In this tutorial we will build a sequence from scratch, while utilizing several of the SmartSound editing features.
Step 1
1. Get to the editor by clicking the Editor button from the splash screen or from the Controller, click the button "To Editor".
2. Choose "New" from the File menu.
3. Select "SmartSound Browser" from the File menu.
4. Select "Traveling" in the list.
5. Click the "Open in Editor" button.
6. Click "Done".
7. Ensure that the "Hinting and Warning" option is checked in the Sequence menu.
Step 2
1. The Block Window displays all of the blocks that are contained in the file "Traveling".
2. Double-click on some blocks to listen to them.
3. Notice that some have a little triangle on the left edge, this is a beginning indicator.
4. Locate the block "Cruisin Along".
5. Click and drag the block up into the Sequencer.
6. Notice the right edge of the newly added block highlights with green, and several blocks in the Block window are also highlighted. This is called Hinting. Any of the hinted blocks in the Block window will work well with the selected block in the Sequencer.
7. Also drag the blocks "Cruising 1", "cruising 2" and "held end" into the Sequencer.
8. Notice that the last block, "held end", has a triangle on the right edge which indicates that it is an ending block.
9. Click the "Play from start" button in the Sequencer toolbar to listen.
Step 3
1. Click the "Zoom In" button (magnifying glass) from the toolbar to get a better view of the blocks in the sequencer.
2. Drag the block "Guitar" between "cruising 1" and "cruising 2" in the Sequencer.
3. Notice that the left edges highlight with red. These are warnings from the computer that indicate that the computer cannot guarantee the blocks will work together.
4. Listen - notice that the music doesn't flow naturally where the warnings are located.
5. Select the block "cruising 1" in the sequence.
6. Click the "Long Smooth" button from the Sequencer toolbar (far right). Notice that a small indicator is attached between the blocks "cruising 1" and "Guitar".
7. Repeat steps 5-6 for the block "Guitar".
8. Listen again. The blocks have been smoothed together.
Step 4
1. Remove the block "Guitar" from the sequence by dragging it out of the window.
2. On the timeline, drag the End Marker to 15 seconds.
3. Click "SmartEnd" Smart Tool.
4. Notice that the sequence length snapped to 15 seconds.
5. Listen - it is continuous music with an end at 15 seconds.
6. Move the End Marker to 13 seconds.
7. Click "SmartEnd" again.
8. Notice that the first few blocks of the sequence didn't change while the blocks towards the end were changed so that the end is now at 13 seconds.
Step 5
1. Delete the last block in the sequence by selecting it and pressing the delete key.
2. Choose "Show Block Clipper" from the Blocks menu.
3. Locate the block "Ride Out" (you will need to scroll down in the block window to find it).
4. Drag the block "Ride Out" into the clipper .
5. Click the play button (or double-click the block) in the block clipper to listen to it.
6. While listening to the block, notice that this block has two distinct notes, we are going to make a new block of only the second note.
7. Click and drag the "Chop In" indicator (currently in the bottom left corner of the clipper).
8. As you drag the indicator, the computer will play sound that corresponds to the position of the indicator.
9. Drag the indicator to the right until you hear the note change (the length display, 3rd from left, will read 0:00.83 mins when you are in the correct place).
10. Select "Make Block" from the Blocks menu.
11. Name the new block "My Ride Out".
12. The block is added to the bottom of the block window.
13. Notice that it has gray boxes on either side of the name. These indicate that it is a user-defined block.
14. Drag your new block "My Ride Out" to the end of the sequence.
15. Apply a smooth (refer to Step 3, #5 & #6) between the blocks "cruising 4" and "My Ride Out".
