Timeline & Transport

The timeline is where you navigate through your ADM file. It shows waveforms, tracks your playback position, and lets you scrub to any point in the programme. Combined with the two waveform views — Spatial and Multichannel — it's your primary tool for inspecting automation, transitions, and overall programme structure.

What the timeline shows

• Current playback time with a dedicated timecode readout.
• Total programme duration.
• Waveform views that match the loaded ADM and respect mute/solo states.
• Playhead position that drives meters, the 3D view, and sidebar readouts.

Timecode display options

Orbit supports two timecode display formats, configurable via View → Timecode Format:

• HH:MM:SS (default): Hours, minutes, and seconds with millisecond precision
• SMPTE: Standard timecode format (HH:MM:SS:FF) with frame numbers

When using SMPTE timecode, set your project frame rate via View → Frame Rate:

Frame Rate	Use Case
23.976 fps	Film (NTSC pull-down)
24 fps	Cinema (default)
25 fps	PAL broadcast
29.97 fps	NTSC broadcast (drop-frame)
30 fps	NTSC non-drop
50 fps	High frame rate PAL
59.94 fps	High frame rate NTSC (drop-frame)
60 fps	High frame rate

INFO

ADM files do not contain video frame rate metadata. The frame rate setting is a user preference for timecode display and does not affect audio playback. Expanded timecode features are planned for Orbit Pro.

Drop-frame notation (semicolon separator) is automatically used for 29.97 and 59.94 fps to maintain accurate time-of-day synchronization.

Waveform views

Orbit provides two complementary views of your ADM content. Use the view toggle above the timeline to switch between them.

Spatial Waveform View

The Spatial view shows a combined envelope of all audio content (beds + objects) with color-coded spatial information.

What you see:

• Single waveform combining RMS and peak levels from all sources
• Color tinting based on average pan position at each moment — colors are theme-related and change with your selected Object Theme (View menu)
• Use the gradient helper above the waveform to see which colors indicate left, center, and right for your current theme
• Fixed height with smooth pan color gradients

When to use Spatial view:

• Get a quick overview of programme density and dynamics
• Spot spatial movement trends across the mix
• Find sections where object automation is most active
• Check overall level balance across the mix

What to look for:

• Color shifts indicate spatial movement or pan changes
• Dense, saturated waveforms = many active objects or beds
• Thin waveforms = sparse content or silent sections
• Sudden color changes may indicate object position jumps

TIP

Use Spatial view first for big-picture QC, then switch to Multichannel to investigate specific issues.

Multichannel Waveform View (7.1.4)

The Multichannel view displays 12 individual speaker channel waveforms in 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos order.

What you see:

• 12 horizontal lines, one per speaker channel:
  • L, R: Front left/right
  • C: Center
  • LFE: Subwoofer / Low-Frequency Effects
  • Ls, Rs: Side left/right surround
  • Lrs, Rrs: Rear left/right surround
  • Ltf, Rtf: Top front left/right (height)
  • Ltr, Rtr: Top rear left/right (height)
• Channel colors are based on your selected theme
• Mute/solo badges appear when channel groups are muted or soloed
• Three height options: Compact (minimal space), Medium (balanced), Large (maximum detail)

When to use Multichannel view:

• Verify beds are routed to the correct speakers
• Confirm LFE activity (should only appear on LFE line)
• Check height channel usage (are Ltf/Rtf/Ltr/Rtr active when expected?)
• Identify which speakers contribute during specific moments
• Debug routing issues (e.g., "why is C channel silent?")
• Validate surround vs rear surround distribution

What to look for:

• Bed channels: Should show consistent activity on their mapped speakers
• Object rendering: Objects pan across multiple channels creating distributed patterns
• LFE isolation: LFE should ONLY appear on the LFE line (no positional content)
• Height activity: Top channels (Ltf/Rtf/Ltr/Rtr) should show activity during overhead moments
• Mute/solo states: Dimmed waveforms or badges indicate muted/soloed groups

Height options:

• Compact: ~15px per channel, fits in tight layouts, harder to see detail
• Medium: ~30px per channel, balanced view for most QC work (default)
• Large: ~50px per channel, maximum waveform detail, uses more screen space

TIP

Switch to Large height when debugging subtle level differences or verifying faint LFE content.

Switching between views

Use the view toggle button above the timeline:

• Spatial: Single-click for overall spatial picture
• Multichannel: Single-click to see per-channel breakdown
• Both views respect mute/solo states in real-time
• Both views share the same playhead and scrubbing

Waveform caching

• Orbit caches waveforms to .orbwave files next to the ADM so reopening a file is quick
• The cache is refreshed automatically if the source file changes
• Two routing versions are cached: Direct and VBAP bed routing
• Multichannel per-channel data is also cached for instant view switching

Transport controls

Transport controls live in the header:

• Load ADM
• Play / Pause
• Stop (rewinds after a short fade)

How to use it for QC

Recommended workflow:

1. Start with Spatial view to get a quick overview:

   • Scan the entire timeline for overall density
   • Look for unexpected gaps or level inconsistencies
   • Note color distribution (is content spatially balanced?)
   • Identify sections with active object automation (color shifts)

2. Switch to Multichannel view to verify routing:

   • Confirm beds are hitting the correct speakers
   • Check LFE is isolated (purple line only)
   • Verify height channels are active during overhead moments
   • Look for unexpected channel activity (e.g., rear surrounds when content should be front)

3. Use scrubbing and playback together:

   • Scrub slowly through transitions to detect abrupt object jumps
   • Play through dense sections while watching Multichannel to verify all speakers contribute
   • Toggle between views at the same timecode to cross-reference issues

4. Jump to key sections:

   • Programme start (0:00): Verify opening content appears correctly
   • Dense middle sections: Check that many active objects don't cause clipping or imbalance
   • Final segment: Confirm fade-outs or endings render cleanly
   • Known problem areas: Revisit reported issues with both views

Common QC checks:

• Spatial view: Look for sudden pan jumps (abrupt color changes), missing spatial movement in dynamic sections, or center-heavy content that should be wide
• Multichannel view: Verify bed mapping matches spec, confirm LFE content is present where expected, check height channels activate during flyovers or overhead FX

TIP

If you find an issue, write down the timecode and object name. It helps the mix team reproduce quickly.