Changing the track order in Avid requires a workaround involving creating a new sequence and using track patching. While you can reorder clips within a track using the segment select tool, you can't directly drag entire tracks to reorder them in the timeline. Here's how to do it:
Method 1: Reordering Tracks Using a New Sequence and Track Patching
This is the primary method for changing the order of video and audio tracks in Avid Media Composer.
-
Create a New Sequence: Create a new sequence that contains the exact number of video and audio tracks as your original sequence, but with the tracks in the desired order.
-
Load the Original Sequence into the Source Monitor: Drag your original sequence from the bin to the Source monitor.
-
Use Track Patching: This is the key step. Track patching allows you to route source tracks to specific tracks in your timeline.
- In the Timeline window, locate the track patching area (usually on the left). It shows the source tracks (V1, A1, A2, etc.) on the left and the target tracks (the tracks in your new sequence) on the right.
- Click on the source track indicators on the left side (e.g., V1, A1, A2) and "drag" them to the target tracks in your new sequence, placing them in the new order you desire. For example, you can patch V1 from the source to V3 on the target. Repeat for all tracks, assigning each source track to its desired destination track in the new sequence.
-
Overwrite or Splice the Sequence:
- Make sure no In/Out points are marked on the Source monitor, ensuring the entire sequence will be used. In the Timeline, mark In and Out points on your new, empty sequence to match the length of your original sequence.
- Click the "Overwrite" (red arrow) or "Splice-In" (yellow arrow) button. Overwrite will replace any existing material on the tracks, while Splice-In will shift existing clips to accommodate the new material. Typically, you'll use Overwrite since the new sequence is empty.
-
Your tracks are now reordered. Your new sequence will contain the tracks from the original sequence, but in the order you specified using the track patching.
Method 2: Reordering Clips within Tracks (Segment Select Tool)
This method doesn't change the order of the tracks themselves, but it allows you to rearrange clips within tracks.
-
Select the Segment Mode Tool: In the Composer window's toolbar, choose the "Segment Mode" tool. There are two main types:
- Lift/Overwrite: This mode removes the selected segment and closes the gap.
- Extract/Splice-In: This mode moves the selected segment, inserting it into the new location and shifting other clips accordingly.
-
Click and Drag Clips: Click on the segment (clip) you want to move, and drag it to its new position on the same or a different track.
-
Constrain to Vertical Movement: To move clips between tracks without accidentally shifting them horizontally, hold CTRL + SHIFT (Windows) or Command + Shift (Mac) while dragging vertically. This constrains the movement to only the vertical axis.
Important Considerations:
- Track Patching is Crucial: Understanding track patching is fundamental to non-linear editing in Avid. It gives you enormous flexibility in routing audio and video.
- Careful Planning: Before creating a new sequence and track patching, carefully plan your desired track order to avoid mistakes.
- Backup Your Sequence: Before making significant changes, it is always a good idea to duplicate your original sequence as a backup.
