Rendering: A few milliseconds silence before the track starts - Possible?

[tom_]

My rendered tracks should have a few milliseconds of silence at the beginning, like it is often the case with music productions.

Now I could move my project content in the DAW a little to the right and then render it. But that's not comfortable, because everything is no longer aligned with the grid for possible further editing and I'd have to move everything back again later.

So is there a way (similar to Tail) to specify directly in the render settings how long silence should be created until the start of the track?

[ashcat_lt]

Move everything by a multiple of the grid. One or two measures or whatever. Then create a time selection that includes the brief silence at the front and choose time selection in the render window.

If you create a region around what you have now, you can just move the region over, and it will take everything with it. Then you could extend the region a little bit to the left and render the region rather than time selection.

I don't really understand why anybody would want to start a project right at 0. In future, give yourself some room by including a couple of blank measures to begin with.

[tom_]

Thank you for your opinion and idea.

An option in the rendering window would be much more practical.

Everything you write I do. But it's not comfortable. I find it more clear to start my track at 0.

[akademie]

Hello Tom,
and what about this?:
When you want to render, unbypass "Time Adjustment Delay" JS Effect inserted on Master Track? You can have it set to any time delay you like... ;-)
Reminder: But don't forget to bypass it again after render is done.

[grinder]

Nice

thank you

grinder

[cfillion]

The render dialog supports negative start times.



You can also use =START and =END markers to delimit the render area without having to make a time selection every time (along with not starting the project at the first bar, possibly setting it to be 0 to preserve correct measure numbers).

[akademie]

Originally Posted by cfillion

The render dialog supports negative start times.

Wow, that would be great, BUT it does not work right if you use non time-line objects like Megababy sequencer JS for example. Then it renders its output even in negative part of render :-(

JS Time Delay trick on the other hand works perfectly (you have to add the same amount to end time to not have it cut off if it is critical, but for few hundreds of milliseconds it would not be necessary, I think.

[tom_]

Awesome, many thanks for the suggestions!

Negative start time would be optimal. Too bad that it doesn't work properly.
What is the best way to report suggestions for Reaper improvement?

Then I will try the script, as long as there is no better possibility.

[akademie]

Originally Posted by tom_

Awesome, many thanks for the suggestions!

Negative start time would be optimal. Too bad that it doesn't work properly.
What is the best way to report suggestions for Reaper improvement?

Then I will try the script, as long as there is no better possibility.

I don't think that it is a bug. The function does work properly indeed. It really renders time before timeline starts, but it is the running effects/sequencers/instruments that will play independently of timeline contents. The Megababy will play when transport is in play mode - no matter if before 0:00 or later in timeline. So function is OK, but not made for this use case - to add silence... you know.

Also you could add automation points to master track at very first and very last point of project material (only volume can be automated, no mutes). So for example: first Master Volume envelope point is -inf at a time 0:00:000, then second env.point is 0dB at the same time (0:00:000) and at the end of the song also this hard volume fade. That way you can happily render using negative start point.

[uksnowy]

Here's what I do.

I have adjusted the ruler to have 8 bars before time 0 or (1.1.0)
This allows me to run the project from time = 0 and have room before time = 0.
I then set a region that has a measure or two at each end and then render the region.

[MaXyM]

There is already an option to add silence at the end of render result. Why not to add analogical option to add silence at beginning?

[akademie]

Originally Posted by MaXyM

There is already an option to add silence at the end of render result. Why not to add analogical option to add silence at beginning?

Well, as a "FR"? Yes, as a "Tip, Trick, How to"? No :-/

[Beastmode Beats]

Be safe bud, turn on ripple editing for all tracks, and move everything over to the right when the project is complete, place a marker where the original time position was and save it as the time adjusted project.