Working with Audio Tracks
When you add an audio file to your project, Motion creates one or more audio tracks for
the file. In the Audio list of the Project pane, you can turn audio tracks on and off, select
tracks, mute and solo tracks, and control their volume and pan settings.
Activation checkbox
Name field
Solo
Lock
Link
Pan dial
Mute
Level slider
Output channel
pop-up menu
Important:
Changes you make to an audio track, such as renaming or trimming it, do not
affect the source audio file.
The following list summarizes audio controls available to individual audio tracks:
• To select an audio track: Click in the row containing the track’s name and controls in
the Audio list or Audio Timeline. Selected tracks are highlighted. You can select multiple
tracks by Shift-clicking.
• To turn an audio track on or off: Click the activation checkbox on the left side of the
track. (You can also click the activation checkbox to the left of the track’s name in the
Audio Timeline). Turning off an audio track removes it from the audio mix.
• To rename a track: Double-click the track’s name, then enter a new name.
• To adjust a track’s audio volume: In the Audio list, the track’s HUD, or the Audio Track
Inspector, drag the Level slider to set the level you want. You can also change the
parameter numerically using the value field to the right of the Level slider in the Audio
Track Inspector.
• To pan a track, changing its position: Adjust the Pan dial left or right. (In the Audio Track
Inspector or Audio Track HUD, drag the Pan slider left or right).
• To mute a track, temporarily silencing it during playback: Click the Mute button. When
you mute an audio track, it is silent during playback, but is still part of the mix when
you export your project. You can also mute tracks in the Audio Timeline by
Control-clicking a track and choosing Mute from the shortcut menu.
• To solo a track, temporarily muting all other tracks: Click the Solo button. When you solo
an audio track, all other audio tracks are muted, which lets you hear the soloed track
more clearly. If you solo multiple audio tracks, all tracks not soloed are muted (silent)
during playback.
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Chapter 23
Working with Audio
• To unlink a track: Click the link icon. Unlinked audio can be moved independently of
its accompanying video track in the Timeline. Click the link icon again to relink it to the
same video track it was originally linked to. If you’ve offset its position in the Timeline,
the offset is maintained when the audio track is linked again.
• To lock a track, preventing it from being edited: Click the lock icon on the right side of
the track. Click the lock icon again to unlock the track. When a track is locked, you
cannot mute or solo the track, change its level or pan, move or trim it, or add keyframes.
You can still play the track, and turn it on or off.