front Panel Time and Status Display
In BBT mode, the front panel display only shows tick numbers when the transport is stopped.
When running, the Ticks field contains hyphens (- -). Leading spaces in the Bars field are also
filled with hyphens, as: - - 73:04:45. Bar numbers greater than 9999 are displayed as hyphens,
however the display still counts beats (01 through 04) while the transport is running.
LOCATE TIME display (Remote 48 only)
Just below the Current Time on the Remote 48 work-surface is the Locate Time. Locate
Time can be recalled from a cue list, entered directly, or edited from its current value. It’s
used as a general “go to” time location, for entering and displaying stored cue times, or for
doing time code calculations. See the Autolocator
sections for further details. On the Remote 48 almost all of the Autolocator settings pass
through the LOCATE TIME display. This differs from the GUI where the Locate Time is
more like an auxiliary Cue.
. or the Remote 48 specialized controls
Status LEDs
The group of LEDs to the left of the time code display indicates the state of several of the current
setup options.
• 44.1k, 48k and 96k LEDs indicate the selected sample rate.
• VARI indicates that the sample rate is controlled by an external word clock source or
video sync signal, and the resulting sample rate is not exactly 44.1, 48, or 96 kHz. VARI
can also indicate that the Shuttle of Jog transport I operating.
• 16 BIT and 24 BIT indicate the selected word length.
• ERROR indicates a clock or synchronization error, for example, a word clock frequency
that is out of range.
• TC indicates that the transport is receiving acceptable time code. This LED is only active
when the HDR24/96 is set to chase time code. The LED blinks when time code is
expected but is either not present or is at the incorrect frame rate. When everything is in
order with time code synchronization, it will be on.
• CLOCK indicates that a proper data clock signal is being received. It blinks if the
HDR24/96 is expecting an external clock and it’s not present. If all is well with the
External clock, or when the Internal clock is selected, the CLOCK LED will be on.
Technical Reference 13
13
HDR 24/96
Remote 48 Interface Additions
While the Remote 48 has some displays and controls in common with the front panel, the larger
more elaborate remote unit also has some of its own additional and unique controls.
Jog/Shuttle/Data Wheel
The JOG button, the SHUTTLE button, and the Jog/Shuttle/Data
WHEEL (simply referred to as the WHEEL in most cases) are found
along the lower two-thirds of the right-hand side of the Remote 48.
The JOG button enables the Jog mode, which couples the transport
playback speed in both directions directly to the movement of the
WHEEL.
The SHUTTLE button also enables an off-speed bi-directional
WHEEL control mode. However in Shuttle mode, the playback
speed is governed by the amount of offset either forward or
backward from the position of the WHEEL at the time Shuttle mode
is engaged.
The Jog/Shuttle/Data Wheel itself has two functions on the Remote
48:
1) Transport Jogging (Scrub) and Shuttle as described above and as described in detail in the
Advanced Transport Controls
display of the off-speed rates is shown in the VARI indicator to the left of the TAPE
TIME. See the following section.
section (page 52). When using these features, note that
2) Data entry. The data wheel becomes available for data entry in the Locate Time and
Cues displays during certain Autolocator operations. Data entry mode is overridden
whenever either the Shuttle or Jog modes are enabled.
LOCATE TIME display with Cue & Varispeed Indication
Just below the Current Time on the Remote 48 work-surface is the LOCATE TIME display. The
Locate Time is a recalled, entered or edited time value that is used for the general Locate
command, among other things. The Locate Time is so called because it is the target time for the
next Locate command. A single press of the LOCATE button causes the Current Time to jump to
the Locate Time. This is a primary operating characteristic of any tactile Autolocator
the Remote 48.
In this operating paradigm, the locating sequence usually starts with getting the target location
loaded into the Locate Time. This differs substantially from the locator built into the HDR 24/96
GUI, it should be noted. The GUI provides for click-activated locating to any displayed Cue or
Dedicate Locate, and allows direct editing of the Current Time
Editing Times in the GUI
up values into a workspace such as the Locate Time is not really needed. From the standpoint of
the GUI the Locate Time is really just another Dedicated Locate (only it doesn’t have a number).
From the standpoint of the Remote 48, this dual time display is a highly integral part of its
workings. You can get a more detail description of the Dual Time Displays in the Autolocator
page 54.
, page 21). These computer-interface-style features mean that queuing
(page 24) and other times (see
including
on
14
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Dual Time Display on Remote 48
While advantages exist in both paradigms, if you do have a Remote 48 attached to your HDR
24/96, you already know or will soon learn of its elegance. While the GUI seems more powerful
for interacting with every parameter directly (and the HDR is particularly cool in this respect), it
is often the tactile Autolocator that is faster, because its key sequences are short and closely
clustered, and well, it’s just more tactile. Perhaps not as intuitive as drag-and-drop, but once
learned, the Locate Time and its display are very flexible and powerful ways to work with precise
times quickly.
Along with the dual display of TAPE TIME (Current Time) and LOCATE TIME, you will see
that the Remote 48 provides a CUE display, a VARI (Varispeed) display, and a CAPTURE
button in this same area.
Tape Time
The TAPE TIME display always shows the current position of the HDR24/96 “play head”
(i.e. Current Time), and is the same as the Current Time displays on the HDR24/96 front
panel and GUI.
Locate Time
The Locate Time window shows the time that the Transport will locate to when the Locate
button is pressed, and is the same as the LOCATE TIME display in the GUI Cues List
Locate Time also acts as a scratchpad or working display into which you can recall/preview
stored time values (Cues, Numbered Locates, last Play, Pre-Roll, and Punch and Loop
lengths), manually enter and Store specific times to one of these time values, or display the
result of time code addition/subtraction operations.
The LOCATE TIME display window should be distinguished from the Locate Time
(register) itself, because the display can also be used for previewing time values stored in
various parameters. See the sections on Recalling/Previewing
best use the LOCATE TIME display.
Cue
Cues are numbered locations, which do not have dedicated buttons and must therefore be
recalled before locating. The Cue numbers range from 0 to 999. The CUE number display
shows the number of the Cue that was last entered, stored, or recalled from the Remote 48.
This Cue number is independent of the Cue Entry number in the GUI. When STORE or
RECALL is pressed, the rightmost dot in the Cue display flashes until the operation is
canceled or executed to indicate that the Cue display is the focus of numeric (Cue number)
entry. During a preview, the CUE display will show the Cue number or name of the stored
value being previewed:
.
(page 71) for clues on how to
PrE = Pre-Roll
LoP = Loop Length
PCH = Auto Punch
L1, L2, L3, L4 = LOC 1 through LOC 4 respectively
PLA = Last Play
Technical Reference 15
HDR 24/96
If the Preview is canceled, or a stored value other than a Cue is recalled, then the Cue display
reverts to the previously displayed Cue.
When you begin to Recall
TIME display) is cleared ( - - - ). As soon as a valid Cue number as been entered the
corresponding time is previewed in the LOCATE TIME display. For this reason it is possible
preview a single digit Cue with only a single digit key press. Continually pressing digits will
rotate the digits in on the far right of the Cue number display and out on the left. Any
combination of three digits that represent a valid Cue number will update the LOCATE
TIME display. Note that the methodology for Creating, Viewing, and Storing Cue values on
the Remote 48 differs considerably from that of the GUI and keyboard. Cues
an integral part of the Autolocator
page 66. Discussions of Cues in the GUI
Vari (Varispeed)
The Varispeed display is used to display the Transport speed whenever Shuttle or Jog is
enabled. During Shuttle, the Varispeed display reads 0.0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or
2.0, depending on the Shuttle speed. During Jog, the display reads continuously between
0.00 and 1.00. Negative speeds are not expressed because the FF or REW LEDs indicate the
Transport direction.
Autolocator Displays and Controls
The other big addition to the Remote 48, as distinguished from the front panel controls, is the
inclusion of an Autolocator section. The rack mount unit's front panel does have some locating
features. It gives you access to two Dedicated (numbered) Locates, for example, as well as the
looping features associated with those Locate points. The Remote 48 has those same buttons and
features. Then the Remote 48 adds all of the rest of an industry standard Autolocator. In fact the
Remote 48 borrows from well-established Autolocator philosophy, then adds even cooler stuff to
that model. The Autolocator is discussed in detail later in this manual under Autolocator
54).
a Cue, the Remote 48 Cue display (to the left of the LOCATE
(page 62) are
(page 54), and Remote 48 Cue operations are found on
can be found on pages 63 and 32.
(page
Transport and LOCATE
The Transport within the Remote 48 Autolocator is of course very much the same as that
found on the front panel (or the GUI for that matter), however, it does add one important key
– LOCATE. The Locate Time and even the LOCATE button have been discussed just a few
pages earlier, and you will find its use discussed in conjunction with many other operations
throughout the manual. The LOCATE button acts as an instant “go to” command for the
value appearing in the LOCATE TIME display. Essentially this button takes you where you
wanna go. Check out the Transport Operation
Transport and Locate Points
PRE ROLL
Pre-roll comes from the idea of rolling a tape back to a little bit before the point where you
want to Play or Punch. When Pre-roll is turned on, then all Locate commands go to the time
address minus the Pre-roll. The Pre-roll Time is the amount of time to “cushion”’ a locate
point, and can be set like any storable value in the Autolocator.
AUTOPLAY
Auto Play is an Autolocator Play mode that causes the HDR to go directly into Play any time
a Locate command is given. Push the button to toggle the mode on and off. When engaged
any locate operation will immediately be followed by Play.
The Remote 48 provides a button for each the four Numbered Locates (numbered LOC 1,
LOC 2, LOC 3, and LOC 4). The function of these Locates has been discussed In
conjunction with STORE and RECALL, these buttons allow you to set and recall looping
(LOC 1, LOC 2) and auto-punching (LOC 3, LOC 4) points. Used by itself, each button acts
as an instant “go to” command for the stored location. Note that the methodology for
viewing and storing Locate values on the Remote 48 differs from the GUI and keyboard. For
more details see Numbered Locates
LOOP
The LOOP button enables (toggles on and off) a mode in which the Play command causes the
transport to Loop (Play through forward to the end of the loop then jump back and start again
at the start of the loop) between LOC 1 and LOC 2. More detail is provided on page 60. The
Loop LED is lit when enabled, and dark when disabled.
PUNCH
The PUNCH button enables an Auto Punch mode where the LOC 3 and LOC 4 are used for
the punch in and out points. The earliest point will be the punch in and the later point will be
the punch out. More detail is provided on page 82. The Punch LED is lit when enabled, and
dark when disabled.
REHEARSE
The REHEARSE button enables a mode in which punching in and out can be practiced
without actually recording anything. While in Rehearse mode the Punch In and Punch Out
points are automatically stored to LOC 3 and LOC 4 (respectively). Generally, a recording
pass can be rehearsed until the Punch points sound correct, after which the Auto Punch
function can make use of the last punch points stored to LOC 3 and LOC 4. While in
Rehearse mode the HDR will not record audio. Use PLAY, RECORD, and/or STOP to
engage/disengage master Record and to capture the punch points. Only the last two punch
in/out points will be remembered. Punching with a track’s RECORD READY buttons will
not be automatically captured. The Rehearse LED is lit when enabled, and dark when
disabled.
(page 58), Looping, and Auto Punch.
AUTO TAKE
Auto Take is a mode in which each subsequent recording pass on the same track(s)
automatically increments the Active Take of the selected track(s). That means further takes
can be recorded to the same track without discarding or covering-up previous takes. For the
artist, a Take is just another run at playing it right, but on the HDR 24/96 technically means
one of 8 tracks within each track onto which you can record. You can designate which take
you wish to be active or you can turn on the Auto Take mode and let the HDR do the work.
Once you have recorded on all 8 takes (or you reach the 8
started on number 6), the Auto Take system rolls over to take number 1 and continues on.
You should be very conscious of what you are doing in Auto Take mode if you are trying to
collect several different versions of something without covering them up. If you stay in Auto
Take all night you'll end up with only last 8 takes by morning! Go to manual mode, or move
to new track if you need to preserve something.
The AUTO TAKE LED is lit when enabled, and dark when disabled.
Technical Reference 17
th
take for any reason – perhaps you
17
HDR 24/96
TIME UNITS
The TIME UNITS key toggles the time display mode between SMPTE and BBT. This also
changes the display for the GUI and front panel.
The Remote 48 Autolocator section
EDIT TIME
The EDIT TIME key allows you to edit specific fields within the LOCATE TIME display.
Pressing EDIT TIME once selects the Frames/Ticks field, a second time the Seconds/Beats
field, and so on. The selected field flashes until the field is advanced (with the EDIT TIME
button) or the Locate Time is set by pressing ENTER.
Time fields can be edited in three ways:
1) Numeric entry from keypad. Numbers shift left continually until field value is
2) + and – keys. Pressing + (+/NEXT) advances value by 1, pressing – (–/PREV)
3) Rotating the WHEEL. Numbers increment or decrement continually as WHEEL
+/NEXT and -/PREV
The +/Next and –/Prev keys perform three functions:
1) Act as math operators for adding (+) and subtracting (–) time code values from
2) Act as trim keys for incrementing or decrementing Locate Time field values
3) Act as keys for cycling through Cues in specific Autolocator operations.
The use of each of these keys is documented within the specific Autolocator
Numeric Keypad
The numeric keypad is used for entering time values or Cue numbers into the Locate Time or
Cue displays, respectively. The specific use of the numeric keypad is documented within the
set with Time Field or Enter button
decrements value by 1; holding the + or – key scrolls the value up or down.
is rotated.
LOCATE TIME display
functions.
18
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
specific Autolocator functions. See the description of the Cue display above, and the section
on Cues in the.
CLEAR
The CLEAR key deletes the last value entered into the Locate Time or Cue Number display
by shifting all of the numbers right by one character. When entering time into the LOCATE
TIME display, pressing CLEAR after the last character is deleted cancels the operation and
restores the previous Locate Time value.
ENTER
The ENTER key is used for four functions:
The specific use of the ENTER key is documented throughout the various Autolocator
functions.
STORE
The STORE button is used to store the value of the Locate Time or Tape Time into Cues,
numbered Locates, Pre-Roll time, and the Loop and Punch lengths. The exact sequence of
the Store operation will vary somewhat depending on what time is being stored where.
Pressing STORE once selects the Locate Time, and pressing STORE twice (or
CTRL+STORE) selects the Tape Time as the source time for the store operation. A flashing
dot in the right of the TAPE TIME or LOCATE TIME display indicates which time is
selected. The STORE LED blinks while the Store operation is in progress (armed for
storing). Pressing STORE yet again (third time) will cancel the operation. The source time
value is copied to the destination, and the STORE LED is turned off, when the last key in the
sequence is pressed (ENTER for Cues, LOC n for Numbered Locates, or PRE ROLL, LOOP,
or PUNCH respectively for these length parameters). The specific function of Store
70) is documented with the Autolocator functions.
1) Terminates the entry of a string of numbers when entering a time in the LOCATE
TIME display
2) Executes the Recall of a previewed value (Cues, numbered Locates, Pre-Roll, last
Play, etc.) from the LOCATE TIME display to the actual Locate Time value
3) Executes a Cue Store or New Cue operation
4) Acts as an equals sign (“=”) to complete time code calculator operations.
(page
RECALL
The RECALL key is used to call up the value of stored time locations/values into the
LOCATE TIME display (for preview) and into the Locate Time register (when combined
with ENTER). The RECALL LED blinks when Recall/Preview is in progress, and goes out
after Recall is executed (ENTER) or canceled (by pressing RECALL again). If a valid Cue
number is typed in during Recall/Preview the LOCATE TIME display will automatically
present the time for that Cue. If the user types in the value of a non-existent Cue, then the
Locate Time shows dashes (“- - –“) until a valid Cue or other stored value is selected. The
specific function of Recall
CAPTURE
Pressing CAPTURE transfers the instantaneous value of Tape Time (Current Time) into the
Locate Time. No ENTER key press is required as the Tape Time provides its own form of
continuous preview.
(page 71) is documented with the Autolocator functions.
Technical Reference 19
HDR 24/96
Other Stuff
DECK 2
The Deck 2 button toggles control of the Remote 48 LCD display, Rates Display, and System
Control buttons between the Master and Slave HDR24/96. The Remote 48 controls the
Master HDR24/96 when the Deck 2 LED is off, and the Slave HDR24/96 when the Deck 2
LED is blinking.
EDIT
The Edit button is reserved for access to editing functions in a future software revision. No
editing functions are implemented on the Remote 48 at the time of this manual writing
(version 1.2 or earlier).
20
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Overview
After plugging the keyboard, monitor and mouse into the rear panel connectors and booting up the HDR,
you'll find most of the MackieOS GUI is pretty darn similar to the rest of the music-computing world.
Typical paradigms of left and right mouse clicking, menu bars with pop-up or pull-down menus,
dialog boxes, scroll bars and high resolution graphics all make for a familiar interface. One
distinction is that you will see certain window areas described as "panels" in this manual. Panels
are "docked" windows that do not resize and which the MackieOS carefully integrates for you
into an overall pleasing and usable view.
If you’ve never used a GUI before, the following section explains the basics of operation of the mouse,
keyboard, and how to make selections. If you’re already familiar with computer GUI operation, there’s
nothing new here other than to remind you that clicking in the top right hand corner closes HDR24/96
windows. And don't forget to try right-clicking!
GUI Conventions
Mouse Clicking
Left-click (or just "click")
Most of the time when we say “click”, we mean left-click, that is, a single-click of the left
mouse button when the cursor is pointing to the text or object you want to change or move.
The effect of the left-click will vary depending on where you are working in the interface.
The cursor is always an arrow when selecting from menus, but changes shape in the audio
tracks area to remind you which Tool is currently active.
Below is a list the left-click mousing "targets" each with a description of the behavior to
expect for a given action.
o Buttons: Clicking once on any button will toggle the button’s function on or off
or perform the button’s function (split, loop, etc.).
o Text menu items: Select any menu item with a single point-and-click.
o Editable text:Single-click in a text string to insert the cursor for further typing.
Double-click to highlight an entire word in a line of text.
o List Items: Single-click to highlight the item for your next action. Double-
clicking can be used as a shortcut to the default action such as Open. For
example, to open a project listed in the Open Project window, double-click on a
Project name in the dialog list. This will sidestep the need to click on the Project
then click on the Open button.
o Multiple items: An 'item" for example might be a region, a record-ready button
or line of text in a list of text items. Select multiple items by holding the [C
HIFT
or [S
selects the contiguous group of items. [C
(which need not be contiguous) from a list.
o Regions: Operations involving regions, such as selecting and moving them, are
performed with a combination of left-clicking, continuing to hold down the left
mouse button, and dragging the cursor. The operation performed depends on the
tool that is presently active.
o Time fields: Text indicating times, such as locate points and the time code
display, can be edited by clicking on a numeric field and dragging the mouse
] key while clicking. [S
HIFT
+click] on the first and last item in a list
TRL
+click] selects multiple items
TRL
]
Technical Reference 21
HDR 24/96
o Locator Times: A further fun fact is that holding down the [C
pointer up or down. Once clicked the numeric field is highlighted with a
rectangle and the mouse cursor becomes an up or down pointing arrow.
Subsequent single-clicks will increment or decrement (respectively) the field by
one unit. Alternatively, when the field is highlighted with a single-click, a direct
entry can be typed in from the keyboard. One exception is the editing of times in
the Cue List. Here you must first double-click the Cue time field to make it
editable. Then it works like everything else. All new time entries must be
terminated with an ENTER key press (or by clicking outside of the field you’ve
edited).
TRL
] control key
and clicking on any of the LOC time displays (including the four dedicated
Locate points as well as the general purpose Locate) will capture the Current
Time (the big display) into that LOC box - a nice feature for capturing punch and
loop points, even on the fly. Also note that this method does not alter your
general Locate Time.
Right-click
Right-clicking the mouse usually brings up a menu of actions appropriate for whatever you’re
doing. Left-click to select from the menu. For example, right-clicking on the Current Time
display brings up a menu to select the time units. Right-click on different areas of the screen
to familiarize yourself with the pop-up menus - they are aplenty.
Double-click
Double-clicking is the shortcut to both select and perform the default action on an item. Many functions of the HDR24/96 can be performed with a double-click.
Click-and-Drag
Dragging is the process of clicking the left mouse button, then continuing to hold down on
the button while moving the cursor to a new location. You release the left mouse button at
the end of whatever operation is being performed with the drag. The initial left-click may
establish the selection area start point or it may just directly select an object. Typically
dragging will select an area/range or it will move the selected object. It may "shape" (adjust)
an object or some parameter associated with that object. In some instances we may simply
say something like, "Drag the region to its new position," or "Drag the time value up to 12
minutes" without providing you any of the mechanics, i.e. click, hold, move, and release. In
other instances we may say click-and-drag something just because that wording seems to
make the actual operation more obvious. And even still we might say, "Click on the
whatchamacallit and drag it on top of the thingamajig." Please forgive us if that happens.
Window and Dialog Box Paradigms
Much of the MackieOS windowing scheme will be familiar to computer users. The title or menu
bar on an open floating window can be double-clicked to 'window shade' the rest of the window
(that is to "roll-up" the window into its title bar). This will keep the title bar of a floating window
visible so it will be handy, but clear the deck to give you a better view of your work area. Click-and-dragging the title bar allows the window to be placed elsewhere within the confines of the
screen. Most windows will float and can be condensed to only the title bar with the exception of
the primary GUI panel, which covers the screen, and any of its 'window-like' control or list
panels.
In some windows, you’ll find a Zoom box on the title bar that expands the window to maximum
screen size, and a resize tab (lower right hand corner) to tailor the size to your liking. A Close
22
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
button (the triangle in the upper right corner) puts the window to bed. You can also close most
button (the triangle in the upper right corner) puts the window to bed. You can also close most
active windows with the ESC key.
active windows with the ESC key.
If you have more than one window open on the screen, one will be the topmost, or “active”
If you have more than one window open on the screen, one will be the topmost, or “active”
window. The title bar of the active window will appear solid and you’ll see the Close button in
window. The title bar of the active window will appear solid and you’ll see the Close button in
its upper right corner. Inactive windows, whether fully open or partially closed (window shaded)
its upper right corner. Inactive windows, whether fully open or partially closed (window shaded)
will have their titles grayed-out. Clicking on the title bar of any inactive window makes it the
will have their titles grayed-out. Clicking on the title bar of any inactive window makes it the
active window.
active window.
The
The
[TAB
[TAB
] key as well as the mouse pointer can be used to navigate between fields within the
] key as well as the mouse pointer can be used to navigate between fields within the
active window. Either way, when a field is highlighted, usually indicated by a surrounding box,
active window. Either way, when a field is highlighted, usually indicated by a surrounding box,
NTER
the field will be updated when you press the E
the field will be updated when you press the E
AB
window, making it inactive. The [T
window, making it inactive. The [T
a button is tab-highlighted, pressing the 'Enter' key performs the button’s action.
a button is tab-highlighted, pressing the 'Enter' key performs the button’s action.
Scroll bars with arrows and a scroll 'thumb' are found in list windows if the list is
Scroll bars with arrows and a scroll 'thumb' are found in list windows if the list is
too long to fit into the current window size. The scroll thumb can be dragged
too long to fit into the current window size. The scroll thumb can be dragged
directly to any position in the list providing you with a scrolling short cut.
directly to any position in the list providing you with a scrolling short cut.
ListsLists
AB
] also navigates between the buttons. Once
] also navigates between the buttons. Once
Any window that contains a list needs a selection mechanism or two. As aforementioned,
clicking on a list item selects it. After selecting one list item, [C
item selects that additional item. You can continue to add items to the total selection with
TRL
multiple [C
+click] operations. Or select one list item, then [S
to additionally select that new item and all items in between it and the previously selected
item. This is what we mean by selecting a contiguous range of items. [C
already selected items will de-select them. Double-clicking an item is usually a shortcut and
directly performs the expected operation, such as opening a listed Project or Playlist.
NTER
key, close the window, or click outside the
key, close the window, or click outside the
TRL
+click]ing on another
HIFT
+click] on another item
TRL
+click]ing on
Menus
Pull-down menus are used for choosing among two or more commands or options. Clickand-hold on the topmost menu heading, then drag the mouse pointer to the desired selection,
and let go of the mouse button to make the selection. Remember also, that if you want, you
can click-and-release on the topmost menu heading, then just move the mouse down through
the menu pull-downs until you finally click on the desired action to execute it.
Nested Menus: Menus items with 'depth', i.e. choices that lead to more choices, are tagged
to the right of the menu text with a right-pointing triangle (►). When you drag to such menu
items, another menu pops up to the right of it. You can drag horizontally to start navigating
through the new menu. Within the new menu you may even find more nested menus. Keep
dragging until you find the actual action you want to execute, then release the mouse button.
Remember also, that if you want, you can click-and-release on the topmost menu title, then
just move the mouse around through the menu pull-downs until you finally click on the
desired action to execute it.
Radio Buttons
Radio buttons are used to make mutually exclusive selections, for instance selecting the
active take within a given track (there can be only one Take active at a time). Clicking a
radio button turns its function on, and turns off the previously selection.
Technical Reference 23
23
HDR 24/96
Keyboard
[T
AB
] key
Navigating between text boxes and/or time fields can also be accomplished by using the
[TAB] key. [S
complete a text or time setting entry or modification, and exits the fields as such.
HIFT+TAB
]bing navigates in a backwards fashion. [E
NTER
] is used to
Shortcut Key Combinations
Shortcuts are key combinations that accomplish some operation without having to click
and/or drag through menus. The Shift ([S
are the main 'buddy' keys - the keys that are held down simultaneously with the pressing of
some other key to launch the command. For example, pressing the [C
will start a New Project operation. See the shortcuts list in the Appendix A
Numeric Keypad
The numeric keypad (NumPad) can be used for any numerical entry that’s been highlighted
with the mouse pointer. For example, you can click on a field in the Current Time display
and use the NumPad to change the time, completing the entry with the ENTER key.
The ENTER, + and – keys on the NumPad have a special function relating to Cues. Typing a
number on the NumPad and pressing the NumPad’s ENTER key will take you directly to that
cue number. The + and – keys on the NumPad move you up and down the Cue List.
You may want to have the Cue List panel open when operating the NumPad although it is not
necessary. In the very lower right-hand corner of this list display you will see the field
labeled:
Cue Entry: _ _ _
This shows the Cue number as you enter it.
GUI Components
HIFT
]), Control ([C
TRL
]), and Alternative ([A
TRL
] plus the [n] key
LT
])
MENU BAR
The GUI layout is easy to learn and is designed with minimal layering of windows and functions.
The Menu bar atop the screen contains everything that can be accessed within the interface.
Mouse click on the menu item, pull down, select and release (or re-click) will kick things into
action or call up another window or dialog box. For the power users, keyboard shortcuts to most
GUI menu items are available and are listed in the menu as a reminder for next time.
Remember to right-click - Right-clicking with the mouse is context sensitive in many areas of
the screen. While everything is available with a left-click, right-clicking frequently offers a short
cut to the operations you’re likely to need to perform next. While exploring the GUI, right-click
and see what happens. It’ll probably give you just the choices you’re looking for. Left-click
actions are usually dictated by which one of the 4 tool choices is currently selected.
TOOLS and METERS PANELS
The top portion of the screen contains the Tools/Meters panels and the Transport Controls. The
transport control buttons will be used throughout all project operations, whereas Meters are
typically used during tracking and Tools are typically used during edit operations. This is why
that portion of the screen is shared between the two functions. Clicking either of the 'folder tabs'
at the top right corner of the Tools/Meters window switches between the Tools panel and the
Meters panel.
24
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Technical Reference 25
HDR 24/96
TRANSPORT AND TIME DISPLAY
The Transport Control section is always visible (unless covered by a floating window). This is
your “Tape Deck” including the usual Transport buttons and a Current Time display. The
Current Time display here can show time in four formats:
SMPTE time in hours:minutes:seconds:frames ................................... HH:MM:SS:FR
•
Musical score (BBT) position in bars:beats:ticks ................................... BARS:BB:TT
•
Conventional time in hours:minutes:seconds:milliseconds .............. HH:MM:SS:MSS
NOTE: The GUI Current Time window can display all of these formats, but the Remote 48 and
front panel cannot handle samples and milliseconds. If you select one of these two formats from
the GUI, the LED displays on the front panel and Remote 48 will revert to SMPTE time. See the
section on Remote 48 time displays
Also note that in the GUI, the Current Time and other time displays are directly editable, which
means that the general Locate Time is not needed for certain common “Locator” operations. Just
click on the time unit you wish to modify. For a full description of mouse-based editing of times
see Time Field Editing
RECORD TIME LEFT
The Record Time Left display, in the upper left corner of the Tools panel, is like a virtual gas
gauge telling you how much recording time you have left in the tank (on the disk, that is). This
time available indication also appears on the Remote 48 and front panel, labeled as “AVAIL:” on
the bottom line of the LCD status display.
(page 14) for more details.
(page 21).
While Editing doesn't take up much hard disk space, tracking sure does - so take a peek at this
readout from time to time to be sure you don’t run out in the middle of the killer take. Notice that
the “Time Available” follows the number of channels you’ve selected for recording, the sample
rate, and bit depth. Clever!
TRACKS and the TRACK CONTROLS PANEL
The major action on the GUI screen is the Track Display window, an expandable 24-track view
of the recorded regions. The tracks are bordered on the left by the 'Track Info, Record and
Monitor' or more simply the Track Controls panel. This contains the track numbers 1 through 24,
Record Ready buttons, the virtual track (“take”) expansion button, the active take selector, and
Solo and Mute monitor buttons. Clicking on the Take number button brings up a list from which
you can select the active take for recording or playback. Clicking on the take expansion button
(→) displays the eight virtual tracks for the selected track. Clicking it again collapses the display
to the single active take for each track.
LIST PANEL
The track display is bordered on the right by the retractable List panel. When opened with the
stubby ← at the right of the track display, the List panel displays the Regions, Cues (including
Locate points) and History List of editing operations. Clicking on the graphic 'folder tabs' at the
top of the List panel selects the displayed list. Clicking on the stubby → puts away the List panel
and extends the tracks to the full screen width.
Floating Windows
Floating windows (normally closed and out of view) are opened from the Windows menu.
Floating windows include the multifunction Setup window, Region Editor, the Hotkey list
26
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
and the infamous About Box, which tells you what version of software you're using and who
the heck is responsible for much of this wunderbox.
GUI Time Display and Controls
The following section introduces the different areas of the GUI screen that deal with time.
References are made to certain items with which you may not yet be familiar such as Regions and
Virtual Takes. Don’t worry; they’ll be described further on.
Project Information Display
The following project information is displayed in the upper right corner of the main screen:
Drive: [Internal/External] Project Name Version Time
Current Time Display
The Current Time display shows the time of the current transport position in SMPTE time
(Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Frames) or in musical score position called BBT (Bars or measures,
Beats and Ticks). The displayed time will always be the position of the Current Time line.
Since the transport position is ultimately related to absolute time, BBT is calculated for the
purpose of display based on a known tempo. The default tempo is 120 beats per minute, but this
can be adjusted from the Windows | Setup | Locator-MMC window. The working tempo
is stored along with the Project.
A tempo map can also be extracted from a Standard MIDI file, and the BBT display will change
dynamically to follow the MIDI file’s tempo changes. Tempo maps are loaded from the floppy
disk using the LOAD button in the Windows | Setup | MIDI window.
Units for the time display are selectable from the GUI only, from the Options | Time Units
window. As a short cut you can right-click on any time display window. A pop-up menu will
allow you to change units directly. This is a global setting and changing time units from ANY
time display will change the time units in ALL time displays.
Time Bar and Marker Bar
The strip immediately above the track area is split horizontally into the Marker (top) and Time
(bottom) bars. The Marker bar contains graphic icons representing cues, punch or loop points.
The Time bar contains the time scale, with major and minor divisions spaced according to the
chosen SMPTE / BBT display mode and resolution.
Time Bar
At the highest resolution, the display is approximately 12 milliseconds wide, or about half a
video frame. At the lowest resolution, full scale is 24 hours, the maximum recording time of
the HDR24/96. The left and right arrow buttons to the left of the time/marker bar expand and
contract the track display in time. Use high resolution when editing samples or small regions,
use lower resolution to get the big picture of your project.
TIP: Track area overviews may be stored and recalled using the [F5] to [F12] keys ([Fn]).
This is useful for jumping between high and low resolution views or switching between
displaying the single active take or multiple takes. These keys store the track zoom level and
the positioning and expansion of takes, but of course the content of the tracks changes with
editing and recording. The current content is always displayed even when recalling a stored
view. [C
TRL
+Fn] stores the view, [Fn] recalls the stored view.
Time is selected by click-and-dragging the I-Beam tool along the time/marker bar. This
creates a selection area across all tracks, but does not specifically define any regions within
Technical Reference 27
HDR 24/96
the selection area. Regions on individual tracks may be selected afterwards. See Track and
Region Editing Tools for the details.
A single-click-and-release on the Time bar, using any one of the tools, repositions the
Transport to that clicked-on time. The Current Time indicator bar will move to the point
where you clicked and the new time will appear in the main transport time display.
Right-clicking on the Time / Marker bar pops up a shortcut menu with choices that include
time units display, loop selection and snap-to options. All of these functions have been
described elsewhere.
Marker Bar and Markers
The Marker Bar contains drag-able icons for Cues and LOC points that serve as jump-to
points in a Playlist. Markers for Cues may be re-labeled, while LOC markers, since they
have dedicated functions, have fixed labels. Dragging any marker will update the time field
relevant to that marker. See the sections on Cue List
Operations for more details.
Song Offset
When the HDR24/96 is set to display in BBT, the Song Offset can be used to slide the entire time
bar horizontally so that playback coincides with Bar 1. This does not affect anything other than
the time display in the Time Bar, and has no effect when the transport position is displayed in
SMPTE time.
, Punch, Loop, and Recording
To adjust the Song Offset, open the Setup Window (Windows | Setup or [C
select Locator-MMC. The value displayed in the Song Offset window can be adjusted by click-and-dragging on the number fields, clicking and entering a number from the keyboard, or
transferring the Current Time into the window by holding the [CTRL
Offset window.
NEAT TRICK: To set the beginning of the song to BBT 1:1:000, position the Current Time to
TRL
the first beat of the song, then [C
+click] in the Song Offset window.
] key and clicking in the Song
TRL
+1]) and
Track Area
The track area, where all the audio action is, has three separate work areas. At the left is the Track
Controls area, the center section contain the graphical display of recorded tracks, virtual takes, and
Regions
moment, contains the List Panel (see page 32).
. The right section, which can be opened or closed, depending on what you want to see at the
Track Area Scrolling Conventions
The vertical and horizontal scroll bars that frame the track area are standard GUI tools. Scroll
thumb buttons (resembling console fader knobs) appear along the scroll bar whenever the track
screen is expanded so that there are more tracks than are visible on the screen. Click and drag
these buttons to bring another group of tracks or regions into view.
Small + and - buttons at the lower right corner of the track area (one pair on each axis) adjust the
horizontal and vertical magnification of the track area. They duplicate the larger arrow buttons at
the left edge of the Time/Marker bar.
Track View Controls
The Zoom Arrows at the left end of the time bar are used for adjusting the
horizontal and vertical scale of the track view.
28
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
The Up and Down arrows change the vertical magnification, resizing so that the desired number
of tracks are displayed on screen. A minimum of 2 and maximum of 24 track spaces may be
displayed. Tracks are displayed contiguously (you can’t display just tracks 3, 8, 17 and 22), and
the track display can be scrolled vertically through all the tracks (when fewer than 24 are visible)
by using the scroll button at the right end of the track area. When a track is expanded to display
Virtual takes, the eight takes follow the action of these buttons in the same manner as any single
(collapsed) track view.
The Left and Right Zoom arrows expand or contract the time scale. The horizontal scroll button
at the bottom of the display moves the tracks horizontally along the time scale.
Zoom Tricks
The Dive key, [z], is used to perform a quick zoom at the current cursor location. It only remains
zoomed while the key is held down.
The magnifier buttons (the small + and - buttons) on the scroll bars
framing lower right corner of the track area act in the same manner as
the Zoom arrows. They are placed for convenience and as a normal
GUI windowing convention.
Keyboard shortcut for the Zoom Arrows:
[C
TRL
] + any of the keyboard arrow keys
A keyboard shortcut to the Scroll buttons:
LT
] + any of the keyboard arrow keys
[A
Watch out for the Lock Out on/off button that’s right next to those
magnifier buttons. If you miss and click on the Lock Out button, your
HDR24/96 will suddenly go dead, except for a little blinking button in
the lower right corner of the screen. See the Transport Controls section
for further details.
The Magnifier icon in the Tools panel changes the cursor into a magnifying glass. This
Magnifier cursor can be dragged over the area of interest to zoom
in to a highly detailed view of a small area. Click on one corner of
your target viewing area and drag to the opposing corner and release.
Auto Scroll
When Auto-scroll is enabled, the Current Time line jumps to the center of the screen and the
tracks scroll behind it as the transport plays. When disabled, the track area remains fixed on the
screen and the Current Time cursor moves along the tracks as the transport plays. At lower
resolutions, with Auto-Scroll off, when the Current
Time cursor reaches the right edge of the screen, it
jumps back to the left edge, the track area jumps one
screen width, and the cursor makes another sweep. At
high zoom resolution, the cursor will play off screen
and remain out of view. The Auto Scroll button
blinking indicates that a zoom level has been selected
that the auto-scroll function cannot track.
Lock Out
Technical Reference 29
HDR 24/96
Screen Drag (Special Scroll) Mode
Holding the D key down when the cursor is in the track area temporarily changes the cursor into a
hand icon with which to drag the screen in any direction (providing there is more to display in
that direction). This time-saver can be used to push-and-pull the screen image horizontally,
vertically, or some combination in one click and drag operation. Using the scroll bars would
have required moving between horizontal and vertical controls with the mouse.
Track Control Area
The Track Controls area, the portion to the left of the main track area, includes the following controls
and indicators:
Track Number button
Tracks are numbered 1 through 24. Clicking on a Track Number button (or the track itself)
activates that track for editing operations and illuminates the Track Number button. This form of
selection is inter-canceling, in that the selection of one track deselects other tracks. Multiple
TRL
tracks can be enabled by clicking with the [C
key to select a range as described previously under multi-selection of items (See page 21).
Dragging the I-Beam Tool over the Time bar selects all Tracks and
illuminates their Track Number buttons. Subsequently clicking on
a specific Track Number button activates the selection area for
only that track and deactivates the remaining Track Number
buttons. If you want to just deselect one or a few tracks from the
group, use the [CTRL
selection of items.
+click] operation as described under multi-
] key to individually add tracks or the [S
HIFT
]
Double-clicking on a Track Number button with either the Hand or
I-Beam tool selects the entire track.
An illuminated number button designates the target track for the
next Paste operation.
IMPORTANT: If multiple Track Number buttons are illuminated,
the Paste is performed on the lowest numbered track of the group.
Record Ready buttons
The red R is the track-arming button, which enables tracks
for recording. These buttons on the GUI screen correspond
directly to their counterparts on the HDR24/96 front panel.
Clicking on an R button arms the track for recording. The button blinks until the transport is
placed in the Record mode, either by clicking on the RECORD button in the GUI transport
control area, or by pressing the PLAY and RECORD buttons on the front panel.
As with the front panel controls, you can also start recording on a track by clicking on the master
RECORD button, then clicking on the individual track’s R button.
If the record controls don’t operate as expected, Record Safe may be enabled. Check the
Transport menu.
Take View and Active Take Number Buttons
The Active Take is the one that you’ll hear in playback or to which you’ll record. Since only one
virtual take can be active at a time, the number displayed in the Active Take button indicates
which of the eight takes is currently active. Clicking on a track’s Active Take button pops up a
30
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
list box allowing you to select the active take. The number within the button changes accordingly
list box allowing you to select the active take. The number within the button changes accordingly
to match the selected take.
to match the selected take.
The Take View and Take Number buttons work hand in hand. When clicking on the Take View
The Take View and Take Number buttons work hand in hand. When clicking on the Take View
button, the track expands downward so that all takes are displayed. Clicking on a take’s ACTIVE
button, the track expands downward so that all takes are displayed. Clicking on a take’s ACTIVE
button makes that the active take. Each take has the boring default name of “Take ‘n’”, but this
button makes that the active take. Each take has the boring default name of “Take ‘n’”, but this
can be modified by clicking on the yellow Take Name field when the takes are visible on screen.
can be modified by clicking on the yellow Take Name field when the takes are visible on screen.
When the virtual takes are expanded, the Take Number button to the left of the ACTIVE button
When the virtual takes are expanded, the Take Number button to the left of the ACTIVE button
functions in the same manner as the Track Number button. For example, clicking on a Take
functions in the same manner as the Track Number button. For example, clicking on a Take
Number button selects that Take as the destination for a Paste operation.
Number button selects that Take as the destination for a Paste operation.
When collapsing back to the one-take-pre-track view, the currently selected active take is
When collapsing back to the one-take-pre-track view, the currently selected active take is
displayed in the track region.
displayed in the track region.
NOTE: You can switch between active takes during Playback (on-the-fly), but not during
NOTE: You can switch between active takes during Playback (on-the-fly), but not during
recording. The Playback feature can be very useful for choosing the best parts for comping.
recording. The Playback feature can be very useful for choosing the best parts for comping.
TIP: The active take may be set to the same number for several tracks at a time. First multi-select
TIP: The active take may be set to the same number for several tracks at a time. First multi-select
a group of tracks. Then [C
choose the desired take number from the drop down list. All the selected tracks will change to
that take. Handy when you have 10 tracks of drum kit overdubs! Note however, that for those
tracks whose take numbers change in this operation, they will appear to become unselected, since
the selected version of their tracks are no longer visible.
TRL
+click] on a take number button (on any of the selected tracks) and
Solo and Mute buttons
Track Solo and Mute (the S and M buttons) are output
monitor functions. Mute turns off the output of the selected
track. Solo mutes everything but the selected track. Clicking
on these buttons activates the function and highlights the
button. These are toggle buttons - click them to turn the
function on or off. See the Monitor
further details.
Track Name
The rightmost field in the Track Controls area contains the
name of the track. Default names generated by the HDR
software are simply “Track n”, where n is the track number. Tracks can be renamed using
conventional text entry procedures - click and type, then press the E
field to complete the entry.
Regions within a track inherit the name of the track at the time they are recorded. If you label a
track “Lead Guitar” before you record the lead guitar part, its regions will carry that name. If you
record with the name “Track 19” and then think to change it afterward, your
initial lead guitar recording (that’s always the one that’s the best) will have a
number, not a name.
Your pet track names can be saved as a template using the
File | Save as a New Template
command from the main menu. Once a template is saved, the next time you
open a new project, its tracks will carry the saved names. This is a useful
feature if you regularly record the same tracks (name them for your band
members or instruments) or if you are creating a new project for each song in a
live session. If you work on a variety of projects, however, you’ll probably
section (page 84) for
NTER
key or click outside the
Technical Reference 31
31
HDR 24/96
have different track names for every project, so you might as well retain the old, boring defaults
and enter new names as you work.
Lists Panel
The List panel is opened and closed by clicking on the List View
arrow at the right end of the Time/Marker bar, by selecting one of
the three lists from the pull-down Windows menu, or by using the
keyboard shortcuts:
Regions List = [C
Cues List = [CTRL
History List = [C
Whenever the list panel is open, clicking on one of the three tabs at the top of the panel selects which
list is displayed.
Region List
As you record into the HDR the actual audio is stored in audio files on the
disk. Because each recording is punched in then out on a track, a Region is
created on the track to show that the audio file should playback at that point.
The Region on the track is NOT the audio file, and you can cover it up, even
delete non-destructively, because Regions are just descriptions of what to
playback where.
Along with a Region shown on the track, the HDR creates an entry in the
Region List for each recording. Regions when recorded, automatically inherit
the track name followed by the “take” number, a sequentially numbered
recording punch-in/out on that track. The Region name shown on the track
and in the list will initially be same, but either can be renamed without affect
the other. Renaming the Region in the list is possible by double-clicking on
the entry, typing the new name, then pressing ENTER.
The primary purpose of the Regions List is to give you access to previously
recorded material. Click on the name(s) of a region or regions and drag the
selection out of the Region list, and then drop it onto a track or tracks.
TRL
+5]
TRL
+4]
+6]
The Region List only shows regions create in this project by one of the
following operations.
Recording into tracks
Capturing regions from existing track regions
Importing regions into the current project
Rendering tracks
There is a considerable amount of information about Regions
and how to use them elsewhere in this manual (on page 88 for example). More on the Region
List specifically can be found on page 90.
Cue List
The Cue List is a list of all cues set in the Project. The three columns of the list are the Number,
Name, and Time. You can highlight any cue with a single-click. Double-clicking on either the
Name or the Time opens that parameter for editing. Double-clicking on a cue number jumps the
transport to the time of that Cue. See the Locator
32
HDR 24/96
section for more details on Cues.
, their purpose
HDR 24/96
New CuesNew Cues
Clicking on the NEW button at the top of the list creates a new cue at the current transport
time.
Cue Numbers
Cues are auto-numbered sequentially using the lowest number available as each cue is created
with the NEW button. Double-click on the Cue number to locate to that Cue.
Cue Names
New cues created from the GUI or the
Remote 48 always get the default name
“Cue”. You can rename a Cue here.
Double-click on the name field; type a
new name and press [E
Cue Times
The time (location) of the cue will be
shown in the same time units you have
selected for the Current Time. To
changes a Cue Time double-click on the
time field over the time units you wish
to change. Then either drag the number
up or down with the mouse pointer or enter a new number directly from the keyboard. Press
the [E
]).
NTER
NTER
] key or click outside the field to complete the entry.
The Cue List and Marker Bar
Cue names and times as shown in the list are interactive with the Cue flags on the Marker
Bar. When the Cue time is edited on the Cue List, the Cue is moved on the Marker Bar and
vice versa.
Store Cue
Another way to edit an existing Cue time is use the GUI STORE button. Position the Current
Time to the desired time, select a Cue and click STORE.
Renumber Cues
Cues appear on the list in order by time. However, the Cue numbers may appear in any
order. If you want the Cue numbers to sequence starting at 1 as the earliest Cue and
increasing by one with each later Cue time, then use the RENUM button. You will still have
all the same Cues, but they will be numbered differently. If you are using the Remote 48 to
locate to cues, you'll have to re-learn the cue numbers after a RENUM operation.
Delete Cue
Clicking on the DELETE button removes the highlighted cue from the list. This leaves a hole
in the cue number sequence, but the Cue List doesn’t care. Use [S
TRL
[C
+click] to highlight a group of cues to be deleted.
HIFT
+click] or
Technical Reference 33
33
HDR 24/96
History List – Undo and Re-do
The History List
of the List window. The history list stores each editing operation while
a project is open. As you split, copy, paste, move, or record a new
region, the operation appears on the list.
In addition to providing information about the progress of the editing
session, the History List lets you regress back through edits in the
currently active Playlist. Clicking on any item in the list “undoes” all
the operations that follow it on the list and bring you back to that former
edited state.
The entries on the History List below the point to which you’ve
returned change to a gray background color, but are still on the list. If,
however, you then perform an edit operation, the following “grayed
out” operations are removed from the History list.
is accessed by clicking on the HISTORY tab at the top
Undo and Redo
The History List is interactive with the Undo and Redo commands
accessible from the top-level Edit menu or keyboard shortcuts:
Edit | Undo = [C
Edit | Redo = [C
Performing an Undo command backs up one entry on the History
List, Redo moves down one entry. See the section on Region
Editing Tools for more about the History List.
The History List is only active for the current Playlist, while you’re in the process of building the
list. Once another Playlist or Project is opened, the History List is purged . . . it's history, so to
speak. A much more detailed explanation of the History List
this manual (page 120).
TRL
+z]
TRL+SHIFT
+z].
is provided in the Editing section of
34
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Media Management Media Management
Formatting Drives
Formatting a drive erases the drive contents and prepares the file system for use with the HDR24/96.
All media must be formatted before it can be used with the HDR24/96. Normally you’ll format disk
drives with the HDR24/96, but you can format removable media on another system. Mackie Media
PROJECT disks use the FAT16 file system, and Mackie Media M•90 drives use the FAT32 file
system.
The HDR24/96 will only allow you to format an External drive. This is for safety, since the
recorder’s operating system resides on the Internal drive, as well as any Project files you may have
created. Should you feel an urge to reformat the Internal drive, please contact Mackie Technical
Support first.
Mackie Media M•90 drives come pre-formatted and ready to use, as do Mackie Media PROJECT
disks (be sure to buy IBM formatted ORB disks). However, off-the-shelf UDMA IDE drives from
the computer store do not come preformatted. If you decide to buy your own drives and install them
into Mackie Media Trays, then you will need to format them, either on the HDR24/96 or off line.
You can format PROJECT disks with any PC that has Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, NT 4.0, Millennium,
or 2000 on it, or with any Mac that has File Exchange or PC Exchange installed (Mac OS 7 or later).
You can format UDMA IDE drives with any PC that has Windows 98 SE, Millennium, or 2000 on it,
or with any Mac that has OS X installed.
Mackie Media drives can also be read by any system that can Format them. So, for example, you can
insert a Mackie Media PROJECT disk into your Macintosh SCSI or IDE ORB drive and copy your
Projects’ Recorded (WAV) and Rendered (WAV of AIFF) files directly onto your Mac’s hard drive.
BEFORE YOU START: If you have a Project open on the external drive and you attempt to format
that drive, you’ll get a warning message that you can’t format the drive containing your currently
active Project. (You may have lost track of where you were working or you might even have the
wrong drive in the bay!) So, before you start formatting, open a Project on the internal drive even if
you have to create a new one. Remember that formatting the External drive will erase everything on
the drive!
To Format media from the Front Panel or Remote 48
Make sure the currently open Project is on the internal drive.
• Press the DISK UTIL button.
• Select Format
• Select OK to do it, or Cancel to quit before formatting
Formatting is very quick, less than a minute in most cases. When the format operation is
complete, if you’ve formatted a new hard drive or one that’s never been used for recording in
a Mackie recorder, you’ll be prompted to Verify it for recording and playback. Select
Cancel if this is going to be strictly a backup drive (an ORB cartridge, for instance), or
Continue to run the performance verification test (see Verify Drive Performance).
To format media from the GUI:
Make sure the currently open Project is on the internal drive.
• From the File menu select Format Drive.
• Click Ok to format, or click Cancel to quit before formatting.
Technical Reference 35
35
HDR 24/96
If you're formatting a new drive or one that hasn't been previously used for recording in a
Mackie recorder, when the format operation has completed, another message will appear
prompting you to Verify the drive for recording and playback.
• Select Cancel to exit the Format routine if this is going to be strictly a backup drive
(an ORB cartridge, for instance), or
• Select OK to run the performance verification test (see Verify Drive Performance).
If you’ve reformatted a drive that’s previously been verified for recording, you won’t be
prompted to run the verification test. The HDR24/96 detects that this is a verified recording drive
and will retain that information. The verification test should be run only on hard drives. It is a
useless test on a Media PROJECT drive. Also look ahead for notes on Aftermarket Drives
including jumper settings.
To Format Media on a Computer
Install the Mackie Media drive in your computer (simple if you have a matching drive bay –
just plug it in and reboot) or insert a Mackie Media Project cartridge in your computer’s Orb
drive. Consult your computer’s operating system instructions for formatting if you don’t
know how. You’ll no doubt be warned several times that you’re about to format a hard drive
and that you could lose data. That’s okay, it’s exactly what you want to do.
BE VERY, VERY SURE YOU KNOW THE DESIGNATION YOUR COMPUTER
ASSIGNS TO THE MACKIE DRIVE YOU’RE ABOUT TO FORMAT. Most
computers assign " C: " to the drive that has the operating system and other essential file on
it. If there's a second hard drive, that is going to be " D: " in most cases. Particularly in
computers that are used in audio workstations a second disk drive is used for audio projects.
And then there’s probably a CD drive, and maybe a JAZ or ZIP. Sometimes these drive
assignment letters change when adding a new drive to the computer. DON’T FORMAT
THE WRONG DRIVE BY MISTAKE ! ! !
When you install a computer-formatted drive in your HDR24/96, it will be recognized, but
only as a backup-only drive. If you want to use it for recording, you’ll have to run the Verify
utility. When it passes, it will be “branded” as a recording drive and you’ll be good to go.
Verify Drive Performance
Verify Drive Performance tests the read/write speed and overall transfer rate of the external drive
under simulated worst-case scenarios to determine whether it can sustain 24 tracks of recording and
playback. Although any IDE drive can be used for backup, only UDMA IDE drives that pass the
performance verification test can be used for recording and playback.
The verification test should be run only on hard drives. Don’t bother to run the test on Mackie Media
PROJECT drives – the cows will come home before the test finishes, and it will fail anyway. A
Media PROJECT drive is not intended for recording.
When a drive passes the performance verification test, a zero-byte file is written to the disk to identify
it as a real time recording drive and it will be recognized as such by the HDR24/96 or any other
Mackie hard disk recorder. Also if the drive is reformatted in an HDR24/96 or any other Mackie hard
disk recorder, this “brand” is detected and restored after reformatting, so it still appears as a real time
recording drive. Formatting on another computer of course erases this designation.
In fact, you can’t re-run the recording verification unless you reformat the drive outside of the
HDR24/96 so that the recorder recognizes it as an unverified drive. You can start the verification, but
once it sees that the drive has already been verified, the HDR just tells you that it’s OK without
36
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
actually writing or reading the test files. This is a safety measure. Otherwise, the verification process
actually writing or reading the test files. This is a safety measure. Otherwise, the verification process
would clobber files that you have recorded on the drive.
would clobber files that you have recorded on the drive.
These instructions apply only to an unverified new drive or one that’s been formatted in another
These instructions apply only to an unverified new drive or one that’s been formatted in another
computer. Mackie Media drives are formatted and verified at the factory, so there’s no need to repeat
computer. Mackie Media drives are formatted and verified at the factory, so there’s no need to repeat
the process. Also typically you will verify new drives formatted on the HDR as part of the formatting
the process. Also typically you will verify new drives formatted on the HDR as part of the formatting
process described above.
process described above.
To Verify the Performance of external media - front panel or Remote 48:To Verify the Performance of external media - front panel or Remote 48:
Press the DISK UTIL button.
Select Verify.
When the message appears asking you to confirm the operation, select OK.
After a couple of minutes, the result of the test will be reported in the front panel display.
After the performance verification is completed, select Continue.
To Verify the Performance of external media from the GUI:
From the File menu, select Verify Drive Performance
Click OK in the Verify Drive dialog box.
After a couple of minutes, the result of the test will be reported in the dialog box.
ClickContinue.
If the removable drive installed in the recorder is not a verified recording drive, it will be
identified with an asterisk on the GUI and the front panel LCD:
E: External*
Format or Verification Failure
Sometimes it happens – a drive simply won’t format, either because of a hardware failure or
incompatibility. If it’s a Mackie Media drive and it’s still under warranty, call Tech Support and
they’ll exchange it for you. If it’s a beat up old drive that you bought from someone off the Internet,
use it as a doorstop and move on.
Some disk drives, even new ones, will format OK but fail the recording verification test. Such drives
are quite safe for copying projects for backup purposes, but the HDR24/96 won’t allow you to record
on one.
We know how tight time gets in the studio sometimes, but it would be a very, very good idea, after
successfully formatting a new drive, to run a little test of your own. Record a few minutes and play it
back just to be sure. Also, perform a backup to that drive. You can delete the backup after you know
it works. Although it’s rare, we have encountered at least one drive, which passed the recording
performance test, works fine for recording and playback, but chokes and reports that it’s full when
attempting to use it as a backup destination.
Aftermarket Disk Drives
Of course we’d like you to purchase all of your external disk drives from Mackie, but we understand
that you’re resourceful, that you know where the local computer store is, and that you know they’re
open on Sunday.
The basic requirements for an HDR24/96 recording drive are:
• IDE ATA-100 interface
Technical Reference 37
37
HDR 24/96
• 5400 RPM minimum –faster will work fine, but won’t work any better and faster drives often
run hotter.
• The operating system at the time of this writing (Version 1.2) will not recognize a drive larger
than 32 GB.
Specific disk drives enter and the market so frequently these days that we can’t possibly keep up with
them and maintain a list of “approved” drives. It’s not unusual for a manufacturer to make changes to
a product and not change the packaging or model number. So even if you’ve found a drive that works
well, chances are pretty good that when time comes to buy another, you’ll end up with something
different. Something different that may or may not work. If you’re going to purchase non-Mackie
drives, a good resource for finding out what other users are currently purchasing is the Mackie Online
Users Forum. There’s a link to it from Mackie’s web page http://www.mackie.com/
guarantees that a specific model will work, even if it passes the performance verification test, so if
you want to go this route you have to be willing to experiment and be willing to deal with the
occasional dud.
Disk drives have jumpers for changing how the drive is seen by the host controller. Drives in the
HDR24/96 must be configured as a Master, as if it was the only drive connected to the controller
(because it is – the external drive is connected to the second IDE port on the mother board). Check
the label on the disk drive, the instructions that came along with it, or the drive manufacturer’s web
site for the proper jumpering.
. There are no
If you’ve installed a bay in your computer for reading a Mackie external drive, we suggest that you
connect the bay similarly – to your computer’s second IDE port. Otherwise, you may have to change
jumpers on the drive when you plug it into your computer – and change them back when you reinstall it in the recorder.
Mount/Refresh Drives
The Mount/Refresh drives command updates the HDR24/96 Project file lists to reflect the current
status of both the internal and external drives. Use this command to mount a new Mackie Media
PROJECT disk, or to view the size of files in a Project file list.
To Mount drives from the HDR24/96 front panel:
Press the DISK UTIL button. Select Mount.
Press the DISK UTIL button again to exit after the mounting operation is complete.
To Refresh the Project file lists from the GUI:
Select Mount/Refresh Drives from the File menu.
The Refresh command is also conveniently located in the Open Project, Project Manager, and Import Audio Files dialog boxes. If you have one of those dialog boxes open and
you don’t see the files or folder you’re looking for or if the file size is not visible, click Refresh.
Backing up and Restoring Audio
A discussion of Backup and Restore operations appear here, because the back-up and recording media
have been discussed and you may be wondering how to use them to save your audio for posterity.
However it should be noted that Back-up and Restore are both accomplished by simply copying a
Project from one disk drive to another, and this copy operation is covered in detail in the section on
Project Management
(page 44).
38
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Here instead are some media considerations about backing up and retrieving audio. Here instead are some media considerations about backing up and retrieving audio.
• You cannot discretely save a single audio files or group of files. If you want to pick out a few
• You cannot discretely save a single audio files or group of files. If you want to pick out a few
files for some specific purpose, then use the FTP services and pluck up the files from the
files for some specific purpose, then use the FTP services and pluck up the files from the
network.
network.
• All of the audio used in a Project is included within the Project folders, even when you
• All of the audio used in a Project is included within the Project folders, even when you
import an audio file from another Project, in which case a new “imported” copy is made.
import an audio file from another Project, in which case a new “imported” copy is made.
This means that copying the Project Folder truly means that your audio is backed up.
This means that copying the Project Folder truly means that your audio is backed up.
• When a Project is copied, the Project folder and all its contents are copied to the target
• When a Project is copied, the Project folder and all its contents are copied to the target
medium completely unaltered – no data compression or compacting.
medium completely unaltered – no data compression or compacting.
• You can never have two copies of the same project on the same disk. The Project Copy
• You can never have two copies of the same project on the same disk. The Project Copy
operation requires a different source and destination disk. After all, it's a back-up!
operation requires a different source and destination disk. After all, it's a back-up!
• Consider in advance which Projects should be combined onto media together, taking into
• Consider in advance which Projects should be combined onto media together, taking into
account their expected size and the media you are using. The HDR is remarkably flexible
account their expected size and the media you are using. The HDR is remarkably flexible
and friendly about making copies of projects to different disks, but the process of shuffling
and friendly about making copies of projects to different disks, but the process of shuffling
then deleting Projects to “make room” is an opportunity for inadvertently trashing the wrong
then deleting Projects to “make room” is an opportunity for inadvertently trashing the wrong
thing.
thing.
• If you move other project-related files, such as session notes or mixer automation data into
• If you move other project-related files, such as session notes or mixer automation data into
the HDR24/96 Project folder via FTP transfer through a network, those will be copied along
the HDR24/96 Project folder via FTP transfer through a network, those will be copied along
with the normal contents of the Project folder when you back up to another disk drive.
with the normal contents of the Project folder when you back up to another disk drive.
A DOUBLY IMPORTANT Reminder: It is extremely important that you make back up copies of
A DOUBLY IMPORTANT Reminder: It is extremely important that you make back up copies of
your Projects at the end of each session. While digital recording technology is extremely reliable and
your Projects at the end of each session. While digital recording technology is extremely reliable and
hard disk media is durable, the unexpected occasionally happens. Further – if you back up your
hard disk media is durable, the unexpected occasionally happens. Further – if you back up your
Projects onto two separate media before deleting them from your working drive(s) you will
Projects onto two separate media before deleting them from your working drive(s) you will
dramatically reduce your risk of catastrophic data loss. It is extremely important that you make back
dramatically reduce your risk of catastrophic data loss. It is extremely important that you make back
up copies of your Projects at the end of each session.
Technical Reference 39
39
HDR 24/96
Project Management
Projects and Playlists – Recorder Housekeeping
What’s A Project?
A Project contains all the audio that you’ve recorded while that project name is active. It also
contains all the Playlists for that project, as well as housekeeping data such as sample rate and bit
depth.
What’s A Playlist?
A Playlist is a road map for playback of all the audio files recorded for a project. It can be
straightforward track playback, or incorporate edits and decisions as to which take, or
combination of takes, you want to hear. If you’re familiar with non-linear editing terminology
you may understand that the Playlist is an EDL (Edit Decision List).
NOTE: You can create multiple Playlists from the material in one Project to save several
different versions of the Project.
How You Should Organize Your Projects
If you’ve had experience working with tape-based recorders, you’ve probably just written the
name of the CD, band, or artist on the tape box and track sheets and that’s that. Since the
HDR24/96 can store considerably more material on its disk drives than would fit on a reel of tape,
you may want to organize your “big reel” differently, depending on your working situation.
Many people new to hard disk recording are intimidated with file names, objects, folders, and the
like. It’s common at first to be uncertain as to when you should create a new project or version,
or to wonder at the naming of pieces of audio, or for that matter keeping track of "regions" of
audio on each track in the first place.
Before we get on with a detailed explanation of disk files and data organization, you should know
that there are automatic defaults built into the HDR24/96 that will let you ignore almost all of this
computerese; push the buttons and go. While every Project needs a name, the HDR24/96’s
operating system will automatically assign a unique and workable name each time you start a new
project. In fact, within your Project everything that can be named will get an automatic name.
You’ll still want to keep track-notes somewhere, either on a computer or on paper just as you
would with tape.
NOTE: There is one new consideration, and that is you should save your Project frequently,
something perhaps a little foreign to the seasoned tape-meister. But it's not the recordings you are
saving. The HDR automatically saves your audio after each recording pass, but it’s up to you to
save your Project to capture your editing. The HDR does remind you to do this whenever you
run the Shutdown command from the GUI or start a new project. Whenever prompted to Save,
you should assume that the Project is not yet saved to its current state.
So here are some hints that will help you make reasonable decisions about when to start new
Projects or Playlists and how to name them.
Album Projects: If you’re working on an album of songs, it’s logical to envision the disk (either
internal or external) as a reel of tape, one that’s probably long enough to contain the whole
album. One approach is to simply have a single Project name for the entire album, separating the
songs by their starting time, just as you would do with tape. Cues are stored along with the
Project, so you can easily navigate from song to song by hopping among cues. The disadvantage
to this approach is that each time you back up the Project (and you should!) you’ve backing up a
40
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
lot of data, more and more as you add more songs, more tracks, or more overdubs. That takes
lot of data, more and more as you add more songs, more tracks, or more overdubs. That takes
time.
time.
Song Projects: Another approach is to make each song a new Project. It’s a little more
Song Projects: Another approach is to make each song a new Project. It’s a little more
housekeeping work (though Templates simplify it by giving you most of the setup defaults) but
housekeeping work (though Templates simplify it by giving you most of the setup defaults) but
shorter Projects mean less new data to back up each time. Having one Project per song makes it
shorter Projects mean less new data to back up each time. Having one Project per song makes it
convenient to back up a single song on a removable Mackie Media PROJECT removable
convenient to back up a single song on a removable Mackie Media PROJECT removable
cartridge, or hand off a song to your band mate who has an HDR24/96 so he can add his tracks to
cartridge, or hand off a song to your band mate who has an HDR24/96 so he can add his tracks to
it.
it.
Client Projects: If you’re recording commercials, you may wish to create a new Project for each
Client Projects: If you’re recording commercials, you may wish to create a new Project for each
client and make each commercial a Playlist. Now you can quickly pull common audio material
client and make each commercial a Playlist. Now you can quickly pull common audio material
for that client, for instance a music bed, jingle, or sound effect, into a new Playlist and add the
for that client, for instance a music bed, jingle, or sound effect, into a new Playlist and add the
voiceover with this week’s used car specials to it.
voiceover with this week’s used car specials to it.
Live Projects: If you’re recording a concert, you probably won’t have time between songs to set
Live Projects: If you’re recording a concert, you probably won’t have time between songs to set
each one up as a new Project. If you want to divide the concert up into songs for production, you
each one up as a new Project. If you want to divide the concert up into songs for production, you
can pull those into Playlists later on.
can pull those into Playlists later on.
Default Project: If you’ve been working on a project and put it away for the night, the
Default Project: If you’ve been working on a project and put it away for the night, the
HDR24/96 wakes up with the name of the project you last saved (hopefully the one you were
HDR24/96 wakes up with the name of the project you last saved (hopefully the one you were
working on just before shutting down). If you’re starting out with a new or freshly formatted
working on just before shutting down). If you’re starting out with a new or freshly formatted
hard disk, the default project name Startup will appear. If the HDR24/96 knows you were
hard disk, the default project name Startup will appear. If the HDR24/96 knows you were
working on a project but can’t find it - for example, it was on an external hard drive, which
working on a project but can’t find it - for example, it was on an external hard drive, which
you’ve removed, it won’t panic (though you might!), it’ll boot up with the default Startup project
you’ve removed, it won’t panic (though you might!), it’ll boot up with the default Startup project
name.
name.
Current Project: The names of the current Project and Playlist are shown on both on the front
Current Project: The names of the current Project and Playlist are shown on both on the front
panel and Remote 48 alphanumeric displays and on the GUI screen.
panel and Remote 48 alphanumeric displays and on the GUI screen.
Project Operations Project Operations
New Project New Project
New Project creates a new Project. The new Project inherits
New Project creates a new Project. The new Project inherits
some if its settings (such as Sample Rate and Time Code Frame
some if its settings (such as Sample Rate and Time Code Frame
Rate) from the current Project, and others from the Project
Rate) from the current Project, and others from the Project
Template (such as Track Names and Snap settings). For
Template (such as Track Names and Snap settings). For
information on which parameters are inherited from the current
information on which parameters are inherited from the current
Project and which are inherited from the Template, see
Project and which are inherited from the Template, see
Appendix B
Appendix B
To create a new Project from the GUI:
Select New Project from the File menu or use the
keyboard shortcut [C
since the last save operation, the HDR24/96 asks if you want
to save the currently open Project. Click No to discard the
changes; click Yes to save them. In the New Project dialog
box, select the drive you want to create the Project on from
the Drive Select list box, then type your new Project name
and click New.
.
TRL
+n]. If you have made changes
NOTE: You cannot use the following characters in Project
names: / \ : * ? “ < > | . ; { } ~ They are reserved for
use by the system.
Technical Reference 41
41
HDR 24/96
To create a new Project from the front panel or remote 48:
Press the PROJECT button, then select New. If you have unsaved changes in the currently
open Project, you’ll be prompted to save it before you open a new one. Select the drive for
the new project (External / Internal), then follow the prompts to select high or low (44.1/48 or
88.2/96 kHz) sample rate and finally, either accept the default project name or edit it using
the cursor and (-)DEC and (+)INC buttons.
Whether you’ve created the new project from the front panel or the GUI, be sure to check the
Status LEDs before you start recording and if necessary, adjust the Bit Depth and Sample
Rate from the SYNC menu.
Using the Template
The Project Template is a file that saves Project parameters. Use the Template as a timesaver to
recall frequently used Project settings when creating new Projects. When you create a new
Project, the new Project inherits the parameters saved in the Template. Conversely, when you
save the Template, the Template inherits the parameter settings of the open Project.
Some of the parameters saved to the Template include Track Names, Time Units, and the Snap
button Snap Grid settings. Not all Project settings are saved in the Template. For information on
which parameters are saved to the Template, and the factory Default Template settings, see
Appendix B
.
+o]
.
To save current Project parameters to the Template (GUI operation only):
From the File menu, select Save As New Template. Click OK in the Confirm New
Template dialog box.
To reset the Template to the factory defaults (See for the default Appendix B
settings):
From the File menu, select Reset Template. Click OK in the Confirm Reset
Template dialog box.
Open Project
Open Project opens an existing Project that has previously been saved on disk.
To open a Project from the GUI:
Select Open Project from the File menu, or use keyboard shortcut
In the Open Project dialog box, if you don't already see the Project you want open, select
the drive on which the Project resides from the Drive Select list box.
Then simply double-click on the Project name. You can also navigate to the Project in the list
with the up/down arrow keys or highlight the Project with a single-click. Then open the
Project by pressing [E
To open an existing Project from the front panel or Remote 48:
Press the PROJECT button and then select Open.
NTER
] or clicking on the Open button.
[C
TRL
If you have a Project open with unsaved changes, you’ll be prompted to save it before you
open another.
Select the drive where the project is located, then use the SELECT buttons to scroll through
the list of projects on that drive.
When the name of the desired project is displayed, SELECT Open.
42
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Save Project Save Project
Saving a Project stores all changes that have been made in the Project since the last Save
Saving a Project stores all changes that have been made in the Project since the last Save
operation. This includes changes to Track and Region names, Playlist Regions (edits), Cue and
operation. This includes changes to Track and Region names, Playlist Regions (edits), Cue and
Locate points, and Project preferences and settings. At the end of every Record pass the
Locate points, and Project preferences and settings. At the end of every Record pass the
HDR24/96 automatically saves the newly recorded Regions and the Project file, so that you need
HDR24/96 automatically saves the newly recorded Regions and the Project file, so that you need
only to manually Save the changes you have made while editing. However, if prompted to Save
only to manually Save the changes you have made while editing. However, if prompted to Save
assume that the Project is not yet saved.
assume that the Project is not yet saved.
Save operations do not clear the History List. Therefore it is possible to save the Project in its
Save operations do not clear the History List. Therefore it is possible to save the Project in its
present state, and still revert to a state that existed prior to saving as long as the Current Project
present state, and still revert to a state that existed prior to saving as long as the Current Project
and Playlist remain open.
and Playlist remain open.
To save the open Project from the GUI:To save the open Project from the GUI:
Select Save Project from the File menu.
- Or -
Use the
To save the open Project from the front panel or Remote 48:
Press the PROJECT button. From the Project menu select Save.
Project Manager
The Project Manager is a GUI utility for deleting, renaming, or backing up projects. These
functions can also be performed from menus opened with the front panel and Remote 48
PROJECT and BACKUP buttons. The following project management operations can be
performed from either the front panel or the GUI Project Manager.
[C
TRL
keyboard shortcut.
+s]
The GUI Project Manager for renaming, deleting and copying Projects
NOTE: If file sizes are not displayed, clicking the Refresh button will bring them up. If you’ve
swapped Mackie Media PROJECT disks, their files may not be visible. Click Refresh to update
the file list.
Rename a Project
Renaming a Project changes the name of both the Project file and Project folder. The same rules
of valid characters and length apply for Renaming Projects that apply to naming new Projects.
Technical Reference 43
43
HDR 24/96
You cannot rename the Current Project. You must open another one first, even if you have to
create it first. Here's an instance where that pesky "Startup" project comes in handy.
To Rename a Project from the GUI:
Select Project Manager from the File menu, or use keyboard shortcut
Project Manager dialog select the Project to be renamed. Click the Rename button, type
the new name into the Rename Project dialog box, then click Enter when done.
To Rename a Project from the front panel or Remote 48:
If the Active Drive does not contain the Project you wish to Rename, press DISK UTIL and
select Set. Change the Active Drive to the target drive from the Select Active Drive menu,
and select OK.
Press PROJECT and then PAGE RIGHT one screen. Select Rename. Using the
<< and >> Select buttons, choose the drive where the Project is located, then select the
Project you wish to Rename and select Ok.
Use the Select buttons to move the cursor over each character in the file name, and use the
(-)DEC and (+)INC buttons to scroll through the characters. When you have finished
Renaming the Project, select Ok to confirm.
Delete Project
Deleting a project permanently removes the Project file folder, all recorded, imported, and
rendered audio files, Playlist data, and waveform cache files from the hard disk. This is the end
of the line. You can’t recover a deleted project.
To delete a project from the GUI:
Select Project Manager from the File menu, or use keyboard shortcut
Project Manager dialog, select the Project(s) to be deleted and click Delete. Confirm or
cancel in the “Are you sure?” dialog box.
+b]
+b]
. In the
. In the
[C
TRL
[C
TRL
To delete a project from the front panel:
If the Active Drive does not contain the Project you wish to delete, press DISK UTIL and
select Set. Change the Active Drive to the target drive from the Select Active Drive menu,
and select OK.
Press PROJECT and select Delete. First select the Drive, then choose the Project you wish
to delete from the Delete Project Menu using the << and >> SELECT buttons.
Select Del. Select OK to confirm the deletion or select Cancel, have a latte, and think
about it a while longer.
NOTE: You CANNOT Delete the open Project; you must open or create a different Project first.
Copy a Project (Back-up and Restore)
Backup and Restore operations consist simply of copying
another. When a Project is copied, the Project folder and all its contents (including audio) are
copied to the target medium completely unaltered – no data compression or compacting. A
Project copied to a disk drive verified for real-time recording (see Formatting Drives
can be opened directly from that drive and you can continue adding to or editing the Project. If
you copy the Project to drives designated as Backup only (Project media and slower hard drives),
it must be copied back to real-time verified drives in order to be opened for either playback or
recording.
a Project from one disk drive to
, page 35)
44
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
If you include other project-related files, such as session notes or mixer automation data into the
If you include other project-related files, such as session notes or mixer automation data into the
HDR24/96 Project folder via FTP transfer through a network, those files will be copied along
HDR24/96 Project folder via FTP transfer through a network, those files will be copied along
with the normal contents of the Project folder when you back up to another disk drive.
with the normal contents of the Project folder when you back up to another disk drive.
NOTE: You can’t copy a project to the disk on which it currently resides – source and
NOTE: You can’t copy a project to the disk on which it currently resides – source and
destination drives must be different. If the destination drive doesn’t have enough free space to
destination drives must be different. If the destination drive doesn’t have enough free space to
contain the selected Projects, you’ll get an error message before the copying starts.
contain the selected Projects, you’ll get an error message before the copying starts.
A Copy operation can be either a Backup or a Restore, depending on what you’re doing. The
A Copy operation can be either a Backup or a Restore, depending on what you’re doing. The
mechanics of the operation is the same going in either direction.
mechanics of the operation is the same going in either direction.
To Backup or Restore from the GUI:To Backup or Restore from the GUI:
Select Project Manager from the File menu, or use keyboard shortcut
brings up the two-pane Project Manager dialog box. Verify that the two disks displayed side
by side in the two list boxes are what you expect. One should be Internal and the other
External. Click on the Project you wish to copy and drag it to the opposite pane in the Project
Manager window. You can also click on the Project name to highlight it, then click on the
arrow pointing to the opposite window.
To Backup or Restore a Project From the front panel or Remote 48:
Press the BACKUP button. Select Set Source to set the drive from which the Project is
to be copied, and Set Dest(ination), for the drive where the backup copy will go. Select
Ok to get back to the Backup menu.
Select Backup. Select the Project name to back up using the << and >> buttons.
Select Ok to begin the copy, or Cancel to quit without copying.
Make sure when backing up or restoring that your destination drive is the one you meant to insert.
Considerations for backing up your audio are also included in the section on Regions and Audio
(page 95).
A DOUBLY IMPORTANT Reminder:
It is extremely important that you make back up copies of your Projects at the end of each
session. While digital recording technology is extremely reliable and hard disk media is durable,
the unexpected occasionally happens. Further – if you back up your Projects onto two separate
media before deleting them from your working drive(s) you will dramatically reduce your risk of
catastrophic data loss.
+b]
. This
[C
TRL
It is extremely important that you make back up copies of your Projects at the end of each
session.
Now you have heard it twice. So, after you unthinkingly put the PROJECT disk with the only
copy of that symphony you just recorded on top of that subwoofer with the 150 lb. magnet,
you’ll need to stay after session and write “I will back all my Projects onto two media” 100 times
on the chalkboard.
Playlist Operations
The Playlist is the glue that holds the Regions together for playback. An important concept to
understand is that all editing operations are in reality changes to the Playlist, so Playlists, Regions,
and editing operations are all closely related.
Contained within each Take of each Track of each Playlist is a chronological list of playable regions.
The Playlist does not actually contain audio, instead it contains a set of instructions defining when to
start and stop playing each piece of recorded audio used in the project. If for example you recorded a
Technical Reference 45
45
HDR 24/96
single take of lead vocals for the whole length of your song, then that Track will only show one
Region of audio, i.e. one playback entry on the "play" list. Each punch-in, region split, cut, move,
and paste adds another entry to the Playlist.
Playlists have two primary purposes in the Mackie HDR. One is to make all punching and editing
non-destructive, since such actions only affect the Playlist and not the audio. Secondly, Playlists give
you a way to hang on to versions of the Project as your session(s) progress.
Each Project can have one or several load-able Playlists. When a Playlist is loaded, it becomes
active, and all other Playlists are made inactive. Each Playlist contains all of the tracks and all of the
takes for that version of the Project. The GUI track display is a graphic representation of the active
Playlist.
During the course of creating your Project, you can record different takes into separate Playlists, or
place previously recorded audio into different Playlists, all without copying or changing the audio.
Any audio you record within a Project will be saved as part of the Project and it will be available for
use in any Playlist within that project. Initially, however, the audio will appear on the track view only
for the Playlist that was active while you were recording. Project audio from all Playlists can always
be accessed via the Region List.
You can also edit your takes in different ways in various Playlists, and you can continue recording
into your various Playlists after editing. Well-conceived Playlist management gives you lots of
options. You can use Playlists as a creative tool, deciding on the best version at only critical
junctures or even right at the end. Or you can complete your Project with several final versions such
that each version serves it's own purpose or target market (like a radio version and the longer dance
mix version)
All Playlist operations are accessed from the GUI and not from the front panel or remotes. Use the
Playlist menu.
Anytime you want to branch off a new version use Save Playlist As…
Save Playlist As…
As you work, you may want to leave behind versions of the
Project like breadcrumbs down a path traveled. While the
History List
and edit within the open Playlist, the History List is gone once
the Project has been closed or a new Project is opened.. To
keep a history of different stages in your Project from session-to-session you need take snap-shots
of the Project using Playlists. And… Playlists do not merely allow you to capture where you
were, but they allow you to move forward from that point without throwing away other versions,
something the History List does not offer.
Whenever you have created a good but
still unfinished version of a Project that
you think could go in several directions as
you continue working, then you'll want to
save the Project, then save the open
Playlist to a new name.
Playlist | Save Playlist As…
provides you such a feature for each recording pass
When you select Save Playlist As…
from the Playlist menu you will be
presented with the Save Playlist As… window. Here you can provide a new name under
46
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
which to save the currently open Playlist. Click on ENTER (or press [E
which to save the currently open Playlist. Click on ENTER (or press [E
to confirm the creation of a new Playlist with the name you typed in. Click on CANCEL to abort.
to confirm the creation of a new Playlist with the name you typed in. Click on CANCEL to abort.
This operation will create a new Playlist with the new name and make that Playlist the active
This operation will create a new Playlist with the new name and make that Playlist the active
Playlist. The History List will be preserved as it was for this new Playlist.
Playlist. The History List will be preserved as it was for this new Playlist.
Freezing the version: When you want to freeze the current version of a Project and move on
Freezing the version: When you want to freeze the current version of a Project and move on
without altering that version, you probably want to first rename that Playlist then save the Project,
without altering that version, you probably want to first rename that Playlist then save the Project,
which saves that open Playlist including edits. Then you can use Save Playlist As… Your new
which saves that open Playlist including edits. Then you can use Save Playlist As… Your new
Playlist will get the new name. Remember you can always rename any Playlist including the
Playlist will get the new name. Remember you can always rename any Playlist including the
open Playlist or the Playlist you previously had frozen.
open Playlist or the Playlist you previously had frozen.
NOTE: After the Save Playlist As… command, the previously open Playlist will be left as it was
NOTE: After the Save Playlist As… command, the previously open Playlist will be left as it was
at the time it was last saved, which was whenever the Project was last saved. This now-closed
at the time it was last saved, which was whenever the Project was last saved. This now-closed
Playlist will lose its History List. If you have never saved the Project, then the version you are
Playlist will lose its History List. If you have never saved the Project, then the version you are
leaving behind will contain all of its recordings and edits up the last time you performed a
leaving behind will contain all of its recordings and edits up the last time you performed a
recording pass (because the Project is saved every time you record), but nothing after that (more
recording pass (because the Project is saved every time you record), but nothing after that (more
editing, for example). Instead subsequent edits will only be in the newly created Playlist.
editing, for example). Instead subsequent edits will only be in the newly created Playlist.
NTER
NTER
] on the keyboard)
] on the keyboard)
For more detailed information on the History List
For more detailed information on the History List
Playlist Manager
The Playlist Manager is a GUI utility for creating, opening, renaming, or deleting, Playlists.
There are no menu equivalent functions from front panel pr either Remote.
Playlist | Playlist Manager…
- or -
Press [A
When you select Playlist Manager… from the Playlist menu (or press [ALT+p]) the Playlist
Manager window is launched. This window contains a list of Playlists already created for the
currently open Project. The currently loaded (open) Playlist is shown with an arrow pointing to it
from the left hand side of the list. One Playlist will be highlighted as well, but it may not be the
currently open Playlist.
LT
+p] on the keyboard
see pages 33 and 120.
Technical Reference 47
47
HDR 24/96
You can highlight any Playlist by clicking on it with the mouse or by using the [
the keyboard to move the highlight.
Each Playlist is displayed with its Name, Creation Date & Time, and a Description. The Creation
Date and Time are not editable. The Description can be edited "in-place" by simply double-clicking on its field for the Playlist to be described. The Description field will open for typing
NTER
and remain the focus until you press [E
window.
You can also rename a Playlist by first selecting it (highlighting it), then click on RENAME.
Similarly you can delete a Playlist using the DELETE button.
New Playlist
The New button creates a new empty Playlist. Generally, once you have clicked on New,
you will first get a prompt asking whether you want to save the current playlist. Answer Yes
to keep your most recent changes the open Playlist, No to discard recent changes, or Cancel
if you're not ready for a new list yet. Remember that answering No cannot discard changes
that happened before the last time you saved your Project, which includes you last recording
pass.
The new Playlist retains characteristics that are global to the Project. Track names are
preserved for example. But the new Playlist will not automatically have any regions in place
on its tracks. Instead you are given a clean slate into which you can record or drop Regions
from the Region List onto the empty tracks. If this is not what you are trying to accomplish,
see the Save Playlist As… command described above for an alternate method for starting a
new Playlist.
] on the keyboard or click somewhere else in the
ARROW
] keys on
NOTE: You cannot use the following characters in Playlist names: / \ : * ? “ < > | . ; ,
{ } ~ They are reserved for use by the system.
Open Playlist
The currently open Playlist is indicated in the list by an arrow to the left of its entry. When a
Project is created it creates a default Playlist called "Playlist 1" and makes this Playlist the
active (open) Playlist. Until you Save Playlist As… or create a new Playlist from the NEW
command, the list will only show this default Playlist. When any Project is opened it
automatically loads the Playlist that was open when the Project was last saved.
To open a Playlist that already appears in the list, double-click on its name in the list. You
can also move the highlight using the keyboard [ARROW
single-click, then click on OPEN.
If the currently open Playlist has not been changed since it was last saved, the newly selected
Playlist will be opened and the Playlist Manager window will be automatically closed.
If the currently open Playlist has been changed since it was last saved, you will first be
queried whether to save it now or not. Answer by clicking on YES or NO (as you see fit), or
on CANCEL to abort the opening of a different Playlist.
Rename a Playlist
Select the Playlist that you want to rename with a mouse click or move the highlight using the
keyboard [
appear, providing you a place to type in the new name. Click on ENTER or press the
keyboard [E
New Playlist for disallowed characters in Playlist names.
ARROW
NTER
] keys or select a Playlist with a
] keys, then click on RENAME. The Rename Version window will
] to confirm the new name. Use CANCEL to abort. See the note under
48
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
NOTE: Remember that you CAN rename the open Playlist just as you would the other listed
NOTE: Remember that you CAN rename the open Playlist just as you would the other listed
Playlists. We suggest that you do so early on so that your Playlist will have a meaningful
Playlists. We suggest that you do so early on so that your Playlist will have a meaningful
name if you have more than one.
name if you have more than one.
Delete PlaylistDelete Playlist
Select the Playlist that you want to delete with a mouse click or move the highlight using the
keyboard [
window will appear, providing you an opportunity to back out of the operation. Deleting a
playlist permanently removes the Playlist from the Project. Your audio and waveform cache
files for this Project are not affected, but you can’t recover a deleted playlist. Click on
ENTER or press the keyboard [ENTER
NOTE: You CAN
re-opened automatically. If there's only one Playlist and you Delete it, a new empty Playlist
with the default name Playlist 1 will appear in its place. Take care to know what you are
deleting.
Playlist Applications
In this example you are doing a Project with a lead vocal track sung in three different languages
for three different mixes. Record the music bed. Rename the Playlist to "Music bed only." Save
the Project. Use the Save Playlist As… feature and name the new version "Cool Song – English."
Then record the vocal on the Lead Vocals track in English. Save the Project (particularly if you
do any editing). Use the Save Playlist As… feature and name the new version "Cool Song – Spanish," and so on for each of the three languages. Record on the same track in each example.
Open the English Playlist and the Lead Vocals track will contain the English vocal, open the
Spanish Playlist and the same track number will contain the vocal you recorded in Spanish.
If you want to make a bilingual version with the verses in English and the chorus in Spanish,
simply drag the Spanish vocal track from the regions list into an empty track or virtual take in the
English version (or vice versa), save that as a new Playlist, and then slice and dice as desired.
ARROW
] keys. Then click on DELETE. The Delete Version Confirm
] to confirm the deletion. Use CANCEL to abort.
Delete the open Playlist. If you do so, the previously open Playlist will be
Any audio you record within a Project will be saved as part of the Project and it will be available
for use in any Playlist within that project. However, initially the audio will appear on the track
view only for the Playlist that was active while you were recording.
Technical Reference 49
49
HDR 24/96
Transport Operation
The transport controls and time code display are two of the most important functions on the HDR. This is
the part that looks and works most like a tape recorder. In this section, we’ll describe the basic transport
controls as well as position location, monitoring, and metering
Transport operation can be controlled from the front panel, the GUI, or remote controller. Click on the
GUI button or press the hardware button, whichever is more convenient. Most transport controls also
have keyboard shortcuts.
The transport can also be configured to follow MIDI machine control (MMC) commands from an
external device such as a mixing console or a sequencer, and to synchronize to incoming SMPTE or MIDI
time code (MTC). Refer to Sync and MIDI reference sections for appropriate setup and operational
information.
The Virtual Play Head
The HDR can be called a "non-linear" or "random access" recorder. This is because the HDR stores
audio data on a disk drive and not on a continuous linear piece of media like tape. Any data on the
disk can be accessed instantly by the HDR operating system regardless of its physical location or
arrangement on the disk. This feature is known as random access. This does not mean the data is
randomly placed on disk; what it really means is that you don't care where it is on disk, and further
you can "randomly" select where in your time line you want to be recording and/or playing back.
Because access is instantaneous, there is never any rewind or fast forward time (unless you want
that!).
While recordings on the HDR are not necessarily organized as continuous pieces of data on the disk,
the HDR does organize the data for you in a head-to-tail linear form within the user interface. In the HDR GUI, time flows from left (earlier) to right (later). Audio representations on tracks start on the
left where for example, the intro leads into the verse, which is followed by the chorus, and so forth
moving to the right. Every moment of audio recorded into your HDR bears a relationship to time,
and will initially show up on a track in the GUI display. The point in time where the HDR is now
playing or recording data is known as the Current Time (and in some cases - the Play Head Position,
Tape Time, or the Now Line). In essence the HDR is providing a "virtual" play head, which it
represents in the GUI as a vertical line across the Track area. As time progress from earlier to later,
the virtual play head moves to the right across the "virtual tape" (representations of audio on tracks)
beneath it.
NOTE: If the Auto Scroll feature is on, the virtual play head remains stationary in the center of the
Track Area and the virtual tape (audio representations) scroll to the left underneath the vertical line.
Basic Transport Controls
The basic transport controls both look and operate
the same on the HDR24/96 front panel, the
Remote 24, and the Remote 48.
50
HDR 24/96
GUI Basic Transport
HDR 24/96
When the recorder is operating as a time code slave (TC CHASE On), many of the transport controls
When the recorder is operating as a time code slave (TC CHASE On), many of the transport controls
behave differently than when it’s operating on its own or serving as the time code master. We’ll
behave differently than when it’s operating on its own or serving as the time code master. We’ll
explain those differences in this section. Look for the Watch icon (shown to the left) for operational
explain those differences in this section. Look for the Watch icon (shown to the left) for operational
difference when chasing time code.
difference when chasing time code.
To turn on the TC Chase mode from the Front Panel or Remote 48:To turn on the TC Chase mode from the Front Panel or Remote 48:
Press TC CHASE button to activates its LED (toggles On and Off)
To turn on the TC Chase mode from the GUI:
Click on the TC CHASE button in the Tools panel so that it illuminates (toggles On and Off)
Or from the Transport menu select Chase TC to set or unset the check mark (toggles
check mark On and Off)
PLAY
Used for audio playback, or in other words, to “roll tape”. The time code
display always advances while the HDR24/96 is in Play.
The [S
When in TC CHASE mode, the transport won’t run unless the recorder is
receiving time code. Pressing the PLAY button will “arm” the HDR24/96 for
play. The Play indicator will blink but playback won’t begin until the recorder begins receiving
time code. As soon as valid time code is received, the transport will immediately jump to the
incoming time code position and begin playing, at which time the Play indicator will stop flashing
and become solidly lit. When in the Chase mode, stopping the incoming time code causes the
HDR24/96 to stop.
PACE BAR
is the keyboard shortcut for Play if the transport is stopped.
]
Play on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Preview Last Play in LOCATE TIME
display
Recall Last Play to Locate Time RECALL PLAY ENTER
Goto Last Play w/o overwriting Loc Time
Locate performed but Locate Time not overwritten
RECALL PLAY
RECALL PLAY LOCATE
STOP
Do we really have to tell you what the STOP button does? Okay, when the
recorder is running, this stops it. It halts recording, playback, or fast winding.
You’ll know it’s stopped because the time code display (both on the front panel
and GUI) stops changing, and the time bar and scrolling in the GUI will halt.
The space bar is the keyboard shortcut for toggling between STOP and PLAY.
If the transport is moving, it will stop. If it’s stopped, pressing the space bar
starts the transport in the Play mode.
If you’ve entered the Record mode with no tracks armed (by pressing PLAY and RECORD, but
we’re getting ahead of ourselves here – see page 77), pressing STOP will take the master record
button out of standby (flashing LED) status.
When chasing time code, the HDR24/96 pretty much ignores the STOP button. If there’s valid
time code coming in, pressing STOP will pause the recorder momentarily, but it will pick up
again with whatever it was doing once it realizes that there’s another Master, not you, controlling
Technical Reference 51
51
HDR 24/96
it. If you’re recording while chasing time code, pressing the STOP button on will stop recording
and drop back to the record-ready mode, but as long as time code continues, the transport will
continue to run in PLAY.
REWIND
Rewind moves back along the time line in the same manner as rewinding tape.
Like a tape deck, Rewind starts out slowly and accelerates. The STOP button
will halt the rewind. This ramping up of the rewind speed combined with
stopping gives you the "feel" of a tape deck and you can rewind for a short
duration to move back only a few seconds. If you DO need to get back really
quickly, the HDR24/96 has two more rewind speeds. Each successive press of
any Rewind button cranks the speed up a notch. Top speed is pretty fast,
about 180 minutes of transport time per minute of real time. Stopping on a precise spot at this
speed is hard, so it's better to use a Locate function if you know where you are going.
The keyboard shortcut for Rewind is [<] (i.e. [S
OME
The [H
project.
FAST FWD
The Fast Forward function works exactly like Rewind only in the forward
direction.
The keyboard shortcut for Fast Forward is [>] (i.e. [S
] key on the keyboard is a shortcut to take you all the way back to the beginning of the
HIFT
+,]).
HIFT
+.]).
Off-speed Transport Controls
Shuttle
The SHUTTLE button on the Remote 48 enables a playback mode where the speed and direction
are set with the Wheel. Press this button to enable. Now turn the Wheel clockwise to go forward
or counterclockwise to go backward. Press the SHUTTLE button again or any other Transport
button to disable the mode.
On some machines Shuttle is controlled with a spring-loaded paddle, and thinking of it this way
may help you control the Wheel more effectively. Before enabling Shuttle you might want to
position the finger detent at the 12 o'clock position to more easily see how the Shuttle behaves.
When Shuttle is enabled, the current Wheel position becomes the null (or 0 velocity) position.
That would be the point where a spring-loaded paddle would
naturally return. Turning the wheel to the right of this position puts
the transport into forward play at 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, ¼, ½, 1, 2x speeds,
depending on how far to the right you push it. 2x happens at about a
half a rotation (6 o'clock). Turning the Wheel further has no effect
(except to confuse you about where you left that Null point).
Turning the Wheel back toward the null will slow down the playback
until you reach null and the Transport stops. Continuing counterclockwise passed the null point puts the transport into reverse play at
-1/32, -1/16, -1/8, -¼, -½, –1, –2x speeds, this time depending on
how far to the left you push it. Again the –2x speed will be reached
at about a half a rotation (6 o'clock).
52
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Because your audio content may or may not be very intelligible at these various speeds and
Because your audio content may or may not be very intelligible at these various speeds and
directions, there are indicators of the Shuttle behavior built in to the Transport controls. First the
directions, there are indicators of the Shuttle behavior built in to the Transport controls. First the
SHUTTLE LED is lit when Shuttle is enabled. When shuttling forward, the Play LED is lit and
SHUTTLE LED is lit when Shuttle is enabled. When shuttling forward, the Play LED is lit and
the FF LED blinks (indicating forward motion), and when shuttling in reverse the Play LED is lit
the FF LED blinks (indicating forward motion), and when shuttling in reverse the Play LED is lit
and the REW LED blinks (indicating reverse motion). When SHUTTLE is enabled and there is
and the REW LED blinks (indicating reverse motion). When SHUTTLE is enabled and there is
no Transport motion, the Play LED blinks and the FF/REW LEDs are off.
no Transport motion, the Play LED blinks and the FF/REW LEDs are off.
On the Remote 48 the Varispeed display is used to display the Transport speed whenever Shuttle
On the Remote 48 the Varispeed display is used to display the Transport speed whenever Shuttle
or Jog is enabled. During Shuttle, the Varispeed display reads [0.0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.25, 0.5,
or Jog is enabled. During Shuttle, the Varispeed display reads [0.0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.12, 0.25, 0.5,
1.0, 2.0] depending on the Shuttle speed. Negative speeds are not expressed because the
1.0, 2.0] depending on the Shuttle speed. Negative speeds are not expressed because the
Transport direction is indicated by the FF or REW LEDs.
Transport direction is indicated by the FF or REW LEDs.
Scrub Scrub
Scrub is a Tool within the GUI that for all intents and purposes works like Shuttling. You click
Scrub is a Tool within the GUI that for all intents and purposes works like Shuttling. You click
and drag the mouse pointer to the right by a little to play forward slowly and by a lot to play
and drag the mouse pointer to the right by a little to play forward slowly and by a lot to play
forward fast. Or move it in the other direction for reverse. Return the mouse to the center where
forward fast. Or move it in the other direction for reverse. Return the mouse to the center where
you first clicked to bring it to a stop. However, Scrub and Shuttle are not identical and work
you first clicked to bring it to a stop. However, Scrub and Shuttle are not identical and work
completely independent of each other. The Scrub Tool does not have any indication of speed in
completely independent of each other. The Scrub Tool does not have any indication of speed in
the VARI display and never exceeds 1.0 times normal play speed. The Scrub Tool is used
the VARI display and never exceeds 1.0 times normal play speed. The Scrub Tool is used
primarily for editing and is typically combined with the I-Beam Tool for selecting. To get more
primarily for editing and is typically combined with the I-Beam Tool for selecting. To get more
details on its operation check out the section on editing and selection
details on its operation check out the section on editing and selection
(page 100)
Jog
The JOG button, like SHUTTLE enables Wheel-based off-speed transport control, but the two
mechanisms differ substantially. The Jog mode couples the movement of the Wheel directly to
the movement of the Play Head. So if the WHEEL is turned quickly then audio playback moves
along quickly. At the very moment the WHEEL changes direction
the audio playback also changes direction. In more technical terms the Transport plays at a speed that is directly proportional to the
clockwise rotational velocity of the WHEEL. The Jog velocity is
continuously variable between 0 and 1x the nominal playback speed.
Rotating the WHEEL clockwise causes forward transport motion,
while rotating the WHEEL counterclockwise causes reverse
transport motion.
At mid-to-high Jog speeds, the Wheel velocity is low-pass filtered to
smooth out the response of the system and produce a playback that is
reasonably free of warble. At low Jog speeds, the wheel velocity is
not filtered to allow very precise transport positioning.
Pressing the Jog button in any Transport State except Record or Record Standby enables Jog
mode. Pressing the Jog button again, or pressing any Transport button other than Record disables
Jog and Stops the Transport.
The Jog LED is lit when Jog is enabled. When Jogging forward, the Play LED is lit and the FF
LED blinks (to indicate forward motion). When Jogging in reverse the Play LED is lit and the
REW LED blinks (to indicate reverse motion). When Jog is enabled and there is no Transport
motion, the Play LED blinks and the FF/REW LEDs are off.
On the Remote 48, the Varispeed display is used to display the Transport speed whenever Jog or
Shuttle is enabled. During Jog, the display reads continuously between 0.00 and 1.00. Negative
speeds are not expressed because the Transport direction is indicated by the FF or REW LEDs.
Technical Reference 53
53
HDR 24/96
Don’t confuse Shuttle, Jog, or Scrub with a variable speed function. While you can vary the
playback speed manually in these modes, once you enter the Record mode, you’re back to
standard speed. The HDR24/96 does not allow you to record off-speed.
Also note that you can't enable Shuttle, Jog or Scrub while in Record or Record Standby, and
pressing the Record button will not disable any of these modes. You can enable Record while in
Scrub mode, but not while scrubbing. If you start recording while in scrub mode, then try to
actual scrub, it will end the recording pass.
The Autolocator
What is an Autolocator?
Essentially, an Autolocator is a transport control system, which keeps track of important "points"
within the timeline of your project then allows you to easily and quickly move between such
points. In addition to moving around within your project, the Autolocator provides integrated
commands that combine the locating process with actual operation of the transport in some
prescribed way. All of these Autolocating features are pointed toward doing audio productiontasks with the least amount of
work on your part.
In the HDR 24/96 the
Autolocator is a complete
framework for operation. How
much of it you use and how you
access those features will
depend greatly on your
application and working style.
When you operate the HDR
from the Remote 48 you will
find that the paradigm very
closely matches that of previous
tape-based Autolocator
technology. In the GUI, certain
things change slightly to
accommodate the advantages of
an interface that can present
multiple values on various parts
of the screen all at once. In
many cases this makes the GUI
easier. However, the GUI
requires you to pick up a mouse
and point the cursor at
sometimes-small displays. So if
you have a Remote 48 there are
many instances where its key
sequences are much faster.
The idea of an Autolocator was hatched in a time when
tape ruled. Getting around on tape was a mysterious art,
and getting the play head to a new location on the tape
could be quite time consuming, particularly when the tape
needed to travel a long way to get where you wanted it.
Tape Counters and then Time Code striping made the
locating process easier. But still when the necessary tape
movement was time-consuming, the operator didn't really
want to watch over it just to hit STOP at the desired point.
So tape machines (and/or machine controllers) were
designed to watch the time code and stop and reposition
the tape to the point specified by the operator.
Autolocator technology was in those days an example of
partially digital control over an analog medium. With
refinement, Autolocating became quite effective, and a lot
of engineers and recordists became well versed in its
methods. In fact, a fairly extensive and well-conceived
feature set for both the audio recording and mixing
processes became somewhat standardized on the
Autolocator. Fast forward to today; pardoning the pun,
and we find that digital random access has eliminated the
rewind times, so what do we get from an Autolocator?
Well, the answer is "everything else." The paradigm for
Autolocating was so well thought-out over so many years,
that frankly it's hard to improve upon it (even though we
did, just a little).
Setting and Editing Times
The two most compete implementations of the HDR 24/96 Autolocator are found in the GUI and on
the Remote 48. However, these two interfaces differ considerably in the way that time values are
entered and edited. The GUI displays most of its time values, all of the time, and any time can be
directly entered and edited. The Remote 48 must Recall its times.
54
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Editing Times in the GUIEditing Times in the GUI
1) Direct entry: Click on a displayed time (Double-click if the time is in the Cue List
panel). The specific pair of digits upon which you clicked (hours, minutes, seconds
or frames; or bars, beats, or ticks) will be highlighted with an outline box. Type in
the desired time. Navigate between units of measure either by clicking on the next
pair of digits or by pressing the
back one field). Click outside the time field or press the [E
entry.
2) Drag the value:
down to increment or decrement the time.
3) Nudge the value:
bottom of the highlighted box and click-and-release to decrement the value by one
unit. Click-and-release in the top of the box to increment the value. As you position
the cursor, you will see an up (increment) or down (decrement) arrow cursor to tell
you where you are. Click outside the time field or press the [E
the entry.
4) Capture the Current Time:
[C
TRL
] key turns the pointer into a hand with which you can capture the Current
Time with a mouse click. You can do this with the transport stopped, or catch a loop
or punch point on the fly. The feature does not apply to Cues.
5) Drag the Marker:
it to a new position. You can do this while the transport is running so you can find
loop points that aren’t musically jarring. (Remember to turn off the talent’s
headphones or they’ll wonder what the heck you’re doing.)
Note that Markers for LOC 1 and LOC 2 are blue flags with an “L”, LOC 3 and LOC
4 are red flags with a “P”. These markers disappear when the Punch or Loop
functions are turned off. In order to see the marker you wish to drag, you must first
enable Punch or Loop.
The Remote 48 uses a Dual-Time display that includes the TAPE TIME (also called the Current
Time or Play Head Location) and a second LOCATE TIME. The Locate Time is one of several times
to which the HDR 24/96 can jump instantly (Locate means make the Current Time = target time).
The LOCATE TIME display also acts a holding bin and workspace for entering and editing times so
that those values can be stored or used. There are four ways in which values come into this display.
[TAB
] key on the keyboard ([S
Click on the time field as above, then drag the mouse pointer up or
Click on the time field as above, then position the cursor over the
With the mouse pointer over the time field, holding the
Click on the LOOP or PUNCH marker on the Time Bar and drag
HIFT+TAB
NTER
] key to complete the
NTER
] moves you
] key to complete
Bringing Times into the Locate display on the Remote 48
• Press CAPTURE to make the Locate Time = the Tape Time.
• Press the Numeric Keypad buttons to type in a new value.
• Press RECALL and the corresponding buttons for the previously saved time values
you want to see and/or use.
• Press the EDIT TIME button to change the current Locate Time.
After getting the value into the Locate display you will generally press ENTER, STORE, or
LOCATE, or some combination of these buttons to make use of the value. Because the exact
sequence varies depending on what time value is being set, the specific instructions for manipulating
times on the Remote 48 appear where relevant later in this section.
The TAPE TIME and LOCATE TIME displays will always be in the same format and resolution. As
with the front panel, the Remote 48 only supports SMPTE TC and BBT display formats. For
milliseconds and sample count displays you must go to the GUI. While in those display modes on the
GUI you will see SMPTE on the Remote 48.
Technical Reference 55
55
HDR 24/96
ote
OCs
Note that the Remote 48 and GUI share the use of the same Locate Time. However, other values that
temporarily appear in the LOCATE TIME display on the Remote 48 will not appear in the LOCATE
TIME display of the GUI – at least not until they are entered into the actual Locate Time.
Locate Points
First it should be mentioned that LOC and Locate are the same thing. The label LOC is used on
certain tape machines and is used in the HDR GUI because it's brief and pixel thrifty. But when
you see or say "LOC," the word is actually "Locate." Well, okay, you can say "Loke," if you
really dig it. On the Remote 48, where space was less of a consideration you'll find the term
LOCATE written out. In the subsequent discussion we may use either term.
There are five dedicated “go to” buttons that use stored transport location times. Pressing or
clicking on any of these buttons sends the transport directly to the stored time location. These
five locations are called "LOCATE (LOC), LOC1, LOC2, LOC3, LOC4." Not all five Locate
Points are available from all control surfaces, however all are displayed in the GUI where they
can also be directly edited.
visible directly below the Current Time in the
Time Code display area. In the GUI however,
the LOCATE TIME display is not constantly
visible. It is necessary to open the Cue List panel (page 32)
on the right side of the Track Display area. Reveal the List
panel with the left pointing arrow, then select the Cues Tab.
The four Numbered Locates are used for general locating as well, but also in conjunction with
Front Panel LOCs
surfaces, Numbered Locates must be "Stored."
LOCATE is a general-purpose locator that’s a feature of the GUI and
Remote 48 only. It has no equivalent button on the HDR24/96 front
panel or Remote 24. On the Remote 48 it is set with the ENTER button.
The LOC button in the GUI and
LOCATE on the Remote 48 are
each directly to the left of the main
Transport buttons. On the Remote
48 the Locate Time is always
looping and auto-punch functions.
Numbered Locates are shown as
LOC1, LOC2 on the Front Panel, as
LOC1, LOC2, LOC3, and LOC4 in
the GUI, and as LOCATE 1,
LOCATE 2, LOCATE 3, and
LOCATE 4 on the Remote 24 and
Remote 48. On the tactile control
LOCATE display
LOCATE button
GUI Numbered LOCs
Beyond these five
5 location points
(the general plus 4
Rem
1000 points can be stored (as Cues), but they can only be
accessed with a "sequence" of button presses or by opening
the Cue list panel, both explained later.
Remote 48 Numbered LOCs
56
HDR 24/96
24 Numbered L
Numbered
Locates) another
HDR 24/96
Locate times and Cues are saved along with the Project, but there are not separate Locate times or
Locate times and Cues are saved along with the Project, but there are not separate Locate times or
Cue Lists for each Playlist – one set per Project.
Cue Lists for each Playlist – one set per Project.
LOCATE (GUI LOC) LOCATE (GUI LOC)
The LOCATE button causes the Transport to jump directly to the currently displayed Locate
The LOCATE button causes the Transport to jump directly to the currently displayed Locate
Time. The Locate Time can be captured from the Current Time, set explicitly, or recalled from a
Time. The Locate Time can be captured from the Current Time, set explicitly, or recalled from a
stored cue. Each time you change the time shown in the LOCATE TIME display, you must also
stored cue. Each time you change the time shown in the LOCATE TIME display, you must also
press the keyboard or Remote 48 ENTER key, respectively (depending on where you are
press the keyboard or Remote 48 ENTER key, respectively (depending on where you are
working), to actually update the Locate Time. Until the ENTER key is pressed the Locate Time
working), to actually update the Locate Time. Until the ENTER key is pressed the Locate Time
window on the Remote 48 is being used to preview time values. You can Locate directly to a
window on the Remote 48 is being used to preview time values. You can Locate directly to a
previewed time, but using the time for locating does not update the Locate Time for any other
previewed time, but using the time for locating does not update the Locate Time for any other
purpose. Once entered, the Located Time can be further edited using the Remote 48 EDIT TIME
purpose. Once entered, the Located Time can be further edited using the Remote 48 EDIT TIME
button.
button.
The Locate Time defaults to a SMPTE time of 00:00:00:00 or BBT value of 1:1:0, but may
The Locate Time defaults to a SMPTE time of 00:00:00:00 or BBT value of 1:1:0, but may
contain any time value within the 24-hour or 10,000-measure range of the Project. Once the LOC
contain any time value within the 24-hour or 10,000-measure range of the Project. Once the LOC
position has been changed from its default value, the "current" LOC position is saved along with
position has been changed from its default value, the "current" LOC position is saved along with
the Project.
the Project.
LOC is strictly a feature of the GUI and the Remote 48. It has no equivalent button or display on
LOC is strictly a feature of the GUI and the Remote 48. It has no equivalent button or display on
the HDR front panel or on the Remote 24.
the HDR front panel or on the Remote 24.
Setting the Locate Time from the GUISetting the Locate Time from the GUI
LOC time can be set in several ways.
• Capture the Current Time position (either on the fly or with the transport stopped) by
clicking on the CAPTURE button at the top of the Cue List window, or by holding
the [C
TRL
] key and clicking in the LOCATE time window in the Cue list, or by using
the keyboard shortcut [C
• In addition, LOC time can be entered or edited in the LOCATE time window in the
Cue list by clicking on the window to highlight a field, then either moving the mouse
pointer up and down to change the value or by entering a value from the keyboard.
See Editing GUI times
Observe that when the LOC time is set anywhere other
than at the beginning of the Project, a marker labeled
LOC indicating the LOC time appears in the bar above
the time scale ruler at the top of the track display.
• The LOC time can be changed by dragging the
LOC marker to a new point in the Project.
LOCATE is handy for marking a temporary working
location in the project. If you’re working on an edit
and want to be able to listen through it, drag the LOC marker to a couple of seconds before
your edit point. Then with AUTO PLAY engaged, when you click the LOC button, the
transport will jump back to your marked point and begin playing.
TRL
(page 55).
+l] (think L
ocate).
Setting the Locate Time from the Remote 48
The Locate Time can be set in several ways.
• Capture the Current Time position (either on the fly or with the transport stopped) by
pressing the CAPTURE button to the right of the Current Time display on the
Remote 48.
Technical Reference 57
57
HDR 24/96
• Press the various numeric keys to type in a new value. Each new digit is added on
the (least significant) right side, and previous digits are moved left to accommodate
it. Press the ENTER button.
• Recall
• And don’t forget, you can also Edit
Using LOCATE from the Remote 48
Pressing the LOCATE button causes the Transport position (Current
Time) to locate to the time displayed in the Locate Time window. The
Locate button LED is lit whenever Current Time = Locate Time, and is
dim at all other times. The Remote 48 LOCATE button corresponds to
LOC in the GUI Transport. The Remote 24 does not have a general
Locate function, but it does have the four Numbered Locates described
below.
Previewing Times in the Remote 48 Locate window.
When you Recall a Cue or other stored time value, it will typically appear in the Locate
window. The HDR24/96 however, requires an ENTER button press to confirm the Recall
operation, so it is possible to recall values without actually overwriting the current value of
Locate Time. Press RECALL, then simply avoid pressing ENTER. Once RECALL has been
pressed you can successively query in any number of stored values (Cue numbers, Locate
numbers, Punch Length, Loop Length, Pre-Roll, Last Play) in any order by pressing their
respective buttons or button sequences. At any time during a Preview the displayed value can
be committed to Locate Time by hitting ENTER, or the operation can be canceled by hitting
RECALL once again. Once a Cue is recalled –
an existing value with the RECALL button. See page 71 for details. Press the
ENTER button.
whatever time value you manage to get into
LOCATE TIME display. See page 68 for further details. Press the ENTER button.
Press RECALL, then "0" "1" (for example)
You can then use the data Wheel to quickly scroll through all of your saved Cues. The
specific implementation for previewing each parameter may differ. Refer to documentation
on each specific parameter.
The Locate Time will remain as set, until set differently. However it should be noted that the
Locate Time window on the Remote 48 is also used as a workspace for certain storing,
recalling, and editing procedures. While LOCATE TIME display can “preview” stored
values and even store new values without overwriting the general Locate Time, it is a good
practice to assume that the general Locate Time will change occasionally. Values that really
truly must stick around throughout an entire session or beyond should be stored from the
Locate Time to a Cue or Numbered Locate for later recall.
Numbered Quick Locate Points
The HDR24/96 has four pre-numbered Locate points
(LOC 1, LOC 2, LOC 3, and LOC 4) whose function
and accessibility vary depending on your setup and
what you want to do.
LOCs 1 and 2 can be accessed from the HDR 24/96
front panel, while all four Numbered LOCs can be
accessed from the remote controllers and from the
GUI. Numbered LOC times are displayed on the GUI
Tools panel just to the right of center. Pressing any of
58
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
the LOC buttons on the front panel or the remote controllers sends the transport immediately to
the LOC buttons on the front panel or the remote controllers sends the transport immediately to
the time set for that LOC point. Clicking on the Numbered LOC buttons in the GUI is the
the time set for that LOC point. Clicking on the Numbered LOC buttons in the GUI is the
equivalent command.
equivalent command.
LOC 1 and LOC 2 do double duty as loop start and end points when the transport Loop function
LOC 1 and LOC 2 do double duty as loop start and end points when the transport Loop function
is selected. LOC 3 and LOC 4 serve as punch-in and punch-out points when the Auto-Punch is
is selected. LOC 3 and LOC 4 serve as punch-in and punch-out points when the Auto-Punch is
selected.
selected.
Note that the markers for LOC 1 and LOC 2 are blue flags with an “L”, LOC 3 and LOC 4 are
Note that the markers for LOC 1 and LOC 2 are blue flags with an “L”, LOC 3 and LOC 4 are
red flags with a “P”. These markers disappear when the Punch or Loop functions are turned off.
red flags with a “P”. These markers disappear when the Punch or Loop functions are turned off.
LOC times are expressed in whatever time units you have selected, SMPTE or BBT. LOC times are expressed in whatever time units you have selected, SMPTE or BBT.
Setting the LOC Points - GUISetting the LOC Points - GUI
From the GUI Tools panel, the LOC points may be set by any of several methods. These
methods, which are the same for changing any time value in the GUI, are described in detail
at the beginning of this section and under GUI and mouse conventions
manual:
• Click on a field in the displayed time and type in the desired value. Navigate
between units of measure either by clicking on the next pair of digits or by pressing
[TAB
the
NTER
the [E
• Click on the time field as above. Drag the mouse pointer up or down to increment or
decrement the time.
• Click-and-release in the bottom of the highlighted box to decrement the value by one
unit, or above its center to increment the value. Click outside the time field or press
NTER
the E
• With the mouse pointer over the time field, holding the [C
into a hand with which you can capture the Current Time with a mouse click. You
can do this with the transport stopped, or catch a loop or punch point on the fly.
This is a convenient technique when listening through a part and deciding that you
want to punch in HERE and out THERE.
• Click on the LOOP or PUNCH marker on the Time Bar and drag it to a new position.
You can do this while the transport is running so you can find loop points that aren’t
musically jarring. (Remember to turn off the talent’s headphones or they’ll wonder
what the heck you’re doing.) In order to see the marker you wish to drag, you must
first enable Punch or Loop. Even if you are not currently looping or auto-punching,
enable the function temporarily to make use of this cool feature.
HIFT+TAB
] or [S
] key to complete the entry.
key to complete the entry.
at the beginning of the
] key on the keyboard. Click outside the time field or press
TRL
] key turns the pointer
Setting the LOC points – Front Panel and Remote 24
From the front panel or Remote 24, the LOC points are set using a sequence of the STORE
and LOC n buttons together. The sequence is slightly different on the front panel versus the
Remote 48 as the feature is more limited from the front panel. The front panel does not
display the Locate Time, so its STORE button always uses the Current Time as the source
time for store operations.
Press STORE to arm for capturing the Current Time. This can be done either while the
transport is stopped or running. The LED above the STORE button will blink indicating
the armed state. The pressing of STORE does not capture the time when it’s pressed.
Press the Numbered LOC button to capture and store the Current Time to that LOC. The
LED above the STORE button will extinguish, indicating that the time has been stored.
Technical Reference 59
59
HDR 24/96
If you press STORE a second time without storing a LOC time, the Store operation is
cancelled.
You can capture the current time on the fly or with the transport stopped, but remember
that after arming and capturing current time in one LOC, you must press the STORE
button a second time to arm for another capture. If you’re trying to capture a pair of
punch-in and –out points that are quite close together, you may not be able to do this
quickly enough in one pass and you may have to make a second pass after setting the
punch-in point to capture the punch-out point. Practice makes better.
Setting the LOC points – Remote 48
Enter, recall or capture the time you want into the LOCATE TIME display on the Remote
48.
Press STORE once.
Press the target Numbered Locate button (saves the
Locate Time)
– or –
Press STORE twice.
Press the target Numbered Locate button (saves the
Tape Time)
Locate Points on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Goto Locate Time LOCATE
Goto Locate n LOCATE n
Preview Locate n in LOCATE TIME display RECALL LOCATE n
Recall Locate n to Locate Time RECALL LOCATE n ENTER
Store Locate Time to Locate n STORE LOCATE n
STORE STORE LOCATE n Store Tape Time to Locate n or CTRL+STORE LOCATE n
Store Tape Time to Locate Time CAPTURE
Transport Looping (LOC 1 and LOC 2)
Loop is a transport mode to repeat playback or recording between two points in time (Loop Start
to Loop End). Engage transport Looping by pressing either the LOOP button on either Remote,
or the LOOP 1-2 button on the HDR24/96 front panel, or by clicking the LOOP button in the GUI
tools panel.
With Loop mode enabled, once the
PLAY button is pressed, the transport
will play to the Loop End point, instantly
locate back to the Loop Start, then play it
again, and again, and again . . . until
you either press STOP (which of course stops the transport) or disengage
LOOP, which allows the transport to continue running.
If the Current Time is between the loop points when the transport is started,
it begins playing from the Current Time. However, if the Current Time
position is outside the loop region when you press PLAY, the transport will
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
jump to the Loop Start time before starting playback. jump to the Loop Start time before starting playback.
The LOC 1 and LOC 2 times are used as the Loop Start and Loop End points. While it makes
The LOC 1 and LOC 2 times are used as the Loop Start and Loop End points. While it makes
sense to have LOC 1 earlier than LOC 2, it doesn’t matter as far as looping is concerned. The
sense to have LOC 1 earlier than LOC 2, it doesn’t matter as far as looping is concerned. The
transport will loop from the earlier point to the later one. On the Remote 48, it is also possible to
transport will loop from the earlier point to the later one. On the Remote 48, it is also possible to
set the Loop Length, which will automatically edit the later of the two Dedicated Locate points to
set the Loop Length, which will automatically edit the later of the two Dedicated Locate points to
create a loop of that length. See Storing Times
create a loop of that length. See Storing Times
Looping isn’t just for playback. For repeated punch-ins, use LOOP in conjunction with PUNCH
times stored in LOC3 and LOC4 for auto-punching. In fact, if you want to record between loop
points, you must use the Auto-Punch function. You cannot manually enter Record when
looping.
You can’t engage the LOOP function when the transport is in the TC CHASE mode. It’ll remind
you. You can of course loop the Master machine and the slave will follow it.
Looping on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Preview Loop length in Locate Time RECALL LOOP
Recall Loop length to Locate Time RECALL LOOP ENTER
Store Locate Time to Loop Length
Value of Loop End Time = Loop Start Time+ Locate
Time
(page 70) for more details.
STORE LOOP
Looping the Selection
You can also set-up loops using the Selection Start and End points (instead of LOC 1 and
LOC 2). In many ways the functionality is the same, but the application is different. If you
are trying to loop something before deciding to Cut or Copy it, then you will want to look in
the Editing section of this manual at Looping the Selection
explanation.
The not-so-detailed explanation is that you can loop the selection by selecting an area with
the I-Beam tool, then check-marking Loop Selection in the Transport menu or in the right-click Time Bar/Marker pop-up menu. The loop area will be highlighted with a yellow
bar. Engage PLAY.
Note that Loop Selection does not activate the LOOP button in the Tools panel of the GUI or
Loop LED on either Remote. Loop Selection is considered an extension of the Editing
features and depends on the I-Beam tool. It is only available from the GUI.
NOTE: Loop Selection is a fast way to get a sonic picture of what a certain edits are going to
sound like. If you need to keep editing, but want to continue looping on those same times,
then you'll want to copy the Selection Start and End times into LOC 1 and LOC 2. Position
the Current Time to the Selection edges, then hold down the keyboard [Cclicking in the LOC 1 and LOC 2 fields within the Tools panel of the GUI
LOOPING COOLNESS: Both the standard Looping and the Loop Selection points can be
adjusted while the Transport is moving. While looping on LOC 1 and LOC 2, use the mouse to
grab their Markers on the Marker bar. Drag the Marker to a new position and drop it. The new
loop parameter will take effect immediately. You can also Store a new value into the LOC 1 or
LOC 2 from the Remote 48 while looping. Very cool! When looping on the Selection you can
grab the Selection edges in the Time bar and drag them similarly.
(page 101) for a detailed
] key while
TRL
Technical Reference 61
61
HDR 24/96
IMPORTANT: If you have some other studio device synchronizing to the HDR24/96’s (SMPTE
or MIDI) time code output, be aware that a short loop might drive it bananas. When looping, the
HDR's time code output cycles, following the loop. If the slaving device is a little slow on the
uptake, or heaven forbid, flaky, you might want to turn off the Generate SMPTE or MTC
function (or just unplug the sync cable) temporarily while you’re looping.
Auto Punch (LOC 3 and LOC 4)
Like the LOC1 and LOC2 buttons, the LOC3 and LOC4 can each be used to quickly locate to a
precise point in the Project. And like the other two Numbered Locates, LOC3 and LOC4 have
dedicated purpose. The PUNCH button enables Auto Punch, an automatic recording feature that
switches a record-armed track (or tracks) into Record at a specified punch-in point, and takes it
out of Record at the specified punch-out point. As this is an integrated part of Recording
Operations, see Auto Punch
on page 81 under the Recording section for details.
Cues
Cues are a handy way of moving around in a project. First off, you can have up to 1000 of them;
second, you can give them meaningful names (Verse 1, Chorus, Bridge, Sax solo, Guitar clunker,
etc.); and finally, you can jump to the location of the Cue with a single mouse click or with a
numerical entry from the keyboard or Remote 48. Because Cues can be named, they work well to
flag specific sections of a song or to identify
song titles in a long project, for example, a
concert recording.
Cues are accessed via the Cue List panel and
Marker bar in the GUI, and also via the DualTime display and associated Autolocator buttons
on the Remote 48. Cues differ from Numbered
Locates in that Cues do not each have their own
dedicated buttons on the Remote 48, and instead
must be stored/recalled through a sequence of
button pushes. Cues are not accessible from the
front panel or the Remote 24.
Although there is essentially one Autolocator system behind all the interfaces, the GUI and Remote
48 each display, edit, and use Cues in different ways. While the Remote 48 follows the industryrefined paradigm for a remote locator, the GUI would not be efficient emulating a tactile work
surface. For one thing, a lot of different time values can be presented through the GUI all at once (not
just two as on the Remote 48), and each can edited directly, even including the Current (Tape) Time.
So the LOCATE TIME display in the GUI does not serve as a preview and editing workspace.
See Editing Times in the GUI
GUI times, except that Cues must be double-clicked to start the editing procedure. Also note that
Cues are named with the QWERTY keyboard, so the naming features appear only in the GUI along
with a special feature for re-ordering the Cue numbers.
If you are using a Remote 48, you will
also want to look at Entering Times
Editing Times on the Remote 48
in this section. Then see Storing Times
and Recalling Times
details on how the Remote 48 Autolocator manages Cues and other storable time values.
(page 70) for the
at the beginning of this section. The described methods apply to all
and
later
62
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Creating New Cues Creating New Cues
For the following methods, first locate the Current Time to the point in the project where you
For the following methods, first locate the Current Time to the point in the project where you
want a Cue.
want a Cue.
From the GUI:From the GUI:
Click the NEW button at the top of the Cue List panel to add a new Cue to the list at the
Current Time. The NEW button method works on the fly as well as with the transport
stopped.
From the keyboard:
Use the shortcut key combination [C
From the Remote 48
Press STORE
Press CAPTURE
These methods will create a new Cue using the lowest number available at the time of the Cue's
creation. The Remote 48 will also allow you to store the Cue to a specific Cue number. This
means that the numbering scheme can be used to organize your Cues. For instance, all “verse
start” cues can be numbered 30-something. See Storing Cues.
Locating to a Cue
From the GUI:
Double-click on the cue number in the GUI Cue List.
From the keyboard:
Type the Cue number on the keyboard (the Number Pad is most convenient)
Press the [N
UMPAD ENTER
TRL
+m]. Think “mark”.
] key - the main [E
NTER
] key won’t do it.
The [+] and [-] keys on the number pad are shortcuts to move to the next Cue up or down on
the list. Note that this may not be the next cue from where the transport is currently located.
Entering a cue number on the keyboard jumps to that cue, but doesn’t reposition the highlight
on the Cue List. Therefore, the [+] and [-] key shortcut may not always jump you to where
you expect.
From the Remote 48:
Press RECALL
Enter the desired Cue number using the Remote 48 number pad.
Press ENTER. This brings the Cue time into the LOCATE TIME window.
Press LOCATE
One more reminder: Pre-Roll time is subtracted from the Cue time when locating to a Cue. If you
notice that you’ve jumped to a place ahead of where you were aiming, you probably have PreRoll engaged. Check the Transport menu or the LED indicator above the PRE-ROLL button on
the Remote 48 or Remote 24. See Pre Roll for details.
Cue Parameters
Each Cue has a Number , a Time, and a Name. Names are not settable, nor are they used from
the Remote 48. In the GUI the Cue List is displayed chronologically, while on the Remote 48 the
list is organized numerically. Even if you are using the Remote 48, read Cues in the GUI for
many details about Cue parameters.
Technical Reference 63
63
HDR 24/96
Cues in the GUI
First open the Cues List panel
right of the Tracks area, then click on the (left-pointing) Lists Panel arrow
in the upper right corner of the Tracks area. Then click on the Cues tab.
The three columns in the Cue list are Number, Name, and Time (for each
Cue). You can highlight any cue with a single-click anywhere on its line.
Double-click on either the Name or the Time to start editing that parameter.
Double-click on a cue number to jump to the time of that Cue.
When a Cue is initially set, it takes the rather unexciting name of “Cue”, but it can be renamed as
several have been in this illustration.
. If there are no lists being presented on the
Each Cue has a corresponding flag on the Marker Bar. The two forms of Cue display interact.
When a cue name is edited in the Cue List, its name changes on the Marker Bar. When the Cue
time is edited in the Cue List, the flag on the Marker Bar moves to the new location. Similarly,
when a Cue's marker is dragged along the Marker bar, its time also changes in the Cue List. The
entry will even move up or down the list if its new time places it later or earlier than another cue.
Cue Numbers
Each Cue has a unique number – not duplicated for any other Cue (Cue names and times are
not necessarily unique). You can’t edit a Cue number, but if cues get out of order as a result
of moving or deleting, you can renumber the entire list from the GUI Cue List. You can also
Recall an existing Cue number and Store it's time to a new number using the Remote 48.
Cues created with the New Cue sequences described above are given the lowest number
available. If a Cue has been deleted, leaving a “hole” in the numbering, that number (if
lowest available) will be filled when the next Cue is created.
When previewing Cues on the Remote 48, the list will always be in numerical order. On the
Remote 48 the STORE button can either create a new or overwrite an existing Cue Number
If you’re using the Remote 48 to store specific numbered cues, those numbers will appear on
the Cue List, and cues written with the NEW button will just skip over them. The converse is
not always true, however. If you enter a specific cue number when storing a cue from the
Remote 48, if that number already exists as a Cue on the Cue List, you’ll overwrite it.
Cue Names
Cue names only appear in the GUI. Every newly created cue is named “Cue”. To rename
any Cue, double-click on the name field in the GUI Cue List to highlight it and enter new text
(type name and press [E
Bar will change also. There is no way to rename Cues from the Remote 48.
64
HDR 24/96
NTER
]). When you rename a Cue, the name on its flag on the Marker
HDR 24/96
Cue Times
This is the time to which the transport will jump when you locate to the Cue. Cues are
always listed in the GUI Cue List in order of time. A Cue's time can be changed by dragging
the Cue flag in the Marker Bar, or by double-clicking in the Cue List time field and editing
the time using any of the standard methods.
Clicking the STORE button at the top of the GUI Cue List changes the time of the
highlighted Cue to the Current Time.
Drag a cue pointer along the Marker Bar and you’ll see its time change in the Cue List. The
Cue will also move up or down the list if its new time places it before or after an adjacent
cue. If you’ve changed a Cue time by editing, it will move up or down the Cue List as
required to get back in order when you complete the edit operation.
Delete Cue
Click on the Cue List DELETE button to remove the highlighted cue from the list. This will
leave a hole in the cue number sequence, but the Cue List doesn’t care. Use [S
TRL
[C
Renumber Cues
The Cue List displays your Cues in chronological
order, regardless of the Cue number assigned to
each Cue. If you've moved or deleted Cues, or
assigned arbitrary Cue numbers from the Remote
48, you may see the Cue numbers listed in a
confusing order. The RENUM(ber) button
changes all the cue numbers so that from the
earliest Cue to the latest Cue, the list is numbered
starting from "1" counting up contiguously (no
missing numbers as a result of deleted or arbitrary
Cues).
Here’s the same Cue List before and after
renumbering. Notice that the cues times are the
same in both lists, but their numbers have been
changed.
Note that LOCATE points are not affected by this
operation, nor are Cue names or any times
changed. However, you should understand that if
you are using the Remote 48 to locate to Cues, a
number-based scheme, you'll have to re-learn the
Cue numbers after the RENUM operation.
+click] to highlight a group of cues to be deleted.
HIFT
+click] or
Original Cue List Renumbered List
Renumbering Cues can be useful if you are handing a Project off to someone else and you
want to clean things up for clarity. It also makes using the Remote 48 easier, if you have lost
track of which Cue number is where.
Store Cue
STORE changes the time of the currently highlighted Cue to the current transport time. This
is an alternate to editing the time field or dragging the cue pointer. In the GUI the STORE
button only updates the time on an existing Cue. Use the NEW button to create a new Cue.
This differs from the Remote 48 where the STORE button can either update a Cue or create a
new Cue if the Cue number specified does not exist.
Technical Reference 65
HDR 24/96
GUI Cue Store can be handy if you designate one cue number as the to go-to button for
section of the project where you are current working. When you move on (position the
Current Time) to work on a new section, just highlight (single-click on) your “working” cue
and click on STORE.
Edit Cue
Double-click on the time field of the desired Cue in the list. You can then edit the time value
using the combination of clicking, dragging, typing and tabbing that have been described
elsewhere for time editing (see page 21). You can also double-click on the name field of the
desired Cue in the list and retype the name.
Or if you want to update the Cue with the Current Time, then first position the Current Time.
Then click on an existing Cue to highlight it. Click on the STORE button. The Current Time
will be copied to the existing Cue's time value.
Cues on the Remote 48
As with other Locating time values, Cue time values are typically stored, recalled and edited
using the Locate Time as a workspace, although there are certain shortcuts available for using the
Current Time. See the following sections for detailed information.
Store Cue
To store the Current Time, press CTRL+STORE
To store the Locate Time, just press STORE
Then type-in the number of the Cue that you want to store (from 1 to 3 digits).
Press ENTER.
To prepare the Locate Time with the time you want to save you should first type in the time
value directly, recall another stored time value, or do either and use the EDIT TIME feature.
See the following.
Recall / Edit / Locate to Cue
Press RECALL.
Type-in the number of the Cue that you want to recall (from 1 to 3 digits).
Press ENTER.
The Locate Time is now equal to your recalled Cue. You can locate to the time by pressing
LOCATE.
Or you can edit the time, before storing or locating. Press the EDIT TIME button. Use the
Num Pad, the +/NEXT and -/PREV buttons, and/or the Wheel to modify each unit of time.
Press EDIT TIME again to move between time units, and finally confirm the edits by
pressing ENTER.
Quick Cue Set (New Cue)
If you find you just want to capture Cues quickly, and even on-the-fly, then you’ll like the
Quick Cue Set command. This 2-key sequence captures the Current (Tape) Time into an
automatically generated Cue. The number of the new Cue will be lowest available and the
command will not overwrite existing Cues.
Press STORE.
Press CAPTURE.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Cues on the Remote 48Cues on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Preview Cue n in LOCATE TIME display RECALL ###
Recall Cue n to Locate Time RECALL ### ENTER
Go-To to Cue n
• Locate performed but Locate Time not
overwritten
RECALL ### LOCATE
Store Locate Time to Cue n STORE ### ENTER
STORE STORE ### ENTER Store Tape Time to Cue n or CTRL+STORE ### ENTER
Store Locate Time to a Cue in the Cue List STORE +/NEXT, -/PREV, or
WHEEL ENTER
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
Store Tape Time to a Cue in the Cue List STORE STORE
+/NEXT, -/PREV, or WHEEL
ENTER
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
Store Tape Time to New Cue
• Quick Cue Set !!!!
Preview Cue List in LOCATE TIME display
STORE CAPTURE
RECALL +/NEXT or -/PREV
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll.
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
• Press RECALL again to end Preview
or RECALL WHEEL
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
• Press RECALL again to end Preview
Recall Cue from Cue List to Locate Time
RECALL +/NEXT or -/PREV
ENTER
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
or RECALL WHEEL ENTER
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
Preview Cue List, Go-To Cue in Cue List
• Locate performed but Locate Time not
overwritten.
RECALL +/NEXT or -/PREV or
WHEEL LOCATE
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
.
Technical Reference 67
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HDR 24/96
Number Pad and Calculator on the Remote 48
The Number Pad allows you to directly enter time values into the Locate Time (as shown in the
LOCATE TIME window on the Remote 48). First you will want to decide what Time Units to
use for your project. More than likely this will be set at the start of the project and not adjusted
after that.
Choosing Time Units
Press the TIME UNITS button to toggle between SMPTE Time Code format and Bars and Beats
format for time values. This setting affects how time is displayed and therefore also affects how
you type in new times manually.
Entering Numbers Directly
When you press the first number button in the Number Pad, the LOCATE TIME display is
cleared and that new number is shown in the first (right-most, least significant) digit position.
You can type in one or several numbers. As you press additional number buttons, those digits are
added to the right of the number displayed. So, just as you would write time values, the most
significant time units are typed in first. They move left to make room for less significant
numbers. You can stop pressing numbers as soon as the number displayed is the time value you
want. Press ENTER to make the number stick (become the Locate Time). You do not have to
fill in all the digit positions if your desired time value does not require it. However, you may
have to add zeros onto the end of a time, even if you do not care about that level of precision, in
order to move the most significant numbers into the hours or bars position, for example.
Editing Times
Press the EDIT TIME button to make changes to a number that has already been entered into the
Locate Time. The least significant time unit (set of digits) will become editable first and will
flash in the display. To move to a different time unit field to change those digits just press EDIT
TIME again as many times as needed. You can increment and decrement the flashing digits with
the +/NEXT and -/PREV buttons or with the Wheel. Or you can simply type in the numbers for
the value you want. The new number presses are added to the right of the displayed time unit
field. The whole point of the EDIT TIME feature is to be able to just modify a part of the number
without having re-enter digits that are not changing, so typing more numbers than will fit into the
editable time unit just causes the left most number to be discarded.
Adding and Subtracting Times
You can add or subtract a manually entered number from the Locate Time by preceding the entry
with +/NEXT or -/PREV. Make sure the Locate Number is fully entered (or recalled, or edited as
needed) then press the operand you need and follow with a time value as described in Entering
Numbers Directly above. Follow as always with the ENTER button, and the Locate Time will be
updated with the results of the calculation. It is not possible to add and/or subtract two recalled
times. When the TC Frame rate is in drop frame, the operands are converted to non-drop frame,
added/subtracted, and the result converted to drop frame.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Numeric Keypad on the Remote 48Numeric Keypad on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Enter Time into Locate Time
Enter Time & Locate w/o overwrite
Instant Locate to any time
• Locate performed but Locate Time not
overwritten.
Enter Time & Store LOC w/o overwrite
• Store performed but Locate Time not
overwritten.
Enter Time & Store Cue w/o overwrite
• Store performed but Locate Time not
overwritten.
Edit Locate Time value
######… ENTER
• LOCATE TIME display cleared when you
start entering numbers, and numbers shift
left into the display.
• Rightmost dot in display flashes until the
sequence is terminated with ENTER.
• If an incomplete time code address is
entered (e.g. 10:22), the most significant
digits are padded w/zeros after ENTER is
pressed.
• Pressing CLEAR at any time while
entering numbers acts as a backspace.
Clearing the last digit out of the display
effectively cancels the operation, and the
previous LOCATE TIME display is
displayed.
######… LOCATE
• Same as above except that hitting Locate
immediately locates to the time you typed
in, and old Locate Time re-appears
######… STORE
LOC n, Pre Roll, Loop, or PUNCH
• Number entry as described above
######… STORE ### ENTER
• Number entry as described above
EDIT TIME (one or more times)
###, WHEEL, + /NEXT, or -/PREV
ENTER
• Press the EDIT TIME button to move
through the respective Time Unit fields
Entered Time +/- Entered Time
Time Code Calculator
• Adds or subtracts last value typed into LOCATE
TIME display to or from the next-to-last value
typed into LOCATE TIME display.
Locate Time +/- Entered Time
Time Code Calculator
• Adds or subtracts last value typed into LOCATE
TIME display to or from the (previously
displayed) Locate Time.
Locate Time +/- Previous Operand
Time Code Calculator
• Adds/subtracts previous operand to current
Locate Time value.
##### +/NEXT or -/PREV
###### ENTER
• Displays the results of the calculation
• ENTER is the equivalent of the Equals (=)
operator.
• CLEAR works as described above.
• If a number is typed in and then + or – is
typed, the next number pressed clears the
display to start the next numeric entry
sequence.
+/NEXT or -/PREV ######
ENTER
+/NEXT or -/PREV ENTER
Technical Reference 69
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HDR 24/96
Storing Times on the Remote 48
The Autolocator is essentially a system for remembering and subsequently using certain important
time points in an audio project. For the HDR to remember times you must store them:
Cues 0-999
Dedicated (numbered) Locates (LOC 1, LOC 2, LOC 3, LOC 4)
Pre-Roll time
Loop Length
Punch Length
On the Remote 48 the general Locate Time is actually the workspace where times are "prepared" for
storing. Since times values can be brought into the Locate Time from direct entry or recalled values,
then edited, this classic Autolocator scheme is very flexible and clever. It is also possible to store the
Current Time with the HDR24/96, even without modifying the Locate Time. This feature is also very
handy, but it does not allow for time value editing.
NOTE: Always remember that numbers displayed in the LOCATE TIME window may not actually
BE the Locate Time. On the HDR, time values in the process of being recalled may be previewed in
this display, or you could be seeing a time value that you typed-in but which has not yet been entered.
Always conclude the setting of the Locate Time with the ENTER button before trying to store it.
What to Store
Press STORE once to select the Locate Time, and press STORE a second time to select the Tape
Time (Current Time) for the store operation. Press CONTROL+STORE as a short cut for
selecting the Current Time. A flashing dot in the right of the TAPE TIME or LOCATE TIME
display indicates the time selected for the operation. The LED above the STORE button will also
be flashing. You can also press STORE a third time to cancel the operation.
Where to Store It
Now you need to press the button(s) to indicate where to store the value. For the numbered
Locates simply press LOC 1, LOC 2, LOC 3 or LOC 4. Press PRE ROLL for the Pre-Roll Time;
press LOOP for the Loop Time; and press PUNCH for the Punch Length.
For Cues the entry involves a button sequence. You press from 1 to 3 numbers followed by
ENTER. Cues can range from 0 to 999. Note that the Cue number appears in the Cue display
and not in the LOCATE TIME window. It is not necessary to type in leading zeros for Cues as
the input is concluded with ENTER. Pressing the last key in the Store sequence transfers the
value of Locate or Tape Time to the destination register and turns off the blinking LED above the
STORE button.
Note that setting the Loop or Punch Lengths means the HDR adds that length to earliest Loop or
Punch point already set and modifies the value of the later point, generally LOC 2 or LOC 4,
respectively. Subsequent editing of the Numbered Locates for looping or auto-punching will then
modify the corresponding length. If you know the length of a loop or punch region, another way to
set it is to recall the earlier numbered LOC value and add the length to it before storing the result to
the second numbered LOC.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Store on the Remote 48Store on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Store Locate Time to Locate n STORE LOCATE n
STORE STORE LOCATE n Store Tape Time to Locate n or CTRL+STORE LOCATE n
Store Tape Time to Locate Time CAPTURE
Store Locate Time to Punch Length
• Value of Punch End Time = Punch Start Time +
Locate Time
Store Locate Time to Loop Length
• Value of Loop End Time = Loop Start Time +
Locate Time
Store Locate Time to Pre-Roll STORE PRE ROLL
Store Locate Time to Cue n STORE ### ENTER
Store Tape Time to New Cue
• Quick Cue Set !!!! (New Cue)
Store Locate Time to Cue in Cue List STORE
• Quick Cue Reset !!!! (Existing Cue Edit)
Enter Time & Store w/o overwrite ######… STORE LOCATE n,
Enter Time & Store Cue w/o overwrite ######… Store ### ENTER
STORE PUNCH
STORE LOOP
STORE STORE ### ENTER Store Tape Time to Cue n or CTRL+STORE ### ENTER
STORE CAPTURE
+/NEXT, -/PREV, or WHEEL
ENTER
STORE STORE ENTER Store Tape Time to Displayed Cue
or CTRL+STORE ENTER
PRE ROLL, LOOP, or PUNCH
STORE STORE STORE Cancel Store
STORE (+/NEXT, -/PREV, WHEEL,
and/or ###) STORE
Recalling Times on the Remote 48
Press the RECALL button to call up the value of stored time locations/values into the LOCATE
TIME display. The LED above the RECALL button blinks while Recall is in progress, and goes off
after Recall is executed or canceled. The following time values can be recalled:
Cues 0-999
Dedicated (numbered) Locates (LOC 1, LOC 2, LOC 3, LOC 4)
Pre-Roll Length
Loop Length
Punch Length
Last Play Start (PLAY button recall)
Each of the time values that have a dedicate button can be brought into LOCATE TIME display for
preview with a single press of that button. For a Cue, press the necessary number button(s) without
leading zeros. If you try to type in a non-existent Cue, then the LOCATE TIME displays dashes
(“- - -“) until a valid Cue or other stored value is selected. Press ENTER to commit the recalled value
to the Locate Time. Unlike the Store process, Recall must always be confirmed with the ENTER
button. This is because Recall offers a preview feature, where stored values can be viewed without
Technical Reference 71
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HDR 24/96
overwriting the Locate Time. When the ENTER button is pressed, the Locate Time is changed. To
cancel, don't press ENTER, but instead press RECALL a second time. The LED above the RECALL
button goes off after Recall is executed or canceled.
Recall on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Recall Locate n to Locate Time RECALL LOCATE n ENTER
Recall Punch length to Locate Time RECALL Punch ENTER
Recall Loop length to Locate Time RECALL LOOP ENTER
Recall Pre-roll Time to Locate Time RECALL PREROLL ENTER
Recall Last Play to Locate Time RECALL PLAY ENTER
Recall Cue n to Locate Time RECALL ### ENTER
Recall Next/Prev Cue to Locate Time RECALL +/NEXT or -/PREV
ENTER
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
Recall Cue from Cue List to Locate Time RECALL
+/NEXT or -/PREV, or WHEEL
ENTER
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
Cancel Cue List or Register Recall/Preview RECALL +/NEXT, -/PREV,
WHEEL, ###, PRE ROLL, PUNCH,
LOOP, PLAY (Last Play), and/or
LOCATE n) RECALL
Cancel Recall/Preview RECALL RECALL
Previewing
Using Recall, the user can preview any stored time value from the LOCATE TIME display
without overwriting the current value of Locate Time. After hitting RECALL, you can type in
Cue numbers, press Numbered Locate keys, press PUNCH (for auto-punch length), press LOOP
(for Loop length), press PRE ROLL (for Pre-Roll length), or press PLAY (for time of Last Play)
in any order, for as many parameters as you are interested in seeing. If looking at multiple Cues,
type in all three digits (with leading zeros if needed) and as each Cue number entry becomes
complete the LOCATE TIME display will change. It is also possible with a Cue displayed to
then “walk-through” all the Cues with the +/NEXT and -/PREV buttons, or simply scroll the list
of Cues with the WHEEL. At any time during a Preview the displayed value can be committed to
Locate Time by hitting ENTER, or the operation can be canceled by hitting RECALL once again.
Preview on the Remote 48 ~ Uses LOCATE TIME display
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Preview Locate n RECALL LOCATE n
Preview Punch length RECALL PUNCH
Preview Loop length RECALL LOOP
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Preview on the Remote 48 ~ Uses LOCATE TIME display
Preview on the Remote 48 ~ Uses LOCATE TIME display
Preview Pre-Roll Time RECALL PRE ROLL
Preview Last Play Start Time RECALL PLAY
Preview Cue n RECALL ###
Preview Next/Prev Cue RECALL +/NEXT or -/PREV
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
Preview Cue list, Go-To Cue
• Locate performed but Locate Time not
overwritten.
Cancel Cue List or Register Recall/Preview RECALL +/NEXT, -/PREV,
Cancel Recall/Preview RECALL RECALL
RECALL
+/NEXT or -/PREV, or WHEEL
LOCATE
• Press +/NEXT or -/PREV multiple times
or hold for more than 1 second to scroll
• Cues displayed chronologically. Cue List
wraps to top/bottom when end is reached
WHEEL, ###, PRE ROLL, PUNCH,
LOOP, PLAY (Last Play), and/or
LOCATE n) RECALL
Pre-Roll
Pre-Roll is the amount of time by which the transport location is offset when jumping to a Cue or
LOC point. If Pre-Roll engaged and set to something other than zero, the transport will locate to a
point ahead of the Cue or LOC time by the Pre Roll amount.
For example, if Pre-Roll is set to 00:00:04:00 (4 seconds) and Pre-Roll is enabled, selecting a Cue at
00:02:54:15 would cause the transport to jump to 00:00:50:15.
Pre-Roll is particularly handy if you have set the Cue or LOC to a defined point in the song, such as
where the guitar solo begins. Now you want to punch in over the guitar solo, but your player needs a
bit of lead-in before the solo starts to get in the groove. By engaging Pre-Roll, you can jump to your
Guitar Solo cue (perhaps you’ve set up an Auto Punch) and playback actually starts a bit earlier.
Pre-Roll time is always in SMPTE time, regardless of the time display selected.
Setting Pre Roll Time and Enabling from
the GUI
Pre-Roll time is set from the MIDI section of
the GUI Setup window:
• Windows | Setup or use the
keyboard shortcut [S
• Click the MIDI icon
• Use any of the standard time field
editing methods to enter the Pre-Roll
time.
HIFT
+1]
Technical Reference 73
73
HDR 24/96
Once a Pre-Roll time has been set, you can turn PreRoll on or off from the Transport menu by selecting
Use Pre-Roll.
Setting Pre Roll time and Enabling from the
Remote 48
• Enter the desired pre roll time from the number
pad
• Press ENTER to transfer the time to the Locate Time display
• Press STORE and PRE ROLL to store the Pre Roll time.
There is no method for setting the Pre Roll time from the HDR24/96 front
panel or Remote 24.
The Remote 24 and Remote 48 have a dedicated button for turning Pre-Roll
on and off. An LED above the PREROLL button will tell you when it’s
engaged.
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Engage Pre-Roll mode PREROLL
Preview Pre-Roll Time in Locate Time RECALL PREROLL
Recall Pre-Roll Time to Locate Time RECALL PREROLL ENTER
Store Locate Time to Pre-Roll STORE PREROLL
Pre-Roll on the Remote 48
AutoPlay mode
AutoPlay is a step-saving tool that automatically starts playback when you’ve jumped to a LOC or
Cue point, or anytime you reposition the Current Time by clicking in the GUI Track
area.
AutoPlay is toggled on and off with AUTO PLAY button
in either the GUI Tools panel or the Remote 48. The
AUTO PLAY button is located at the lower right corner of
the GUI Tools panel, next to the GUI transport buttons.
The other AUTO PLAY button is located in the upper right
of the MODES section of the Remote 48 (just to the left of
the Wheel). AutoPlay can not be activated from the front
panel or the Remote 24.
Auto Play is handy when you're jumping from Cue to Cue listening for
something in particular, or when you want to listen to a Cue start repeatedly without looping.
Restarting from a Cue repeatedly can also speed up multiple punching passes.
Auto Play can be combined with Auto Take
for quickly building up a bunch of alternate takes from which you’ll edit a solid track. Set a LOC or
Cue at a comfortable time before your punch-in point (or set up and enable a workable Pre-roll).
Then anytime you jump to that start point, the HDR is rolling.
Use this function with discretion. It can get annoying when it's on, and you've forgotten about it.
Generally it's best to enable Auto Play, use it, and turn it off.
(described in the Recording Operations section, page 83)
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Time Code Chase Time Code Chase
Engaging the Time Code Chase mode causes the HDR24/96 transport to follow time code (MTC or
Engaging the Time Code Chase mode causes the HDR24/96 transport to follow time code (MTC or
SMPTE) coming from an external master source. If disengaged, the HDR will go off line and will no
SMPTE) coming from an external master source. If disengaged, the HDR will go off line and will no
longer follow the incoming time code. Time Code Chase will only work if the correct cabling is in
longer follow the incoming time code. Time Code Chase will only work if the correct cabling is in
place to a generating time code source machine.
place to a generating time code source machine.
Engage the Time Code Chase mode in one of the following ways:Engage the Time Code Chase mode in one of the following ways:
• Click the CHASE TC button the GUI Tools Panel located in the
column just to the left of the Current Time display.
• Press the T. CODE CHASE button on the transport front panel. It’s
located at the far right of the row of buttons above the floppy disk
drive.
• Press the T. CODE CHASE button on the Remote 48. Look to the left
of the Transport.
There is no access to this function on the
Remote 24.
When Time Code Chase is engaged,
pressing the PLAY button causes the PLAY
button to blink, but the transport won’t start
playing until time code is received. It is not actually necessary to first put the slave HDR24/96 into
Play as it will take off by itself as soon as time code starts flowing. This is also true for the Stop, fast
wind, and locate functions, which all follow the time code master. The STOP, fast wind, and LOC
buttons also have no effect. Instead all transport control comes from the master (which is why they
have the names slave and master),
Lock-once-only when using unreliable time code
You can disengage TC Chase on the fly, however, without interrupting the HDR's transport
motion. This is handy if you're working with a poor quality or intermittent time code source,
for example a stretched analog audiotape or an analog channel from an inexpensive VCR. By
disengaging TC Chase after the HDR24/96 has locked to the external TC position, the HDR
can freewheel from then on, unaffected by the unstable time code. Synchronization may not
be perfect, but this is a means of working with problem time code.
NOTE: When operating in sync with external time code, you’d normally stop the HDR24/96
playback by stopping the time code master, not the recorder. If you’re recording when chasing time
code, pressing Stop or Play will punch out of recording.
ANOTHER NOTE: The HDR24/96 does not resolve its sample clock to incoming time code.
Although the HDR is constantly checking the status of the external TC when chasing, it only
establishes the transport time at the initial lock-up. Once the HDR transport has jumped to the time
code time and started running, it counts the passage of time on its sample clock (whatever source has
been designated), while continuously monitoring the incoming time code. It will stay "locked" as
long as the time code doesn’t drop out or otherwise become corrupt for longer than ten frames.
During those ten frames the HDR will "freewheel," waiting for the TC problem to correct itself. If
the TC returns the HDR will continue to chase. If not, it will drop out of time code chase mode and
will stop.
Technical Reference 75
75
HDR 24/96
Lock Out
This is the “Keep your cotton pickin’ hands off the
machinery” switch. Engaging Lock Out disables all
the buttons on the front panel(s), Remote 24,
Remote 48, footswitch, and all GUI selections and
keyboard shortcuts. The only things you can do to a
Locked Out HDR24/96 are unlock it or switch off
its power. The Lock Out function can be accessed
from the GUI or the Remote 48. Lock Out is not
available from the front panel.
The GUI Lock Out button is hidden all the way down in the
lower right corner of the screen. Click on this tiny Lock icon to
lock or unlock all operations. The button blinks when Lock Out
is in effect.
When the List Panel is closed (full-sized Track area), this button is
very close to the Zoom buttons and the scroll buttons. A careless
click can shut you down. If everything has stopped working all of a
sudden, check this LOCK OUT button.
To engage the Lock Out from the Remote 48, hold down the LOCK OUT
button for 1 second. The LED above the button blinks when Lock Out is
enabled.
Shown above with Cue List Open
Vi deo Onl y
Lock Out isn’t totally foolproof. If Lock Out is engaged when the recorder is
powered down, it won’t be locked out when you power on again. If you’re in
the habit of locking your system but leaving it powered on in the studio.
You’ll be happy that it won’t power up locked when you take it out to record a
concert, sans Remote 48 or GUI gear.
Remote 48 Global
Controls
Upper Right Corner
76
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Recording Operations Recording Operations
Recording Procedure
Initiating a recording requires two separate operations:
Arming the desired track(s)
Engaging Master Record
This scheme of dividing the overall operation into two tasks is a convention on multitrack recorders
for several good reasons. Firstly, entering Record inadvertently is less likely. Secondly it gives the
recordist precise control over which tracks go into or out of record and when. Finally it gives you
visual cues to know that the right things are happening at all times.
Track Arming
Tracks are armed (enabled) for recording with the Record Ready buttons. On the front panel, these
are the REC buttons numbered 1-24 (corresponding to the tracks) located directly below the meters.
On the remotes, the Record Ready buttons are simply indicated with the Track numbers. On all of the
hardware interfaces there is also a red LED corresponding to each Record Ready button. On the GUI,
the button and the indicator are combined as a red "R" button in the Track Controls area at the left of
each corresponding Track. A blinking Record indicator indicates than a track is armed, but isn’t
presently recording. When recording commences, the blinking indicator glows steadily.
You can arm Tracks while the Transport is stopped or in motion, but the effect may be different.
Throughout the manual we use the terms "Armed' and "Record Ready" interchangeably, meaning the
Record Ready buttons are engaged. Record Ready buttons may also be referred to as Track Control
buttons (because they sometime do other duties).
Recording
The Master Record function can be engaged from the front panel, the remote controllers, the GUI, or
the keyboard. The GUI RECORD button and its keyboard shortcut operate differently than the front
panel or remote controllers. Further, the front panel and remote versions of the RECORD button
have two different modes of operation explained below.
Start Recording from the GUI
Click on the RECORD button.
- Or -
+8] (the asterisk *) on the top row of the alphanumeric keyboard. The * on the
Press [S
numeric keypad has a different function and does not double as a RECORD button.
If the transport is stopped – it will start running. If the transport is already running, it will
continue running. If tracks are armed when Master Record is enabled, recording will beginimmediately.
If no tracks are armed, Master Record Ready is enabled - indicated by a flashing RECORD
button - but actual recording will not begin. With the transport running in Master Record Ready
mode, clicking on an unarmed R (Record Ready) button will start recording on that track. Once
recording, the RECORD button and the R button for the newly armed and now recording track
will both light continuously.
HIFT
Technical Reference 77
77
HDR 24/96
CAUTION - Clicking on GUI RECORD button or using the keyboard shortcut begins recording
immediately on the armed tracks. If you’re punching-in on a track, you’ll have no pre-roll
(playback before recording starts). You might even record over an existing good part. While a
sudden start in Record may be fine for what you are doing, usually you’ll want to roll a few
seconds of “tape” by clicking the PLAY button prior to clicking on RECORD at the punch point.
This will give you and/or the talent a chance to get in the swing of things. Then again, with the
HDR24/96, you can always say “Oops! Wrong button!” and undo the recording, but better not to
scare your talent.
Start Recording from the Front Panel or Remote
See One Button Punch
to the method described in the following paragraphs.
If the transport is stopped and you want recording to start from that point, press and hold down
the RECORD button then press PLAY.
If the transport is either stopped or already running (playing) and you want recording to start at a
later point in time, press and hold the PLAY button just in advance of the desired recording point,
and press RECORD at the exact recording point.
If the transport is already running (playing) and you have previously set-up you system for One
Button Punch, press RECORD at the exact recording point. In One Button Punch there is no
need to use the second PLAY press to engage Master Record.
In all the cases just described, the Master Record mode is enabled. If tracks are armed, those
tracks will begin recording and their Record Ready lights will change from blinking to solid. If
no tracks are armed, then the RECORD button will flash.
With the transport running in Master Record only mode, pressing any unarmed Record Ready
button will start recording on that track. The newly armed and now recording track will then
show a continuously lit R button in the GUI.
Stop Recording from the GUI, Front Panel, or Remote
Press or click on the STOP button or use the keyboard shortcut, [S
recording and stops the transport, but armed tracks remain armed.
below for a description of an alternate recording method and a comparison
PACEBAR
].. This stops
Press or click on the PLAY button. This stops recording, but leaves the transport running and
armed tracks remain armed.
Press or click on any (solidly lit) armed/recording Record Ready button. This stops recording on
the newly disarmed track, but leaves the transport running.
NOTE: Stopping the transport, by any method including the STOP button, the [S
the cessation of external time code, will cause the HDR to drop out of Record mode. To record
again, you must again press the RECORD button.
If the recorder is chasing time code, pressing its STOP or PLAY button disengages the Master
Record mode on the recorder, but its transport will continue running (locked to external code) and
armed tracks will remain armed. Pressing STOP on the Time Code Master in your studio, or
otherwise stopping the time code to the slaved recorder, stops the transport and drops it out of
Master Record.
78
HDR 24/96
PACE BAR
], or
HDR 24/96
Punching In and Out
Punching in is the action of starting to record after the transport is already playing. Typically you’ll
be listening to previously recorded tracks, and then when the time comes, enter Record and start
pickin’. Punching out is the action of stopping recording after you’ve punched in.
You can punch in either by first arming a track then engaging Master Record at the punch point, or by
engaging Master Record, then pressing the track arming button at the punch point. Which method to
use depends on what you want to hear up to the punch-in point. See the Monitor Modes
this manual (page 84) for a description of the differences.
When using the GUI for controlling recording operations, remember that the RECORD
button starts both the transport and the recording. If you have armed track(s), remember to
allow some pre-roll and start the transport with the PLAY button, then click the RECORD button at
the punch-in point.
One Button Punch
There are two modes of operation for the hardware RECORD button. This applies to both the
remote controllers and the HDR24/96 front panel. The standard recording procedure requires that
both the RECORD and PLAY buttons be pressed simultaneously in order to enter the Record
mode. When One Button Punch is engaged, once the PLAY button has been pressed (“tape is
rolling”) only the RECORD button need be pressed to begin recording on armed tracks.
Note that this is different from entering Record from the GUI, where pressing the RECORD
button by itself starts the transport running. For the tactile interfaces both RECORD and PLAY
must always be pressed, but in the One Button mode, they need not be pressed simultaneously.
section of
One Button Punch can only be engaged from the GUI. Select One Button Punch from the
Transport menu.
Transport | One Button Punch
The One Button Punch mode is really handy for doing punches. A foot switch can also be set up
to act as a one-button punch switch, extremely handy when you’re both the player and the
recording engineer. See the Setup section for more information on both of these features.
Direct Track Punching
You can also punch-in with the Track arming buttons, which works well if you are recording onto
only a single track or if you need to punch into different tracks at different times. With Master
Record engaged (PLAY + RECORD), press the desired Record Ready (Track Arming) button.
Whether the HDR is Master Record armed or already recording on certain tracks, you can punch
in on currently unarmed tracks or punch out on currently recording tracks using their respective
Track Controls. On the front panel press the track's REC button. On either remote press the
track's numbered button. In the GUI, click on the R button in the Track Control area.
Slaved Recording
When the HDR24/96 is operating in the Time Code Chase mode, recording operations work just
as you’d expect. When Play begins as the result of the transport recognizing incoming time code,
Record is entered with RECORD+PLAY, or with the RECORD button alone when One-button
Punch is on. Similarly, if the HDR is in Master Record Ready, and the transport is chasing a
moving external time code, then pressing the Record Ready buttons for any given track will
engage or disengage recording on that track as explained in Direct Track Punching above.
In TC Chase mode, pressing the STOP or PLAY button on the slave recorder disengages Master
Record on the slave, punching out on that machine but leaving the transport running with armed
Technical Reference 79
HDR 24/96
tracks remaining armed. Stopping the time code (which usually means stopping the time code
master) causes the slave recorder to stop and drop out of Master Record.
If you have one Mackie HDR slaved to another using time code and you want to do a punch-in
that spans both machines (the whole orchestra on more than 24 tracks), remember that the two
Master Record buttons are independent. You must press both RECORD buttons to punch on both
machines.
In this situation, pressing the STOP button on the master will stop recording on both recorders,
and will also stop both transports. If you want to continue playback after the punch-out, you’ll
need to press the PLAY button on both machines.
The HDR24/96 always receives MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands that are sent
to its device number. See the Setup section
Track Arming and Master Record commands (among others) will be transmitted from one
recorder to the other. Arming a track on one will arm the same track number on the other.
Entering Master Record on one will put the other in Master Record. You could be recording where you don’t want to record! This is not a normal setup, but if you connect MIDI cables
and don’t check device IDs, you could find yourself in this situation. Device ID setting is found
in the Setup | MIDI menu.
for more details. If you have –
• Two Mackie hard disk recorders running in tandem with their MIDI IN and
OUT ports connected together,
• The Send MMC option turned on, AND
• Both units are set to the same Device ID, then…
Record Safe
Record Safe locks out all Record Ready and Master Record switches. Any tracks that are armed
become disarmed when Record Safe is activated. If the transport is running in Master Record mode
(whether actually recording or not), the record operation is canceled.
In the GUI, the Record Safe mode is located on the pull-down menu under Transport. The menu
item will be checked when on.
On the front panel, you’ll find the REC SAFE button above the floppy disk drive.
The REC SAFE button is located with the Global Track Controls on the Remote 48 (upper right), and
just to the left of the Locate controls on Remote 24.
Delete Last and Undo
Remember that you have some flexibility with Record operations. From the front panel and either
remote you can press the DELETE LAST button to toss away the recording you just made. This is a
destructive operation so you are prompted with the obligatory “Are you Sure?” in the LCD.
Another way to get rid of a bad take is to Undo it in the GUI Edit menu.
Edit | Undo Recording Pass
Or just press [C
You can even Undo recordings by navigating back in time on the History
If you Undo a recording pass you will be prompted about what the HDR should do with the audio that
was recorded. In the GUI you will get the following message:
TRL
+z]
list.
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Probably you will want to ditch the record pass AND the audio, so you would answer Yes. But you
may think the audio is marginal or even okay, and in that case answering No will get it off your track
display, but leave it in the Region List for possible later use. No is the default to avoid disastrous
goof-ups. Cancel will keep the recording pass intact.
Rehearse
Rehearse is a tool that you can use to determine if a punch-in at your chosen point will work, without
committing a recording pass to disk. In the Rehearse mode, upon entering Record
(Track Record Ready and the Master Record button pressed),
the monitoring switches from playback to input, just as in the
Auto Input On
is recorded. This is a carry-over from the days of destructive
punch-ins, when you might want to check to see if the punch
will transition smoothly before erasing the old track.
monitor mode. The difference is that no audio
Rehearse mode can be accessed from the GUI or the remote
controllers, but not from the front panel. To toggle Rehearse
from the GUI, click on the REHEARSE button. You’ll find it at the top right
corner of the GUI tools panel. From the remote controllers, press the
REHEARSE button.
Some users may never use this function because it’s always possible to undo a recording pass if you
make a bad punch on HDR. After all, why risk losing a take when it can be undone? But Rehearse
mode has a second function – to capture Auto Punch In and Out times.
Capturing Punch Points in Rehearse
When the Rehearse mode is active, the times at which you enter and exit the Master Record mode
are automatically captured in LOC3 and LOC4 respectively. If multiple punch ins and outs
happen during a single pass, only the last punch points are remembered. You need not have a
track armed to do this, but even if you do, you won’t actually record on that pass. Since the
Record Ready buttons don't affect Master Record mode, pressing them does not capture punch
points either.
Use this feature when you have the talent in the control room with you and you want to mutually
decide on a punch-in and out point. You can roll in the Rehearse mode and say, “Let’s go in
HERE, then go out THERE,” and those times will be captured for Auto Punch. When they get
back into the studio to actually play through the part, both you and the players will be on the same
page. There’s nothing that makes you feel dumber than to punch in when nobody’s playing.
Rehearse takes priority over Auto Punch or any other recording operation. Don’t forget to turn
off Rehearse when you get ready to do the Auto Punch. Otherwise, you won’t record anything.
Technical Reference 81
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Auto Punch (PUNCH)
In Auto Punch mode recording automatically starts and stops on armed tracks at preset punch-in and
punch-out times, just as if you had pressed the RECORD button. Auto-Punch is frequently used in
combination with the Loop
Typically this feature is used when you want to re-record a portion of a track. By setting up Autopunch points, you can be assured of punching in and out at the same spots every pass, protecting
yourself from accidentally recording over a good section of the track. By setting Loop points
surrounding the Auto-punch points, you can continuously repeat a punch until you get it right or
decide you need to practice the part some more.
The Auto-punch times are stored in LOC3 and LOC4 (page 62). While it’s logical to set LOC3 to the
punch-in time and LOC4 to the punch-out time, recording always starts at the earliest of the two
times, and stops at the later time.
In the GUI, when Auto-punch is enabled, the two Auto-punch markers indicated by the letter P are
displayed on the marker bar above the time bar. They disappear when Auto Punch is turned off. If
you prefer to adjust the punch points visually, you can drag their markers with the mouse.
(page 60) and Auto Take (below) functions.
In order to perform an automatic punch, the
PUNCH button must be engaged, the track on
which you’re punching must be in recordready, and the recorder must be running in the
Master Record mode (press RECORD and
PLAY or click RECORD in the GUI).
When in the Auto-punch mode, the HDR24/96
will actually Record only between the two
Auto-Punch on
the Remote 48
manual control over punching. You can stop recording by pressing either the STOP or PLAY button.
If you disengage recording with PLAY, you can re-enter Record mode by pressing the RECORD
button (the Transport must still be running – see note below).
Always start a new recording pass in front of the punch-in point. You cannot start a recording from
Stop within the Auto-punch region.
Automatic punching can only be set up, enabled, and disabled from the GUI or the remote controllers.
Once the punch-in/-out points are set, you can use either the front panel, GUI, or remote controllers to
control recording in the Auto-punch mode. PUNCH must be disengaged in order to manually control
recording operations outside of the Auto-punch area.
Auto-punch markers. Pressing the RECORD
button when the transport is outside of these markers has no effect other than to
arm for auto-punching. Within the Auto-punch region, you actually have some
Auto-Punch in the GUI
Auto-Punch on the Remote 48
Autolocator Action Remote 48 Key Sequence
Preview Punch length in LOCATE TIME
display
Recall Punch length to Locate Time RECALL PUNCH ENTER
Store Locate Time to Punch Length
• Value of Punch End Time = Punch Start +
Locate Time
RECALL PUNCH
STORE PUNCH
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Auto Take
Auto Take automatically increments the Active Take (virtual take) of the selected track when
recording multiple passes on the same track. Auto Take will increment all tracks that are enabled for
recording. Check out page 30 for a descriptions of takes.
NOTE: You may want to manually establish that
all recording tracks are set to the same take
number before engaging Auto Take. Otherwise
you may have trouble making sense of related takes.
NOTE: The Active Take is incremented when the
next recording pass begins, not at the end of the
current recording pass. That means that the last
Take Number will still be displayed at the moment
when you engage Record, and it willchangeafter the recording pass starts. It will not change if it has been
set manually since the last recording pass.
BIG NOTE: Take 8 on any given track is the wrap around point for the Auto-take function. If you
don’t stop recording after Take 8, your next recording pass will land back on Take 1. If you have a
previous take on Take 1, you will cover it up. Even though that take is still in the Region List, it will
be messy to re-discover it and get it into sync where you had it. Better still, if you have any previous
takes you might want to save, then stay aware of the Take Count on each track is even while letting
the Auto Take system do its work.
Auto Take mode is often used in conjunction with looping and Auto Punch for convenient repeated
recording of alternate takes of a section. Establish the Numbered Locates for the loop, and the punch
in and out. Arm the desired Tracks, ideally starting on the same take number. Then engage the Loop,
Auto-punch, and Auto Take modes and hit PLAY+RECORD. Make sure the talent is ready!!!
Record Time Left
This readout (the Fuel Gauge) displays the remaining recording time in hours, minutes, and seconds
available on the active disk drive. This lets you know if there’s enough remaining disk space for your
next take. On the GUI, it’s located in the upper left corner of the Tools panel. On the front panel, it’s
the last line of the main display in the LCD (you may have to press a button to wake-up the LCD).
The calculation of available recording time takes into account the sample rate and bit depth as well as
the number of tracks armed for recording. With no tracks armed, the time is calculated for the worst
case, as if your next record pass will be on all 24 tracks. Once a track is
armed, the available time displayed changes, dividing the total amount of
free drive space by the number of tracks armed.
Try it. Look at the time with no tracks armed, then arm one track and you’ll
see the available time increase dramatically. Now, arm a second track and
you’ll see that the time has been cut in half. Arm two more tracks and it’ll
Fuel Gauge in GUI
cut in half again. You’ll get the idea.
Technical Reference 83
HDR 24/96
Monitor Modes
The all important record monitor function has three operating modes. The HDR24/96 switches its output
between playback and the input source as appropriate for the particular task you’re performing – setup,
rehearsal, tracking, or punch-ins.
When we say that a track “monitors” input or playback, we’re talking about what comes out the
recorder’s output connector. This terminology, as well as monitor input and playback switching, makes a
whole lot of sense if your console is configured so that you’re always monitoring the recorder’s outputs.
On the GUI, the All Input and Auto Input monitor mode buttons are located below the track information
area, at the lower left corner of the screen. They can also be selected from a pull-down menu under
Transport.
On the front panel, the ALL INPUT and AUTO INPUT buttons are located in the area above the floppy
disk drive. On the Remote 48 they're next to the Track Arming buttons, and on the Remote 24 they're just
above the STOP button.
All Input
All Input is most often used for rehearsal and level setting. When All Input is on, both armed and
unarmed tracks monitor their inputs, and the Auto Input setting has no effect. When All Input is off,
the output monitoring is determined by the Auto Input function.
Auto Input
Auto Input is used for recording. Auto Input affects only tracks that are in Record Ready (i.e.
“armed”). Tracks that are not armed monitor the playback of previously recorded audio. To use Auto
Input mode, the All Input mode must be turned off.
Auto Input On
When Auto Input is on, any time the transport is
not in Play only (i.e. in Stop, Fast Forward,
Rewind, or Record), tracks armed for recording
have their inputs routed directly to their outputs for monitoring. When the transport is in Play,
you will hear a playback of the recorded tracks regardless of their armed status. Auto Input
monitoring mode is used primarily for tracking and
overdubbing in a music studio. Any time other than during
actual playback, you can hear and set recording levels for
the talent in the studio. Engage Play and the talent can hear
material previously recorded on the track up to the punch-in
point, or you and the talent can quickly review what's been
recorded without having to fiddle with the monitor mode.
When punching-in to an existing track with Auto Input on,
you’ll hear the old track up until you punch (actually begin
recording), then you’ll hear what you’re recording until you
drop out of record. If you want to listen to what you’ve just
recorded, all you need to do is rewind and play. This is the
handiest mode most of the time, and it’s the default mode
when you power up the HDR24/96.
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Auto Input Off
When Auto Input is off, armed tracks always monitor their Inputs. This mode is used primarily
for rehearsing an overdub to locate a good punch-in point. It’s also useful for punching in when
you don’t want to hear the recording on the track leading up to the punch-in point, but prefer or
need to hear what's live in the studio. For example, you're punching in at the middle of a section,
but the player want to start at the top and hear himself live, not his previous recorded version of
the track.
Solo and Mute
Solo is normally a one track at a time function, but if you want to hear a duet or the whole rhythm
section, [S
with a single-click be selecting Solo Latch from the Options pull-down menu. If your solos
appear to be misbehaving, check this option to be sure it isn’t engaged.
HIFT
+click] on the solo buttons to solo multiple tracks. You can also solo multiple tracks
Mute turns off the output of selected tracks. [S
Mute is also accessible from the front panel by pressing the TRACK button. Select Mute from the
second page of the TRACK menu. Track numbers (units digit only) will be displayed.
The << >> SELECT buttons move the cursor (underscore _) to select the track to mute or unmute. The (-)DEC and (+)INC buttons toggle the Mute status on the track indicated by the cursor.
An asterisk (*) is placed below the number of a muted track in the LCD.
NOTE: When only one track is soloed, clicking on its Solo
button again un-mutes all the other tracks and returns monitoring
to normal. If more than one track is in Solo, clicking on any
soloed track will change its status to Mute. Tracks only un-mute
when the last Solo is turned off. When any track is in Solo, the
muted tracks cannot be un-muted by clicking on their Mute
buttons. Also, Mutes override Solos. It’s possible to have a track
in both Solo and Mute status at the same time, in which case you
won’t hear that track. If this all sounds confusing, experiment.
You’ll catch on.
Solos and Mutes are the last link in the monitoring chain, so the
don’t affect metering, and can be used during recording. Most recording consoles have solo and mute
controls so be sure you are aware of which ones you’ve used.
HIFT
+click]ing does not apply to muting.
Technical Reference 85
HDR 24/96
Metering
Monitoring the recording level is essential to the success of any recording session. The HDR offers a
number of options for indicating recording levels at a glance. The front panel 12-step LED meters present
a peak-reading display, while the GUI high resolution, on-screen meters emulate a plasma-type display
with some cool ballistic response options. The REM24 remote controller lets you take your meters with
you to keep an eye on one selected track’s level.
Each meter always displays the output level of its associated track, therefore the meters follow the
monitor mode. When you’re monitoring the input (All Input or Auto Input with tracks armed and
transport idle or recording) the meters display input level. When monitoring playback, the meters display
the recorded signal level. In short, if you’re hearing it, the meters are displaying it. Almost – the meters
ignore track Solo and Mute settings, and just go about their business even if you can’t hear what they’re
indicating.
Nominal reference level for the meters is -18 dBFS. In other words, a meter will read -18 when a signal
level of +4 dBu RMS is applied to the analog input. When the meters are indicating peak level, the
output is a whopping +22 dBu. Be sure the rest of your system has sufficient headroom to handle this
level.
GUI Meters
Meters are generally displayed while tracking, though they’re rarely needed during editing operations.
That’s why, to save screen real estate, the meters share space with the Tools panel. The Meters panel
is opened by clicking on the Meters tab or by selecting Windows | Meters from the pull-down
menu. The meter panel displays 24 meters with a 50 dB range. The GUI meters have higher
resolution (fewer dB per step) than the front panel meters.
Optimum signal to noise ratio and resolution is achieved when recording levels hover somewhere
between -15 and -2 dBFS most of the time. Remember, though, that music is supposed to have some
dynamic range. Don’t worry if the meters go below –30 during the quiet parts, as long as they get
pretty close to 0 during the loud parts.
GUI Meter Ballistics – Peak and Average Modes
There are several variations for GUI the metering display. The two selections pertaining to
metering are Meter Mode and Peak Hold. You’ll find them under the Options menu. Peak Hold
is an on/off toggle. Meter Mode offers choices for meter ballistic response.
Options | Meter Mode | Peak / Average(VU) / Both
Options | Peak Hold
When Peak Meter Mode is selected, the meters have a fast response time and jump upscale
quickly in response to transient sounds.
Average Meter Mode has a slower response, somewhat like an analog VU meter. The meters
move more smoothly than in the Peak mode, representing the average signal level.
Which to use? Most people like watching VU meters, but in the digital world, peak-responding
meters are really more informative. Since they inform you of every peak as it comes along, you
have a reliable warning that you’re recording too hot or not hot enough. The choice is yours.
You can learn to set levels accurately either way.
But wait! You can have it both ways! Selecting the third metering mode, Both, adds a second
vertical bar representing the average level, just to the right of each peak-responding meter.
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This is really quite an informative display. By observing the difference between the peak and
average levels, you can get a sense of the apparent loudness of a track. We perceive loudness
based on average, rather than peak level, yet we are restricted, by the nature of digital recording,
to a peak level of 0 dBFS. The closer the average level comes to the peak level, the louder the
track will appear to sound. A track that has its average level riding near its peak level will sound
loud and dense, while one that has peaks consistently and considerably higher than the average
level will sound quieter.
Lastly, under the Options menu you’ll find Peak Hold. When this is option is ON, the fall time of
the top segment of the peak-reading meter display is slowed to a crawl, so you can more easily
see how high the peaks reached even after they’ve gone away. Peak Hold functions even when
you’ve selected the Average metering characteristic. Think of it as a hidden peak meter behind
the averaging meter, with just its top segment visible.
Get familiar with all the meter modes. Use the one that gives you the best results based on the
type of material you’re recording.
Clip (Overload) Indicator
The numbers above the GUI meter columns not only indicate the track to which the meter
corresponds, but also indicate, by changing from white to red, that one or more samples recorded
on that track has reached full scale digital level, and that clipping may have occurred. Unlike
some peak indicators which self-clear after several seconds, these remain red and blinking until
you attend to them.
Reset a Clip indicator by clicking on the red number. Click and drag across the numbers to clear
multiple indicators. The Clip indicators clear automatically upon entering Play since they are
only significant when recording.
Front Panel meters
Like the GUI meters, the 24 front panel LED meters cover the range of –50 dBFS to 0 dBFS (clip).
Like a conventional VU meter, the scale has greater resolution (fewer dB between steps) the closer
you get to full scale. The upper LED in each column is marked OL (Overload) and when that flashes,
you’ve reached digital full scale, with possible clipping.
The dynamic response of the meters has been designed so that they indicate peak levels of very short
duration, yet will give you a good indication of average recording level. If the OL light goes on very
rarely, that’s probably OK, but you should check for clipping. If you see one flashing regularly, like
keeping time along with the beat of a drum, back off on the recording level. Your tracks will be
cleaner.
Technical Reference 87
HDR 24/96
Regions and Audio Files
Regions
Regions can be pieces of audio, recordings, sound segments, files, or about fifteen other things. In
fact, they have been called many different things in different systems.
Technically, a region is a text or graphic representation of an entire audio file or some portion thereof.
Each region contains editable start and end boundaries (or borders), that define where within the
audio file, playback is to start and end (or where Region Looping is to start and loop). Essentially
these boundaries are used to trim off any sludge at the head and tail of the region.
A Playlist is a playback schedule (chronological list) of regions on all the available tracks within a
Project. Each region in the Playlist has a start time (or position) at which it begins playing on its track
as measured from the start of the Project. As mentioned, only the portion of the original audio file
that falls within the editable boundaries of the Region will play at that time.
So the audio is in a file, but the know-how to play it back is in the "region." Thus, the Region in the
HDR is the fundamental unit for recording, playback, and editing.
Whenever a recording pass is made, a Region consisting of the entire audio file is created. Visually,
this appears as a block (or “occupied region”, hence the name) in the Track area of the screen,
extending horizontally from the beginning to the end of the recording. Right after the recording pass,
playback of the new Region will include the entire originally recorded audio file.
Simultaneously, the name of the Region is added to the Regions List. The list is a bookkeeping
system which allows you to access any recorded region in its entirety – no edits, with all its warts – at
any time, should you wish to re-edit it or use it in another place in the project, or even in a different
project. Its name is inherited from the Track upon which you recorded it, so it is still (at this point)
quite clear that the two regions refer to the same recording.
Block Regions on the Track display and the Region List shown at the right
Any Region on the Track can be trimmed to represent and playback only a portion of the audio file
for playback. Grab and slide the edges of a Region with the mouse to modify its playback boundaries
(this does not, by the way, stretch or compress the actual time to play the whole file). Or "open" the
Region into the Region Editor where various parameters can be modified. Further, you will create
new regions (still using the same recorded audio) by cutting, copying, and/or pasting sections of an
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existing region. You can split Regions as well. These editing tools and procedures are covered
existing region. You can split Regions as well. These editing tools and procedures are covered
primarily in the Clipboard Editing
primarily in the Clipboard Editing
Since the region boundaries are merely pointers indicating what portion of the original recording to
play, any region can always be expanded all the way back to the original size of the complete audio
file.
You’re free to move regions anywhere in the playlist. Just because the tuba was recorded on Track
23 doesn’t mean it has to remain there forever. You can move or copy that region to a different track
and that’s where it will come out when you play the project.
Region Appearance
Regions caught in the act of being recorded are drawn as red rectangles, but are shortly
transformed into either the waveform display or solid filled rectangular blocks after recording has
ceased depending on whether or not View Waveforms is enabled (Options menu). The various
visual shades of unselected, selected, locked, and cross-faded regions will become apparent to
you after working within the track area for a while.
When a region is Locked, (which prevents editing or moving until unlocked) its background
changes to a dark gray. A red border appears around a locked region when you click on it to
select it for copying.
Region characteristics can also be viewed and modified from the Region Editor, which will be
discussed in detail further on (page 116). Other graphics representations within a region’s
boundaries include fade curves, region loop points and the volume level envelope, all explained
in Region Editing.
(page 103) and Region Editing (page 110) sections.
The region's name appears in the upper left corner of the block, provided the screen resolution is
high enough to display the text. The name also appears in the Regions list.
Region Names
Regions are automatically named upon creation using the Track name followed by the “take,” a
sequentially numbered recording pass on that track. Still you may want to rename a region to
help keep your sanity when getting into heavy duty editing.
If the track name was Track 1 when you made the recording pass, the region name would be
Track 1_tk1. If the track name was Bass, the region name would be Bass_tk1. Each time you
make another recording pass on that track, the “tk” number increments.
Double-clicking on a region with the Hand tool pops up the Region Editor dialog box, where you
can rename the region. Note, however, that when renaming a Region, its original name on the
Region list does not automatically get updated. You are renaming a copy of the Region not the
source Region.
You can also rename your Tracks, to get meaningful Region names. Just note that renaming a
track after a region has been created does not automatically change the region’s name similarly.
The link between track and region names exists only when the region is originally created.
Because of this, it's usually good practice to name your tracks before you begin recording if you
want to be able to identify regions easily for editing purposes.
If your recording sessions are going to laid out similarly; for instance, if you’re recording several
sessions with the same band, then you can name your tracks and save the set-up as a Template
using the command:
Files | Save As New Template
Technical Reference 89
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HDR 24/96
In this way, each new Project that you start can already have the instruments or Mic names as the
Track names. From there newly recorded regions will get sensible names as well.
Note that some Tracks were named before recording
and some were left with default names.
Region List
The Region List is a list of all recorded passes,
imported audio files, captured regions, and
rendered tracks within a Project. It represents
the library of recordings on disk. Note that only
recordings are placed in the Region List, not
segments of a Region that have been split up for
editing purposes. Even if you have deleted a
region from a track, it’s still on the region list, so
you can easily recover it (place it back onto a
track somewhere).
The Region List is shown in alphabetical order.
This may be another consideration in your
track/region naming scheme.
A region can be placed onto a track by clicking on its name in the Region List and dragging it
into the Track Display area and on to the desired track. See adjacent figure.
A Region in the Region List can be renamed by double-clicking on its name field and typing the
new name. This does not automatically change the name of that region as already used in the
Playlist (the track area). However, when any renamed region is dragged from the Region List on
to a track, it will carry the new name.
An Audio Region is dragged from the list
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HINT: It is fairly easy to give a region in the track area the same name as you have given it in the
HINT: It is fairly easy to give a region in the track area the same name as you have given it in the
Region List (a very good idea when it gets to be 2 AM and nobody’s made more coffee), you can
Region List (a very good idea when it gets to be 2 AM and nobody’s made more coffee), you can
TRL+C
use the keyboard Copy [C
use the keyboard Copy [C
clipboard) from the Region List to the Name field in the Region Editor.
clipboard) from the Region List to the Name field in the Region Editor.
TRL+C
] and Paste [C
] and Paste [C
TRL+V
TRL+V
] commands to carry the new name (on the
] commands to carry the new name (on the
To Rename a Region in both the Region List and Tracks display (GUI only)To Rename a Region in both the Region List and Tracks display (GUI only)
Enter a new name in the Region List, and with it highlighted, press [C
TRL+C
] to copy it to the
clipboard.
Double-click on the region in the track area to bring up the Region Editor.
Double-click on the Name field in the Region Editor to highlight it.
TRL+V
Paste the name from the clipboard to the Region Editor by pressing [C
]
Close the Region Editor
NOTE: Edit functions such as copying and pasting, or drag-copying regions create new copies of
the region or portions of it in the track area but even if you’ve renamed them, they won’t appear
on the Region List since they are already there as part of other regions.
DOUBLY IMPORTANT! The Region List and the actual file names on disk are independent.
Renaming a Region doesn’t change the raw file name. Why is this so important? Because there
may be occasions when you’ll need to work directly with files. One is when you’re importing
audio recorded in another Project; another is when you’re moving files over the Ethernet to
another computer. When you’ve finally nailed the guitar solo, even though you’ve named it
“Guitar – This is IT” in the Regions list, the file will still be named the old, boring “Guitar_tk27”.
Capture Region
The Capture Region command creates a new Region in the Region List (but not a new audio file)
from a portion of an existing Region.
This is a convenient way of handling a segment of a track that you wish to use in multiple places.
It differs from copying in that it does not use the clipboard, and while it doesn’t create a new
audio file, it places the name of the captured segment on the project’s Region List where it’ll be
handy. One example might be to grab various bars of a drum track to have them available for
constructing different loops for the verse, chorus, and breaks.
Capture Region doesn’t work across region boundaries; the selected area must be from a single
region. If you have an edited section (for example a composite vocal track), which you want to
handle as a unit, use the Render Tracks command to create a single region from the edited section
before you Capture it.
Capture Region doesn’t work across region boundaries in the Playlist but it carries fades and
volume envelope changes that have been applied to it. The selected area must be from a single
region. If you have an edited section, for example a composite vocal track, which you want to
handle as a unit, use the Render Tracks command to create a single region from the edited
section.
To Capture a Region
Use the I-Beam tool to select the area of a region for capture
Select Capture Region from the Edit menu
Edit | Capture Region
…or use the keyboard shortcut [C
TRL
+r].
Technical Reference 91
91
HDR 24/96
You will be prompted to enter a name for your new Region. When capture is complete, the
selected area will appear on the Region List and can be dragged into the current project.
Capturing a Region
Render Tracks
The Render Tracks command is the functional equivalent of re-recording an edited track so that it
becomes a single region rather than a group of sequentially played regions on a playlist.
Rendering incorporates all fades, cross-fades, and volume envelope changes.
Rendering can simplify handling of a project’s tracks by replacing a track that has many complex
edits with a single, contiguous Region. Rendering is also useful when transferring a Project’s
tracks to another system. Since rendering tracks as a group creates a set of regions, which all
have the same start and end times, aligning the start of each file with a common marker (usually
the beginning of the song), assures that tracks will be synchronized.
A Rendered track is placed in the Project’s Rendered file folder and on its Regions List, from
where it can be dragged into the project track area, imported into another project, or exported to a
workstation.
When exporting files for further processing, Rendering all edited tracks, then exporting the
rendered files assures that tracks will be transferred with all edits intact. For compatibility with
other systems, tracks can be rendered either as WAV or AIFF files.
From the Render Tracks dialog box, you may choose to render all tracks or selected tracks, and
set the start and end times of the rendering operation. If you select a portion of a track or tracks
using the I-Beam tool, the Rendering start and end times default to the beginning and end times of
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
g
the selected area. If no area selection is made, default start time for rendering is the beginning of
the first recording in the project, usually around 0:00:00:00. Default end time is the end of the
last region displayed in the Track area, usually the end of the song. Using the defaults will assure
that the entire song will be rendered. Start and end times in the dialog box can be edited by any
of the standard time field editing methods.
Rendered tracks inherit their current track names, with “_Rendern” appended to the track name
where "n" is the number (starting with 1) of rendering operations performed on that track.
Rendered tracks can be renamed in the Region list or after being dragged into a track.
To Render Tracks (access from the Edit menu only)
There is no keyboard shortcut.
Optionally, start this operation by selecting a time range on a target track with the I-Beam
tool.
Optionally, [C
well.
Open the Render Tracks dialog
Edit | Render Tracks
Click on the radio button to indicate the Source Tracks for the Render Operation.
All or Selected Tracks
If you selected a time range before opening the Render Tracks dialog then the Start At:
and End At: times will already be set. You can also edit these times directly.
Select the output file format, either WAV or AIFF
Click on OK.
+click] on the Track numbers of any other tracks you want rendered as
TRL
Technical Reference 93
The Render Tracks Dialo
HDR 24/96
If you select AIFF format for rendering, the rendered file will be saved in the Project’s Rendered
folder, but since it is not in the HDR24/96’s native WAV file format, it will not appear in the
Region list. Should you wish to use a rendered AIFF file in a project, you may Import it (see
page 92).
Rendering creates new files. That means it requires disk space, often a lot of disk space. Make
sure you have enough space for those rendered files before you start. If you get into a bind, you
can render one track, delete all of its regions from the Playlist (delete them from the Track area),
drag the rendered track in to replace them, then Purge, then render another track. But everyone
knows bingeing and purging is no fun.
To see if you have enough disk space to render all your tracks, check the gas gage. Arm the
number of tracks for recording that you intend to render and check the Recording Time Available.
If it’s greater than the length of your song, you have enough space for the rendered tracks.
Importing Audio Files
In the HDR24/96, Regions are accessible only from the Region List belonging to the Project in
which they were originally recorded; you cannot view or directly access another Project’s Region
List. To bring recordings from another Project into the current Project, you must first Import the
audio files into the open Project. When you import an audio file, the HDR24/96 places a copy of
the original file in the Project’s Imported folder to keep the original recorded audio intact and safe
from deletion if you delete or purge another Project. Imported audio files appear in the Regions
List with their original file names. If multiple copies of the same source file are imported, the
names of the duplicates are appended with numbers (1,2, etc.).
You can import both mono and stereo interleaved WAV and AIFF files. When an AIFF file is
imported it is automatically converted to a WAV file. Stereo interleaved AIFF and WAV files
are converted to two mono files.
To Import audio files into the open Project (GUI operation only):
Select Import Audio Files from the File menu, or use keyboard shortcut
In the upper right use the Drive Select list to pick the drive containing the Project from
which you want to import files.
Use the Location list box to navigate down to the Project folder on that disk. You can go
back up a level with the Up Arrow button next to the list box.
If you’re importing files from a Mackie Media PROJECT drive and have changed cartridges
since booting the HDR24/96, you will need to click on the REFRESH button in order to view
the directory of that disk.
Double-click on the Project name to open its folder (or single-click and use the OPEN
button). You will probably be importing from the "AudioFiles 1" folder, so double-click on
that to display the list of audio files.
The File Types list box is a list display filter, allowing All file names, only WAV files, or
only AIFF files to appear on the list. If you’re working with HDR24/96 files, they’re all
WAV, so you’ll see nothing if you select AIFF.
Once you've navigated the HDR24/96 directory tree, and located the folder containing the
files you wish to import, then select the source file(s) from the file list.
[ALT+I]
.
ClickOpen. You can import WAV and AIFF files at the same time.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
Purge Unused Files Purge Unused Files
The Purge Unused Files utility compares the contents of the Project’s AudioFiles folder(s) with
The Purge Unused Files utility compares the contents of the Project’s AudioFiles folder(s) with
the Project’s Playlists, and deletes any audio files, which do not appear on any Playlist for the
the Project’s Playlists, and deletes any audio files, which do not appear on any Playlist for the
Project. This is a cleanup tool can be used to recover some disk space after you’ve recorded
Project. This is a cleanup tool can be used to recover some disk space after you’ve recorded
several takes and decided that there are some definite non-keepers. Purge works on originally
several takes and decided that there are some definite non-keepers. Purge works on originally
recorded audio files, rendered files, and imported files
recorded audio files, rendered files, and imported files
If you’ve imported files from another project on the HDR24/96 and you haven’t used them in the
If you’ve imported files from another project on the HDR24/96 and you haven’t used them in the
current project, Purge will delete the copy in the current project folder, but will leave the file in
current project, Purge will delete the copy in the current project folder, but will leave the file in
the folder from which you imported it. That’s a good thing.
the folder from which you imported it. That’s a good thing.
Bear in mind that if you’ve used even the tiniest bit of a Take in an edit, the entire file for that
Bear in mind that if you’ve used even the tiniest bit of a Take in an edit, the entire file for that
Take is exempted from the Purge operation. If you want to economize on disk space and have
Take is exempted from the Purge operation. If you want to economize on disk space and have
heavily edited tracks, Render those tracks, replace the edited track in the Track area with the
heavily edited tracks, Render those tracks, replace the edited track in the Track area with the
Rendered version, and then allow the original tracks to be purged.
Rendered version, and then allow the original tracks to be purged.
To Purge Regions from the Project (GUI only):To Purge Regions from the Project (GUI only):
Select Purge Unused Files from the File menu.
The Purge Audio dialog box appears, asking whether you want to clear the History list and
Save the Project before proceeding with the Purge.
Select No to:
Preserve all of the recording and editing you have done since you last Opened (or
Purged) the Project and purge only Recorded Regions that were not present in the Playlist
at the time the project was Opened.
Select Yes to:
Clear the History list and Save the Project, allowing you to delete all Recorded Regions
that are not present in the Playlist. This is what you’ll normally want to do when
cleaning house.
The Purge Current Project dialog appears containing a list of all Recorded Regions that
qualify for purging (aren’t on any Playlist for that project). By default they’re all selected,
but you can de-select or re-select if you're having seconds thought about some of them.
Optionally, select the specific Regions you wish to Purge.
Click OK to delete all the highlighted files.
We really, really suggest, unless it’s absolutely necessary to free up disk space, that you save
Purge operations until you’ve finished mixing and are ready to put the project into
hibernation. Disk space is cheap. Studio time to re-record something you’ve purged by
mistake may not be so cheap.
Backing up and Restoring Audio
Backup and Restore operations appear here, because regions refer to audio and you may look here for
a way to copy the actual files. However Backup and Restore operations are both accomplished by
simply copying a Project from one disk drive to another, and this copy operation was covered in the
section on Project Management
• You cannot discretely save a single audio files or group of files. If you want to pick out a few
files for some specific purpose, then use the FTP services and pluck up the files from the
network.
(page 44).
Technical Reference 95
95
HDR 24/96
Editing Operations
Audio editing used to mean slicing up a recorded tape into pieces then re-assembling those pieces as
desired. So typically "editing" was about rearranging the order of what would play, or perhaps cutting out
some bad parts. In some instances it meant adding a part. Today, editing is all of those things and a
whole lot more. Working with audio data on random access media means that recorded material can be
edited (even copied) without degradation of the sonic quality, that the same recorded material can be used
more than once (even repeatedly), that edits can be made with remarkable precision at very detailed
levels, and that edits can be tried, discarded, or kept without destroying the original recording.
Editing on the HDR24/96 comes in two flavors, which are distinguished primarily by how things are
selected for manipulation. First there is the linear tape-recording view of the audio to be edited. In this
mode, Track Time is selected, that is, a range of time from here to there is selected on a given track or
tracks. This is not much different than choosing two points, a start point and an end point, on a tape.
The second mode of selecting is to work with audio objects that are defined by the punch-in/out
operations of the recorder or by other editing operations. If you’re an old hand at audio workstations,
you’re probably already familiar with the concept of Regions. Region is the term used on the HDR24/96
for an audio playback object. If on the other hand, you are an old hand at tape recording, imagine that
every time you punch in and out, Cue points are automatically created to mark the boundaries (head and
tail) of the recording. To work with that recording it is not necessary to select from-here-to-there on the
tape, because the recorder has already memorized where and what that region of audio is. Once you
begin treating that bit of audio as its own beast, then you can consider trimming its length, adding fadein/out characteristics, cutting it out of its track, or making and using copies of it elsewhere, for example.
Whichever way you look at it, remember that editing is the process of moving or modifying regions, and
regions are what the Playlist is all about. So when you edit, you’re really editing the Playlist. This is why
saving the Project (with its Playlist) is so important – that’s where your edits are! It’s also how you can
have differently edited versions of the project – by saving multiple Playlists.
It should be mentioned here that almost all editing operations are performed only on screen
through the GUI, so with the notable exception of Cut, Copy and Pasting edits, all the discussion
in this section applies to GUI operations and displays only.
Track and Region Editing Tools
Your tool kit includes the I-Beam, Hand, Volume Envelope, Magnifier, and Scrub tools.
The I-Beam and Hand Tools are the primary tools for the linear cut-and-paste and region-based clickand-drag editing paradigms respectively. These are mutually exclusive modes. The Volume
Envelope editor is special Region manipulation tool that adjusts the volume of the Region over time.
The Magnifier and Scrub wheel aren't really editing tools per se, but instead are aids in the editing
process. Use the Magnifier to zoom in on the area of interest. Use the Scrub Wheel to position the
transport and to find precise edit points. Note: the Scrub tool interacts closely with the I-Beam tool.
We’ll discuss this later.
An editing tool is selected by clicking on its button in the Tools panel.
Alternately, right-clicking in the track area of the screen brings up a
pop-up menu with a Tools option. Select Tools, then select the tool
you want to use. By using the pop-up menu, you can dig around in your tool box without taking your
eyes and hands off your work.
There are also keyboard shortcuts for the editing tools, which will help you to keep your eye on the
ball, and your nose to the grindstone:
96
HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
[t] – Toggles between the I-Beam and Hand tools.
[F1] – Selects the I-Beam tool
[F2] – Selects the Hand tool
[F3] – Selects the Volume Envelope tool
[F4] – Selects the Magnifying tool
Working with the History List Open
The History List contains a chronological list of all your editing operations, which can be viewed
occasionally or continuously, as you are editing, or recording. We’ll explain the History List in
detail further on, but we suggest that you open it and watch it grow as you experiment with
editing. Toggle it open or closed by clicking on the List View arrow at the right end of the
Time/Marker bar and selecting the History tab, by selecting History from the pull-down
TRL
Windows menu, or by using the keyboard shortcut, [C
+6].
You can find more information on the operation of the History List
34) describing the various List Panels
section on editing under History List and Undo / Redo
Selection
Region Selection (Hand Tool)
is particularly handy for stereo tracks, or all of the drum kit’s tracks.
A region is selected for editing by clicking anywhere in the region with the Hand tool. The Hand
tool’s function changes, depending on where it’s placed in the active region area, with its cursor
shape changing to indicate its function.
Every region starts and ends with a fade-in or fade-out and we’ll talk about them in more detail
later in this section. When the Hand Tool cursor is placed on either end boundary and above the
region's centerline its shape changes to a quarter-circle and it becomes a fade adjustment tool,
allowing you to extend or reduce the fade time by dragging the boundary of the fade region.
When the Hand Tool cursor is placed on an end boundary below the region's centerline, it
changes to a double-ended arrow and becomes a re-sizing tool to shrink or stretch (up to the full
recorded length) the end boundaries of a region.
Within the region boundaries, the Hand Tool displays the hand cursor and is used for dragging
the entire region.
The Hand tool is used for selecting (grabbing), moving, and resizing regions, plus
changing fade-in and fade-out curves. The hand tool works on single or multiple
regions, so it's possible to move or re-size a group of selected regions at one time. This
, and an even more detailed discussion at the end of this
(page 120).
in the GUI Overview (page
A region or regions (selected as group) may be dragged around with the Hand tool and dropped
on top of blank track area, on top of other regions or a little bit of both. The Splice and Crossfade functions affect the way a region will intersect or overlay another region. These functions
are described in the Nudge and Region editing tools sections, along with the other audio cookie
cutting tools.
Multiple Region Selection
Regions follow the usual conventions of multiple selection and de-selection. Multiple
regions can be selected and operated upon as a group (moving, deleting, resizing, or changing
cross-fades) by [C
TRL
+click]ing on each region of the desired group with the hand tool.
Technical Reference 97
HDR 24/96
Alternately you can wire-frame select Regions by clicking in an empty part of the Track area,
or by [A
to select. This method selects every Region both inside and intersecting the wire frame.
Double-clicking on a track number selects all the regions in the active take of that track. If
the track is expanded to show virtual takes, double-clicking on a take number selects all the
regions in that take regardless of whether it is the active take or not. Selecting all regions in a
take in this manner does not automatically make that take active.
[C
Volume Envelope (Node Tool)
playback volume of the region. The Node tool edits the region's playback volume and is not
active unless pointed at a region. It is not necessary however, to first select the Region with the
Hand tool.
When the Node tool is active, holding down the [Ctrl] key turns the pencil-shaped cursor into an
eraser used to delete nodes.
When View Envelopes is selected from the Options menu, any volume nodes that have been
placed on a track will be visible. Like the light bulb in the refrigerator, View Options turns on
automatically whenever the Node tool is selected, and unless you’ve turned it on manually, will
politely turn them off when you put away the Node tool. We’ll cover Volume Envelopes in detail
a bit later. See page 114.
LT
+click]ing over a Region, then dragging a wire frame around the Regions you wish
TRL
+a] selects all regions in the project.
The Node Tool allows you to adjust the playback volume of a region. When the Node
tool is active, the cursor changes to a pencil with which you can place and move nodes
in the volume envelope on any track. Lines connecting the nodes represent the relative
Area Selection (I-Beam Tool)
The I-Beam tool is used to mark the start and end times of an area for editing operations.
It operates on a single track, a group of already "selected" tracks, or all the tracks.
Click-and-dragging the I-Beam across a track selects an area on that track. The same
selection can be made on all tracks by click-and-dragging the mouse pointer across the time bar.
Note that when you release the mouse button, the Current Time jumps to the end of the selected
area.
Once an area has been selected, the area boundaries and position can be adjusted in several ways:
Placing the I-Beam cursor on either edge of a selection boundary turns the cursor into a doubleheaded arrow. When this arrow appears, click and drag the edge of the selection to move it. The
selection boundaries can also be dragged from the time bar at the top of the track area. The
selection is marked on the time bar by a gray band with its upper corners darkened. Those dark
corners are “handles” by which you can drag the selection ends.
TRL
+click] on the Start or End time field to capture the current transport time into that field.
[C
This can be done either with the transport stopped or while playing, to select an area on the fly.
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HDR 24/96
HDR 24/96
The entire selection (at its present length) can be repositioned by dragging the gray area on the
time bar.
Selection area on a single track
Multitrack Area Selection
To make the same selection on multiple tracks, after an area is selected on one track,
TRL
[C
+click] anywhere in another track’s area or on the track's blue selection button to
HIFT
duplicate the selection on the other track. [S
+click]ing on another track will duplicate
the selection on all the tracks between the first one selected and the one on which the mouse
pointer is clicked.
Selection Range Display
The Selection Range Start and End time fields in the Tools panel show start and end times of
the area currently selected via the I-beam tool. This time display is interactive with the
selected area. The area boundaries can be updated by editing the numbers in the time fields.
Conversely, as the selection boundaries are changed by dragging with the mouse, the time
fields are updated.
The time fields in the Selection Range Display can be edited in the GUI Tools panel as
follows:
Click on the desired field in the Selection Range
display to highlight the pair of digits you wish to
modify. Change the numbers by dragging the
mouse up or down over the highlighted digits or by
direct numeric entry from the keyboard. Navigate
between hours, minutes, and seconds fields with
the
[TAB
the data entry with the [E
] or [S
HIFT+TAB
] key or mouse. Complete
NTER
] key or by clicking
in the Tools panel background area.
NOTE: If you manually enter a Start time that is later than the current End time, or
conversely if you enter an End time that is earlier, the two times will be swapped – i.e. the
time you entered for End time will become the Start time and vice versa.. The switch does
Technical Reference 99
HDR 24/96
not occur until the operation is confirmed with the [E
panel background area.
NOTE: Whenever you single-click in the track area the Start and End times are both set to
the same value (as though you had dragged the I-Beam for zero length).
NOTE AGAIN: Okay this is just a little spooky. If you want to capture a selection on the fly
during playback, start by clicking in the track area while stopped ahead of your target
selection. As the transport progresses from that point, you can [C
field as the beginning of your selection rolls by and again on the START field as the end rolls
by. Remember that because of the swap feature, the latest time captured will always be the
End time. Of course you can also [C
without flopping the times. Repeatedly [C
Selection End time progressively without affecting the Start time. However repeatedly
[C
+click]ing on the START field uses the previous point you captured as the new Start
TRL
time and the current time as the new End time. On-the-fly selection is cool because it lets
you use your ears and your "feel" for the downbeat or rest instead of digging around visually
through a waveform.
Scrub Wheel
The Scrub Wheel button is the round wheel at the right-hand end of the group of editing
tool buttons. Its function is similar to “rocking the reels” of a reel-to-reel tape deck.
Scrubbing allows playback at slow speed, even in reverse, to locate an edit or punch-in
point the old fashioned way - by ear. The Scrub function is engaged by clicking on the Scrub
Wheel button to highlight it.
+click] on the END field to extend the selection area
TRL
TRL
NTER
] key or by clicking in the Tools
+click] on the START
TRL
+click]ing on the END field will extend the
The [s] key momentarily activates the Scrub tool, turning it off when you release the key.
When Scrub is engaged, click-and-dragging the mouse pointer horizontally along the Marker Bar
at the top of the track screen starts the transport playing on all 24 tracks. Dragging it to the right
plays forward, dragging it to the left plays backward. The mouse acts as a throttle - the further
you drag it, the faster the transport plays, up to full speed. By using a side-to-side motion with
the mouse and listening to the playback, you can zero in on a point in the track that you’re trying
to locate.
Scrubbing on the Time bar plays all 24 tracks. If you want to scrub just a single track, with the
I-Beam and Scrub tools both active, place the cursor over the track you want to hear, then click,
and scrub.
The Scrub Tool whenever scrubbing, whether over the Time bar or on a single track, always
adjusts the Selection Range. Even when the Hand tool is active and you are scrubbing in the
Time bar, the Selection Range is adjusted for use when the I-Beam might be re-activated. If you
want adjust the a specific selection edge in Scrub mode, then position the cursor over that edge to
where you see a left-right dual-pointing arrow-cursor, then click and drag.
Caution: Selecting the Scrub tool does not automatically deactivate the Hand tool. If you scrub on a region with the Hand
tool active, you won’t scrub, you’ll move the entire region. If
something on the track suddenly highlights in Scrub mode when you click on it, check the Tools
panel to see what tool(s) you're using. Scrubbing in the Marker Bar works the same regardless of
the selected tool.
NOTE: Even though the transport time display follows the “tape head” position when scrubbing,
there is no time code output. If you’re synchronizing other devices to the HDR24/96 using time
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