Sony Acid Pro 7: Interactive tutor – the best way to get a quick start to learning the program

OK, I’ve covered some important topics, but the one I’m covering today, will serve you well, especially any beginners in DAW, or newcomers to Sony Acid Pro. The Interactive Tutor will be an invaluable resource in providing you with the necessary skills to become comfortable with Acid Pro 7. Now, with the illustration below, let’s open the Interactive Tutorials:

When you choose the interactive tutorial option, you will get the window pop-up below:

As you can see, you can initiate a number of tutorials, that will step you thru a number of topics, namely creating a project, editing events, editing tracks, and working with MIDI. All of the named topics have a number of sub topics that will help you learn and master Acid Pro 7. In this post we’ll cover the sub topic an Overview of Acid Pro Software:

OK, a window opens to tell us that basic concepts and user interfaces will be covered:

Click next. The system advances a page, and highlights the track list. There are a lot of things that you can do, and manipulate the attributes of the tracks. Here is the illustration, plus a detailed illustration of the tracks, audio, and MIDI. First, the tutorial page:

And the audio track, and its attributes:

And the MIDI track, and its attributes:

Actually, I put the audio and MIDI track here so you could have an idea of the number of attributes you can alter in Acid Pro. Now click next to get to our next page:

Ok, now what’s highlighted is the timeline, where you can paint, click and drag events (clips). Horizontally, the timeline represents project time, or length. Vertically, it represents tracks, as you can see. In the graphic above, there are 2. Now click next:

Now what you see is the transport bar being explained. Your play, record, metronome, etc. is represented here. Click next:

Your time display is highlighted. On the left is time of the project, and on the right is time notation (measures, beats, ticks). Click next:

Here, the explorer window is highlighted. You can drag clips into the timeline from here. Click next:

Ok, now we see the mixing console highlighted. This where we can change the sound level, and dynamics. For clarification, and a more detailed view of the attributes 0f the mixing console:

Very cool. This is a good representation of the mixing console. As you can see, it has close similarities of an actual mixing board. Click next:

If we had a video file, here is where it can be added. Acid Pro 7 has the capability to let you put music to video. For example, maybe you wanted to do a presentation to a potential client to produce a jingle. Acid Pro 7 has the ability to cover all aspects of putting a demo together. In a word: Powerful. Ok, click next:

Ok, this step explains Media Manager, which basically categorizes your clips by file information, Acid information, or you can specify files, by “tagging” them. Media Manager will help you organize your files in such a way so that you make your searches easier, if you need a beat to fit a certain style. Ok, click next:

This step provides you with track properties. Click next:

OK, here, if you have a 5.1 surround sound speaker configuration, you can adjust the delivery of the audio output. Pretty versatile, yeah? Ok, let’s move on. Click next:

On this step you can configure the sound delivery on the software synthesizer, or VST, as well as other attributes. I actually covered VST plugins on an earlier post. Moving on, click next, to get to the next step:

Ok, here we can add effect to our track, such as reverb, delay, distortion, flanger, you name it. We didn’t select a track, so no effect will show in the audio plugin window. Click next:

Ah, the plugin manager. Here we manage our VST, audio plugins, and ReWire devices. Actually I covered this topic in my last post, so no need to here. Click next:

OK, here in the groove pool, we change the feel, or the rhythm and timing of a piece of music. This topic will be the subject of my next post. I’ll take something I’ve already arranged, and add a different feel. But that’s next post. Moving on, click next:

Ok, here the clip properties are displayed. You can change the way the clip is played. You can loop, stretch and beatmap the clip. I will cover this aspect, as well as the “chopper” window, in a future post. Ok, go ahead and click next, and we’re done:

OK, now you’re ready to start your project. You may not consider yourself an expert, but now you have an overview of the basics. Next, we’ll cover using the groove pool, to change the feel, or “groove”, if you will.

As Always,

Have a prosperous and rewarding week!!!

Anthonie Moore

References: Sony Acid Users Manual, Experience.