Truncate/chop ALL sound from a MIDI track/clip (including reverb/tails/etc)

[jonatello]

Is there a simple way to automate or otherwise completely mute ALL the sound generated from a particular MIDI clip (and the reverb effects attached to it) at certain points within the song or clip? ...For instance, right now i have a synthy melody with a long tail & reverb, and I'd like to cut it completely dead silent when the drum fill comes in, for a really abrupt effect.

This would also come in real handy when emulating the aesthetic of chopped samples, where the tails & reverb of different instruments just cut out at specific points.

(using Waveform 11)

[Watchful]

You can just automate the fader to hit 0 at that point.

[jonatello]

You can just automate the fader to hit 0 at that point.

LOL wow, after all this time, I finally learned about automating the fader ...i didn't think volume automation was available for midi clips, only audio clips. Just learned a major basic, thanks! Can that be added to the clip itself, or only the track?

[Watchful]

Not sure if adding it to the clip will produce the effect you truly want, especially if your reverb and other effects are separate from the plugin producing the audio. I suspect you might hear the tails continue after you cut the clip audio.

So automating the track is the surest way, for sure.

I take that back: the absolute surest way is to render the clip, then cut the audio on the clip itself!

But if you don't want to render anything yet, adding automation to the track is quick and easy.

For those interested in the trick:

1. Look for the tiny A on the far right of the track, by the plugins area.
2. Click on the + symbol by it, and add an empty automation track.
3. You'll see a new track appear under your first track in question.
4. Drag the A symbol on that track and drop it on the fader/pan plugin.
5. You'll be asked what you want to automate: pan or level. Select level. A line will appear across the track: that's your audio level.
6. Double-click the line....
A. Where you want the audio to cut
B. A little to the right of it
C. A little to the right of that.
7. Drag the audio level line between the first two points all the way down, leaving the line after it where you had it. This will make a V shape in the line: \/
8. Drag the bottom point of the V directly under the first point, making a square root shape: |/ This is your sound drop.
9. Now, drag the third line further away until you're sure you cut any tails that might remain. Alternatively you can double click to make a fourth point to make a true level drop: |___| as long as you need it.

[jonatello]

Not sure if adding it to the clip will produce the effect you truly want, especially if your reverb and other effects are separate from the plugin producing the audio. I suspect you might hear the tails continue after you cut the clip audio.

So automating the track is the surest way, for sure.

I take that back: the absolute surest way is to render the clip, then cut the audio on the clip itself!

But if you don't want to render anything yet, adding automation to the track is quick and easy.

For those interested in the trick:

1. Look for the tiny A on the far right of the track, by the plugins area.
2. Click on the + symbol by it, and add an empty automation track.
3. You'll see a new track appear under your first track in question.
4. Drag the A symbol on that track and drop it on the fader/pan plugin.
5. You'll be asked what you want to automate: pan or level. Select level. A line will appear across the track: that's your audio level.
6. Double-click the line....
A. Where you want the audio to cut
B. A little to the right of it
C. A little to the right of that.
7. Drag the audio level line between the first two points all the way down, leaving the line after it where you had it. This will make a V shape in the line: \/
8. Drag the bottom point of the V directly under the first point, making a square root shape: |/ This is your sound drop.
9. Now, drag the third line further away until you're sure you cut any tails that might remain. Alternatively you can double click to make a fourth point to make a true level drop: |___| as long as you need it.

Excellent breakdown! I knew how to do SOME of that, but you went above and beyond, much respect. Now, I'm guessing there's no way to link this automation work to the clip's position, so if i duplicate the clip, or move the clip to a different point in the song, the automation will follow?

[Watchful]

Well...if you're using v12, the answer is yes. This is done in the MIDI editor...it's one of the new features, toward the bottom of the editor window.

If you aren't familiar with that, no problem. Just set the in and out markers around that automation line (basically framing the volume drop), click the line itself, and hit ctrl/cmd+c. Then click your cursor where you want it to be and hit paste.

[jonatello]

Well...if you're using v12, the answer is yes. This is done in the MIDI editor...it's one of the new features, toward the bottom of the editor window.

If you aren't familiar with that, no problem. Just set the in and out markers around that automation line (basically framing the volume drop), click the line itself, and hit ctrl/cmd+c. Then click your cursor where you want it to be and hit paste.

oh wow ok...sounds like i'm definitely gonna want that upgrade eventually

[Watchful]

If using v11 or earlier, use the copy/paste trick.

[jonatello]

If using v11 or earlier, use the copy/paste trick.

right on, thanks!