Clipboard in V Studio 20

 
Hi there Barry
 
First off mate, you're certainly no idiot - using recording software and hardware can be a pretty steep learning curve, and we all had to start somewhere! 
 
The clipboard in Guitar Tracks Pro 4 is the same 'virtual' clipboard you'll find in other software based programs such as word processors and image editing suites.
 
It's basically just a name to describe a temporary file you create by copying something in the program that you can later 'paste' (= Insert) elsewhere in the project. It could be a block of text, an image, or in the case of GTP4, an audio or MIDI clip.
 
As such, you can't actually 'see it' - the only way it can be used is by saving something to it - the only way you can know what you've saved there (other than remembering) is by using the paste function I describe shortly. However, as we'll see, it's usually something you use as part of a quick copy/paste operation; you're unlikely to copy something to the clipboard that you're not going to use straightaway.
 
In some programs, like Microsoft Word, you can save lots of different things to the clipboard and choose which to paste. Most programs however, GTP4 included, only allow you to save one instance to the clipboard at one time - the information you've saved is kept on the clipboard until you close the program, or until you overwrite it by saving something else.
 
By way of example, imagine you are putting together a song in GTP4 and you've recorded a four bar guitar part for the intro. You later decide you want to use the exact same part elsewhere in your project. 
 
You could record each four bar part individually in the exact parts of the song you want them.
 
Copying (to the clipboard) and then pasting (from the clipboard) allows you to do this in seconds.
 
Here's a graphic example for you Barry - here you can see a four measure guitar part in Track 1:
 

 
 
If you want to use this clip somewhere else in your project, you'll first have to copy it to the virtual clipboard.
 
There are three basic ways to accomplish this:

1. Place the mouse pointer somewhere in the clip and then left click (the clip will change colour to show it has been selected). From the Menu Bar, select Edit>Copy
2. Place the mouse pointer somewhere in the clip and then right click. Select Edit>Copy from the options that appear
3. The quickest way is to place the mouse pointer somewhere in the clip and then left click - now use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+C (i.e. hold down the Control button and the letter C button).

In each method, an options screen will appear asking you what exactly you want to copy; where you just want to copy the audio, make certain you only have the Events in Tracks option checked:
 

 
 
OK, the audio clip has now been copied to your clipboard.
 
You can now insert (Paste) this audio clip to another part of you project, both at a different 'time' in your song, and in a different track.
 
Continuing with the graphic example above, I'll show you how to paste this four bar measure elsewhere in your project. Here's how you'd go about pasting it into Track 3 at the start of bar 11.
 
First, you need to left click in your project to place the 'Now Time Marker' (the vertical line you can see)at the point you want to insert the start of the copied clip - in this example, you need to click at the start of bar 11:
 

 
 
Now you need to select Track 3 as the destination track by clicking on the Track Icon:
 

 
 
Finally, to paste/insert the clip into the project at this point at this time there are three available methods:

1. From the Menu Bar, select Edit>Paste
2. Right click at the insertion point and select Edit>Paste
3. Left click at the insertion point and use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+V

Using any of these methods, you'll be presented by a screen with more options. The 'simple view' asks you to confirm the insert point and track number. You can also define how many times the clip is inserted ('repetitions) - in most cases, accept the options available (unless for some reason the time/track are wrong or you wish to insert the clip more than once).
 
Here's the clip copied and pasted to Track 3 at the start of Bar 11:
 

 
 
Barry, as I said before, this clip will remain on your clipboard until you close GTP4 or save something else to the clipboard. Until you do either of these things, this clip will be available to paste elsewhere in your song.
 
There is a more 'direct' way to copy/paste a clip that doesn't actually involve saving any data to the clipboard. To do this, hold down the lleft mouse button on the clip and then, holding down the Ctrl button on your PC keyboard, drag the (copied) clip away to the location you want to copy the clip to. Make certain you have the Ctrl key held down or you will simple end up just moving the original clip:
 

 
 
 
 
Hope that helps Barry, if there's anything you need explaining some more, just post back.
 
 
Steve