Arrange your music on the timeline

Add material

Drag a WAV or MP3 file from your computer onto an empty area of the timeline. Wait for import to finish: the file has to be read and prepared first. You can also add loops from the side panel, Composer results and separated stems from SteppeMind.

For a note-based part, prepare a clip in MIDI. An audio clip contains a recording; a MIDI clip contains musical events and an instrument assignment. The two types of material have different editing controls.

Reorder tracks

Each track has a dotted handle to the left of its name. Drag it up or down and release at the highlighted line. Audio and MIDI tracks can be mixed in any order; an expanded automation lane moves with its track.

For keyboard access, focus the handle with Tab: ↑/↓ move one position, Home/End move to the first or last position. The order is saved in the project and restored when you reopen it. Use the usual Undo/Redo commands to reverse or repeat a move. Audio, clips and mixer settings remain unchanged.

Place clips in time

1. Select the clip you want to move. Check its highlight rather than relying only on the track name.
2. Drag it to the intended bar. Use the grid and zoom controls for more precise placement.
3. Open the clip context menu to repeat a loop. Repeating to the project end is useful for a rhythmic foundation.
4. Use the clip's available context actions to edit a specific section: open the appropriate editor, split at the playhead or adjust clip settings, depending on the material type.
5. Listen to the transition between neighbouring sections. The new placement should work musically, not just look tidy.

Cut an audio clip with scissors

Right-click the audio clip where you want to cut and choose Scissors — cut here. The cut follows the position where you opened the menu, with grid snapping applied, rather than necessarily following the playback cursor.

To cut at the transport position, place the playhead inside the clip and choose Split clip at playhead. This command is available when there is enough room inside the fragment to split it. A cut at the clip's boundary does not create another clip.

The result is two clips you can move and process separately. The original audio file is not overwritten, and Undo reverses the cut. For repeated slicing at equal intervals, use the audio editor.

Add fade-in and fade-out

1. Select an audio or MIDI clip in Studio and hover over its upper edges.
2. Drag the left handle toward the center to lengthen Fade in. Drag the right handle inward to set Fade out.
3. Inspect the sloped overlay and listen to the transition. A short fade softens a boundary click; a longer one creates a musical entrance or ending.
4. Audio clips also have controls with the same names in the selected clip's settings. For MIDI, use the clip handles or keyboard.

Double-click a handle to reset its fade. With the handle focused, arrow keys adjust duration, Shift uses larger steps, Home resets and End sets the available maximum. Escape cancels the current drag.

Fades change the volume of an individual audio or MIDI clip. MIDI fades also shape sustained notes while they are sounding; note velocity, duration and controllers stay unchanged. Other clips keep their own settings. Fades are saved in the project, support Undo/Redo and apply in Studio, MIDI playback and WAV export. Use the mixer or automation to adjust the whole track's volume. Adjacent timeline boundaries do not automatically create a crossfade; use the audio editor to assemble overlapping transitions between selections.

Handles at the top edges set fade-in and fade-out. Right-click inside the clip to find Scissors — cut here.

Mute and solo tracks

M mutes a track without deleting it. S solos a track for focused listening. If much of the music suddenly disappears, check whether another track is soloed. This is a common explanation for apparently missing sound.

Track volume affects all clips on the track. Clip gain affects only the selected piece of material. Begin your balance with track levels, then refine individual clips.

Open the mixer and automation

Click the sliders icon Track mixer below the track name. Its level, pan, EQ, compressor, sidechain, effects and routing open on the right. Scroll inside that panel to find the lower sections. Find every control.

A different button, the curve icon Show automation, sits beside the name and WAV/MIDI badge. It opens a graph beneath the track: draw level and pan changes, copy passages and undo edits. Step-by-step guide.

Double-clicking a MIDI clip opens the note editor. Use its sliders button to open the track mixer.

Control playback

Click the ruler or move the playhead to choose a starting point. The return-to-start control moves back to the track beginning. Previous-bar and next-bar commands help you check neighbouring sections.

Follow playhead scrolls the view during playback. The Metronome gives you a beat reference. Looping lets you hear a working section repeatedly; if playback keeps returning to an earlier position, check the loop setting.

Change tempo deliberately

BPM is the number of beats per minute. A MIDI tempo change adjusts the timing of the notes. With audio, the result depends on the source tempo information and the clip's stretching mode. Do not assume every imported recording will automatically align perfectly with the grid.

After changing tempo, listen to drum attacks and transitions. If the rhythm drifts, check the original BPM, the clip start and its playback mode.

Before a substantial rearrangement, make a project copy or version. Use mute, rather than deletion, when you only want to remove a sound temporarily.