The document provides instructions for editing an audio sample of a piano note played 10 times to select one note, trim it, and save it as a discrete sample file. The steps include: 1) listening to each note and selecting the best one, 2) trimming the selected note to isolate it, 3) fading in and out the trimmed note to remove pops or clicks, and 4) consolidating the edited note into a single audio file.

1. Sample Editing
Selecting, trimming and consolidating
an audio sample.

2. Making the selection
• The note of G was played ten times in succession
on an acoustic piano.
• This was recorded with the intention of selecting
one or two of the notes played and converting the
selection(s) into discrete piano note samples.
• Each time the note of G was played sufficient time
was allowed before the next note on the sequence
was played. This ensured the capture of each
note’s natural decay to silence.

3. Audition
• Listen carefully to each note and make a decision
as to which one sounds most appropriate for your
needs.
• It is not always the loudest note (sound) that is
best suited to the intended application, make your
selection based on informed choice.

4. Edit stage 1
• Activate the ‘Smart Tool’ and select ‘Slip’ mode.
• Click the audio region to select the entire
recording, the background should turn black.
• Make a copy by pressing ‘Command + C’.
• Make a new ‘play list’ for the track by clicking on
the up/down arrows positioned to the right of the
track name and selecting ‘New’.
• Paste the copied region into the new play list.

5. Edit stage 2
• Make a selection of the chosen note by clicking in
front of the note’s waveform and dragging to the
right to a point where the note has clearly decayed
to silence.
• Now press the keys ‘Command + E’ to separate
your selection from the whole region.
• Notice how the original single region divides into
three individual regions that are automatically
given unique identifying names.
• Click on your edit selection and copy.

6. Edit stage 3
• Create a new play list and paste the copied sample
selection region into this new play list.
• Press the keys ‘Alt + F’ to expand the region to
full screen width.
• Position the cursor at the front of the region and
trim the the start position to a point where you
want the note to begin.
• You may wish to zoom in closer to get a better
visual indication of the exact start point.

7. Edit stage 4
• Using the ‘arrow’ key, located on the numeric part
of your keyboard, that points to the right jump to
the end of the region and trim the audio to a point
where you consider the sound to have just reached
silence.
• Resize the trimmed region to fill the screen (Alt
+F) and click on the transport bars ‘Play’ button
while holding down the ‘Control’ key. This
activates ‘Loop’ play back.
• With the region selected press the space bar to
begin play back and listen carefully to the trimmed
audio region.
• The note should sound complete.

8. Edit stage 5
• Zoom into the leading edge of the region and
position the cursor in the top left hand corner of
the region. A small square symbol with a sloping
line connecting two opposite corners should
appear. This is the symbol for ‘Fade-ins’.
• Click and drag to create a short fade-in making
sure that you do not fade any part of the
waveform’s leading edge.
• Go to the opposite end of the region and repeat to
create a short ‘fade out’.
• Audition the audio in loop play back mode
listening for any pops or clicks!

9. Edit stage 6
• Resize the region to fill the screen and make a
copy.
• Create a new play list and paste the trimmed and
faded region.
• The region must now be consolidated into a single
audio file. To do this press ‘Shift + Alt + 3’, Pro
Tools writes a new audio file to disk.