Reference manual

Projects & stems

Import stems with the same starting point so they play in sync.

Use Add stems to add files to the current project. Choose New in Projects to start a separate project.

Import stems

Tap the menu button at the top left, then Add stems. Choose Entire Folder to import a folder, or Choose Files to select individual audio files.

Folder import

Importing an entire folder will add all of the audio files in the folder up to 64 stems. It won’t add anything that’s not an audio file, and it won’t search folders within the chosen folder

Names and Ignore

Use Clean up names to remove shared text from the start of stem names.

Use Ignore to leave unwanted files out of the import.

Song_01_Kick.wavbecomes Kick

Update stems

Finish exporting and downloading your stems, then tap Sync in the main menu to review the linked folder. To choose a folder for the first time, open Add stems → Update Stems in Folder.

Choose audio and edits

For a changed file, choose NEW AUDIO or OLD AUDIO. With new audio, choose KEEP to retain your level and EQ edits, or RESET to start with flat EQ and the fader at 0 dB.

Unchanged stems keep their edits. New stems start fresh. A missing file keeps its old audio unless you choose REMOVE.

Apply the update

Tap SYNC when the choices are ready. When audio changes, AB:X saves the outgoing mix in Library as Before Sync. Your selected comparison stays selected. Tap Undo to return to the previous audio and settings.

Save and manage projects

Your imported audio and mix settings save automatically. If you use Demo Stems, save a project to keep your changes.

Duplicate creates a separate project. Save versions to compare different mixes within one project.

Names, order and groups

Open Track Management from the main menu to change stem names, order, colors and groups. Tap a name to edit it. Hold and drag a stem to move it.

To make a group, tap GROUPS. Choose a color group, then tap the stems you want to add. Tap a selected stem again to remove it. Tap NAME to rename the group.

Clear audio removes the audio but keeps its row. Remove deletes the row.

Playback & loops

Tap Play to start playback. Tap again to pause.

The transport is the playback bar at the bottom of the screen. Tap the up arrow beside Play to show the waveform and loop controls.

Draw and adjust a loop

Draw a loop

Hold and drag on the waveform to draw a loop. Release to jump to its start and turn looping on. Drag the playhead to change the playback position.

Tap the loop button to turn looping on or off. This keeps your playback position.

Trim and move

Drag an end handle to change where the loop starts or ends. Drag the middle handle to move the whole loop. Both keep your playback position. Drag farther down for smaller adjustments.

Hold an end handle still to zoom in. Release it to return to the previous zoom.

Save loop sections

Tap the bookmark icon to save the current loop as a section. Tap it again to remove the saved section. You can save up to five sections per project.

Tap the saved-sections button to show them on the waveform. Tap a section to jump to its start and turn looping on. Tap its name to rename it. Hold the button to rename sections in a list.

Tempo and waveform zoom

In the expanded transport, drag the BPM number up or down to set the song’s tempo. This adds bar and beat marks to the waveform. In Settings → General → Timing, turn on Snap loops or Snap scrubbing to line up loop edits or playhead moves with those marks. Tap the clock to switch between time, bars and loop readings.

Double tap inside a loop to zoom to that loop. Double tap elsewhere to zoom in. Double tap again to see the full song. Drag the zoomed waveform to move through the song.

Listen with the screen locked

Playback continues when you lock the screen or leave the app. Use Play/Pause and track buttons on the lock screen, headphones or compatible car controls.

The comparison mix is Source or your selected version. From REF, the first Next press returns to the mix side you left. Previous needs a loaded reference.

Disconnecting headphones pauses playback.

Shift tray

Tap the + above the transport to open Shift. Tap a heading to open its controls. Use the back arrow to return, or × to close.

Shift in Mixer

RESET: Reset stems, clear solos or choose stems to lock.
VIEW: Change how the Mixer looks.
EXPERIMENT: Try level and EQ changes across several stems.
VERSION: Save your mix or add a song note.
EDITS: Show levels and small EQ curves beside the stem names.

Reset

RESET ALL: Reset every unlocked stem’s level and EQ. Tap the checkmark to confirm, or × to cancel.
CLEAR SOLOS: Turn off all stem and group solos.
LOCKS: Tap this, then tap the stems you want to lock.
RESET EACH: Tap this, then tap stem names to reset their level and EQ.

When LOCKS or RESET EACH is active, its icon replaces the +. Tap that icon when you’re done.

View

HIDE GROUPS

Hide the group rows.

LEVELS

Switch between GAIN, the fader setting, and LOUDNESS, the estimated loudness.

UNITY

Make the faders stop at 0 dB as you drag. This is off while BLIND is on.

BLIND

Hide fader numbers and spectrum displays while you adjust the mix by ear.

ROWS

Tap ROWS to cycle through three Mixer layouts.

Compact keeps the stem name, a small meter, SOLO and MUTE on one line. It fits the most stems on screen.

Strips gives the name more room and puts a wide meter underneath.

Faders keeps the level number and a horizontal fader visible on every row. Hold the end of the filled line, then drag left or right to adjust the level.

Experiment

CONFIGURE: Choose stems or groups, lock settings, set Roll ranges and choose how many stems Roll and Drop affect.
SPREAD: Give lower-frequency stems more low end and higher-frequency stems more high end. Negative values do the opposite.
WEIGHT: Rebalance levels toward lower- or higher-frequency stems.
EXAGGERATE: Increase or reduce the changes from the comparison mix.
AMOUNT: Increase or reduce the loudness differences between stems.
LEVEL: Raise or lower the stem levels together.
DROP: Open the MUTE tool to temporarily mute random stems or groups.
ROLL: Open the dice tool to try random level and EQ changes.

Version

NOTE: Add a note at the current playback position.
SAVE & COMPARE: Save a version and select it for comparison.
SAVE: Save your mix as a version.

Shift in Lattice

Lattice keeps the same main headings as Mixer. Open VIEW for the map’s display controls.

TONAL BALANCE: Show or hide the comparison strip above the map. With no reference selected, this opens CHOOSE REFERENCE.
BARS / CURVE: Switch how the comparison is drawn.
CHOOSE REFERENCE: Select a loaded reference, or tap IMPORT REFERENCE to add one.
ALIGN / RETRY: Line up the displayed mix and reference levels. RETRY appears when analysis needs another attempt.
RESET ZOOM: Restore the default loudness scale after zooming.

In RESET, ZERO LEVEL & TONE resets unlocked stem levels and Lattice EQ gains. EDITS in the main tray highlights the stems you’ve changed.

Shift in Test

ADD: Open FILES to import finished mixes, or LIBRARY to add saved versions.
VIEW: Open PALETTE to choose mix colors. Tap DETAILS to show or hide the information beneath mix names.
NOTE: Add a note at the current playback position.
BLIND: Hide the mix names while comparing. Turn it off to see which mix is playing.
RANDOM: Open the dice button. Tap the dice to switch to another mix.

Mixer & groups

Tap a stem’s name to open its EQ and level controls.

Stem level and solo

Hold and slide

With the stem’s controls closed, hold its name and slide sideways to adjust its level.

Tap the undo arrow to reverse the last edit. An experiment that changes several stems is undone in one step.

SOLO

Tap SOLO to solo a stem. Tap again to turn it off. Hold SOLO to hear only that stem until you release it. Drag through the SOLO column to select several stems.

Level numbers

Drag the number

Drag a stem’s level number or OUTPUT up to increase it, down to decrease it. Flick to keep it moving after you release. Touch it again to stop.

Double tap the number to reset the fader to 0 dB. Turn on UNITY in Shift → VIEW to make the fader stop at 0 dB as you drag.

Gain / Loudness

In Shift → VIEW → LEVELS, choose GAIN to show fader settings or LOUDNESS to show estimated loudness.

Drag either number to adjust the fader. Double tap to return the fader to 0 dB.

Group level and EQ

Tap a group’s name in the Mixer to open its level and EQ controls. These adjust all the stems in that group. Tap the arrow beside the group to hide or show its stems.

Use BYPASS on a group to turn off that group’s level and EQ adjustments.

Bypass or reset a stem

Tap BYPASS to turn off a stem’s EQ and level adjustment. Tap again to restore them. Hold BYPASS to compare with and without the changes. Release it to switch back.

Tap RESET to clear the stem’s level and EQ changes.

Mixer display

EDITS

Turn on EDITS in Shift to show levels and small EQ curves beside the stem names.

BLIND

Turn on BLIND in Shift → VIEW to hide the fader numbers and spectrum displays while you adjust the mix by ear.

Reset and lock stems

Reset one stem or all stems

In Shift → RESET, tap RESET EACH, then tap a stem’s name to reset its level and EQ. RESET ALL resets every unlocked stem.

CLEAR SOLOS turns off every stem and group solo. Muted stems stay muted.

Protect a stem

Tap LOCKS, then tap the stems you want to protect from RESET EACH and RESET ALL.

Turn off LOCKS or RESET EACH when you’re done.

EQ & spectrum

Bands and filters

Each stem has four EQ bands. Tap a stem’s name in Mixer to open its EQ, then tap a dot on the graph to select a band. The controls below the graph show that band’s settings.

Tap the band number to turn that band on or off. Hold the band number to open a menu with on/off controls for all four bands.

Tap the filter type button below the graph to cycle through its filters. Hold it to open the choices. The available types depend on which band is selected.

Bell: Boosts or cuts around one frequency.
Low / High Shelf: Boosts or cuts frequencies below or above the chosen frequency.
Low / High Cut: Removes frequencies below or above the chosen frequency.
Band Pass: Keeps a range of frequencies and cuts the frequencies on either side.
Tilt: Raises frequencies on one side of a center frequency while lowering the other side.

See Adjust EQ for the number and dial controls.

Adjust EQ

Drag a dot left or right to change its frequency. For Bell and shelf filters, drag up to boost or down to cut.

Frequency / Gain

Drag the frequency or gain number up or down to adjust it.

Double tap a number to reset it. Gain returns to 0 dB and frequency returns to the band’s default.

Dial / Node

For Bell filters, Q controls the width of the boost or cut. Higher Q makes it narrower. For Cut and Band Pass filters, dB/O controls how steeply the filter cuts. Drag the dial up or down to adjust it.

Double tap an EQ node to change its filter type.

Makeup gain

The makeup gain number is above the EQ graph, beside the stem’s level. Tap it to compensate for volume changes caused by EQ. Tap again to turn it off.

Hold the makeup gain number to move that adjustment to the fader.

Spectrum and overlay

Tap the two-dot button to switch between EQ and spectrum controls. Tap the snowflake icon to freeze the spectrum display.

Tap OVERLAY, then choose a stem to show its spectrum alongside the current stem’s. To remove it, tap OVERLAY again and choose OFF.

Lattice

Lattice and Mixer are two views of the same mix. Each dot is a stem, and the Lattice controls use that stem’s fader and EQ bands. Changes in either view appear in the other.

Tap the menu button at the top left and choose Lattice. Use the same menu to return to Mixer.

Move stems and adjust EQ

Louder stems sit higher on the map. Stems with more low-frequency energy sit farther left, and brighter stems sit farther right. Tap a dot to select the stem and show its tab.

Think of low, mid and high relative to each sound’s own frequency range. A bass stem and a hi-hat have different centers. Here, mid means the area around that sound’s center.

AB:X measures a frequency center of gravity for each of the unprocessed stems, using K-weighted energy on a logarithmic frequency scale. This gives Tilt EQ its starting pivot and places Bell EQ around the sound’s center.

Move a stem

Drag a dot up or down to move that stem’s fader in the Mixer.

Drag left to raise the stem’s lower frequencies and reduce its higher frequencies. Drag right for the reverse. Tilt EQ balances the low and high sides around its pivot, initially set to that stem’s measured center.

Adjust the sound’s middle with Bell EQ

The tab shows the stem’s EQ curve. Drag it up to boost around the sound’s center of gravity, or down to cut. Bell EQ adjusts this middle area independently of the low/high balance set by Tilt EQ.

Its initial width follows the stem’s measured frequency spread, narrower for sounds concentrated in a small range and wider for sounds spread across more frequencies. Adjust Q in Mixer to change the width.

Lattice EQ bands in Mixer

Low, mid and high describe how these two controls shape each sound. Tilt EQ adjusts the low/high balance and Bell EQ boosts or cuts the middle. They use two of the stem’s four EQ bands. When you first use either control, AB:X assigns an available band to it.

Open the stem in Mixer and select its EQ dots. The assigned bands show TILT EQ or BELL EQ beneath the band number. The frequency number tells you exactly where the filter sits. Q controls the Bell EQ’s width.

The EQ center is measured from the full unprocessed stem and stays fixed when you change the loop or move the dot. The dot’s position reflects the stem’s current EQ over the whole stem or active loop, so it can move away from that center. Dragging the tab changes only the Bell EQ’s boost or cut.

If you move the Bell EQ’s frequency in Mixer, the Lattice tab stops adjusting that band. Double tap its frequency number to return it to the measured center.

Reset the map

Double tap a dot to reset the stem’s level and EQ. Double tap its tab to reset only the Tilt EQ and Bell EQ gains.

Open Shift → RESET → ZERO LEVEL & TONE to zero stem levels and active Tilt EQ and Bell EQ gains across the map. Locked settings and other EQ bands are kept.

Compare frequency balance

Open Shift → VIEW → TONAL BALANCE to show the comparison above the map. Use CHOOSE REFERENCE to select a loaded reference or import one. Tap BARS or CURVE to switch the display.

Above the reference line means more energy in that frequency range. Below it means less. Both displays follow the map’s frequency axis.

In VIEW, tap ALIGN to line up the displayed levels again. RESET ZOOM restores the map’s loudness scale after you pinch to zoom.

Experiments

Use experiments to try changes across several stems at once.

Level and EQ changes stay when you close an experiment.

Adjust an experiment

Tool name: Tap the name to choose another experiment.
Value: Drag up or down to adjust it. Level changes in 0.1 dB steps. Percentage values change in 1% steps. Double tap to reset to zero. Hold the value to hear the mix without the experiment.
On / Off: Turn the effect off without losing its settings. Tap again to restore them.
Checkmark: Keep the changes and set this experiment’s value back to zero. For example, after setting Level to −2 dB, tap the checkmark. The stems stay 2 dB lower and Level returns to zero, ready for another adjustment.
Reset arrow: Roll and Drop show a reset arrow in place of the checkmark. Tap it to clear the changes made by that tool.
Close: Close the tool and keep the changes. Closing Drop also unmutes the stems it muted.

Level

Adjust all stems

Adds or subtracts a set dB amount to every stem.

Similar function to Input Gain, but actually applied to each individual stem fader value.

Start with the faders down

Can be used to pull all stems to the bottom of the faders (or as close to the bottom as they will go) and start a balance from scratch.

Amount

A tool to increase or decrease the loudness differences between stems

Positive

Positive AMOUNT percentage values make loud stems louder, and quiet stems quieter

Negative

Negative percentage values do the opposite and bring stems closer together in loudness.

−100%

At -100%, all stems will be brought to equal loudness (as measured by AB:X for the active loop or full song).

AMOUNT only adjusts stem levels to rebalance the mix. There is no dynamic processing of any kind (compression etc) being applied to stems with this tool.

Weight

Energy center

Changes each stems level based on where the energy center sits for each stem

Positive

Positive WEIGHT percentage values effectively rebalance the mix to have more low frequency energy by raising the level of lower frequency stems and lowering the level of higher frequency stems.

Negative

Negative WEIGHT percentage values do the opposite: they raise the level of higher-frequency stems and lower the level of lower-frequency stems.

Level only

The WEIGHT tool only adjusts stem levels. It does not affect the stem EQs.

Spread and Exaggerate

Spread

Positive Spread gives lower-frequency stems more low end and higher-frequency stems more high end. Negative values do the opposite.

Spread uses a free EQ band if the stem doesn’t already have Tilt EQ.

Exaggerate

Exaggerate increases or reduces the level and EQ changes you’ve made from the comparison mix. If you’ve raised a stem by 2 dB, +50% makes that a 3 dB increase. −50% reduces it to 1 dB.

Use Source or a saved version made from the same stem files.

Roll and Drop

Roll

Tap the dice to randomize Level, Tilt EQ and Bell EQ within the ranges you set.

Tap again for another set of changes. Close Roll to keep them.

Drop

Tap MUTE to temporarily mute a random set of stems or groups. Tap again to choose another set.

Close Drop to unmute them.

Choose stems, ranges and locks

Open Shift → EXPERIMENT → CONFIGURE. Tap LOCKS or ROLL to expand its settings.

STEMS / GROUPS: Choose Groups to apply Level, Amount, Weight, Roll and Drop to groups. Stems outside a group are adjusted individually.
LOCKS: Use STEM LOCK to protect a whole stem. Lock Level, Tilt EQ or Bell EQ to keep that setting unchanged during experiments and Roll. A Level or processing lock on any member also stops experiments from changing the group’s level. Drop can still mute locked stems.
Ranges: In LOCKS, tap a stem’s name, then choose Level, Tilt EQ or Bell EQ. Drag the two slider handles to set the smallest and largest change Roll can make. For example, a Tilt EQ range of −2 to +2 dB keeps its random change within 2 dB in either direction.
ROLL: Choose how many stems or groups Roll and Drop affect at once. Roll offers 1, 2, 4, 8 or ALL. Drop offers 1, 2 or 4.
CLOSE: Return to the mix.

Mute and solo don’t limit which stems experiments change. Drop only chooses stems or groups you can hear.

Master & monitoring

Swipe left from the Mixer to open Master. Tap a section heading to open its controls. This page holds the EQ and limiter for the whole mix, references, level matching and listening controls.

Input level

Tap INPUT to open its level control. Drag to adjust the level entering Master EQ and the limiter. This moves all stems together, keeping their relative balance. Tap RESET to return it to 0 dB.

Limiter

Increase DRIVE IN to push the mix harder into the limiter. The reduction display shows how much it turns down the peaks. The limiter’s ceiling is −1 dBTP before the output adjustment.

UNITY: Compensates for the extra volume from DRIVE IN, so you can hear the limiting at a similar level.
OUT: Sets the level after limiting. Its number includes UNITY’s compensation and any extra adjustment you make. Drag it up or down to adjust it. Double-tap to remove your extra adjustment while keeping UNITY’s compensation.

Full-mix exports include UNITY and limiter OUT. Use the separate OUTPUT control for listening volume that stays out of the export.

EQ matching

Open MASTER EQ. If no reference is loaded, tap LOAD REF to choose one.

Drag MATCH right for a stronger tonal balance match, or left for less. The slider runs from 0% to 100% and adjusts the Master EQ bands. Wait for analysis if it is dimmed.

Tap TONAL BALANCE to show or hide the correction line. Above zero suggests a boost. Below zero suggests a cut. Hiding the line leaves the EQ unchanged.

Hold TONAL BALANCE to show or hide the comparison details beneath the graph. Use BYPASS to hear the mix with the Master EQ switched out.

Monitoring and output

Tap LOW, MID or HIGH to listen to that frequency range. Turn on MONO to hear it in mono. Adjust the crossover frequencies to change the range. Turn on MAKEUP to compensate for the volume drop.

Use OUTPUT to set your listening volume. Monitoring and OUTPUT are left out of exports. Limiter UNITY and OUT are included in full-mix exports.

Compare & references

Compare your mix

Tap Compare (Δ) to switch between your mix and Source or a saved version. Tap again to return to MIX. Hold Compare to switch temporarily, then release it to switch back.

Source plays the stems without your level and EQ changes. The Compare button and screen border light up when you listen to Source or a saved version.

Choose the comparison mix

Tap the mix name in the transport to choose Source or a saved version for comparison.

EARLIER STEMS means the version uses older audio. It plays as a complete mix, so your current mute and solo settings do not change it.

Level matching

Open Master → LEVEL MATCHING. AB:X adjusts the listening volume of MIX and REF to match Source or your chosen comparison version, without moving your faders.

The dB number is the adjustment. BEFORE and AFTER show loudness in LUFS. Here, a −3 dB adjustment brings the mix down to Source’s level.

AUTO: Updates the match as you edit.
HOLD: Keeps the match until you tap RECALC.
OFF: Lets you hear the full volume change.

Songs and loops

Without a loop, AUTO follows the arrangement. If you turn up a guitar that only plays in the chorus, it updates that section’s match while the verse keeps its own adjustment.

With a loop, one adjustment covers the complete A–B range. The reference uses its own loop or whole file. To compare choruses, loop the chorus in both.

Adjust by ear

Choose HOLD. Once measured, press and hold ADJUST MATCH, then drag left to turn that row down or right to turn it up. Listen to MIX or REF to hear its adjustment. Double-tap the lane to return to the measured match.

RECALC updates the match and replaces your manual adjustment. Use it after changing a loop in HOLD. HOLD keeps the existing section adjustments, so its gain can still change between sections.

Matching changes listening volume only. It is left out of saved versions and exported audio.

Reference files

A reference is an audio file you want to compare your mix with, such as a released song or another mix of your track.

Swipe left from the Mixer to open Master, then tap REFERENCE. Tap LOAD beside an empty slot and choose an audio file. Tap a loaded reference’s name to select it and open its waveform and loop controls.

Tap REF to listen to the selected reference. Hold REF to compare. Release it to switch back. You can load up to eight references, each with its own playhead and loop.

Reference matching uses the complete reference loop, or the whole file when looping is off. Loop the passages you want to compare in both your mix and the reference. See Level matching for modes, measurements and manual adjustment.

Saved versions

Library holds your saved versions for the current project.

Save a version

SAVE

Open Shift → VERSION and tap SAVE. Give the version a name, add notes if you want, then tap SAVE VERSION. Open Library from the main menu to find it later.

Each version saves the stem audio, levels, EQ and group settings.

SAVE & COMPARE

Tap SAVE & COMPARE to save a version and use it as your comparison mix.

Choose a version to compare

Compare

Tap COMPARE on a saved version to select it as your comparison mix. Use Compare (Δ) to switch between it and your current mix.

Several versions in Test

Tap ADD TO TEST to add a stereo mix of the saved version to Test.

Use Test to compare several finished mixes.

Load a version

Tap LOAD to restore a version’s stem audio and settings. Locked stems are skipped.

Save your current mix as a version before loading another if you want to keep it. You can undo a load.

Export a saved version

Stem files

Tap EXPORT on a version to save its stems as separate WAV files with their saved level, EQ and group adjustments.

Tap EXPORT on a stem to save only that stem.

Stereo mix

Use Export Mix to save a stereo file of your current mix.

To export a saved version as a stereo file, load it first.

Test finished mixes

Use Test to compare up to eight finished mixes.

Add files, or use ADD TO TEST on a saved version.

Select and compare mixes

Select a mix

Tap a mix’s name to select it. Tap the arrow on the right to open its details. Level matching reduces volume differences between the mixes.

Adding a version to Test creates a stereo audio file. Later changes in Mixer do not change that file.

BLIND and RANDOM

Turn on BLIND to hide the mix names. Turn it off to see which mix is playing. Tap RANDOM to open the dice button, then tap the dice to switch to another mix.

Timing and alignment

Tap the arrow beside an imported mix to open its details. Tap the label beside TIMING to switch between IN TIME, OFFSET and OWN TIME.

IN TIME means the files already start together. OFFSET shifts one file so the music lines up with the others. In OFFSET, tap AUTO to find the alignment, or use − and + to adjust it yourself. Both modes share the same playback position and loop.

Choose OWN TIME for a different arrangement that cannot line up with the others. It gets its own playhead and loop and is left out of BLIND and RANDOM.

Notes and files

Tap NOTE to add a note at the current playback position. Tap EXPORT to share the selected mix without its level-matching adjustment.

Removing a mix from Test does not delete the original audio file.

Export & notes

Choose Export to save your current mix as an audio file.

Export a mix or stems

Stereo mix

Export Mix saves one stereo file with your level, EQ and mute/solo settings. It exports your current mix, even if you’re listening to a reference or saved version. Master EQ, limiting, UNITY and limiter OUT are included. Level matching, listening OUTPUT and Monitoring are left out.

Choose Full Mix for the whole song or Loop A–B for the loop. WAV gives you 24-bit audio. M4A makes a smaller file.

Processed stems

Use Stems export for separate files with your stem and group adjustments. The files keep the same starting point so they line up in your DAW.

EQ and limiting applied to the whole mix are left out.

Tap Export Mix or Export Stems to create the files. When the export finishes, tap SAVE TO FILES to choose a folder, or SHARE to send the files to another app.

Mix Notes

Tap NOTE in Shift → VERSION to add a note at the current playback position.

Turn on Include Mix Notes to export a PDF of your settings and song notes. A loop export includes notes from that loop.