Edit Menu

For a general explanation of how to use Edit menu operations, see Editing Basics. All Edit menu commands can be applied to MIDI data, audio data or both.

Undo

The Undo command will undo the effects of most commands and actions that add, delete, move, or otherwise modify data. Undo will also undo the effects of both real-time and step recording.

Undo is unlimited. This means that if you invoke it repeatedly, you can essentially step backwards through your previous actions. For example, if you choose Undo three times, you'll go back three actions. Undo can be used together will redo to step forwards and backwards through your document's Undo Histoy.

Redo

The Redo command restores the action that was just undone. Like Undo, Redo is also unlimited. This means that you can restore undone actions until you reach the most recent action you've taken in your project.

Together, Undo and Redo allow you to step repeatedly backwards and forwards through the project's current history of actions.

Both Undo and Redo give you a bried description of the action they are undoing or restoring, such as Undo drag note or Redo paste info track 'Lead Guitar'.

Redo Next/Select Branch

The Redo Next/Select Branch command is very similar to Redo Next Action: it lets you move forward through the project's current history of actions. But it also lets you choose a different path when you come to a point in the undo history where there is a branch, rather than simply stepping past the branch along the main branch. Hold down the Option key to make Redo Next/Select Branch visible.

Undo History

Digital Performer supports unlimited Undo/Redo. It can remember everything you have ever done to a project, even after you close and quit, across any number of sessions, all the way back to the moment the project was first created. There are several commands in the Edit menu to support a simple, single-step undo behavior, plus several commands to step forward and backward through the undo history. The Undo History window provides a complete log of actions and numerous features for navigating through the undo history and jumping to any point. Unlimited branching is supported (explained later), and an undo time line is also provided. 'Pruning preferences' allow you to control how far back actions are remembered and how much disk space the undo history will take up. Digital Performer also saves a permanent undo history for audio files, allowing you to undo any changes that have been made at any time since the audio file was first created. For a full explanation on how Undo History works, please see pg. 552 of the Digital Performer User Guide (Help menu > Digital Performer User Guide).

Cut

The Cut command removes data in the selected region and places it on the Clipboard. This does not remove the time region specified; instead, it leaves the measures blank (silent), without data events. The type of information that is cut is determined by the View Filter. The Cut command is undoable.

Copy

The Copy command copies the data from the selected region and places it on the Clipboard. The original data is not affected at all. The type of information that is copied is determined by the View Filter.

Copy to Clipping window

The Copy to Clipping Window command places the current selected data into the clipping window that you choose from the sub-menu as a single clipping.

Paste

The Paste command inserts the contents of the Clipboard (i.e. whatever was most recently cut or copied) into a track at the location that you specify. When you paste, you need to tell Digital Performer where you want the Clipboard data to go. Digital Performer needs to know:

To choose the track you want to paste into, you can either open an event edit window for the track or click the track's name in the Tracks window or Sequence Editor to highlight it. To paste into several tracks at once, highlight their names.

If you are pasting into the MIDI Editor, and it is currently displaying multiple tracks (and there is no currently selected data), data will be pasted into the displayed track that is highest in the track list (and the track selector list).

There are several useful ways to choose the time at which you want to paste:

If there is already a current selection in any track, Digital Performer will use the beginning of the selection (either the first event of a data selection or the start time of a time range selection) to determine where it pastes.

If there is no current selection, Digital Performer pastes into the measure currently displayed in the main counter (and also indicated by the playback wiper in windows that have it) — along with one additional condition: if Digital Performer's Smart Selections feature is turned off, material is pasted at the exact tick location shown in the counter. If Smart Selections is turned on, material is pasted measure relative, which means that it is placed in the measure at its original location within the bar so that you don't have to worry about exact placement of the counter. Just get the counter anywhere into the measure you want and paste.

Paste Multiple

This variation of the Paste command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Paste Multiple allows you to paste data from a single track into multiple tracks in a single operation. For example, if you copied track A, and you wish to paste it into tracks X, Y and Z, select tracks X, Y and Z, hold down the Option key, and then choose Paste Multiple from the Edit menu.

Paste Repeat

The Paste Repeat command fills the current time range selection with the contents of the clipboard, repeating the clipboard data to fill up the selection. For example, if you would like to fill a section of a track with material on the clipboard, repeating it as many times as necessary to fill the section, just make a time range selection over the section and choose Paste Repeat. In cases like this, Paste Repeat is more convenient than the Repeat command because you don't have to figure out how many times to repeat the data. Paste Repeat fills the selection for you, automatically repeating the data as many times as necessary.

Paste Repeat Multiple

This variation of the Paste Repeat command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Paste Repeat Multiple allows you to paste data from a single track into multiple tracks in a single operation. For example, if you copied data from track A, and you wish to paste repeat the data into tracks X, Y and Z, select tracks X, Y and Z, hold down the Option key, and choose Paste Repeat Multiple from the Edit menu.

Erase

The Erase command works like the Cut command except that no data is put on the Clipboard: all data in the selected region is removed and the region is left blank. The types of data erased are determined by the View Filter setting. The Erase command is undoable.

Repeat

The Repeat command makes an internal copy (which does not go on the Clipboard) of the data in the selected region, then pastes, splices or merges this data repetitively immediately following the selected region. For example, repeating bars 1-3 three times places a copy of bars 1-3 in bars 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Regardless of the events in the region, the entire selected region is repeated. In the above example, the start and end locations in the Selection bar would be set to 1|1|000 and 4|1|000, respectively. The entire three bar region is repeated, with each repetition starting on the down beat of the following measure. In most cases, it is best to select entire measures or groups of measures to repeat; this ensures that the repetitions will line up correctly with measure boundaries.

The Repeat command requires a time rand selection instead of an event selection. For further information on this, see the Selecting page.

Merge

The Merge command combines the contents of the clipboard with pre-existing data in the selected tracks. The new data is mixed together the data already in the region and the new material. In the case of audio, the merged audio is layered on top of any existing audio at that time, but the actual waveform data is not merged. Instead, the result is two soundbites layered on top of one another.

You need only specify a Start time when merging; the End time has no effect. The types of data merged from the Clipboard are determined by the View Filter setting. The Merge command is undoable.

Since Digital Performer allows unlimited tracks assigned to one channel, the Merge command isn't always necessary. You should use it only when you are certain that data in two tracks should be merged together (this is often true when you create a track during editing for the express purpose of merging it with another track later). Once tracks are merged, they cannot be separated later.

Merge Multiple

This variation of the Merge command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Merge Multiple allows you to merge data from a single track into multiple tracks in a single operation. For example, if you copied track A, and you wish to merge it into tracks X, Y and Z, select tracks X, Y and Z, hold down the Option key, and then choose Merge Multiple from the Edit menu.

Merge Together

This variation of the Merge command requires that there be two or more tracks of data already on the clipboard. If so, Merge Together can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Merge Together allows you to merge data from two or more tracks on the clipboard into a single track in one operation. For example, if you copied tracks A, B and C onto the clipboard, and you then wished to merge them all into track Z, select track Z, hold down the Option key, and then choose Merge Together from the Edit menu.

Merge Repeat

The Merge Repeat command fills the current time range selection with the contents of the clipboard, repeating the clipboard data to fill up the selection. For example, if you would like to merge clipboard data into a section of a track, repeating it as many times as necessary to fill the section, just make a time range selection over the section and choose Merge Repeat. Merge Repeat is convenient because you don't have to merge many times by hand. Merge Repeat fills the selection for you, automatically repeating the data as many times as necessary.

Merge Repeat Multiple

This variation of the Merge Repeat command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Merge Repeat Multiple allows you to merge data from a single track into multiple tracks in a single operation. For example, if you copied data from track A, and you wish to merge repeat the data into tracks X, Y and Z, select tracks X, Y and Z, hold down the Option key, and choose Merge Repeat Multiple from the Edit menu.

Merge Repeat Together

There is a third variation of the Merge Repeat command: Merge Repeat Together. This command 'merge repeats' data on the clipboard from multiple tracks into a single track in one operation. To use this command, copy data from two or more tracks, make a time range selection in a single track, and then hold down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. If all of these conditions are met, the Merge Repeat command turns into Merge Repeat Together.

Snip

The Snip command removes data in the selected region and places it on the Clipboard. The time region containing the data is removed as well, closing up the gap between the beginning and end of the region: events at the End time are moved to the Start time. The types of data snipped are determined by the View Filter setting. The Snip command is undoable.

Splice

The Splice command inserts data on the Clipboard in the selected region, making a gap for the new data and moving pre-existing data later in time to make room for the new material. The event just after the Start time moves forward the amount of time of the region on the Clipboard. Thus, if a one-measure section is copied to the Clipboard and spliced at measure 3, the old events starting at measure 3 shift to measure 4. The types of data spliced from the Clipboard are determined by the View Filter setting, as are the types shifted to make room. The Splice command is undoable.

Splice Multiple

This variation of the Splice command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Splice Multiple allows you to splice data from a single track into multiple tracks in a single operation. For example, if you copied track A, and you wish to splice it into tracks X, Y and Z, select tracks X, Y and Z, hold down the Option key, and then choose Splice Multiple from the Edit menu.

Shift

The Shift command moves the selected region ahead or back in time. The shift distance can be specified in one of two ways:

To move the region ahead, choose Earlier; to move it back, choose Later. The region will be shifted in time by the amount you enter. The types of data shifted are determined by the View Filter setting. The Shift command is undoable.

Preserve realtime performance: The Preserve realtime performance option, when checked, will shift the selected data to the new location based on the first selected event. All of the rest of the selected events will be shifted relative to the first in a manner that preserves the realtime performance at their original location. This allows you, in effect, to shift material without changing how it plays due to differences in tempo between the original and new locations.

Shift and attack times: You may find that certain patches on your synthesizers have quicker attack times than others. You can play two notes at exactly the same time on two different synthesizers (with two different patches) and hear them not sounding together: one seems to "play" first and the second takes a longer time to come to full volume. The Shift command is useful for lining up attacks in situations like this one. By shifting a track forward or backwards just slightly (try a value of less than 100 ticks to start with), you can make all instruments sound as if they are attacking notes at the same time. You may want to leave some of the disparity between attack times: let your ear guide you.

Continuous Data

The Continuous Data sub-menu provides numerous commands for working with automation lanes and the current edit layer for automation data in the Sequence Editor. The Commands window provides keyboard shortcuts.

Heal Separation

The Heal Separation command joins adjacent MIDI notes that are the same pitch and that either touch each other or overlap one another. Heal Separation also rejoins adjacent soundbites that currently have a gap between them. Soundbites must belong to the same parent audio file, and their position in the track relative to each other must match their relative positions in the parent audio file. For example, if you remove a section from the middle of a soundbite, you can use the Heal Separation command to rejoin the resulting soundbites. However, if you move the soundbites relative to each other, Heal Separation cannot rejoin them. Heal Separation can be done across multiple soundbites.

Split

Split allows you to break up MIDI notes or audio soundbites into separate, smaller notes and soundbites. Split makes divisions at the boundaries of the region you select.

For soundbites, Split, Cut, and Erase all do a similar thing: they split out a section of the soundbite. The difference is that Split leaves behind the resulting piece, whereas Cut and Erase remove it. Split is a great way to break up audio soundbites so that pieces of a soundbite can be edited in the Tracks window along with MIDI data. If the region of audio that you want to edit along with MIDI is a portion of a soundbite, split the portion into its own soundbite and you can then cut, copy, and paste it right along with the MIDI data.

For MIDI notes, split is different than Cut, Erase and other Edit menu commands in the following way: the attack of the note does not need to be within the selected region for Split to have an effect on the note. If the selection begins half way through the note, the note will be split at the selection boundary.

Split Audio

This variation of the Split command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Split Audio does the exact same thing as Split except that it only affects audio data (not MIDI data).

Split at Counter

Split at Counter splits all currently selected MIDI notes and/or soundbites at the current main counter location (as indicated by the playback wiper). The default keyboard shortcut for this command is Option-Y, but you can customize this keyboard shortcut in the Commands window.

Trim

Trim allows you to select a portion of a soundbite and remove the parts of it that are not selected. For example, you might want to extract a single measure from a soundbite that is 8 measures long. It is also very useful for removing silence at the beginning and/or end of a recorded soundbite.

Trim Audio

This variation of the Trim command can be accessed by holding down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu. Trim Audio does the exact same thing as Trim except that it only affects audio data (and not MIDI data).

Trim End / Trim Start

The Trim End command (Edit menu) removes any portion of a soundbite between what is currently selected and the end of the soundbite, if any. To change this menu command to Trim Start, hold down the Shift key while accessing the Edit menu. Trim Start removes any portion of the soundbite between what is selected and the beginning of the soundbite.

Show/Hide Clipboard

Choosing Show Clipboard from the Edit menu brings up a window which describes the contents of the Clipboard (in text). When the Clipboard is showing, the menu entry changes to Hide Clipboard. When you choose this, the Clipboard window is closed.

The Clipboard is a temporary storage place that holds data that is cut or copied. All data that is cut or copied is put on the Clipboard. When you paste, the data to be pasted comes from the Clipboard.

The Clipboard retains data until a new cut or copy action is made. This means that you can cut or copy a region of data once and paste this same information as many times as you like. The Clipboard retains its data between project files. You can therefore copy data from one project file and paste it into another.

Search

The Search sub-menu provides access to Digital Performer's powerful rule-based search and select engine. For complete details, see Searching.

Select All

The Select All command generally selects all items in the active window. If the Sequence Editor is active, choosing Select All will select all the tracks (thus highlighting all track names). If an Event List is active, choosing Select All will select all events in it.

Select All in Range

To access the Select All in Range command, hold down the Option key while accessing the Edit menu, or press Command-Option-A.

The Select All in Range command selects all tracks, as its name implies, but it only selects a certain time range, rather than the entire length of the sequence. The time range is determined either by the selection start and end times currently chosen in the Tracks window, or by the current selection, if any.

Deselect All

The Deselect All command makes all currently selected data not selected.

Smart Selections

The Smart Selections command is a checkable menu item that can be either turned on (checked) or off (unchecked). When it is turned off, it has no effect on selections. When it is turned on, it affects Time Range Selections. For further details, see Selecting.