Using the Sequencer
Loaded audio files appear in the Layers palette and in the Timeline palette when the audio file layer is selected. You can also view all loaded audio files together by clicking the Sequencer tab in the Timeline palette. Within the Sequencer panel, each audio and video file is displayed on a separate row, as shown in Figure 19.2. Audio files are easy to identify in the Sequencer because their waveform is displayed on their bar.
New Feature
The Audio Sequencer and its ability to load and work with multiple sound tracks is new to Anime Studio 6.
Setting the Audio Start Time
The length of each bar is the length of the audio file. By dragging the bars in the Sequencer to the left or right, you can change the starting frame for the audio file.
Repeating Audio
If you want to cause a loaded audio file to repeat a second or third time, you can position the frame at the place where you want the repeat to start and click the Restart Audio button at the top of the Timeline palette when the Sequencer panel is open. You can also access this command using the Animation, Restart Audio Track menu. This places a duplicate bar at the desired location, as shown in Figure 19.3.
Caution
Repeated audio files can overlap one another, but you cannot place a repeated audio instance in front of the first instance.
Caution
Be aware when creating repeats that moving one instance will move all instances together and that you cannot delete an instance without deleting the entire layer.
Note
Although multiple instances of an audio file may appear in the Sequencer, only the first instance displays the waveform on its audio bar.
Every copy of an audio file that is created with the Restart Audio command automatically creates a key in the Timeline palette. You can view these keys by switching back to the Channels panel and selecting the audio layer. The channel for these keys is called Audio Jump.
Changing Audio Level
Loaded audio files will play at the level they were recorded, which can cause an abrupt change in the sound, but within Anime Studio is a command to set a key to adjust the audio level. By using this command, you can have sounds fade in and out.
To change the level for an audio file, select the frame where you want the key to be set, choose the audio layer, and click the Audio Level button at the top of the Sequencer panel in the Timeline palette or choose the Animation, Audio Level menu. This causes the Audio Level dialog box, shown in Figure 19.4, to appear where you can set the value. A value of 0 will cause the sound to be silent.
Figure 19.4. By changing the audio level you can fade a sound in or out.
Changes to an audio layer’s level value create a key in the Audio Level channel. They also impact the waveforms displayed in the Channels panel of the Timeline palette, as shown in Figure 19.5. This provides visual feedback for seeing the audio level changes.
Enabling Spatial Positioning
Using the Spatial Positioning option in the Audio panel of the Layer Settings dialog box, you can control the left and right balance of the audio being played. This is a great feature if you want create a sound that moves from left to right as an object moves.
Enabling the Spatial Positioning option allows the audio file to be played back in the left or right speaker based on the left and right movement of the audio layer. When an audio file is loaded, a small speaker icon appears at the center of the working area when the audio layer is selected. Using the Translate Layer tool, you can set keys to move the audio icon across the working area, as shown in Figure 19.6. This will cause the audio to move as it plays back from the left speaker gradually to the right speaker.
