Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
How to use this workflow
Place the edit before choosing a fade
Open one recording in Audio Cutter. Split around the unwanted passage and delete that segment, keeping the original source outside the edit session. Listen across the join at normal playback level. A click at the boundary and a doubled drum hit are different defects; write down which one you hear before changing crossfade length.
Compare the smallest useful overlap
Use the supported 0, 10, 30, 50, 100 or 200 ms choices. Begin with 0 and a short setting; audition the same lead-in and following hit each time. A longer overlap can smooth a discontinuity while softening or duplicating an attack. There is no universal best setting for every drum recording.
How much of the beat can the fade occupy?
At 120 BPM, quarter notes are 500 ms apart and sixteenth notes are 125 ms apart. A 10 ms fade occupies 8% of that sixteenth-note interval; 50 ms occupies 40%; 100 ms occupies 80%. These are timing calculations, not measurements of attack loss or subjective quality.
An attack is not necessarily one whole subdivision long. Use the percentage only to understand the scale of the overlap, then listen. A boundary between hits can behave differently from one through the middle of a snare transient. Moving the edit slightly can solve a problem that no fade duration fixes cleanly.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read all columns.
| Setting | Fraction of 125 ms interval | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| 0 ms | 0% | Boundary click or gap |
| 10 ms | 8% | Click removed; attack intact? |
| 50 ms | 40% | Attack softening or double hit |
| 100 ms | 80% | Overlap spanning nearby material |
Choose the join in musical context
Keep two observations per setting: boundary noise and attack identity. Reject a setting that hides the click by removing the accent you need to practice. After choosing a candidate, listen to the whole phrase rather than only a tiny loop.
Export and reopen the result. Check the transition and phrase timing again. PitchChanger edits segments from one source; this workflow is not a claim that it aligns multiple microphone tracks or repairs phase across a drum multitrack.
Common questions
Should every drum join use the shortest fade?
No. Use the shortest setting that solves the audible boundary problem without harming the musical event. Sometimes the better fix is a different boundary, and sometimes a longer overlap is appropriate for material between attacks.