Audio Composition Editor Complete Tutorial

Introduction to the Audio Composition Editor

The Audio Composition Editor is a multi-track timeline-based audio workstation inside Unity that allows you to create complex audio mixes, arrange sound effects and music, and export professional audio compositions.

Opening the Composition Editor

  1. Go to Tools -> USM -> Audio Composition Editor

  1. The editor window will open, showing an empty timeline with tools

Understanding the Interface

Main Components:

  • Timeline Ruler: Shows time in seconds at the top

  • Track Headers: Left side with track names and controls

  • Track Lanes: Right side where audio clips are placed

  • Toolbar: Top section with playback and editing tools

  • Playhead: Red line that shows current playback position

Tools Available:

  • Select Tool (V): Select and move clips

  • Cut Tool (C): Split clips at specific points

  • Trim Tool (T): Adjust start/end points of clips

Step 1: Setting Up Your First Composition

Adding Tracks

  1. Click "Add Track" in the toolbar

  2. Name your first track "Background Music"

  3. Add a second track named "Sound Effects"

  4. Add a third track named "UI Sounds"

Track Controls Explained:

  • Volume Slider: Controls track volume (0.0 to 1.0)

  • Solo (S): Play only this track

  • Mute (M): Silence this track

  • Delete (X): Remove the track

Step 2: Adding Audio to the Timeline

Method 1: Drag and Drop

  1. Find audio files in your Project window

  2. Drag them directly onto the track lanes

  3. Position them where you want them to start

Method 2: Right-Click Menu

  1. Right-click on a track lane at your desired start time

  2. Right-click on a clip to edit it

Adding Example Clips:

  • Drag a background music file to the "Background Music" track at time 0:00

  • Drag a jump sound to the "Sound Effects" track at time 2:00

  • Drag a menu click to the "UI Sounds" track at time 1:50

Step 3: Basic Clip Editing

Moving Clips

  1. Select the Select Tool (V)

  2. Click and drag clips left/right to change their start time

  3. Drag between tracks to move clips to different tracks

Trimming Clips

  1. Select the Trim Tool (T)

  2. Hover over clip edges until you see trim handles

  3. Drag the handles to make clips shorter or longer

  4. Orange handles appear when trim tool is active

Example: Trimming Background Music

  1. Select Trim Tool

  2. Drag the right edge of your background music to 30 seconds

  3. Notice the clip gets shorter but the audio content is preserved

Step 4: Advanced Clip Operations

Cutting/Splitting Clips

  1. Select the Cut Tool (C)

  2. Click on a clip where you want to split it

  3. The clip divides into two separate clips

  4. You can now move or delete each part independently

Example: Creating a Sound Sequence

  1. Add an "explosion" sound effect at 5:00

  2. Use Cut Tool to split it at 5:02

  3. Move the second part to 5:05

  4. Now you have two explosions in sequence

Duplicating Clips

  1. Right-click on a clip

  2. Select "Duplicate Clip" (or press Ctrl+D)

  3. A copy appears immediately after the original

  4. Drag it to your desired position

Step 5: Timeline Navigation and Playback

Zoom Controls

  • Use the Zoom slider in the toolbar

  • Scroll wheel while hovering over timeline

  • Zoom range: 0.1x (very zoomed out) to 3.0x (very zoomed in)

Playback Controls

  • Play (Space): Start playback from current position

  • Pause (Space): Pause playback

  • Stop (Ctrl+S): Stop and reset to beginning

  • Click timeline: Jump playhead to clicked position

  • Drag playhead: Scrub through audio manually

Playhead Navigation

  • Home key: Jump to start of composition

  • End key: Jump to end of composition

  • Click ruler: Jump to specific time

Step 6: Working with Multiple Tracks

Track Organization

  1. Reorder tracks by dragging track headers up/down

  2. Rename tracks by clicking the name in track header

  3. Color code tracks for visual organization

Volume Balancing

  1. Adjust individual track volume sliders

  2. Use Solo button to isolate specific tracks

  3. Use Mute button to silence tracks during editing

Example Mix Setup:

  • Background Music track: Volume 0.6

  • Sound Effects track: Volume 0.8

  • UI Sounds track: Volume 0.4

Step 7: Advanced Features

Fade Effects

  1. Select a clip with the Select Tool

  2. In the Inspector panel (when clip is selected)

  3. Adjust Fade In and Fade Out values

  4. Visual fade curves appear on the clip

Clip Volume Control

  1. Select a clip

  2. In Inspector, adjust Clip Volume (0.0 to 1.0)

  3. Each clip can have individual volume levels

Loop Points

  1. Select a music clip

  2. Enable Loop in Inspector

  3. Clip will repeat during playback

Step 8: Real-time Preview and Testing

Listening to Your Mix

  1. Press Space to play your entire composition

  2. Watch the playhead move across the timeline

  3. All tracks play simultaneously

  4. Use Solo/Mute to focus on specific elements

Scrubbing for Precision

  1. Drag the playhead while audio is playing

  2. Hear real-time audio as you scrub

  3. Perfect for finding exact timing points

Step 9: Saving and Exporting

Saving Your Composition

The composition automatically saves with your Unity project. All clip positions, edits, and track settings are preserved.

Exporting to WAV File

  1. Click "Export to WAV" in the toolbar

  2. Choose a save location and filename

  3. The system processes your entire mix

  4. A single WAV file containing all tracks is created

Export Settings:

  • Format: 44.1kHz, 16-bit stereo WAV

  • Quality: Professional broadcast quality

  • Duration: Exact length of your longest track

  • Mix: All tracks combined with their volume levels

Advanced Techniques

Creating Rhythm Patterns

  1. Add a drum sound to a track

  2. Duplicate it multiple times (Ctrl+D)

  3. Space duplicates evenly for rhythm

  4. Adjust timing for complex patterns

Building Tension

  1. Start with quiet background music

  2. Gradually increase volume over time

  3. Add more frequent sound effects

  4. Use fade ins for smooth transitions

Layering Sounds

  1. Place similar sounds on different tracks

  2. Adjust individual volumes and timing

  3. Create rich, complex audio textures

  4. Use mute/solo to test layers

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Shortcut

Action

Space

Play/Pause

Ctrl+S

Stop playback

V

Select Tool

C

Cut Tool

T

Trim Tool

Ctrl+Z

Undo

Ctrl+Y

Redo

Ctrl+D

Duplicate selected clip

Delete

Remove selected clip

Home

Jump to start

End

Jump to end

Troubleshooting Common Issues

"No sound during playback"

  • Check that tracks aren't muted

  • Verify audio files are properly imported

  • Ensure Audio Manager is in your scene

"Clips won't move/trim"

  • Make sure you're using the correct tool

  • Check that no other operation is in progress

  • Try selecting the clip first

"Export failed"

  • Ensure you have write permissions to save location

  • Check that composition has audio content

  • Verify no audio files are missing or corrupted

"Performance issues"

  • Reduce number of simultaneous tracks

  • Use shorter audio clips

  • Close other applications

Best Practices

Organization Tips:

  1. Name tracks clearly (e.g., "Music - Main Theme")

  2. Color code tracks by category

  3. Use folders for complex projects

  4. Save frequently during long sessions

Audio Quality:

  1. Normalize audio levels before importing

  2. Use consistent sample rates (44.1kHz recommended)

  3. Avoid clipping - keep peaks below 0dB

  4. Use fades to prevent clicks and pops

Workflow Efficiency:

  1. Use keyboard shortcuts for common actions

  2. Zoom appropriately for the task

  3. Solo tracks when editing specific elements

  4. Save versions before major changes

Conclusion

You've now mastered the Audio Composition Editor! You can:

  • Create multi-track audio compositions

  • Arrange and edit clips on a timeline

  • Use professional editing tools

  • Mix and balance multiple audio elements

  • Export finished compositions

The Composition Editor turns Unity into a powerful audio workstation, perfect for creating game audio, soundscapes, music beds, and professional audio mixes without ever leaving your development environment.

Next Steps: Experiment with creating compositions for your game menus, cutscenes, or ambient environments. The more you use the editor, the more efficient and creative you'll become!

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