basic editing problem

when i place the cursor on a region, the cut function is greyed out (i.e. disabled). i have to resort to 'separate region' as a result.

What exactly are you trying to do? Placing the cursor at a spot on a region would leave you nothing to "cut". If you use the cursor to select a portion of the region, the cut option would be available. Just not sure what you're trying to acomplish.

"Cut" isn't akin to taking a scissors and cutting a region -- it's used to "cut" out a section of a region -- so you need a selection for the "cut" menu item to be enabled. You've discovered the correct tool to "split" a region or "separate" a region into more than one region. Ctrl+E is the shortcut to "Separate region" and the Backspace is used to cut out a selected piece of a region. Rail

wow.....i knew i'd feel dumb when i figured this one out. thankyou for the vivid explanation. i've been confusing splitting with cutting for the past year now. it feels good to be back!

No need to feel dumb.. it's all a matter of semantics and learning the program. Rail