Arrange regions in time

Create, move, trim, duplicate and loop regions.

In this guide

Arrange audio and MIDI tracks with the Library and clip editor close at hand. Select the image to view it full size.

Create a region

On an empty part of a MIDI track, drag with Pointer (1). A preview shows its length; release to create it. The gesture is limited to the empty gap where it started. It does not draw over a neighboring region. Escape cancels. A click without a drag places the cursor.

Pencil (4) also draws regions on supported audio and MIDI lanes. On an audio lane it creates an empty audio region; it does not record a microphone. Use Recording to capture a real input.

Move and trim

Drag a region's body with Pointer to move it. Drag its edges to change its boundaries. Grid controls the snapping interval. Use Smart for a grid that follows zoom, a fixed note value for rhythmic precision, or Off for free placement.

Duplicate selected regions with Command+D. Command+L sets a loop around selected material. Command+E splits the selected time range, or the selected regions at the cursor when there is no range. Undo is Command+Z.

Select time instead of objects

Choose Range (2), then drag across one or more editable tracks. The highlight identifies the exact time span. Copy, split, mute or delete commands can act on that range. Check the highlight before applying an edit. Pointer keeps ordinary existing-region selection and movement behavior.

Loop and navigate

The loop strip in the ruler shows the start and end of the loop. When enabled, vertical guides extend through the tracks so you can compare clips against both boundaries. Turning Loop off hides those guides. Horizontal zoom has a maximum; use scrolling to move through a detailed view.

Keep the source

Trimming and moving an audio region edits the arrangement reference. Keep independent copies of source recordings and exported projects. Erasing a region with Eraser removes it from the timeline and retains the source sample in storage.

Ruler markers and End

Double-click outside the loop to add a marker, or use the ruler's Add Marker menu to place one inside the loop too. Existing markers are selected rather than duplicated. Escape cancels a loop draw, move or resize. End defines ordinary playback's stopping point; clips can extend it automatically. Save after changing the song's structure.

Dawnamite user guide for macOS. For changes between versions, see update history.