Setting Up HARP

HARP runs as a standalone editor, or beside a DAW. A DAW works with HARP in one of two ways:

• As an external sample editor. The DAW opens a region in HARP, and takes the result back once HARP overwrites the file behind it. REAPER, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and FL Studio work this way.
• By exchanging files. Audio moves between the two by export and import, or by drag and drop, as it does with Pro Tools, Cubase, Audacity, and Adobe Audition.

The Round Trip

With HARP set as the external editor of a DAW, processing a region takes the same steps in each:

1. Open the region in HARP from the DAW. The DAW passes HARP the audio file the region plays, which appears in the media clipboard as a DAW-linked track, marked by a purple header. If HARP is already open, it asks whether to open the file in a new window or the current one.
2. Process it. Open a model, drag the DAW-linked track onto its input track, and select Process.
3. Send the result back. Drag the output track into the media clipboard, select it, and select the send icon. Choose the DAW-linked track to replace, then select Overwrite. HARP writes the result over the file of the region, converting it to the format of that file.
4. Return to the DAW, which picks up the changed file.

Exchanging Files

A DAW without an external editor setting exchanges files with HARP instead:

1. Export the audio to a file, as the page for each DAW describes.
2. Process it. Drag the file onto an input track of a model, or add it to the media clipboard with File > Open, and select Process.
3. Bring the result back by dragging the output track from HARP into the DAW, or by saving it with its Save icon and importing the file.

Protecting the Original

DANGER

HARP is a destructive file editor. When running it as a standalone, use Save As to avoid overwriting the input. Send-to-DAW overwrites the region from which the audio came. Working on a duplicate, a bounce, or an alternate take leaves the original intact.

HARP processes the whole file a DAW passes it, so editing part of a region means splitting it first, then copying the excerpt into a file of its own, e.g., by bouncing it in place.

The page for each DAW names the command that makes a copy of a region with a file of its own.

MIDI

Most DAWs open only audio regions in an external editor. To process MIDI, export the region as a MIDI file, or drag it out of the DAW where the DAW allows, and add it to HARP as you would audio. Drag the result back into the DAW, or save and import it.