Project time format – Apple Soundtrack Pro 2 User Manual
Page 109
Chapter 4
Working with Multitrack Projects
109
Project Time Format
Each multitrack project has a project time format, which can be either Time
(seconds)–based or Beats-based. Setting the time format controls the appearance of
the Time display, Time ruler, Timeline gridlines, and available Snap To values. For
projects set to Time-based format, time is displayed using the Time Ruler units
chosen in the View menu. For projects set to Beats-based format, the time is
displayed in measures, beats, and beat divisions. The default format is Time-based.
Setting the format to Time-based lets you align clips and other items in the Timeline
with specific points in time, for example, specific frames in a video file. Setting the
format to Beats-based lets you align items in the Timeline with measures, beats, and
other musical units of time, regardless of tempo. You can switch between Time-based
and Beats-based formats while working on a project. You can also set individual tracks
to use a different time format than the project’s time format. For information on setting
a track’s time format, see “
Setting the Project Ruler Units
You can switch the ruler units for a project in the Project tab and define the details for
the ruler units in the View menu.
To choose the ruler units for a project:
m
In the Project tab, use the Ruler Units pop-up menu to choose either Seconds or Beats.
When you import a video file into a Soundtrack Pro project, the Time display and Time
ruler adjust to show the timecode format of the video. The Time display and Time ruler
can display time in seconds, frames, drop frames, or non-drop frames. You can choose
the format for timecode display, and you can set the video frame rate for projects not
containing a video file. You can also set the default frame rate for new projects in the
Project Preferences pane.
To specify the details of the units shown in the Time display and Time ruler:
m
Choose View > Time Ruler Units, then choose one of the following time formats from
the submenu:
 HH:MM:SS
 Seconds
 Samples (Audio file projects only)
 Frames
 Drop frame (timecode)
 Non-drop frame (timecode)
Additionally, you can specify the following settings for your project if it does not
contain video:
 Set Video Frame Rate: Choose from the following: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 59.94, 60.
 Set Starting Timecode: Enter the timecode for the first frame of your project.