REAPER KB

2.18 Managing Time and Loop Selections

user_guide/user-guide-2-18-managing-time-and-loop-selections · kind=reference

2.18 Managing Time and Loop Selections

In the previous section you learnt how to click and drag within an empty area of the track view to define a time selection.

Kind: concept (user-guide-section) Chapter: 2 REAPER Project Basics Source: REAPER User Guide v7.70

In the previous section you learnt how to click and drag within an empty area of the track view to define a time selection. This may or may not also change the loop selection, depending on your Options, Loop points linked to time selection setting. As you progress thru this User Guide, you will see that time selection plays an important role in REAPER, for example when it comes to editing your media items. You’ll probably find at first that it’s too easy to perhaps select too large an area, or to miss part of the area that you intended to select. To modify a loop selection using the mouse, hover the mouse over the edge at the start or finish of the loop selection on the timeline, then click and drag left or right. Dragging left from the start of the selected area extends the selection left, dragging right shortens it. Dragging right from the finish of the selected area extends it to the right, dragging left shortens it. Holding Ctrl while you do this cause any snap settings to be ignored.

To move a loop selection, hold the mouse over the selected area on the time line, then hold down Shift while clicking and dragging the mouse left or right. You can also modify a time selection by first clicking then scrolling the mousewheel over the Selection area of the Transport Bar. Scroll over the start area to adjust start time, end area to adjust end time, or over the length of selection area to move the entire selection. If you wish, you can enter actual times in the start and end time boxes. There are also several keyboard shortcuts you can use for managing Time Selections, summarised below. If loop points are linked to the time selection, then the loop area will also be modified.

Managing Time and Loop Selections screenshot

Function Keystroke

Nudge Entire Time Selection left a little. , (comma)

Nudge Entire Time Selection right a little.

. (period or full stop)

Extend Time Selection to left by nudging left edge left a little. Ctrl ,

Shrink Time Selection from right by nudging right edge left a little. Ctrl Alt ,

Extend Time Selection from left by nudging right edge right a little. Ctrl Alt .

Move Time Selection left by time selection length. Shift ,

Move Time Selection right by time selection length. Shift .

Copy portions of selected media items in Time Selection. Ctrl Shift C

Remove (Unselect) Time Selection. Esc

Zoom to Time Selection. Ctrl PageUp

Zoom back to Project. Ctrl PageDown

If you wish, you can use the keyboard rather than the mouse to manage your time selections. First you need to position the cursor at either the start or the end of the loop, then use one of these:

Function Keystroke

Drag cursor to the left and create time selection. Shift Left Arrow

Drag cursor to the right and create time selection. Shift Right Arrow

Tip: If your cursor will not stay exactly where you wish when creating a selection, make sure snapping is off.

Other sections in this document