# How do I set Start Offset to a time or bar-based value? **URL:** \ **Category:** FMOD Studio\ **Created:** [December 12, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/how-do-i-set-start-offset-to-a-time-or-bar-based-value/20986 "2023-12-12T22:08:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![torley-gallium](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/torley-gallium/32/3688_2.png) [@torley-gallium](https://qa.fmod.com/u/torley-gallium)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/how-do-i-set-start-offset-to-a-time-or-bar-based-value/20986/1 "2023-12-12T22:08:51Z")
Say I drag in a music-type asset into a Playlist, and I want to change the Start Offset in a precise way. Instead of % value, I want to either do this in X seconds or X bars. The use case is simply to **create more variations out of a single asset at the Playlist level**. So is there a way to specify time or bars offset instead here? Or should I do this workaround: - Create a new event and drag the music asset inside. - Non-destructively “trim” the asset so it starts at 9 bars in or whatever. - Drag the event into the Playlist. I could do this for each asset into multiple event variations that then get Playlist-ed, but it does get more cumbersome when I’m trying to derive multiple “slices” from a single asset. Although it has the strength of also letting me control the stop/fade-out of any assets, too. Is there a better way to streamline this process? ---
**Author:** ![joseph](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/joseph/32/264_2.png) [@joseph](https://qa.fmod.com/u/joseph)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/how-do-i-set-start-offset-to-a-time-or-bar-based-value/20986/2 "2023-12-14T02:56:49Z")
FMOD Studio does not currently support setting start offset in bars, beats, or units of time. This would definitely be a useful feature to have, so much so that I’m surprised it’s not already in our feature/improvement tracker. I’ll add it now. Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. > [@torley-gallium](#): > > Or should I do this workaround: > > - Create a new event and drag the music asset inside. > - Non-destructively “trim” the asset so it starts at 9 bars in or whatever. > - Drag the event into the Playlist. > > I could do this for each asset into multiple event variations that then get Playlist-ed, but it does get more cumbersome when I’m trying to derive multiple “slices” from a single asset. Although it has the strength of also letting me control the stop/fade-out of any assets, too. > > Is there a better way to streamline this process? I can’t think of any way to make the process any simpler. Using the “Replace Audio with Trimmed Copy” context menu command before putting your trimmed instruments directly into the playlist might make the event slightly cleaner and easier to read, but wouldn’t meaningfully improve performance and wouldn’t be any easier than the method you’ve proposed. ---
**Author:** ![torley-gallium](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/torley-gallium/32/3688_2.png) [@torley-gallium](https://qa.fmod.com/u/torley-gallium)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 4:24pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/how-do-i-set-start-offset-to-a-time-or-bar-based-value/20986/3 "2023-12-14T16:24:06Z")
@joseph As usual you are a font of validation! You keep helping me find an optimum workflow within current possibilities. I’m surprised too, but glad I asked and you replied. I think there’s a lot of utility in offering different units for setting offsets and other time-based features, especially when you’re working within a rhythm-driven composition and need a tidy way to generate more variations on a theme. (It reminds me of something else, [that feature request to add BPM values for the Delay effect](https://qa.fmod.com/t/multi-tap-delay-and-beat-sync/14542/8).) I’ll keep doing the workaround for now. Appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![DriveSafely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@DriveSafely](https://qa.fmod.com/u/DriveSafely)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/how-do-i-set-start-offset-to-a-time-or-bar-based-value/20986/4 "2024-01-02T23:09:45Z")
I support this feature idea too. It would be great to have