After you start Sound Forge for the first time, the registration wizard will appear. This wizard offers easy steps that enable you to register Sound Forge online with Sonic Foundry. Alternatively, you may register Sound Forge online at www.sonicfoundry.com at any time. Registering your product will provide you with exclusive access to a variety of technical support options, notification of product updates, and special promotions exclusive to Sound Forge registered users. Registration Assistance If you do not have access to the Internet, registration assistance is available. Please contact our Customer Service Department. Registration assistance is currently available during regular business hours by dialing the following numbers: Telephone/Fax 1-800-5774642 (toll-free) +800-000-76642 (toll-free) +608-204-7703 1-608-250-1745 (Fax) Country US, Canada, and Virgin Islands Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, UK, Netherlands, and Japan for all other countries All countries Customer Service/Sales For a detailed list of Customer Service options, we encourage you to visit www.sonicfoundry.com. For Customer Service during normal office hours: Telephone/Fax/E-mail 1-800-5774642 (toll-free) +800-000-76642 (toll-free) +608-204-7703 1-608-250-1745 (Fax) Country US, Canada, and Virgin Islands Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, UK, Netherlands, and Japan for all other countries All countries customerservice@sonicfound rz corn Technical Support For a detailed list of Technical Support options, we encourage you to visit www. sonicfoundry, co m/support. • To listen to your support options, please call 608-256-5555. • Customers who have purchased the full version of Sound Forge receive 60 days of complimentary phone support. This complimentary support begins when the product is registered. (Registration is required to receive this complimentary support.) Please call (608) 204-7704 if you need assistance with your full version of Sound Forge. This offer does not apply to Sound Forge XP users. Sonic Foundry, Inc. 1617 Sherman Avenue Madison, Wl 53704 USA The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Sonic Foundry. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without written permission from Sonic Foundry, Inc. Sonic Foundry and Sound Forge are registered trademarks of Sonic Foundry, Inc. The brands and products named here are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonic Foundry, its affiliates, or their respective holders. © 2001 Sonic Foundry, Inc. 1 CTable of Contents Introduction 21 Introducing Sound Forge 21 Using This Manual 21 Full version of Sound Forge versus Sound Forge XP 22 Shortcuts 23 Installation 23 To install Sound Forge 23 What's New? 25 Extended bit-depth and sample rate support 25 Bit-depth 25 Sample rate 26 Acoustic Mirror. 26 Built-in DirectX FX Plug-Ins 26 CD Writing 26 CD Ripping 26 Wave Hammer 27 Repair tools 27 Bit-Depth Converter 27 MP3 Plug-In 27 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Sonic Foundry Perfect Clarity Audio (.pca) format 27 New registration procedure 27 Optimization 29 Hard drive defragmentation 29 Windows 9x/Me default settings 30 Direct mode 30 Opening a file in direct mode 31 Peak files 31 Faster file saving 31 Relocating the temporary storage folder 31 The Sound Mapper 32 Preventing audio breakup 32 Total Buffer Size 32 Editing the total buffer size 33 Preload Size 33 Changing the preload size 33 Forced Write-Through During Record (Windows 9x and Me only).. 33 Disabling Forced Write-Through During Record 34 Playback cursor and record counter 34 Turning off the playback cursor and record counter 34 Meters 34 Turning off the play (output) meters 34 Turning off the record meters 34 Passive updating for video and time displays 35 Enable passively updated time displays 35 Enable passively updated video displays 35 Scan for external monitor 35 Turning off scan for external monitor 35 TABLE OF CONTENTS C3 Background processing 35 Running multiple applications 35 Controls 37 Using the mouse 37 Using the mousewheel 38 The main screen 39 Main screen components 40 The data window 40 Data window components 41 Displaying data window components 42 The Playbar 42 Toolbars 43 Available toolbars 44 Displaying a toolbar 44 The Standard toolbar 45 The Transport toolbar 46 Navigation toolbar 47 Views toolbar 48 Status/Selection toolbar 49 Regions/Playlist toolbar 50 Process toolbar 51 The Effects toolbar 53 The Tools toolbar 55 The Levels toolbar 56 ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar 57 ToolTips 58 Command descriptions 58 Controls 58 Vertical faders and horizontal sliders 59 Edit box spinner 60 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 Drop-down lists 61 Radio buttons 61 Check boxes 61 Envelope graphs 62 Displaying the waveform on an envelope graph 64 Stereo files 64 Working with stereo files 65 Selecting data in stereo files 65 Getting Help within Sound Forge 68 Online Help 68 What's This? Help 71 Help on the Web 71 Fundamentals 73 Opening a file 73 The Open dialog 74 Playing a file 76 File position indicators 76 Playing a file from a specified point 77 Playing an audio selection 78 Selection status fields 78 Viewing selection statistics 79 Creating a new data window 80 Active data windows vs. inactive data windows 80 Copying data to a new file 81 Saving a file 81 The Save As dialog 82 Saving all open audio files 83 Saving/opening the workspace 84 E-mailing audio files 84 Audio editing 85 Editing tutorial 85 TABLE OF CONTENTS Copy 86 Copying data to the clipboard 86 Paste 88 Pasting data in an existing data window 88 Pasting in a new data window 88 Cut 89 Cutting data from a window 89 Previewing a Cut 90 Delete (Clear) 90 Trim/Crop 91 Trimming/cropping an audio selection 91 Mix 92 Mixing audio 92 Undo/redo an edit operation 94 Undo/Redo History window 95 Using the Undo/Redo History window 95 Status formats 98 How status formats work 98 Configuring the frames format 99 Configuring the Measures & Beats format 100 Zoom and magnify 100 Time Ruler (horizontal) zooming 101 Level Ruler (vertical) zooming 103 Zoom tricks 105 Magnify tool 106 Using the Magnify Tool 107 Crash recovery 109 Recover 109 Delete 109 Ignore 109 TABLE OF CONTENTS Types, Formats, and Attributes 111 File attributes 111 Editing file attributes 112 Sample rate 112 Editing the sample rate 113 Bit Depth 113 Step-up conversion 113 Step-Down Conversion 114 Minimizing quantization error 116 Channels 117 Mono-to-stereo conversion 117 Stereo-to-mono conversion 118 Channel Converter 119 Converting file formats 119 Save as type 119 Format 119 Attributes 120 Summary information 120 Viewing and editing summary information 120 Viewing extended summary information 120 Editing extended summary information 121 Saving summary information 122 Additional embedded information 122 Markers, Regions, and the Playlist/Cutlist 123 Why use markers, regions, and the Playlist? 123 Rapid navigation 123 Destructive vs. nondestructive editing 123 MIDI synchronization and triggering 124 TABLE OF CONTENTS C7 Markers 124 Creating a marker 124 Creating markers using the ruler shortcut menu 125 Creating markers during playback 126 Creating markers during recording 126 Changing the marker position 126 Using markers to create regions 127 The Regions List 127 Displaying the Regions List 128 Understanding the Regions List 128 Creating regions 130 Creating regions using menu commands 130 Creating regions using drag-and-drop operations 131 Creating regions using the ruler shortcut 132 Creating regions using the keyboard 132 Creating regions automatically 132 Creating regions while recording 132 The Auto Region tool 133 Using the Auto Region tool with rapid sound attacks 133 Active parameters 133 Using the Auto Region Tool with musical time intervals 134 The Markers to Regions command 135 Editing a region 135 Editing regions in the data window 136 Editing regions using the marker/region shortcut menu 136 Editing regions in the Regions List 136 Editing regions using the Regions List shortcut menu 137 The Extract Regions tool 138 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Playlist 139 Displaying the Playlist 139 Adding regions to the Playlist 139 Adding regions to the Playlist using menu commands 140 Adding regions to the Playlist using drag-and-drop operations 140 Region display in the Playlist 141 Playing from the Playlist 142 Arranging the Playlist 142 Replicating a region in the Playlist 143 Stop points 143 Deleting a region from the Playlist 144 Creating a new file from the Playlist 145 The Cutlist 145 Enabling the Cutlist 146 Using the Cutlist 146 Recording, Ripping, and Writing 149 Protecting existing audio during recording 149 Recording in Direct mode 149 Record dialog 149 Displaying the Record dialog with no open data windows 149 Displaying the Record dialog with open data windows 150 Record dialog features 150 Displays 150 Title bar 150 Recording attributes 151 Recording time 151 TABLE OF CONTENTS C9 Recording modes 151 Automatic retake (automatically rewind) 152 Multiple takes creating Regions 152 Multiple takes (no Regions) 152 Create a new window for each take 153 Punch-In (record a specific length) 153 DC adjust 154 Calibrating the DC adjust 155 Record dialog buttons 156 The New button 156 The Close button 156 The Remote button 157 The Help button 158 The Go To button 158 The Selection button 159 The Window button 160 The Sync button 161 Record meters 163 Viewing record levels 163 Scaling the record meters 163 Record level 164 Setting the record level 164 Record dialog toolbar 165 The Prepare button 165 The Record button 166 The Drop Marker button 166 Other features 166 Gap detection 166 Automatic labeling 167 Blinking status 167 TABLE OF CONTENTS 10:) Extracting data from CD 168 Create regions for each track 169 Create markers for each index change 169 Previewing CD tracks 169 Refreshing the Extract Audio from CD dialog 169 Writing to CD 169 Sample rates, bit-depths, and CD writing 170 Writing mono tracks to CD 170 Adding a trackto CD 170 Closing the CD 171 Advanced Editing 173 Pre-roll to Cursor 173 Using Pre-roll to Cursor 173 Go To dialog 173 Displaying the Go To dialog 174 Using the Go To dialog 174 Using the Set Selection dialog 175 Creating a selection 175 Other Set Selection dialog controls 175 Using Mark In/Mark Out 176 Creating selections during playback 176 Fine-tuning selection points 177 Tuning a selection with the mouse 177 Auto snaps 177 Tuning a selection with the keyboard 178 Restoring a selection 179 TABLE OF CONTENTS Cll The Overview 180 Understanding the Overview 180 Navigating in the Overview 182 Playback in the Overview 182 Audio event Iocator 183 Views 183 Displaying the Views toolbar 183 Creating views 184 Paste Special 184 Crossfade 185 Overwrite 185 Replicate 186 Drag and drop operations 188 Dragging mono selections into stereo destinations 188 Snapping to events in drag-and-drop operations 188 Drag-and-drop pasting 189 Drag-and-drop mixing 190 Drag-and-drop crossfading 191 M ix/Paste/Crossfade toggle 192 Creating a new window with drag-and-drop operations 192 Finding and repairing audio glitches 192 Using the Find tool to locate glitches 193 Repairing audio using Copy Other Channel 194 Repairing audio using Interpolate 195 Repairing audio using Replace 196 Repairing audio with the Pencil tool 197 Audio Plug-In Chainer 198 Using the Audio Plug-In Chainer 198 TABLE OF CONTENTS 12) Audio synthesis 200 DTMF/MF Tones 201 FM 202 Simple 205 Processes 207 Presets 207 Using a preset 207 Creating presets 208 Deleting presets 209 Using the Preset Manager 209 Previewing an operation 210 Previews 210 Storing preview parameters 210 Preview parameters 211 The Bypass check box 212 Repeating an operation 212 Sound Forge processes 213 Auto Trim/Crop 213 Using Auto Trim/Crop 213 Auto Trim/Crop controls 214 Bit-Depth Converter 215 Converting a file's bit-depth 216 Channel Converter 218 Using the Channel Converter 218 Channel Converter controls 219 DC Offset 220 DC Offset controls 220 EQ 221 TABLE OF CONTENTS C13 Fade 222 Graphic Fade 222 Creating a graphic fade 222 Creating a custom graphic fade 223 Graphic Fade Controls 223 Fade In 224 Fade Out 224 Insert Silence 225 Inserting silence into a file 225 Insert Silence controls 225 Invert/Flip 226 Inverting an audio selection 226 Mute 226 Muting an audio selection 226 Normalize 227 Normalizing Audio 227 Normalize Controls 228 Pan/Expand 232 Creating a pan 232 Creating a custom pan 233 Pan/Expand controls 234 Resample 235 Downsampling audio 236 Upsampling audio 236 Resample controls 237 Reverse 238 Smooth/Enhance 238 Time Compress/Expand 238 Volume 239 Increasing the volume of a selection 240 Volume control 241 TABLE OF CONTENTS 14) Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer 243 What is Acoustic Mirror? 243 The acoustic signature 243 Adding an acoustic signature to an audio file 244 Adjusting the acoustic signature 245 Acoustic Mirror dialog 245 Acoustic Mirror dialog controls 245 General tab controls 245 Envelope tab controls 247 Summary tab controls 249 Recover tab controls 250 Creating Impulse Files 252 What you need to create custom impulses 252 Recording the impulse in an acoustic space 253 Recording the impulse through an electronic device 254 Recovering the impulse 254 Trimming the impulse file 256 Adding summary information to your impulse file 256 Using the new impulse file 257 Using impulse files in creative ways 257 Processing individual audio elements 258 Adding realistic stereo to mono recordings 258 Creating special effects 258 Recreating spaces for foley effects and dialog replacement 259 Panning with head-related transfer functions 259 Troubleshooting 260 Stuttering during real-time previewing 260 Impulses do not recover properly 261 The recovered impulse is too noisy 261 Descriptions of Error Messages 261 TABLE OF CONTENTS C15 What is Wave Hammer? 262 Displaying Wave Hammer 262 Compressor tab 262 Volume Maximizer tab 265 MIDI/SMPTE 267 What is MIDI? 267 The Virtual MIDI Router 267 Installing the Virtual MIDI Router 268 Installing the VMR in Windows 98 or Me 268 Installing the VMR in Windows 2000 268 Configuring the Virtual MIDI Router 269 Configuring the VMR for Windows 98 and Me 270 Configuring the VMR for Windows 2000 271 MIDI triggers 271 Playback Versus Triggered Playback 271 MIDI-triggered playback 272 Triggered region playback 274 Additional internal/external MIDI devices 276 Advantages of external MIDI controllers 276 Sound Forge and MIDI Timecode synchronization 277 Playing regions using MTC from a sequencer 278 Playing regions using MTC from an external device 279 Using Sound Forge to generate MTC for a MIDI sequencer 279 Using Sound Forge to generate MTC for an external device 280 Sampling 281 Samplers 281 External samplers 281 Internal samplers 282 TABLE OF CONTENTS 16) The Sampler dialog 282 Displaying the Sampler dialog 282 Configuring the Sampler Tool 283 The Sampler Configuration dialog 283 Displaying the Sampler Configuration dialog 283 Creating a sampler configuration 283 Saving sampler configurations 286 Sending and receiving samples 286 Sending a sample 286 Receiving a sample 287 MIDI unity note and Fine tune 287 The MIDI Keyboard 288 Displaying the MIDI Keyboard 288 Turning the MIDI Keyboard on 288 Configuring the MIDI Keyboard output port and channel 288 MIDI Keyboard troubleshooting 289 Specifying instruments 289 Generating chords 289 MIDI/SDS hardware setup 290 MIDI/SDS troubleshooting with open loop 290 SCSI/SMDI hardware and setup 290 SCSI/SMDI troubleshooting 291 Conflicting SCSI IDs 291 Periodic transfer failures 291 The sampler is recognized but does not transfer reliably 292 Looping 295 TABLE OF CONTENTS C17 Loops 295 Sustaining and release loops 296 Creating a sustaining loop 296 Creating a sustain loop with a release loop 297 Looping techniques 298 Match endpoint amplitudes 299 Match endpoint waveform slope 299 Match endpoint sound levels 300 Avoid very short loops 300 Editing loops 300 Editing a loop without the Loop Tuner 300 Editing a loop with the Loop Tuner :301 The Crossfade Loop tool 305 Using the Crossfade Loop tool 305 Looping and ACID 306 Displaying the ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar 306 ACID Toolbar functions 307 Editing ACID properties 307 Loop halving/doubling 309 Shift selection left/right 309 Rotate Audio 310 Loop tempo :311 Saving loop points 312 Disabling the loop points 312 Working with AVI Files :31:3 Opening an AVI file 313 Multiple streams 314 AVI navigation 314 Navigating the video strip 314 Displaying/hiding the video strip 315 TABLE OF CONTENTS 18) Attaching video to an audio file 316 Saving an AVl file 317 Specifying the audio and video streams 318 Compressing the video 318 Compressing the audio 320 Using the Playlist with AVl files 321 Editing with the Playlist 321 Streaming Media 323 Optimizing files 323 Creating RealMedia files 324 RealMedia requirements 324 Setting the RealMedia Summary fields 324 Saving files as RealMedia 325 Creating custom RealMedia templates 325 Creating Microsoft Windows Media Format files 327 Windows Media requirements 328 Creating Windows Media files 328 Adding markers and script commands 328 Navigation markers 328 Creating custom Windows Media 7 templates 330 Creating custom Windows Media (.asf) templates 331 Spectrum Analysis 333 Working in the frequency domain 333 Fast Fourier Transform 334 Spectrum graph vs. sonogram 334 TABLE OF CONTENTS C19 Spectrum graph 335 Displaying a spectrum graph 335 Monitoring playback 335 Monitoring an input source 335 Displaying frequency and amplitude values 336 Displaying frequency and pitch 336 Stereo files 336 Updating a spectrum graph 337 Viewing multiple spectrum graphs 337 Spectrum Settings dialog 338 Saving spectrum settings 340 Navigating a spectrum graph 340 Displaying a frequency range 340 Displaying an amplitude range 341 Displaying an amplitude and frequency range 341 Displaying ranges using the Spectrum Settings dialog 342 Grab/Pan mode 342 Overview window 343 Sonogram 343 Displaying a sonogram 344 Displaying frequency and amplitude values 344 Updating a sonogram 344 Tuning a sonogram 344 Returning to a spectrum graph 345 Shortcuts 347 General Keyboard Shortcuts 347 Waveform Display Keyboard Shortcuts 349 Navigation and Playback 351 Regions List and Playlist Keyboard Shortcuts 352 ACID Loop Creation Tools Shortcuts 352 Additional Mouse Shortcuts 353 TABLE OF CONTENTS 20 :) Microsoft Audio Compression Manager 355 Audio Data Compression and Decompression 355 Transparent Playback and Recording of Non-hardware Supported Audio Files 356 SMPTE Timecode 359 SMPTE 24 Film Sync 359 SMPTE 25 EBU 359 SMPTE 30 359 SMPTE Non-Drop 359 SMPTE Drop 360 RIFF Wave Chunks 361 tlst (Trigger List) Chunk 362 Markers, Regions, and Playlist Entries as Used by Sound Forge 365 Object Linking and Embedding 367 Introduction to Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) 367 Using OLE with Sound Forge 367 Tips and Limitations 369 Using CSOUND, MTU, IRCAM, BICSF, and EBICSF Files 371 Opening and Saving files 371 Index i TABLE OF CONTENTS 21 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Introducing Sound Forge Thank you for purchasing Sound Forge and for your continued support of the Sonic Foundry family of products. Sound Forge will provide you with the powerful features you have come to expect, as well as a number of new features designed to make digital audio editing quick and easy. CUsi ng This Manual This manual is separated into seventeen chapters, each dedicated to a specific aspect of using Sound Forge. Chapter Description Introduction Includes brief overview of manual as well as information and the rocedure needed to install Sound Forge. What's New Describes Sound Forge's new features and functions. Optimization Provides procedures and tips for getting optimum system erformance when using Sound Forge. Controls Provides detailed overview of all of the application's toolbars and controls. Fundamentals Describes the basics of digital audio editing. %ypes, Formats, and Attributes Describes and explains working with audio file configurations including bit depth, sample rate, channels, and summary information. Markers, Regions, and the PlaylistYCutlist Describes using these Sound Forge tools to identify, isolate, and arrange selections within in audio file. Recording, Ripping, and Writing Describes recording in Sound Forge, including all available recording modes as well as ripping data from and recording music toCD. Advanced Editing Describes techniques and functions that will allow you to take full advantage of Sound Forge's digital audio editing capabilities. Processes Describes all Sound Forge features located in the Process menu. Explains use of presets and Preset Manager. CHP. 1 INTRODUCTION 22 Chapter Description Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer Provides an in-depth description of Sound Forge's Acoustic Mirror feature, including procedures for creating custom impulse files. Also discusses the Wave Hammer feature. MIDI/SMPTE Explores MIDI, the Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router, MIDI Triggers, and using MIDI/MTC synchronization Sampling Examines the use of samplers and the Sound Forge Sampler Tool. Provides troubleshooting information and tips for sampling. Looping Describes creating loops in Sound Forge, including use of ACID Loop Creation tools. Working with AVI Files Describes using Sound Forge to add audio to and work with .avi files. Streaming Media Describes using Sound Forge to prepare files for streaming delivery over the Internet. Includes explanation of creating custom streaming media templates. Spectrum Analysis Describes using Sound Forge's Spectrum Analysis tools to evaluate and edit audio files. In addition to these chapters, seven appendices and an index are provided to assist you in mastering Sound Forge and quickly locating information within the manual. The following tables briefly describes the content of all appendices. Addendix Description Shortcuts Provides a complete list of the application's keyboard shortcuts as well as a description of the various shortcut menus. Microsof Audio Describes using Sound Forge in conjunction with the ACM. Compression Manager SMPTE Time Code Briefly describes all available SMPTE Time Code formats. RIFF Wave Chunks Provides an overview of the defined RIFF Wave File chunks that Sound Forge stores and recognizes. Object Linking and Describes using Sound Forge in conjunction with OLE technology. Embedding Full version of Sound Forge versus Sound Forge XP This manual is provided to assist users of the full version of Sound Forge as well as Sound Forge XP users. For this reason, product features exclusive to the full version of Sound Forge are identified throughout the manual using the following icon: . In addition, Sound Forge XP-only issues are identified and described where appropriate. INTRODUCTION CHP. 1 C23 Shortcuts As experienced users of Sound Forge products know, there are often several methods of executing a command, including menus, shortcut menus, and keystrokes. Throughout this manual, the typical method of executing a command is identified in the procedure and alternate methods are identified in a section indicated by the following icon: .... Installation The install utility, setup.exe, located on the Sound Forge CD-ROM, creates necessary folders and copies all files required to operate Sound Forge. Note: Sound Forge requires Microsoft DirectX Media 6.0 or later and Internet Explorer 4.0 or later. The setup program will alert you if either is not detected on your system and prompt their installation from the Sound Forge CDROM. To install Sound Forge 1. Place the Sound Forge CD-ROM in your system's CD-ROM drive. AutoPlay launches the Setup menu. Note: If AutoPlay is not enabled, click the Start button and choose Run. Type "D: \setup.exe", where D is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive. 2. Click Install, and follow the instructions in the dialogs to complete the installation. CHP. 1 INTRODUCTION 0 C -r 25 CHAPTER C2 What's New? This chapter is intended for experienced Sound Forge users. It simply addresses the question on everyone's mind: "What's new in this version of Sound Forge ?" Extended bit-depth and sample rate support Probably the most exciting enhancements in Sound Forge are its improved bit-depth and sample rate capabilities. Bit-depth This release of Sound Forge can open and save audio files with any of the following bit depths: 8bit 16bit 24-bit integer 32-bit float Specifying bit-depth The bit-depth value for new or existing audio files can be specified in any of the following locations: The New Window dialog. For more information, see Creating a new data window on page 80. The Save As dialog. For more information, see The Save As dialog on page 82. The Forma* tab of the Properties dialog. For more information, see Editing file attributes on page I 12. The bit-depth shortcut menu (right-click the bit-depth display in the data window's status bar). For more information, see Editing file attributes on page I 12. CHP. 2 WHAT'S NEW? 26 Sample rate Sound Forge will now support all integral sample rates from 2 kHz to 192 kHz. Speci/ing sample rate The sample rate value can be specified or changed in any of the following locations: The New Window dialog. For more information, see Creating a new data window on page 80. The Resample dialog. For more information, see Resample on page 235. The Format tab in the Properties dialog. For more information, see Editing file attributes on page I 12. The sample rate shortcut menu (right-click the sample rate display in the status bar). For more information, see Editing file attributes on page I 12. Acoustic Mirror This release of the full version of Sound Forge includes Sonic Foundry's Acoustic MirrorTM. Acoustic Mirror allows you to add realistic reverb to audio projects by simulating acoustic wave responses of actual environments and electronic equipment. For more information, see Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer on page 243. Built-in DirectX FX Plug-Ins Sonic Foundry's XFX packages 1, 2, and 3 are now included with the full version of Sound Forge. Where applicable, they replace the native plug-ins that did not offer real-time previews. The effects in XFX are located on the :ffec*s and Process Sound Forge menus in place of the native plug-ins in an attempt to maintain usability for experienced Sound Forge users. Sound Forge XP includes Sonic Foundry's ExpressFX 1, 2, and 3. CD Writing Sound Forge now allows track-at-once CD writing. Audio tracks can be written to CD over a period of time and, once closed, the CD can be played in an audio CD player. CD Ripping Sound Forge allows you to extract audio tracks from a CD and open them in Sound Forge. You can select how the audio is extracted: by track, by CD, or by a time range. WHAT'S NEW? CHP. 2 C27 Wave Hammer This release of Sound Forge features Wave HammerTM, an all-in-one digital audio mastering tool that includes a high-quality vintage compressor and look-ahead volume maximizer. For more information, see Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer on page 243. Repair tools Sound Forge now features three unique tools for removing glitches from digital audio files: Channel, Interpolate, and Replace. These tools are located in the Repair submenu of the Tools menu. For more information, see Finding and repairing audio glitches on page 192. Bit-Depth Converter The expanded bit-depth support of Sound Forge renders the previous Convert to 8Bit function obsolete. Decreasing (or increasing) the bit-depth of a file as well as masking the resulting quantization noise is now accomplished using the new Bit-Depth Converter function located in the Process menu. For more information, see Bit-Depth Converter on page 215. MP3 Plug-In An MP3 plug-in is available to users of Sound Forge from the Save As dialog. If you are using Sound Forge XP, you will be limited to 20 free encodes with the MP3 plug-in until you register your product. Once you register Sound Forge XP, you will have unlimited use of the plug-in. Sonic Foundry Perfect Clarity Audio (.pca) format Sound Forge now supports Sonic Foundry's Perfect Clarity AudioTM (.pca) format. This format compresses files without the audio degradation that typically results from compression/decompression algorithms. Because of this, files saved in this format can be endlessly re-edited without signal degradation. In addition, the Perfect Clarity Audio codec will typically render audio files 20% to 60% smaller than the original. New registration proced u re Registering Sound Forge is now easier and requires less user input. CHP. 2 WHAT'S NEW? -I Z FB {'3 - 29 CHAPTER COptimization 3 This chapter contains information on configuring your system to optimize the performance of Sound Forge. Ha rd d rive defrag mentation Sound Forge is a disk-based digital audio editor that allows editing operations to be performed on the system's hard drive rather than in memory. Because of this, Sound Forge is able to edit large files as well as retain extensive undo/redo information and clipboard data.This also means that the hard drive specified for temporary storage must have sufficient free space to store large quantities of data. With time and usage, hard drives become fragmented, leading to discontiguous files and slow access. This is particularly true for older hard drives. Since Sound Forge is hard drive intensive, faster disk access equates better performance. Therefore, the initial step in improving system performance is hard drive defragmentation. The computer's operating system is typically equipped with a defragmenting program that should be run prior to using Sound Forge for the first time. CHP. 3 OPTIMIZATION 30) Windows 9x/Me default settings System configuration settings deviating from Windows 98/Me defaults may result in reduced performance from Sound Forge. 1. From the menu, choose Settings, and then choose Control Panel from the submenu. 2. Double-click the System icon. The System Properties dialog is displayed. 3. Click the Performance tab and verify that File System and Virtual Memory are set to 32bit. 4. In the Advanced settings window, click the File System button. The File System Properties dialog is displayed. 5. Click the Hard Disk tab and verify that the Read-ahead optimization slider is set to Full. 6. Click the Troubleshooting tab and verify that all check boxes are cleared. 7. Click OK to return to the System Properties dialog. 8. Click the Graphics button in the Advanced settings window. The Advanced Graphics Settings dialog is displayed. 9. Verify that the Hardware acceleration slider is set to Full and click OK. Note: If dropouts are detected in playback, experiment with different Hardware acceleration settings. "%. Direct mode When you open a file in Sound Forge, a backup copy is created to preserve the original file until it is resaved. However, you have the option of opening files in direct mode, which will open an audio file without creating a backup copy. If the application's defaults are active, the waveform of a file opened in direct mode will be colored red (normal mode waveforms are blue). Direct mode makes opening files quicker and requires less disk space, but there are drawbacks. Only files stored in the uncompressed .wav or .aiff format can be opened in direct mode. In addition, since no backup file is created, only the modified file remains if the application is suddenly terminated. OPTIMIZATION CHP. 3 C31 Opening a file in direct mode 1. From the File menu, choose Open. The Open dialog is displayed. 2. Select a .wav or .aiff file. 3. Select the Operate directly on the file check box and click Open. Note: Once the Operate directly on the file check box is selected, all subsequent applicable files are opened in direct mode. To disable direct mode, clear the Operate directly on the file check box. Peak files When a file is initially opened in direct mode, Sound Forge scans the entire file and creates a peak file. The peak file is stored with the same name and in the same location as the .wav file, but it is given an .sfk extension. Sound Forge automatically updates this peak file whenever the original file is edited. If a file is modified in an application other than Sound Forge, the peak file should be regenerated by choosing Rebuild Peak Data from the Special menu. Faster file saving When a new file is created, Sound Forge automatically creates a temporary file containing the new audio data. When the file is saved, Sound Forge copies this temporary data to the file. If the audio data is saved as an uncompressed .wav file, Sound Forge can accelerate this saving process by physically moving the temporary data to the file, instead of copying it. To accommodate this, the new file must be saved on the same drive as the temporary storage folder. This may require you to relocate the temporary storage folder. Relocating the temporary storage folder 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the perform tab. 3. Click the Browse button and browse to the new temporary storage folder location. 4. Click OK. CHP. 3 OPTIMIZATION 32 The Sound Mapper Sound Forge allows you to specify any installed Windows-compatible sound card for playback and recording. In addition, you can specify the Sound Mapper. The Sound Mapper will automatically select the appropriate sound card for playing audio. If this is not possible, the Sound Mapper converts the audio into a usable format. Preventing audio breakup Be aware that Sound Mapper format conversions occasionally introduce overhead which may lead to audio signal breakup. To prevent this, do either of the following: • Verify that the system's sound card supports the selected format. • Specify playback/record devices other than the Sound Mapper whenever possible. Note: If the application is able to play and record audio using the actual sound card's wave driver, the Sound Mapper is not causing signal breakups. If the Sound Mapper is the only option and signal breakups are detected, convert the audio to a format directly supported by the system's sound card. This will remove the overhead required to convert the audio data for the sound card. It is also acceptable to use the Sound Mapper when the audio data format is directly supported by the sound card. In this case, the Sound Mapper passes the data to the sound card, which requires negligible overhead. For more information, see Microsoft Audio Compression Manager on page 355. Total Buffer Size The total buffer size value determines the amount of RAM used for recording to/playing from the hard drive. A total buffer size of 512kb is recommended, but increased buffering may be necessary if gaps are detected during playback. Drawbacks to increasing the buffer size Increasing the total buffer size requires additional memory. Combined with a large preload size, this may result in a delay when starting and stopping playback. For more information, see Preload Size on page 33. OPTIMIZATION CHP. 3 C33 Editing the total buffer size 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences.The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Wave tab. 3. Use the Total buffer size slider to configure an appropriate buffer size value and click OK. Preload Size The preload size value determines how much sound data Sound Forge prepares and loads into the sound card driver prior to starting playback. Preloading is performed between the time the Play (-) button is clicked and the first sound of playback. Increasing preload size may eliminate the dropouts evident at the beginning of playback that are characteristic of slow and/or fragmented hard drives. The trade-off for increasing the preload size is a delay prior to the start of playback. The length of the delay is proportional to the size of the preload. Changing the preload size 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences.The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Wave tab. 3. Use the Preload size slider to configure an appropriate preload size value and click OK. Note: Certain Windows sound drivers do not support this option. If noise or dropouts are detected at the start of playback and the system's sound drivers do not support preloading, disable this option by setting the Preload size to O. Forced Write-Through During Record (Windows 9x and Me only) When using a Windows 9x or Me operating system, Sound Forge implements a forced writethrough during recording option. This lessens the occurrence of dropouts, but results in a overactive hard drive. CHP. 3 OPTIMIZATION 4) Disabling Forced Write-Through During Record 1. From the Options menus, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the General tab. 3. Clear the Forced write-through on record check box and click OK. Note: Disabling this feature is not recommended. 3Playback cursor and record counter The playback cursor and record counter options determine whether these displays are updated during recording and playback. If dropouts and skipping are detected at high sample rates (greater than 44,100 Hz), these displays should be turned off to minimize processing overhead. Turning off the playback cursor and record counter 1. From the Options menus, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the perform tab. 3. Clear the Show the position of the playback cursor and Show the record counter while recording check boxes and click OK. Meters Sound Forge's play and record meters use a small amount of processing overhead during recording and playback. However, if dropouts are detected during recording or playback and previous fixes have failed, these meters can be turned off. Turning off the play (output) meters Choose Play Meters from View menu. The check mark adjacent to the command is cleared, indicating that the play meters are turned off. Turning off the record meters 1. From the Special menu, choose Record. The Record dialog is displayed. 2. Clear the Monitor check box and click OK. OPTIMIZATION CHP. 3 C35 Passive updating for video and time displays Passive update options lower the priority of repainting the video and time displays during playback. When these options are enabled, the displays are updated only if there is ample time. Frequently this goes unnoticed, and enabling these options minimizes playback overhead with little or no inconvenience. Enable passively updated time displays >From the Options menu, choose Time Display, and choose Passive Update from the submenu. A check mark is displayed next to the command to indicate that this option is enabled. Enable passively updated video displays Go to the Options menu, choose Video, and choose Passive Update from the submenu. A check mark is displayed next to the command to indicate that this option is enabled. Scan for external monitor Sound Forge allows .avi files to be viewed on an external video monitor. By default, the application scans for an external video monitor each time an .avi is opened. This feature should be turned off if the system is not equipped with an external video monitor. Turning off scan for external monitor 1. From the Options menus, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Video tab. 3. Select the Disable scan for External Monitor support check box and click OK. Background processing When Sound Forge is performing extensive editing or processing operations, a progress meter is displayed in the bottom-left corner of the status bar. If the progress meter is visible, Sound Forge is processing and the current operation can be cancelled by clicking the Cancel button or pressing . Running multiple applications All processing performed by Sound Forge is done in the background. This means that other applications can be used while Sound Forge is working. However, using additional applications while editing digital audio may negatively affect processing time. CHP. 3 OPTIMIZATION 36 OPTIMIZATION CliP. 3 37 CHAPTER C4 Controls This chapter provides a detailed overview of the application's toolbars and controls. Using the mouse The following table defines the mouse-related terms used throughout this manual. Pointing Moving the mouse pointer over an item. Clicking Pointing to an item and quickly pressing and releasing the left mouse button. If there is no left or right specification, left-clicking is implied. Right-clicking Pointing to an item and quickly pressing and releasing the right mouse button. Right-clicking is frequently used to display shortcut menus. Double-clicking Identical to clicking, but instead of pressing and releasing the mouse button once, it is done twice in quick succession. Double-clicking always indicates the left mouse button. Triple-clicking Identical to clicking, but instead of pressing and releasing the mouse button once, it is done three times in quick succession. Triple-clicking always indicates the left mouse button. Toggle-clicking Clicking the right mouse button while holding down the left mouse button. This is used to toggle options and is a shortcut for drag and drop editing and specifying the Magnify tool's mode. Shift-clicking Holding down the Shift key on the keyboard while clicking the mouse. Shift clicking is typically used to skip dialogs and quickly repeat operations. Ctrl-clicking Holding down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while clicking the mouse. Ctrl clicking is used to modify the operation of a normal click. Dragging Holding down the left mouse button while moving the mouse pointer. Dragging is used to quickly move sections of data between windows, as well as to adjust sliders, scrollbars, and faders. Slow-dragging Holding down the right and left mouse buttons while adjusting sliders and faders increases the resolution of the movement. This is useful when making fractional adjustments to parameters. Dropping After dragging an item, releasing the left mouse button on top of another area is known as dropping. Dragging and dropping are used to speed up operations such as mixing or moving regions within the Playlist. CliP. 4 CONTROLS 38 Note: Once familiar with the application's basics, you may want to ben using the shortcuts provided by the mouse and keyboard. For more information, see Shortcuts on page 347. Using the mousewheel Sound Forge now allows you to use your mousewheel to navigate audio files. The the following table briefly describes the available mousewheel functionality. Wheel Up Zoom in (horizontal) Wheel Down Zoom out (horizontal) Ctrl+Wheel Up Zoom in (vertical) Ctrl+Wheel Down Zoom out (vertical) Shift+Wheel Up Scroll lef (in 10ths of screen width) Shift+Wheel Down Scroll right (in lOths of screen width) Ctrl+Shif+ Wheel Up Cursor left or current selection point left (if there is a selection) Ctrl+Shift+ Wheel Down Cursor right or current selection point right (if there is a selection) CONTROLS CHP. 4 C39 Menu bar Play meters Status bar The main screen When you start Sound Forge, the main screen is displayed. The main screen's workspace is where all audio editing is performed. Workspace File Edit View Special [eels Options Window Help 1<111 1 -llll lluul[]lllll Ready CHP. 4 CONTROLS 40) Main screen components The following table describes the major components of the main screen. Menu bar Displays the menu headings for the available functions. When no data windows are open, the Process, Effects, and Tools menus are not available because these menus contain commands that require an open data window. Status bar Help and processing information is displayed on the leE-hand side. The fields on the right-hand side display the playback sample rate, bit depth, channel configuration (mono/stereo), length of the active data window, and total free storage space. With the exception of the free storage space field, these fields can be edited by doubleclicking or right-clicking them. When no data windows are open, only the free storage space field contains a value. Workspace This is the area located behind the data windows. Sections dragged to the workspace automatically become new data windows. Play meters Display the level of the output audio signal. These meters can be toggled on/off by choosing Play Meters from the View menu. Right-clicking the play meters displays a shortcut menu that allows you to precisely configure the appearance of the meters. The data window Data windows contain audio data (as a waveform) as well as a number of controls and commands used to edit and process audio. Edit Tool Title bar Time Ruler Overview --1 -- Ruler tags Level Ruler -- Maximize width Waveform dis Level Zoom Selection Status Fields Time Zoom Resolution Position Scroll Bar OLE Drag Source Time Zoom In/Out CONTROLS CliP. 4 Data window components The following table describes the data window components: Title Bar Displays the file name. If a title information is included in the summary of a .wav file, it is displayed here instead of the file name. Double-click to maximize and restore the window. Level Ruler Displays the amplitude of the waveform. Right-click to display the level ruler shortcut menu. Drag to shift, the view up/down when zoomed in vertically. Time Ruler Displays the current location in the data window as well as ruler tags. Right click to display the time ruler shortcut menu. Drag to scroll the data window. Ruler Tags Indicate the position of region end points, loop end points, and markers. Right-click a tag to display the ruler tag shortcut menu. Drag to edit a tag's position. Double-click anywhere within a region to select it. Edit Tool Selector Toggles through the Edit, Magnify, and Pencil tools. The Pencil tool requires a zoom ratio between 1 : 1 and 1 : 16 to be used. Playbar Contains the following audio transport buons: Go to Start, Go to End, Stop, Play Normal, Play Looped, and Play as Sample. Selection Status Fields Display the beginning, end, and length of a selection. If no selection exists, only the cursor position is displayed. Double-click on the left-most field to display the Go To dialog. Double-click on either of the other two fields to display the Set Selection dialog. Right-click to display the status format shortcut menu. Waveform Display Displays a graphical representation of an audio file. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents amplitude. Right-click within this display to access the waveform display shortcut menu. Position Scroll Bar Scrolls forward/backward through an audio file to display sections of the file not visible in the current area of the waveform display. Overview Allows for quick navigation and playback of any part of an audio file. The overview also indicates the portion of the waveform currently depicted in the waveform display, as well as the selected region. Click to move the cursor. Double-click to center the cursor in the waveform display. Right-click to start or pause playback. Drag to activate the audio event locator. Time Zoom Resolution Specifies the number of samples of data represented by each horizontal point on the screen. This determines the length of time displayed in the data window. Smaller resolution values (1 : 1, 1:2, 1:4) will display less time. Time Zoom In/Out Changes the zoom resolution for the time (horizontal) axis. Level Zoom In/Out Changes the zoom resolution for the level (vertical) axis. Maximize Width Resizes the data window to maximize its size within the workspace. OLE Drag Source Drag from this section of the data window into another application such as Microsoft Word to link an audio file to a document. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 42 Displaying data window components Sound Forge allows you to customize the appearance of individual data windows. 1. Choose Properties from the File menu or press [+[gfl7]. The current file's Properties dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Display tab. a. Display/hide specific components by selecting/clearing the corresponding check box(es). 4. Select the Save as default for all new windows check box if you want to set the new configuration as the default data window display. 5. Click OK. The Playbar The Playbar is located in the bottom left-hand corner of a data window and contains six buttons. Using the Playbar, audio files can be navigated and played in a variety of ways. If there is no selection, audio is played from the cursor to end of the file. If there is a selection, audio is played from the beginning of the selection to the end of the selection. r .oG iTa I I * --P'ay aS samp'e °r cut'iSt Play Normal Stop °sttrnd The following table briefly describes the Playbar buttons Moves the cursor to the start of the audio file. I Moves the cursor to the end of the audio file. If there is no selection, the entire audio file is played in an infinite loop. If there is a selection, the selection is played in an infinite loop. Stops playback and returns the The file is played with the sustaining cursor to its position prior to II' and release loops repeating the playback, specified number of times. CONTROLS CHP. 4 C43 Current playback mode When an audio file is played from the Playbar, a small horizontal line is displayed beneath the selected Play button's icon ([]). This indicates Sound Forge's current playback mode, which is the mode used when the Transport toolbar's Play ([) button is clicked. For more information, see The Transport toolbar on page 46. Changing the current playback mode To change the current play mode, click a Playbar button or press Toolbars Sound Forge's toolbars contain buttons used to quickly execute many of the program's commands and functions. Toolbars can be dragged throughout the workspace, docked, resized, and hidden. Docking a toolbar When a floating toolbar is dragged to any edge of the main screen, it docks on that edge. Floating a toolbar When a docked toolbar is dragged away from an edge, it becomes a floating toolbar. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 44 Available toolbars 1. Choose Preferences from the Options menu. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Toolbars tab. A list of available toolbars is displayed. Gene,al ] Di:.,'.pla;., ]Editing ]File ] MIDl,,'S.nc I Perlorm mlaylist ] Pleviews ] Status Toolbars ]Wave ] Video I Other ]oolbam: [] Transport [] Navigation [] Views B Status/Selection Regions/Pla..ulist B rocess Effects B ools Levels [] ACID Loop Creation T ools I-- Show ToolTips I OK I Cancel I Select the appropriate check box to display the desired toolbar Displaying a toolbar To display a toolbar, select the corresponding check box and click OK. CONTROLS CHP. 4 C45 The Standard toolbar The Standard toolbar is displayed by default when Sound Forge is started. It contains buttons that allow you to quickly access and execute many common application commands. Paste Copy Mix Cut a I Repeat Redo Undo Trim/Crop Play from Clipboard Save As Save 0 )en CHP. 4 CONTROLS C46 The following table briefly describes each Standard toolbar button. I-- Creates a new data window. I-- Plays the audio on the clipboard. Displays the Open dialog. Removes all data from the audio file that is not currently selected. This command has no effect if there is no selected data. This command does not copy data to the clipboard. Saves the current audio data. Reverses the last edit operation. Removes selected audio data and places it Repeats the last operation. This command on the clipboard. This command has no can be used with most processing effect if there is no selection, functions. The previous operation's parameters are repeated. To specify new parameters, hold Shift and click this button, Copies selected audio data to the Selects the Editing tool. clipboard. This command has no effect if there is no selection. Inserts a copy of the clipboard data at the current insertion point. If there is a i, selection, this command replaces the selected data with the clipboard data. Selects the Zoom tool. Mixes a copy of the clipboard data with the current audio file. The mix start point is either the cursor point or the start or end of the selection in the destination data window. Selects the Pencil tool. The Pencil tool can only be used when viewing an audio file at zoom ratios between 1 : 1 and 1 : 16. The Transport toolbar The Transport toolbar is also displayed by default and corttairts basic audio transport buttons. I [1[I [] l l Go Toend Fast-Forward -- Rewind Go to Beginning Pau2°p Play Play All Record CHP. 4 CONTROLS C47 The following table briefly describes the Transport toolbar buttons. Records data to a new or existing data Moves the cursor to the start of the file. IM window. Plays the entire audio file from beginning Moves the cursor backwards, take by to end, regardless of cursor position, I11 take, in the current audio file. selection, or playlist. Plays the file in current playback mode Moves the cursor forward, take by take, (Normal, Looped, or Sample). II1 in the current audio file. - - Pauses playback and maintains the curs°rat its current position. Moves the cursor to the end of the file. Stops playback and returns the cursor to its prior position. Navigation toolbar The Navigation toolbar contains buttons used to navigate within the current data window. Mark In -- -- Drop Marker -- Zoom Selection -- Zoom Normal I I Center Release Start -- Cursor to Selection End -- Cursor to Selection Start Cursor Center CHP. Zoom In -] CenterReleaseEnd 4 CONTROLS C48 The following table briefly describes the Navigation toolbar buttons. Magnifies the selected area to a 1:1 ratio. Centers the display with the cursor displayed in the center of the data window. Resets the audio data to its original Moves the cursor to the beginning of the magnification. selection. Maximizes the selection vertically and Moves the cursor to the end of the horizontally. selection. Drops a marker at the current cursor Moves the cursor to the beginning of the position. sustaining loop. Marks the "in" point of a new selection. Moves the cursor to the end of the sustaining loop. Marks the "out" point of a new selection. Moves the cursor to the beginning of the release loop. Displays the Go To dialog and allows you Moves the cursor to the end of the release to quickly move the cursor to a specific loop. point in a file. Views toolbar The Views toolbar contains buttons used to store and retrieve data window views. J 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 --View # Set The following table describes the Views toolbar buttons. Toggles views 1-8 between setting and restoring. Stores and recalls specific selection views. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C49 Status/Selection toolbar The Status/Selection toolbar corttairts buttons used to specify the file's status format and perform the application's Snap To functions. • ""F-" FIE[ ¼ AutoSnap to Time Samples SMPMeasuresTE & Beats Frames -- Time The following table briefly describes the Status/Selection toolbar buttons [ Changes the status format to samples. Changes the status format to measures:beats:quarter notes. Changes the status format to time. Aligns selections to the nearest zero crossing as defined by the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog. ----] Changes the status format to frames, rAligns selecti°ns t° the nearest wh°le timedivision. Changes the status format to SMPTE. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 5O Regions/Playlist toolbar The Regions/Playlist toolbar contains Regions List and Playlist buttons as well as buttons corresponding to synchronization commands and status displays. Rec . H UT - -- Sync Status [ [ Playlist Position -- PreQueue for SMPTE/MTC MIDI Output Sync MIDI Input Sync/Trigger -- Playlist ion List The following table briefly describes the Regions/Playlist toolbar buttons. Displays the Regions List. Displays the Playlist. Configures Sound Forge to send MIDI time code through the MIDI output port. The MIDI output port is specified on the MIDI/Sync tab of the Preferences dialog. COpens the wave device and preloads data for the next region to be played from the Playlist. Configures Sound Forge to be triggered by MIDI commands received through the MIDI input port. The MIDI input port is specified on the MIDI/Sync tab in the Preferences dialog. Playlist position display Displays the current playback position of an audio file being played from the Playlist. Rightclicking on this field displays a shortcut menu that allows you to specify a new format. Sync status display Allows you to monitor the status of incoming/outgoing MIDI commands. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C51 Process toolbar The Process toolbar corttairts buttons corresportdirtg to all commands located in the application's Process menu. :--- Volume - Mute Invert - Insert Silence - Fade Out Fade In Fade Graphic EQ-Parametric - EQ-Paragraphic EQ-Graphic Bit-Depth Converter - DC Offset Channel I I I "Time Compress/ I I I Expand I I I-Sm°°th/Enhance Reverse " Resample - Pan - Normalize CHP. Auto Trim 4 CONTROLS C52 The following table briefly describes the Process toolbar buttons. i i Removes silence from an audio file and Inserts user-configurable silence into audio automatically fades in/out the endpoints IMI files. of each phrase. I Converts between mono and stereo Inverts (or flips) the current selection. formats. Can also be used to intermix the lef and right channels of a stereo file to create panning effects. Coverts a file to a lower bit depth. I- Mutes the current selection. I Changes the baseline of an audio file. Normalizes the loudness of an audio file. Launches Sonic Foundry's XFX Graphic EQ. Creates custom pans, expands, and mixes. Launches Sonic Foundry's XFX I- Creates a copy of the audio file with a new Paragraphic EQ. sample rate. Launches Sonic Foundry's XFX Parametric Reverses the current selection. EQ. II Creates user-cOnfigurable fades" IIs Launches SOnic FOundry's XFX SmOOth/Enhance tool. 71 Fades-in the selection. Launches Sonic Foundry's XFX Time Compress/Expand tool. Fades-out the selection. Adjusts the volume of an audio file. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C53 The Effects toolbar If you are using a full version of Sound Forge, the Effects toolbar corttairts buttons corresponding to all Sound Forge's built-in XFX. --Vibrato Pitch Pitch E Bend Noise Gate Gapper/Snipper Flange/WahWah nnlqpn -- Dynamics-Multi-band -- Dynamics-Graphic -- Distortion -- Delay-Simple Delay-Multi-tap Chorus -- Amplitude Modulation Reverb CHP. 4 CONTROLS C54 The following table briefly describes the Effects toolbar buttons. r Applies a sinusoidal or square shaped [7 Mixes a modulated delay signal with the periodic gain to the input signal. original signal. Simulates multiple audio sources from a Removes/inserts sections of silence at single sound. regular intervals to create unusual effects.This effect is only available if you are using the full version of Sound Forge. Creates a delay with up to eight delay-taps Removes signals below a set amplitude spaced anywhere within 2.5 seconds of L threshold. the original sound. Adds a delayed copy of the audio signal to Creates a modified sound envelope that the file. corresponds to increasing or decreasing the pitch of a sound file over time. Simulates the overloading of an amplifier. Changes the pitch of a selection with or without preserving the duration of the file. Applies compression, expansion, and Simulates the acoustics of different limiting to affect the dynamic range of an environments. audio file. Allows compression and limiting to be Creates periodic pitch modulation in an placed on up to four different frequency audio file. bands. Forces the amplitude envelope of a waveform to match a specified envelope shape. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C55 The Tools toolbar The Tools toolbar corttairts buttons corresportdirtg to all commands in the application's Tools menu. > q r;a =- P a:," Co "" FFT --Synthesis-Simple l Synthesis-FM -- Synthesis-DTMF/MF Tones -- Statistics -- Spectrum Analysis -- Sampler -- Repair-Replace -- Repair-Interpolate -- Repair-Channel -- Preset Manager -- Find Extract Regions -- Crossfade Loop Auto Region Audio Plug-In Chainer -- Extract Audio from CD -- Create CD CHP. 4 CONTROLS 56 The following table briefly describes the Tools toolbar buttons. I - Writes selected audio track to CD. Extracts audio from CD and opens in Sound Forge for editing. Links multiple DirectX plug-ins into a Automatically creates regions in an audio single processing chain. IIII file according to rapid sound attacks or a specified musical time interval. Replaces selected audio data with previous Mixes audio occurring before the loop adjacent data. start point into the end of the loop to smooth transitions. Allows you to transfer samples to/from rT Extracts all file regions and saves them as Sound Forge. individual files. Performs spectrum analysis on the Searches for clicks and pops, volume current file or selection. I I levels, or silent breaks in an audio signal. Displays statistics corresponding to the Used to back up and transfer user current file or selection. I'''1 configured presets from all effects, processes, tools, and plug-ins. Generates dial tones used by telephone Replaces selected audio with a companies. corresponding selection from the opposite channel. Uses frequency modulation and Replaces selected audio with interpolated additive synthesis to create complex L audio data based on the selection's sounds from simple waveforms, beginning and end samples. Generates a simple waveform of a given shape, pitch, and length. The Levels toolbar The Levels toolbar displays the audio levels in the left and right channels in the userspecified format. (Left cha!nel level 1 Right cha nel level For more information, see StatusSelection toolbar on page 49. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C57 ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar The ACID Loops Creation Tools toolbar contains buttons corresponding to commands used when creating audio loops for Sonic Foundry's ACID products. .1 4/] ,( . 7 f I!!1J Tempo Window Selection Grid Lines Rotate Audio Shift Selection Right Shift Selection Left • Halve Selection Double Selection -- Edit Tempo Edit ACID Properties The following table briefly describes the ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar buttons. Displays the Edit ACID Properties dialog. Shifts the current selection to the left so the current start point becomes the end point. Calculates the musical tempo (beats per Shifts the current selection to the right so minute) based upon the current selection. the current end point becomes the start point. Doubles the size of the current selection. Moves the current selection to the opposite end of the file. Divides the current selection in half. Toggles the selection grid line display on/ off. Tempo window The ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar also contains a Tempo window. This window calculates and displays the ACID project's tempo as if the current selection represents a complete measure. For more information, see Looping and ACID on page 306. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C58 ToolTips Hovering the mouse pointer over a button or status bar field for longer than one second will display a small text box adjacent to the pointer. This text, called a ToolTip, is a brief description of the button or field's function. Using ToolTips is an effective way to quickly familiarize yourself with Sound Forge. olTip Turning off ToolTips 1. Choose Toolbars from the View menu. The Toolbar Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Clear the Show ToolTips check box and click OK. Command descriptions When a button in a toolbar is clicked and held or a menu item is selected and held, a brief description of the command is displayed in the lower left-hand corner of the status bar. If you release the mouse button outside of the toolbar or menu item, the command is not executed. Controls A major step in mastering Sound Forge is becoming familiar with all controls used to set and adjust feature parameters, including the following: • Faders and sliders • Edit boxes • Drop-down lists • Buttons • Radio buttons • Check boxes • Envelope graphs CHP. 4 CONTROLS 59 Vertical faders and horizontal sliders Vertical faders and horizontal sliders are frequently used to edit effect and process parameters. To use either control, drag the control's thumb to the desired position and re le ase. 0.00 dB [100.0k X) Fader Thhumb Slider Normalize to [-60 to 0 dB) CFine-tuning fader and slider values A fader or slider value can be fine-tuned by doing any of the following: Holding both mouse buttons while dragging the thumb. Holding [ while dragging the thumb. For more information, see Using the mouse on page 37. Clicking on the hash marks incrementing the thumb's range-of-travel. Resetting fader and trackbar values Double-click the thumb to return the control to its default value. Fader and slider shortcuts There are numerous keyboard shortcuts available when using faders and sliders. [, [, [, and [] change the value in small increments. and [Page Down] change the value in larger increments. [g and [g] set the control to its maximum and minimum values respectively. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C6o Edit box spinner Spinners are used to set edit box values. Frequency [0.00 to 22,050 Hz): Spinner The spinner provides three options for editing parameter values: • Click in the edit box and enter a numeric value from the keyboard. • Click the small arrow buttons to increment the value. • Use the spinner to set the value. Using the spinner The spinner is the small rectangular button positioned between the control's arrow buttons. Increment Up Arrow lncrement Down Arrow 1. Click and hold the spinner. 2. Drag the mouse up/down to increase/decrease the value. 3. Release the mouse button to set the value. Fine-tuning spinner values Spinner values can be fine-tuned by doing either of the following: • Holding the both mouse buttons while dragging the spinner. • Holding Kf while dragging the spinner. For more information, see Using the mouse on page 37. Spinner shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts are also available when using spinners. • [] and [] change the value in small increments. • [F7 and [Page Down] change the value in larger increments. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 61 Drop-down lists Drop-down lists typically contain presets. In addition, you can save custom settings as presets and they will appear in drop-down lists. For more information, see Presets on page 207. CDrop-down list Specifying a preset from a drop-down list To specify a preset from a drop-down list, click on the list's arrow button and select an item from the list. Navigating a drop-down list The scroll bar and the arrow keys are used to navigate lengthy drop-down lists. Notice that while scrolling through presets, the dialog's controls are positioned to reflect the parameters of the current selection. This is useful for getting a feel for how various parameters are used to create specific effects. Radio buttons Radio buttons appear in groups of two or more and function like the station selector on a car radio; select one and all others are deselected. Current operator: (- 1 I ' I Radio button Check boxes A check box, as the name implies, is a square box that can be selected or cleared to turn a feature on/off. I Create undo I Check box I CHP. 4 CONTROLS 62 Level Envelope graphs Envelope graphs are used to configure the shape of frequency or amplitude envelopes applied to audio waveforms. C0% 0% 25% 5 Smooth gain to minimize distortion on sieep slope - Showwave: I / - 0 0 E0 0 0p0 I I litude or frequency axis Envelope point Envelope Time axis Understanding the envelope graph To use the envelope graph, you must first understand what it represents. In the previous example, the horizontal axis represents time, with the left-most point representing the start of the selection and the right-most point representing the end of the selection. The vertical axis represents either amplitude or frequency, depending upon the operation. Moving an envelope point 1. Click an envelope point. 2. Drag the point to a new position. 3. Release the mouse button. The point is repositioned and the envelope is adjusted accordingly. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C63 Moving multiple envelope points 1. Click in an unused area of the envelope graph. 2. Drag the mouse to create a selection box containing all points to be moved. I00 , eo × l/ ' ,,,.. ... 0 Length [seconds) 1.000 Select the envelope points 3. Release the button. The selected envelope points are displayed in red. 4. Click any of the selected envelope points. The pointer is displayed as a multidirectional Arrow. 5. Drag the envelope point to the desired position. All selected points are moved accordingly. 6. Release the mouse button. The entire envelope graph is adjusted accordingly. 0 Length [seconds] 1.000 Reposition multiple envelope points Selecting all envelope points Press +[ to select all envelope points. Adding an envelope point 1. Place the mouse pointer on the envelope. The pointer is displayed as . [ Place the pointer on the envelope and click to add a point. 2. Click the mouse. A point is added to the envelope graph and can now be positioned as needed. For more information, see Moving an envelope point on page 62. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C64 Deleting an envelope point 1. Place the pointer on the point to be deleted. The cursor is displayed as Q. Place the pointer on the point to be , - deleted and right/double-click. 2. Double-click or right-click the mouse. The point is deleted and the envelope is adjusted accordingly. Delete all points Delete all envelope points by clicking the Reset Envelope button. Displaying the waveform on an envelope graph Certain envelope graphs (such as in the Graphic Fade dialog) allow you to view the audio waveform on the graph. If the selection is small, the waveform is automatically displayed. Otherwise, selecting the Show wave check box will display the waveform. Displaying stereo waveforms The Show Wave drop-down list allows you to specify how stereo files are displayed in the envelope graph. Selection: Channels: Specify the channel to be displayed i-- Show ,.,,,ave: I Mix channels 'l ...w..:'. I oo.oo.oooo[ ............. Both " " I Mix channels I Stereo files Stereo files require you to work with two channels of data. When a stereo file is displayed in a data window, the left channel is represented in the upper data window and the right channel in the lower. CHP. 4 CONTROLS (65 Working with stereo files When playing, editing, or processing stereo files, you are able to select the left channel, the right channel, or both channels. However, certain processing cannot be performed upon an individual channel of a stereo file. For more information, see Single-channel editing on page 67. Selecting data in stereo files When editing a stereo file, the waveform display is divided into three logical sections and the mouse pointer location determines what channel (or channels) will be selected. • The upper quarter of the data window selects the left channel. • The lower quarter of the data window selects the right channel. • The middle half of the data window selects both channels. ir. ooo:o4 oo:oo:o0 00:00:00 channel only i'ol;Ir'rr[rr-, r:rr-, rr F' r r rrrr--r r' htchanne, on,y a ll al oo:oo:og.shs 1. Open a stereo .wav file. 2. Select the Edit tool by choosing Tool from the Edit menu and Edit from the submenu. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 6 3. Position the tool near the top of the left channel and notice its appearance. Cursor to select the left channel only The tool is displayed as ] '. This indicates that only audio data in the left channel will be selected. 4. Position the tool in the middle portion of the data window and notice its appearance. -inf. -&O -&O -In. (Cursor to select both channels The tool is displayed as a standard cursor. This indicates that it will select a mono file or both channels of a stereo file. 5. Position the tool near the bottom of the right channel and notice its appearance. -8.0 -In£ -8.0 6Cursor to select the right channel only T The tool is displayed as ±R. This indicates that only audio data in the right channel will be selected. CHP. 4 CONTROLS (67 Toggling channel selections Once the cursor is placed or a selection created in a stereo file, you can cycle through channel options (left, right, both) by pressing [. Previewing channels The single channel selection option allows you to preview channels in a stereo file individually. 1. Open a stereo .way file and select all data. 2. Click [. The file is played in stereo. 3. Press [. The left channel is selected. 4. Click [. Only the mono left channel is played. 5. Press [. The right channel is selected. 6. Click [. Only the mono right channel is played. Single-channel editing Stereo files are held together by the nature of their stereo format. Because of this, certain editing operations (such as Cut or Paste) cannot be performed on a single channel of a stereo file. Attempting to alter the duration of a single channel of a stereo file will result in an error message. Channel lengths must remain equal in stereo files. Frequently, this issue can be "sidestepped" by copying a single channel of a stereo file to the clipboard. Once this mono selection is located on the clipboard, you can do any of the following: • Paste it into a mono file. • Paste it in both channels of a stereo file. • Mix it into a single channel of a stereo file. • Mix it into both channels of a stereo file. Note: When mixing mono clipboard data to a stereo file, the Mono to Stereo dialog prompts you to mix it to the right, left, or both channels. CHP. 4 CONTROLS C68 Getting Help within Sound Forge You are able to access two varieties of help within Sound Forge: • Online help • What's This? help (also referred to as context-sensitive help) Online Help To view online help, Internet Explorer 4.0 or later must be installed on your system. Accessing Online Help To access online help, choose Contents from the Help menu. 1 To access online help, press []. Help Topics dialog The Sound Forge online help dialog contains four tabs used to locate information within Online Help: Contents, Index, Search, and Favorites. The Contents tab The Contents tab provides a categorized listing of available Help topics. Basic Editing Advanced Editing Acoustic Nirror The Sound Forge Window Menu Commands Glossary Select the appropriate book and topic page CHP. 4 CONTROLS (69 Using the Contents tab To use the Contents tab to browse for information: 1. Double-click the book () to be browsed. The topic pages appropriate to the selected book are displayed. 2. Select the topic page ( N ) corresponding to the desired information. The topic page is displayed in the information pane. The Index tab The Index tab provides a complete listing of available help topics. z 4= - ,:) I Type in the keyword to find: Adding Effects Adjust Selection Length Annotations Loop Lines -- Harker Lines Marker Names Region Lines Region Names Attaching a Video Stream Automatic Labeling Big endian Blinking Status Channel Conversion Click Removal Controls Convert to Nov0 Copy Object Link Creating a New File from a Playlisl./( Creating a New Window Crossfade Dialog Data Windows " Adding Effects Adjust Selection Length Annotations Loop Lines Marker Lines Marker Names Region Lines Region Names Attaching a Video Stream Automatic Labeling Big endian Blinking Status Channel Conversion Click Removal Controls Convert to New Copy Obje Link Creating a New File from a Playlist/( Creating a New Window Crossfade Dialog Data indows , Enter a word in the text field Select the appropriate index entry Using the Index tab 1. Scroll through the list of available index entries or enter a word in the Type in the keyword to find edit box. 2. Select an index entry and click Display. The topic is displayed in the information pane. CHP. 4 CONTROLS 0 Enter a general keyword Select a topic The Search tab The Search tab allows you to enter any keyword and display all topics in online help containing that specified keyword. = - I :) I Type in the word{s) to search for: ContentsHide IIn-de×Back P,iat E-ptions Shortc ^^-r I bit rate Data wind Edit comn i ype in the word[s] to sealch [o[: I What do Vou want to learn more about? Select -topic: Found: 0 Tit e Locat on Rank Select -opic: Found: 13 Title i Location Rank Glossary Sonic Foun... 1 Creating a NewVn... Sonic Foun... 2 File Preferencea Sonic Foun... 3 Advanced RealMedi... Sonic Foun... 4 li ffi.: i '#i.i ............ Saving an NPEG La... Sonic Foun... 7 Saving a Raw Data ... Sonic Foun... 8 GeneraIPreferences Sonic Foun... 9 Open Raw Data File Sonic Foun... 10 Saving a Realledia ... Sonic Foun... 11 Optimizin Sound Fo... Sonic Foun... 12 Fade Sonic Foun... 13 7Using the Search tab 1. Enter a keyword in the Type in word(s) to search for: edit box and click the List Topics button. Appropriate topics are displayed in the Select topic area. 2. Select a topic and click Display. The topic is displayed in the information pane. CONTROLS CHP. 4 71 3ptimizing Sound Forge The Favorites tab The Favorites tab allows you to archive frequently accessed help topics for quick retrieval. Hide Back Print E-ptions Shortcuts Glossary 41 I Cyrrent topic: Optimizing Sound Forge (This topic contains information about configuring your system to maximize Sound Forge performance What do you want to lear[] more about? Favorites tab Using the Favorites tab 1. Locate a help topic using any of the previously described methods. 2. Click the Favorites tab. The current topic is listed in the Current topic edit box. 3. Click Add. The topic is added to the Favorites tab and can be retrieved in the future by clicking Display. What's This? Help "9(]hat's This? help allows you to view pop-up descriptions of the application's dialog boxes. Accessing What's This? Help in a dialog 1. Click in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog. 2. Click a dialog item. Appropriate What's This? help is displayed. Help on the Web Additional Sound Forge information is available on the Sonic Foundry Web site. From the Help menu, choose Sonic Foundry on the Web, and choose the desired location from the submenu. Sound Forge starts your system's browser and attempts to connect to the appropriate page on the Sonic Foundry Web site. CHP. 4 CONTROLS ( . - - . ,1 I 73 CHAPTER C5 Fundamentals Sound Forge is a state-of-the-art digital audio editing tool with users from all musical backgrounds. It is an extremely deep program, containing features that may only be required by the most advanced or specialized users. Nonetheless, a firm grasp of Sound Forge basics is essential. This chapter is designed to provide you with information on the Sound Forge fundamentals. Opening a file 1. From the File menu, choose Open. The Open dialog is displayed. For more information, see The Open dialog on page 74. . Click the Open ([]) button. 2. Select the Tutorl.wav file (the application searches for .wav files by default). Note: This file is located in the same folder as the application. a. Click Open. Sound Forge opens the audio file and displays a data window containing the waveform. iSil iWow i und editing iut get easier i And easier File is Displayed in the Data Window 1 :'1'1 I '11512 I'':'1' CHP. 5 FUNDAMENTALS 4 The Open dialog The Open dialog contains several features that allow you to locate audio files. I C:\Program Files\Sound Forge [- 3o play Select to Preview Files File of type The Files of type drop-down list is used to specify the file format the application will search for in the system. Sound Forge supports several popular file formats. Recent The Recent drop-down list contains recently accessed folders. Auto play Selecting the Auto play check box configures Sound Forge to automatically preview .wav files as they are selected in the Open dialog. Note: You can also preview .wav files by selecting the file and clicking Play. 7FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 C75 File information display If the application recognizes the format of the selected file, information regarding its format, length, and attributes is displayed in the lower pane of the Open dialog. The following table describes each of these values. File type Indicates the type of the selected file. Format Indicates the format of the selected file. Unity note If the selected file is a sample, this is the MIDI note that will trigger a sampler to play the sound file at its original pitch. SMPTE Displays the SMPTE offset for the selected file if an offset has been defined. Length Indicates the length of the select file in seconds and samples. Attributes Indicates the bit depth, sample rate, and channels value of the selected file. Loop(s) Displays information about loops that have been defined in the selected file. Rgns/Playlist Indicates if the file contains regions on its Regions List or Playlist. Comments Displays any comments included in the file. CHP. 5 FUNDAMENTALS 76 Playing a file After a file is opened, it can be played by clicking the Play All (]) button on the Transport toolbar. For more information, see The Transport toolbar on page 46. File position indicators As a file is played, the current playback position is indicated in the data window using three methods: • A pointer travels across the visible portion of the data window. • The current playback position in relation to the entire file is represented in the Overview. • The first selection status field in the playbar displays the current position in the userspecified format. For more information, see Status formats on page 98. Overview current position 00:00:02.217 [ ' Status format value FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 77 Playing a file from a specified point Sound Forge also allows you to begin playback from any point in a file. 1. Click, but do not drag, the mouse pointer in the data window. A flashing cursor (spanning the height of the waveform display) is displayed. 2. Click the Play ([) button on the Transpor* toolbar. The file is played from the cursor position. If no playback is heard, a small selection may inadvertently have been created. To determine if a selection was created, examine the status fields in the bottom right-hand corner of the data window's status bar. Status fields If only the first field contains a value, there is no selection. If all three fields contain values, a selection has been created. The selection can be cleared by clicking anywhere in the data window. For more information, see Selection status fields on page 78. CHP. 5 FUNDAMENTALS 78 Playing an audio selection Specific portions of audio data can be played by creating selections in the waveform display. 1. Drag the mouse within the data window. Notice that the waveform is selected as the mouse is dragged. 2. Click the Play ([) button. Only the selection is played. 00:00:00.742 Create a selection on the waveform 00:00:01.475 00:00:00.733 Selection status fields Selection status fields When a selection exists, the selection status fields in the bottom right-hand corner of the data window contain values. These values indicate the start, end, and length of the selection. 00:00:01.433 00:00:01.433 00:00:02.560 00:00:01.126 Beginning Value End Value Selection Length No selection Selection Status field format You are able to display status field values in any format supported by Sound Forge. For more information, see Status formats on page 98. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 79) Viewing selection statistics Choosing Statistics from the Tools menu will display a Statistics dialog corresponding to the current selection. The following table describes all statistical categories displayed in the Statistics dialog. Cursor Position The cursor position (in samples) from the start of the audio file. Sample Value at Cursor The actual number stored by a single sample. The maximum allowed sample value is often referred to as 100% or 0 dB. Maximum/Minimum Sample Position and Sample Value RMS Power Average Value (DC Offset) Zero-Crossings The maximum and minimum sample values and the locations (in samples) where they occur. These values may help determine if clipping will occur in the audio file. These values can also be used to determine the noise level of a signal for use with a Noise Gate. For example, to determine the noise amplitude of a file, run Statistics on a region of noisy silence. The Root Mean Square of the sample values relative to the RMS value of a maximum-amplitude square wave (the loudest possible recording). On short intervals, this value relates to the volume level of the audio file. If used on a large selection with large volume variation, this value becomes less meaningful. The sum of all sample values in the selected region divided by the number of samples. If this value is not zero, it usually indicates a DC offset in the recording process. The number of times per second that the waveform fluctuates from a negative to a positive value. This value can be used as a rough estimate of the frequency of the audio data for very simple waveforms. Note: If Statistics is run without a selection, statistics are displayed for the entire file. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 80) Creating a new data window Before a new file can be created, its attributes must be configured in a data window. 1. From the File menu, choose New. The New Window dialog is displayed. Window Sample rate [2,000 to 192,000 Hz): S ample size [bit-depth): 116-bit Channels: ( Mono (- Stereo Maximum editing time [32-bit temp file): 00:11:29 Cancel ] New Window dialog 2. Choose a sample rate from the Sample rate drop-down list. 3. Choose a bit depth from the Bit depth drop-down list. 4. Select the desired Channels radio button and click OK. A new data window with the specified attributes is created and displayed. For more information, see File attributes on page I I I. Active data windows vs. inactive data windows When multiple data windows are displayed on the workspace, only the window currently being edited is active, and all operations affect this window exclusively. Activating a window To activate a data window, click anywhere within it. The title bar charges to the color defined as the active window color and the previously active window is deactivated. Note: Choosing Focus to Data Window from the View menu will also result in the focus being returned to the current data window. "%. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 Copying data to a new file New audio files can be created by copying data to a new data window. 1. Open an audio file and create a selection. 2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy. The selection is copied to the clipboard. 1 Click the Copy ([]) button in the Transport toolbar 3. Create a new data window. For more information, see Creating a new data window on page 80. 4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. The selected data is pasted in the new data window. Selection is pasted in the new window 1 Click the Paste () button in the Transport toolbar Saving a file 1. From the File menu, choose Save. When saving a new file, the Save As dialog is displayed. If the file was previously saved, choosing Save automatically saves the file without your input. 2. In the File name box, enter a name for the file and click Save. Sound Forge adds the .way extension and saves the file. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 2) Summary... I The Save As dialog The Save As dialog allows you to save an audio file with a new name, in an alternate format, or with new attributes. Save in: I -oH My Briefcase ,] cape× File name: I11" Save as tB.,pe: I",,qave [M icrosoS) [*. way) Recent: I C: ',,",,v'l N D O",,v'S ',,D e s kt o p',,M y Briefcase ' Format: I PCM ' Attributes: 144.100 H z, 16-bit, I,,1ono ' Rgns/Playlist: ISave Regions and Playlistin.",,v'AV/.AVI file ' Cancel 8I r SaveSurnrnarylnforrnationinfile[.",,v'AV,.AVI,.ASF,.RM) I Freespace: I-- 8,870.7 Megabyte! Specify File Type Specify Recent Directories Specify File Format Specify Bit Depth, Sample Rate, and Channels Specify Saving Region/Playlist Information Select to Save Summary Information Save as type The Save as type drop-down list allows you to choose any format supported by Sound Forge. Recent The Recent drop-down list allows you to access frequently used folders. Format The Format drop-down list is used to choose the format in which the data is saved. Audio files are typically saved in the PCM format; however, other formats are available for compression purposes. Attributes The Attributes drop-down list is used to specify the file's sample rate, bit depth, and channels (mono or stereo) values. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 83 Regions/Playlist The Regions/Playlist drop-down list is used to specify options for saving Regions List/Playlist information. Save Summary Information in file Selecting the Save Summary Information in File check box allows summary information to be saved in applicable files formats. For more information, see Summary information on page 120. Creating Custom Templates If the file type you select supports it, you can create custom templates for saving files by clicking the Custom button. Note: If a file type supports custom templates, a Custom button displays next to the Template drop-down list after you choose the file type. Once you click the Custom button, a Custom Settings dialog appears. You can choose your own template name and properties. When you are finished editing the template properties, click the OK button. Your template name will display in the Template drop-down on the Save As dialog. Note: For information about specific controls in each file type's Custom Settings dialog, click the What's This? button and click the item. Saving all open audio files Choosing Save All from the File menu will automatically prompt you to save all open audio files on the current workspace before closing them. Note: Holding FfiiE] while choosing the Save All command will automatically save and close all open files without your input. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 84) Saving/opening the workspace Complex audio editing projects often consist of numerous data windows in various stages of completion. To accommodate large projects, Sound Forge allows you to save the entire workspace as an alternative to saving individual files. Workspaces are saved as Sound Forge Workspace files (.sfw) and when opened, restore all files to their previous sizes, positions, and views. Saving the current workspace 1. From the File menu, choose Workspace, and choose Save As from the submenu. The Save Workspace dialog is displayed. 2. Browse to the folder where the file will be saved. 3. Enter a name for the file in the File name box and click Save. Opening a workspace 1. From the File menu, choose Workspace, and choose Open from the submenu. The Open Workspace dialog is displayed. 2. Browse to the folder containing the desired .sfw file. 3. Select the desired file and click Open. E-mailing audio files Choosing Send from the File menu allows you to send the current audio file via electronic mail by launching your e-mail program, opening a new message, and embedding the active audio file in it. Using this feature, all contents of the audio file are inserted into the message and any changes that have been made to the file must be saved before the message can be sent. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 Audio editing New Sound Forge users should remember that even the most complex editing is derived from a few simple operations: Copy, Paste, Cut, Clear/Delete, Trim/Crop, and Mix. The following table provides a brief description of Sound Forge's basic editing operations. Copy Copies data from the window to the clipboard. Paste Inserts the contents of the clipboard into the window at the current cursor position. If a selection exists in the data window, the pasted data replaces the current selection. Cut Deletes data from the window and copies it to the clipboard. Clear/Delete Deletes data from the window, but does not copy it to the clipboard. Trim/Crop Deletes all data in the window, with the exception of the selection. Mix Mixes data from the clipboard with the data in the current window, starting at the current cursor position or the start of the current selection. Editing tutorial The following procedures will familiarize you with Sound Forge's basic editing operations. These procedures use files which are located in the same folder as the application. While working through these procedures, these files should remain open and be modified as described. FUNDAMENTALS CliP. 5 86 Copy Audio data can be copied from a data window to the clipboard without changing the original file. Once on the clipboard, data can be pasted into existing files or used to create new ones. Copying data to the clipboard 1. Open the Tutorl.wav file. 2. Create a selection containing "Wow." Create a selection in the waveform Choose Copy from the Edit menu dit View Special Process Ettects Ctrl+X Co TiimlClop CtII+T Dbb ICbl Dbb Select AJl Ctrl+A Data is copied to the clipboard, but the waveform is unchanged 3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy. The selected data is copied to the clipboard. Click the Copy ([]) button or press [g+[]. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 87) Previewing clipboard contents To preview the contents of the clipboard, choose Clipboard from to the View menu, and choose Play from the submenu. Note: Detailed information regarding the size and attributes of the clipboard contents can also be displayed by choosing Clipboard from the View menu and Contents from the submenu. Recycling clipboard contents Once on the clipboard, data can be pasted or mixed into an infinite number of windows. Data remains on the clipboard until it is replaced by new data. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 88 Paste Once on the clipboard, data can be pasted or mixed into an existing data window or used to create a new data window. Pasting data in an existing data window 1. Move the cursor to the beginning of the Tutorl.wav file by clicking the Go To Start () button in the Playbar. For more information, see The Playbar on page 42. 2. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. The clipboard data is inserted into the file and the data for "Wow" is displayed on the left-hand side of the waveform. File Edit View Special Process Effects Tools DirectX Options Window Help Cop 0biect Link [ Paste Special Trim/Crop Delete [Clear) Select AJl Ctrl+X Ctrl+C Select Paste From the Edit menu Clipboard contents are pasted Into the data window Click the Paste ([) button or press [g/+[]. 3. To confirm that the data has been pasted into the file, click Play [. "Wow, Wow. Sound editing just gets easier and easier," is played. Pasting in a new data window To use data from the clipboard to create a new data window, go to the =dit menu, choose Paste Special, and choose Paste to New from the submenu. A new window containing the clipboard data is created in a single step. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 Cut The Cut command allows you to remove a section of audio data from a data window and store it on the clipboard until it is pasted or mixed into another file. When deciding between Cut and Copy, consider the following: Copying data has no effect on the original file. Cutting data modifies the original file (also referred to as a destructive edit). Cutting data from a window 1. Create a selection containing the second "Wow" (there should be two if the examples are being followed) in Tutorl.wav. Choose Cut from the Edit menu lection Ctrl+Shift+Z CLrI+C Link CLrI+V CLrI+T DeleLe CLrI+A Delete (Clear) 5elect All Selection is removed from the data window and placed on the clipboard 2. From the Edit menu, choose Cut. The selected data is removed from file and placed on the clipboard. 1 Click the Cut ([) button or press [UE +[]. 3. Click Play [. "Wow. Sound editing just gets easier and easier," is played. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 9ndo Cut Create a selection Edit View Special Process Ettects Ctrl+Z 0) Previewing a Cut Even with Undo capabilities, a cut is a destructive edit. For this reason, Sound Forge allows you to preview cuts prior to performing the edit. This allows you to determine if the selection was made accurately and the results are desirable. Create a selection anywhere in Tutorl.wav. Cut Ctrl+X -Copy Ctrl+C Cop,,, Obiect Link Paste Special Trim/Crop Ctrl+T Delete [Clear) Delete Select AJl Ctrl+A Choose Preview Cut/Cursor from the Edit menu Pr-e-rollto Cursor C[Shift+K 2. Choose Preview Cut/Cursor from the Edit menu. Sound Forge ignores the selection, playing the audio before and after the selection to allow you to preview the cut. Configuring cut pre-roll and post-roll lengths Frequently, the default pre-roll and post-roll lengths are insufficient to evaluate the accuracy of an edit. For this reason, Sound Forge allows you to configure pre-roll and post-roll lengths. 1. From the Optieas menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Other tab. 3. Configure the Pre-roll and Post-roll values in the Cut preview configuration area of the dialog and click OK. Delete (Clear) Delete permanently removes the selection without replacing the data currently residing on the clipboard. To delete data, choose Delete (Clear) from the Edit menu. . Press FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 Trim/Crop The Trim/Crop command allows you to retain a selection while deleting all surrounding data. Trimming/cropping an audio selection 1. Create a selection containing "Wow, sound editing just gets easier" in Tutorl.wav, but do not select the second "easier." Create a selection Choose Trim/Crop from the Edit menu Delete {Cle-ar/l Select AJl/ Ctrl+X Ctrl+C Delete Ctrl+A Only the selected audio remains 2. Choose Trim/Crop from the Edit menu. Only "Wow, sound editing just gets easier" remains in the data window. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 92 Mix Mixing is a powerful editing function that allows two sounds to be combined into a single waveform. Mixing audio 1. Open and play the Tutor2.wav file. A snare drum and crash cymbal are heard. Note: Tutor2.wav is located in the same folder as the application. 2. Verify that the Tutorl.wav window is active and choose Select All from the Edit menu. The entire waveform is selected. 3. Choose Copy from the Edit menu. To copy audio data, click [] or press [g +[]. 4. Activate the Tutorl.wav data window and click the Go To Start ([) button on the Playbar. The cursor is moved to the start of the file. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 93) 5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and choose Mix from the submenu. The Mix dialog is displayed. Set both faders to OdB Source: Clipboard Destination: Wow, sound editing... 0.0 dB 0.0 dB {100.00 %} {100.00 %} I Start: 00:00:00.00 I Start: 00:00:00.00 End: 00:00:02.14 End: 00:00:02.14 Volume Volume I-Inf. to 15 dB) I-- Invert data I-Inf. to 15 dB} i-- Invert data 6. Verify that the Source and Destination Volume faders are set to 0 dB and click OK. The drum hit is mixed equally with the spoken passage and is displayed accordingly. Both waveforms are combined Preview the file and notice that, unlike Paste, mixing does not change the length of the file. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 94) Undo/redo an edit operation Sound Forge encourages experimentation by allowing you to easily undo/redo edit operations. • Any newly performed edit operation can be undone by choosing Undo from the Edit menu. • Any newly undone edit operation can be redone by choosing Redo from the Edit menu. - " Click the Undo ([7) button on the Standard toolbar or press Click the Redo ([) button on the Standard toolbar or press ÷[. Disabling Undo/Redo Maintaining an Undo/Redo History for a file requires disk space, processing power, and a negligible amount of time. When working on large files, it is often advantageous to turn off the Undo/Redo History feature. This feature must be turned off on a per-file basis. Be aware however, that turning off this feature results in the Undo and Redo commands being unavailable for all operations performed on that file. To turn off the Undo/Redo History, choose Disable Undo/Redo from the Edit menu. A check mark is displayed adjacent to the command to indicate that the feature is turned off. In addition, the title bar of the file's data window indicates that the feature is turned off. To turn on this feature, choose Disable Undo/Redo from the Edit menu a second time. Note: The application does not modify the orinal file unless it is opened in direct or mode. Therefore, until the file is re-saved, it can be recovered by re-opening it.However, saved changes are permanent. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 95D Undo/Redo History window The Undo/Redo History window may seem confusing at first, but you will find it invaluable once you have mastered it. This window allows the audio file to be auditioned in various versions by undoing/redoing multiple operations. To display the Undo/Redo History window, choose Undo/Redo History from the l/Jew menu. o Distortion (0.000000 to 5.000136) nd,Undo IF]. 0000o 5.0136i I1 u noo Envelope {0.000000 to 5.000136) I00000 to 5.0001361 [ I111 Undo Chorus [0.000000 to 5.000136) Performed operations Redo [] Redo Graphic EQ [0.000000 to 5.000136] Play buttons [] Redo Gapper/Snipper [0.000000 to 5.000136] / Using the Undo/Redo History window 1. Verify that the Tutorl.wav data window is active and choose Undo/Redo History from the 1/iew menu. The Undo/Redo History window is displayed. If the previous procedures have been performed, it should appear as follows: Undo [] Undo Mix [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:02.14) Undo Trim/Crop [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:03.09) -- [] Undo Cut [00:00:01.07 to 00:00:02.03) Undo Paste Redo Current Undo/Redo History window Notice that the Mix operation is displayed at the top of the Undo pane. The most recent operations are always displayed at the top of the appropriate list. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 96 2. In the Undo pane, click the [] corresponding to the Mix operation. The audio file is played without the drum track. Jndo/Redo- "..,Y'ow, sound editing... Undo ...................... Undo Trim/Crop {00:00:00.00 to 00:00:03.09] [] Undo Cut {00:00:01.07 to 00:00:02.03] Undo Paste Play the pre-mix file 3. Select the Mix operation and choose Undo from the Edit menu. The drum track is extracted from the Tutorl.wav data window and the Mix operation is moved to the Redo pane. Choose Undo from the Edit menu Copy Object Lin I Paste Undo Trim/Crop [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:03.09) Paste Special [] Undo Cut [00:00:01.07 to 00:00:02.03) Select All -- Undo Paste Redo [] Redo Mix [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:02.14) 4. In the Redo pane, click the [] corresponding to the Mix operation. The audio file is played with the mixed drum track. 5. Select the Mix operation again and choose Redo from the Edit menu. The drum track is remixed into the Tutorl.wav waveform and the Mix operation is returned to the Undo pane. 6. Select the Trim/Crop operation in the Undo pane and click [. Only the Mix operation is undone and moved to the Redo pane. This is due to the fact that operations can only be undone or redone in the order originally performed. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 97) Undo 7. Double-click on the Cut operation in the Undo pane. The Cut and Trim/Crop operations are both undone in the waveform and moved to the Redo pane. Undo Trim/Crop (00:00:00.00 to 00:00:03.09) [] Undo Cu00:00:01.07 to 00:00:02.03} Undo PalN Double-click the Cut operation Redo [] Redo Mix (00:00:00.00 to 00:00:02.14 Undo Undo Paste Redo Redo Cut [00:00:01.07 to 00:00:02.03) Redo Trim/Crop [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:03.09) -- [] Redo Mix [00:00:00.00 to 00:00:02.14) ... To view the Undo/Redo History window, press [E]]. To quickly undo/redo -' operations in the Undo/Redo History window, double-click on the operation. Clearing the Undo/Redo History for the current file Clearing the current file's Undo/Redo History will free up disk space by deleting the file's temporary undo/redo files. However, deleting these temporary files will prevent you from undoing changes made to the file since it was last saved. To clear the Undo/Redo History for the current file, go to the Special menu, choose Undo/Redo History, and choose Clear from the submenu. Clearing the Undo/Redo History for all open files Sound Forge also allows you to simultaneously clear the Undo/Redo History for all open files. Once again, however, you will not be able to undo any previous changes once these histories are deleted. To clear the Undo/Redo History for all open files, go to the Special menu, choose Undo/Redo History, and choose Clear All from the submenu. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 Status formats The status format determines how the application displays a file's position and length information. The following table briefly describes status formats that Sound Forge supports: Samples Number of samples Time Hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds Seconds Seconds and fractions of seconds Time & Frames Hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, as defined by the Edit Frame Rate command (located on the Special menu) Absolute Frames Frames and fractions of frames Measures & Beats Measures, beats and 1/4's of a beat SMPTE Non-Drop SMPTE at 30 or 29.97 flames per second (fps) non-drop SMPTE Drop SMPTE at 30 fps with drop flames SMPTE EBU SMPTE at 25 fps SMPTE Film Sync SMPTE at 24 fps How status formats work The Tutorl.wav file can be used to demonstrate how status formats affect values in the status display fields. 1. Open the Tutorl.wav file. 1. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and choose Samples from the submenu. 2. Select all data in the Tutorl.wav window by choosing Select All from the Edit menu. Notice the selection status fields. 0 220.506 220,507 The first selected sample is sample 0. The last selected sample is 220,506. The total number of samples in the selection is 220,507. 3. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and choose Time from the submenu. Notice that status values change from samples to hours, minutes, and seconds. 00:00:00.000 00:00:05.000 00:00:05.000 1 4. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and choose SMPTE Non-Drop from the submenu. Notice that status values change to hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. 00:00:00.00 00:00:05.00 00:00:05.00 F FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 99) Experiment with each status format and make note of how each format is displayed. Note: Selecting a new format changes the status format for the current data window only. To quickly change a file's status format, right-click on any of the data window's status fields and choose a new format from the shortcut menu. Choose a format from the shortcut menu Configuring the frames format Choosing either of the Frames status formats allows you to specify a frames per second value. 1. Choose Edit Frame Rate from the Special menu. The Edit Frame Rate dialog is displayed. 2. Choose a new frames per second rate from the drop-down list or enter a value in the Frames per second box and click OK. Changing the default frames per second rate The previous procedure changes the frames per second rate for the current audio file only. To change the application's default frames per second rate: 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Status tab. 3. Enter a new Default frames per second value and click OK. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 100 Configuring the Measures & Beats format Specifying the Measures & Beats format allows you to specify the beats per minute and beats per measure values used to calculate measures and beats. Changing a file's beat values 1. Choose Edit Tempo from the Special menu. The Edit Tempo dialog is displayed. 2. Enter an appropriate value in the Tempo in Beats per minute box. 3. Enter an appropriate value in the Number of Beats in a measure box and click OK. Changing the default beat values The previous procedure changes the beat values for the current audio file only. To change the application's default beat values: 1. Choose the Preferences option from the Options menu. The Preferences dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Status tab. 3. Enter an appropriate value in the Default beats per measure box. 4. Enter an appropriate value in the Default beats per minute box and click OK. Zoom and magnify Since there are considerably more samples in a sound file than horizontal points (pixels) on the screen, many data samples must be represented by each horizontal point when audio data is displayed in the data window. Depending upon the editing operation, you may want to view the entire file at once or a small portion of data in greater detail. For this reason, Sound Forge allows you to utilize two varieties of zooming: Time Ruler zooming and Level Ruler zooming. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 01 Time Ruler (horizontal) zooming The current Time Ruler magrdficatiort ratio is displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the data window, above the status fields. 1Time Level zooming controls 100:00:01"05 100:00:02.10 100:00:04.00 -2.5 Zoom Ratio III 1:512 1(3. Zoom Out Zoom Spinner Zoom In Zoom ratio The zoom ratio determines the number of audio data samples represented by each horizontal point on the screen. The zoom ratio is a value of I:XX, where XX is the number of samples represented by each horizontal point. If the ratio is 1:1, each point on the screen represents one sample. At this zoom ratio, a brief but detailed selection of time is displayed. Waveform at 1:1 zoom ratio Conversely, if the zoom ratio is 1:1024, 1,024 samples are represented by each point on the screen and a greater length of time is displayed. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 102 Changing the zoom ratio To edit the zoom ratio, use the Zoom In/Out spin control located adjacent to the zoom ratio display. Clicking the magnifying glass buttons increases/decreases the zoom ratio by single-step increments. Clicking and holding the spin control while dragging the mouse increments the zoom ratio quickly in the corresponding direction. , Right-clicking on the waveform display allows you to quickly access Time Ruler zoom commands from the shortcut menu. Zoom In Full I Normal Out Full Using the Time Zoom shortcut Note: When Sound Forge opens a file, the horizontal magnification is set to the value specified by the Normal zoom ratio setting in the Display tab in the Preferences dialog. "%. Zoom Time menu commands If you prefer using menu commands to control your view of the data window, Sound Forge allows you to control the time magnification from the application's shortcut menus. The following table briefly describes the four available Zoom Time menu commands. These commands are accessed from the l/Jew menu by choosing Zoom Time and the desired command from the submenu. In Full Increases the zoom ratio to represent each audio sample with one screen pixel. Normal Returns the file to its default zoom ratio. Out Full Changes the zoom ratio to display the entire file within the data window. Selection Changes the zoom ratio to maximize the display and center the selection within the data window. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 103 Level Ruler (vertical) zooming Zooming along the Level Ruler displays a larger vertical waveform and allows for more precise editing at low audio amplitudes. Zoom In Zoom Spin Control Level Ruler zooming controls -- Zoom Out FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 104 Changing the level zoom To edit the Level Ruler zoom, use the Zoom In/Out spinner control located above the Playbar. Clicking the magnifying glass buttons increases/decreases the Level Ruler zoom by single step increments. Clicking and holding the spin control while dragging the mouse increments the Level Ruler zoom quickly in the corresponding direction. At high zoom levels, only low-level samples are visible. This is due to the fact that the peaks of the waveform move beyond the vertical scope of the data window. Consider the following data windows. 7 Level Zoom max out J 'I11 111- Level Zoom max in Both data windows are displaying the same audio file at a 1:1 zoom ratio. The upper window is displayed with the Level Ruler zoomed to its maximum out position. The lower window is displayed with the Level Ruler zoomed to its maximum in position. Notice that wave peaks clearly visible in the upper window are clipped in the lower window. FUNDAMENTALS CliP. 5 105 Zoom Level menu commands If you prefer using menu commands to control your view of the data window, Sound Forge allows you to control the level magnification from the application's shortcut menus. The following table briefly describes the three available Zoom Level menu commands. These commands are accessed from the 1/iew menu by choosing Zoom Level and the desired command from the submenu. Out Full Window Selection Decreases the zoom level to minimize the display of the file's amplitude. Changes the level zoom to display the entire waveform amplitude in the data window. Maximizes the display of the selection (vertically and horizontally) in the data window. Formatting the level ruler The Level Ruler can be configured to display in decibels or percent by right-clicking on the ruler and choosing Label in Percent or Label in dB from the shortcut menu. Zoom tricks Zoom Selection 1. Create a selection. If no selection is created, this function is not available. 2. Right-click anywhere on the waveform and choose Zoom Selection from the shortcut menu. Sound Forge calculates the minimum zoom ratio that allows the full selection to be displayed in the window, then zooms and centers the selection in the data window. To reverse this function, right-click on the waveform, choose Zoom, and choose Out Full from the submenu. Zoom Window 1. Create a selection. If no selection is created, the entire file is processed. 2. Right-click in the Level Ruler m'td choose Zoom Window from the shortcut menu. Sound Forge calculates the maximum zoom level allowing the loudest portion of the selection to be displayed in the window and adjusts the entire sound file accordingly. To reverse this function, right-click in the Level Ruler and choose Zoom Out Full from the shortcut menu. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 106 Zoom Out Full To quickly display all data in a data window, right-click on the waveform, choose Zoom, and choose Out Full from the submenu. This command sets the zoom ratio and zoom level to the lowest values required to display all data in the window. To reverse this function, go to the 1/iew menu, choose Zoom Time, and choose Normal from the submenu. Zoom In Full To quickly set the zoom factor to its maximum magnification (1:1), right-click on the waveform and choose Zoom In Full from the shortcut menu. This displays the actual waveform oscillations that correspond to the physical sound waves. To reverse this function, right-click on the waveform and choose Zoom Normal from the shortcut menu. Optimizing Time and Ruler Scaling To optimize both the Time Ruler and Level Ruler display of a selection, double-click on the Level Ruler. Double-clicking on the Level Ruler a second time restores both displays to their default levels. Magnify tool The Magnify tool provides an additional way to magnify a section of an audio file. The Magnify tool can be activated in three ways: • From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and choose Magnify from the submenu. • Click [] on the Standard toolbar. • Click the tool selector in the upper left-hand corner of the data window until the Magnify tool is displayed. ,.... The Magnify tool can be temporarily accessed by holding [ while creating a ' selection. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 107 Using the Magnify Tool When the Magnify tool is selected, the application's cursor is displayed as and used to create a selection field indicating how audio data will be magnified. By using the Magnify tool and toggle-clicking the mouse, you can toggle between time zoom, level zoom, and simultaneous time/level zoom For more information, see Using the mouse on page 37. Note: The Magnify tool must be exchanged for the Edit tool prior to performing edit operations. Time Zoom with the Magnify Tool 1. Place the Magnify tool on the waveform, adjacent to the audio data to be magnified. 2. Toggle-click the mouse until the selection field is displayed as two vertical lines. 3. Hold the left button and drag the mouse to create a selection. Displays the Selection tool as parallel vertical lines The selection is time zoomed 4. Release the button. The zoom ratio of the selection is increased. CHP. 5 FUNDAMENTALS 108) Level Zoom with the Magnify Tool 1. Place the Magnify tool on the waveform, adjacent to the audio data to be magnified. 2. Toggle-click the mouse until the selection field is displayed as two horizontal lines. :3. Hold the left button and drag the mouse to create a selection. Displays the Selection tool as parallel horizontal lines The selection is level zoomed 4. Release the button. The level zoom of the selection is increased. Time/Level Zoom with the Magnify Tool 1. Place the Magnify tool on the waveform, adjacent to the audio data to be magnified. 2. Toggle-click the mouse until the selection field is displayed as a box. 3. Hold the left button and drag the mouse to create a selection. Displays the Selection tool as a box The selection time and level are zoomed 4. Release the button. The level zoom and time zoom of the selection are increased. FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 ClO9 Crash recovery If Sound Forge is terminated improperly, all open and unsaved audio files not opened in direct or read-only mode are recoverable. When a file is opened normally, Sound Forge automatically creates a temporary file (.tmp) that is used to save any changes made to the file and the original file is allowed to remain unchanged until it is saved. If improper termination of Sound Forge occurs, the temporary file remains on your hard drive and can be reopened to recover any unsaved changes made prior to the crash. When Sound Forge is started, any temporary files detected in the specified temporary file directory will indicate that an improper termination has occurred. All temporary files are then listed in the Crash Recovery dialog and the application provides you with three options for dealing with the files: Recover, Delete, or Ignore. Recover This option changes detected .tmp files to .wav files, which can then be opened using the Open command. The folder used to store temporary files is specified on the Perform tab of the Preferences dialog, which is displaying by choosing Preferences from the Options menu. Delete This option deletes all the temporary files in the Crash Recovery dialog should be used only when you are positive you do not want to recover any of the files. Ignore This option allows you to ignore the temporary files without deleting them from your hard drive. However, it is typically recommended that recover or delete the files, as they are using disk space on your system. CHP. 5 FUNDAMENTALS FUNDAMENTALS CHP. 5 1[ Free storage l-- File length available -- Channels 11 CHAPTER 6 Types, Formats, a nd Attri butes This chapter deals with the audio file types, formats, and attributes Sound Forge supports. In addition, file summary information is also discussed. File attributes When a file is opened or created, its attributes are displayed in the first three fields of the status bar at the bottom of the main screen. The file attributes are sample rate, bit depth, and channels (mono or stereo). 44,100 Hz 16-bit Mono 00:00:09.12 (Sample rate 9089.4 MB I -- Bit depth CHP. 6 TYPES, FORMATS, AND ATTRIBUTES ProperLies Format tab Editing file attributes File attributes can be edited from the Properties dialog. 1. From the File menu, choose Properties. The Properties dialog is displayed. 2. Click the Format tab. G I) S - allfor 1.w y Format ]Video I Display I Sample rate [2,000 to 192,000 He): S ample size [bit-depth): 116-bit Channels: (; Mono C Stereo Source: 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, Mono Temporary: 44,100 Hz, 32-bit [IEEE Float), Mono Process/DSP: 44,100 Hz, 64-bit [IEEE Float), Mono Playback: 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, Mono Cursor position: 00:00:00.000 [0 samples) Sample value: -9 Peak data ratio: 1:512 [16-bit) Sound data size: 0.35 MB [360,450 bytes) Video source format: [no active video stream) Video decomp, format: [no active video stream) Undo buffers: 0 out of 100 occupying 0.00 MB Redo buffers: 0 out of 100 occupying 0.00 MB I Cancel I-- 3. Edit the file attributes as needed and click OK. The Properties dialog can also be displayed by doing any of the following: Double-clicking on a format field. Right-clicking on the waveform display and choosing Properties. Pressing [ + [g. Attribute editing shortcut Individual file attributes can be quickly edited by right-clicking on the status field to be changed and choosing a new value from the shortcut menu. Sample rate Sample rate is the number of samples per second, measured in hertz, used to record audio. When creating a new file, you can specify sample rates from 2,000Hz to 192,000Hz. Typical sample rates are stored as presets in the Sample rate drop-down list. In addition, Sound Forge can be used to increase or decrease the sample rate of an existing audio file. TYPES, FORMATS, AND ATTRIBUTES CHP. 6 (113 Editing the sample rate 1. Open and play the Tutorl.wav file. Note: This file is located in the same folder as the application. 2. Right-click the Sample Rate status field and choose 96,000 from the shortcut menu. 3. Play the file. Notice that the pitch is higher and the duration is shorter. 4. Right-click the Sample Rate status field and choose 8,000 from the shortcut menu. 5. Play the file. Notice that the pitch is lower and the duration is longer. Changing the sample rate of a file also results in the pitch and duration changing. To change the sample rate of a file while preserving its duration and pitch, you must use the Resample command. For more information, see Resample on page 235. Bit Depth Bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent a sound. You can use Sound Forge to increase or decrease a file's bit depth. Step-u p conversion Increasing the bit depth will not improve the quality of a file, but will allow subsequent processing to be performed with increased precision. 1. Open a file with a small bit depth. 2. From the Preeess menu, choose Bit-Depth Converter. The Bit-Depth Converter dialog is displayed. 3. In the Bit-depth pane, select a radio button corresponding to a larger bit depth and click OK. Note: When increasing a file's bit depth, the Dither and Noise shaping controls should be set to None and Off respectively. CHP. 6 TYPES, FORMATS, AND ATTRIBUTES 6 Step-Down Conversion To maximize storage space, 24 and 16-bit sound files are frequently converted to smaller and 8-bit) files using Sound Forge. However, representing a sound file at a decreased bit depth will result in audible distortion referred to as quantization error. Note: There are no rules regarding maintaining audio quality when decreasing bit depth. For this reason, you should always experiment with the Dither and Noise shaping controls to determine the optimum settings for each audio file. 1. Open a file with a bit depth of 24 bits. 1Choose Bit-Depth Converter from the Process menu. The Bit-Depth Converter dialog is displayed. In the Bit-depth pane, select a radio button corresponding to a smaller bit depth. If desired, specify a dither from the Dither drop-down list. For more information, see Dither on page I 14. If desired, specify a Noise shaping type. For more information, see Noise shaping on page I 15. 6. Click OK. Dither Allows you to determine the randomness of the dither (generated noise) used to mask quantization distortion resulting from conversion to a lower bit depth. This drop-down list requires you to select from several shapes, each of which roughly describes the pattern that would be produced if you plotted a graph with the dither amplitude on the X-axis and the probability of the dither values on the Y-axis. TYPES, FORMATS, AND ATTRIBUTES CHP. 6 Cl15 As is frequently the case when working with audio, experimentation will dither values will yield the best results; however, the following information should be kept in mind: • Rectangular will eliminate distortion products caused by conversion to a lower bit depth, but the noise level is more likely to be dependent on the signal. • Triangular will eliminate the distortion products as well as any noise floor modulation, but results in a slightly higher noise level. The option typically works well in conjunction with noise shaping. For more information, see Noise shaping on page I 15. • Highpass Triangular will behave like triangular dither, but will shift its noise into higher frequencies. This is typically the best option when used in conjunction with noise shaping. For more information, see Noise shaping on page I 15. • Gaussian will not perform as well as Rectangular and Triangular dither, but may be suitable for certain audio. Noise shaping Determines the aural positioning of quantization noise. Using this control, you are able to shift the noise into audio registers that are less perceptible to human hearing. This lowers the perceived noise floor and creates the illusion of cleaner audio. • Type 1 (high-pass contour) noise shaping attempts to push all quantization noise and error into high frequencies. • Type 2 (equal-loudness contour) noise sh