Sound Forge 8 Power!: The Official Guide

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Sound Forge 8 ®

P O W E R ! THE OFFICIAL GUIDE

Q Q Q Scott R. Garrigus

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Important: Thomson Course Technology PTR cannot provide software support. Please contact the appropriate software manufacturer’s technical support line or Web site for assistance. Thomson Course Technology PTR and the author have attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer. Information contained in this book has been obtained by Thomson Course Technology PTR from sources believed to be reliable. However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, Thomson Course Technology PTR, or others, the Publisher does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from use of such information. Readers should be particularly aware of the fact that the Internet is an ever-changing entity. Some facts may have changed since this book went to press. Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiple copies or licensing of this book should contact the publisher for quantity discount information. Training manuals, CD-ROMs, and portions of this book are also available individually or can be tailored for specific needs. ISBN: 1-59200-539-X Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2004108528 Printed in Canada 05 06 07 08 09 WC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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To my brother Mark for all of his love and support. His courage and determination to continue life’s battle, despite sometimes overwhelming odds, has provided me with an inspiration beyond any I could have found on my own. I love you bro!

Foreword Scott Garrigus begins this book with a chapter on the Sound Forge legacy in the world of audio production. Acknowledging its impact on PC-based audio editing, Scott rightfully first examines the changes Sound Forge software brought to the industry, and its effects on audio production. Sound Forge software has been dubbed “the standard” in PC-based audio editing, and to fully understand the product, the reader should also understand its history. It wasn’t very long ago that Sound Forge software was a popular independent shareware application, out to prove that the PC could be a valid platform for audio editing. It successfully made its case. With an intuitive Windows-based interface, Sound Forge software made the process of audio editing direct and understandable. Behind that interface Sound Forge software added features and functionalities that made it the most powerful tool in its field. The combination of elegance and power proved irresistible; Sound Forge software became the professional’s tool of choice for audio editing on the PC. You’d be hard-pressed to find a well-equipped studio without it. Innovation continues. Now in version 8, Sound Forge software builds upon its award-winning functionality, delivering an expanded feature set that secures its reputation as the application used most often for editing, recording, effects processing, and streaming media creation. Sound Forge 8 software offers advanced features such as application scripting, VST effect support, ASIO driver support, and batch converter functionality. In this book, Scott Garrigus addresses how to get the most out of Sound Forge 8 software and its newest features. From the basics of audio editing to advanced audio manipulation techniques, Garrigus demonstrates how Sound Forge software can meet all of your audio editing requirements. Sound Forge software became #1 in the industry by doing what it does better than any other program: It provides a comprehensive set of tools designed to make you more productive. If it’s audio, Sound Forge software can handle it. Sound Forge 8 Power! is your guide to this powerful technology.

Curt Palmer Chief Technologist, Sony Pictures Digital Inc.

Acknowledgments Thanks to all my music technology friends who take the time to visit my Web site and to read my ramblings in the DigiFreq newsletter each month. The DigiFreq family is now over 18,000 strong! Thanks to all the Sound Forge users whose dedication and support helped to make this book possible. Thanks to all my friends over at Sony (Michael Bryant, Rick Hoefling, Joel Gilbertson White, and others). Thanks to Marta Justak, Todd Jensen, Kelly Robinson, Mark Garvey, Kristin Eisenzopf, and the rest of the Thomson Course Technology publishing team. Thanks to my friends and neighbors Ron, Claire, Ellie, Vinnie, Ron Jr., Mandy, and Rita for all your love and support. Thank you to my family and to God for providing me with encouragement when I need it the most. And thanks to Figaro, the best cat in the world, who turns 19 this year. We’ve been through a lot together, little buddy, and you’ve taught me many things about life.

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About the Author www.garrigus.com Scott R. Garrigus has been involved with music and computers since he was 12 years old. After graduating from high school, he went on to earn a B.A. in music performance with an emphasis in sound recording technology at UMass, Lowell. In 1993, he released his first instrumental album on cassette, entitled “Pieces Of Imagination.” In 1995, he began his professional writing career when his first article appeared in Electronic Musician magazine. In 2000, he authored his first book, Cakewalk Power! This was the first book to deal exclusively with the Cakewalk Pro Audio, Guitar Studio, and Home Studio software applications. Since then he has authored a number of other titles including Sound Forge Power!, SONAR Power!, SONAR 2 Power!, Sound Forge 6 Power!, SONAR 3 Power!, and SONAR 4 Power! Today, Garrigus continues to contribute articles to a number of print and online publications. He also publishes his own music technology e-zine, called DigiFreq (www.digifreq.com), which provides free news, reviews, tips, and techniques for music technology and home recording users.

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TABLE OF

Contents

CHAPTER 1

MIDI and Digital Audio Basics .........................................................1 What Is MIDI? ..........................................................................................................1 What Is Digital Audio? ............................................................................................2 So, What’s Really the Difference? .........................................................................4 Quiz ..........................................................................................................................5

CHAPTER 2

Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 ...............................................7 What Version of Sound Forge Do You Have? ......................................................7 Get the Latest Product Update ...............................................................................7 A Quick Tour of Sound Forge .................................................................................9 Audio Files ..........................................................................................................9 Workspace ......................................................................................................10 Data Window ..................................................................................................10 Menus ...............................................................................................................11 Record Dialog Box ..........................................................................................12 Spectrum Analysis ...........................................................................................12 What’s New in Sound Forge 7 and 8? ...............................................................12 A Basic Studio Setup .............................................................................................14 Computer .........................................................................................................14 Sound Card ......................................................................................................16 MIDI Interface ..................................................................................................18 Microphone .....................................................................................................18 Speakers ..........................................................................................................18 Finding Help When You Need It ..........................................................................19 Quiz ........................................................................................................................20

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CONTENTS CHAPTER 3

Customizing Sound Forge 8 ...........................................................21 General Options ....................................................................................................21 Splash-Screen ..................................................................................................21 Program Close Confirmation ..........................................................................22 Textured Background .....................................................................................23 Windows XP Theme Support .........................................................................23 File Associations ....................................................................................................23 The Workspace .....................................................................................................24 Colors ...............................................................................................................25 Toolbars ...........................................................................................................26 Data Window Layouts ....................................................................................30 Window Docking and Stacking .....................................................................32 Keyboard Shortcuts ........................................................................................36 MIDI Settings .........................................................................................................41 Setting Up Your MIDI Ports ............................................................................42 Audio Settings .......................................................................................................43 Temporary Storage Folder .............................................................................43 Record and Playback Settings .......................................................................45 Other Performance Optimizations ................................................................50 Quiz ........................................................................................................................51

CHAPTER 4

Working with Audio Files ..............................................................53 Understanding Audio File Formats ......................................................................53 Dialogic VOX (.VOX) ......................................................................................54 Intervoice (.IVC) ...............................................................................................54 Audio Interchange File Format AIFF (.AIF/.SND) .........................................55 MP3 Audio (.MP3/.MPG/.MPEG) .................................................................55 Ogg Vorbis (.OGG) ........................................................................................56 NeXT/Sun (.AU/.SND) ....................................................................................56 RealMedia (.RM) .............................................................................................56 Sound Designer 1 (.DIG/.SD) .........................................................................56 Video for Windows (.AVI), QuickTime (.MOV), MPEG-1 & 2 (.MPG) ........57

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CONTENTS Microsoft Wave (.WAV) .................................................................................57 Windows Media Audio/Video (.WMA/.WMV) ...........................................57 RAW File (.RAW/*.*) .....................................................................................57 Perfect Clarity Audio (.PCA) ...........................................................................58 Opening Audio/Video Files .................................................................................58 The Explorer Window .....................................................................................61 File Crash Recovery ........................................................................................65 Creating New Audio Files ....................................................................................66 Saving Audio/Video Files .....................................................................................67 File Save Templates ........................................................................................70 Working with Projects ..........................................................................................85 Create a Project File ........................................................................................85 Render a Project File .......................................................................................85 Quiz ........................................................................................................................86

CHAPTER 5

Getting Around in Sound Forge ....................................................87 The Current Position ..............................................................................................87 Show Me the Current Position .......................................................................88 Set the Current Position ..................................................................................90 The Transport Menu ..............................................................................................93 Go To Start .......................................................................................................93 Rewind .............................................................................................................93 Forward ...........................................................................................................93 Go To End ........................................................................................................93 Markers, Oh My! ...................................................................................................94 Make Your Mark(ers) .....................................................................................94 Edit the Markers ..............................................................................................96 Navigate with Markers ..................................................................................98 What About Regions? ...........................................................................................99 Make Your Regions ........................................................................................99 Navigate with Regions .................................................................................106 Saving and Loading Markers and Regions ................................................107

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CONTENTS The Extract Regions Function .......................................................................108 Where’s that Sound? ..........................................................................................109 The Detect Clipping Function ........................................................................111 Quiz ......................................................................................................................113

CHAPTER 6

Recording and Playback .............................................................115 Preliminary Parameters ......................................................................................115 Recording Attributes .....................................................................................116 DC Offset .......................................................................................................118 Basic/Auto Retake Recording ............................................................................119 Multiple Take Recording ....................................................................................125 Multiple Takes Creating Regions .................................................................125 Multiple Takes (No Regions) ........................................................................127 Create a New Window ................................................................................127 Punch-In Recording .............................................................................................127 Remote Recording ..............................................................................................129 Automatic Recording ..........................................................................................129 Automatic Time Recording ...........................................................................130 Automatic Threshold Recording ..................................................................133 Synchronization ..................................................................................................136 Basics .............................................................................................................136 SMPTE/MIDI Time Code ...............................................................................136 Playback ..............................................................................................................140 Basics .............................................................................................................141 Advanced Playback ......................................................................................142 Quiz ......................................................................................................................148

CHAPTER 7

Editing Basics ................................................................................151 The Data Window ...............................................................................................151 Scrolling .........................................................................................................152 Zooming ........................................................................................................152 Selecting and the Edit Tool ...........................................................................155

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CONTENTS Copy, Cut, Paste, and More ...............................................................................159 Special Pasting Functions .............................................................................160 Scrubbing ......................................................................................................166 Dealing with Editing Errors ................................................................................170 Nondestructive Editing .......................................................................................172 The Pencil Tool .....................................................................................................174 Quiz ......................................................................................................................175

CHAPTER 8

Exploring the Processing Functions ............................................177 Presets ..................................................................................................................177 Load a Preset .................................................................................................178 Save a Preset .................................................................................................178 Delete a Preset ..............................................................................................179 The Preset Manager .....................................................................................179 Prepare Audio Data for Editing .........................................................................184 Remove DC Offset ..............................................................................................184 Convert to a New Bit Depth .........................................................................185 Resample to a New Sampling Rate ............................................................187 Dealing with Silence ...........................................................................................189 Getting Rid of Silence ...................................................................................189 Inserting Silence ............................................................................................192 Muting Audio ................................................................................................192 Adjust Audio Volume ..........................................................................................192 The Volume Function ....................................................................................193 Fade Audio ....................................................................................................194 Normalize Audio ..........................................................................................197 Play with the Stereo Image ................................................................................200 Change Channels ..........................................................................................200 Panning Around ............................................................................................202 Equalization (EQ) ................................................................................................207 Graphic EQ ....................................................................................................208 Parametric EQ ...............................................................................................211

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CONTENTS Paragraphic EQ ............................................................................................212 Some EQ Applications ..................................................................................213 Play It Backward .................................................................................................216 Flip It Over ...........................................................................................................216 Change the Length ..............................................................................................216 Quiz ......................................................................................................................217

CHAPTER 9

Exploring Effects ...........................................................................219 Echo Effects ..........................................................................................................219 Simple Delay .................................................................................................220 Multi-Tap Delay .............................................................................................222 Chorus ............................................................................................................224 Flange/Wah-Wah .........................................................................................226 Pitch Effects ..........................................................................................................227 Pitch Bend ......................................................................................................228 Pitch Shift .......................................................................................................231 Vibrato ...........................................................................................................232 Volume Effects .....................................................................................................234 Amplitude Modulation .................................................................................234 Distortion .......................................................................................................237 Graphic Dynamics ........................................................................................239 Multi-Band Dynamics ....................................................................................241 Envelope ........................................................................................................243 Gapper/Snipper ...........................................................................................246 Noise Gate ....................................................................................................247 Reverberation .....................................................................................................248 Reverb ............................................................................................................249 Acoustic Mirror ..............................................................................................251 Wave Hammer ....................................................................................................254 Effects Plug-Ins .....................................................................................................257 The FX Favorites Menu .................................................................................258 VST Plug-Ins ...................................................................................................261

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CONTENTS Plug-In Manager ...........................................................................................262 The Plug-In Chainer .......................................................................................265 Effects Automation ........................................................................................270 Quiz ......................................................................................................................278

CHAPTER 10

Additional Audio Tools ................................................................279 In Need of Repair ...............................................................................................279 Repair Stereo Audio .....................................................................................279 Repair with Replacement .............................................................................281 Repair with Interpolation .............................................................................281 Audio Restoration .........................................................................................282 Spectrum Analysis ..............................................................................................284 Spectrum Analysis Applications ..................................................................290 Synthesis ..............................................................................................................291 DTMF/MF Tones ............................................................................................291 Simple Synthesis ...........................................................................................293 FM Synthesis ..................................................................................................296 Quiz ......................................................................................................................298

CHAPTER 11

Producing for Multimedia and the Web .....................................299 Work with Video Files ........................................................................................299 The Video Strip ..............................................................................................300 Video Editing? ...............................................................................................301 The Video Preview Window ........................................................................302 Prepare Audio for the Internet ..........................................................................306 Remove DC Offset ........................................................................................306 Apply Equalization .......................................................................................307 Apply Dynamic Processing ..........................................................................308 Normalize ......................................................................................................309 Sound Forge CD Functions .................................................................................309 Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD ......................................................................309 Extract Audio from CD ..................................................................................311

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CONTENTS CD Architect ...................................................................................................313 Quiz ......................................................................................................................318

CHAPTER 12

Using Sound Forge with MIDI .....................................................319 The Virtual MIDI Keyboard ................................................................................319 Configure the Keyboard ..............................................................................320 Play the Keyboard ........................................................................................321 The Virtual MIDI Router ......................................................................................324 Install and Configure the VMR ....................................................................325 Reconfigure the VMR ....................................................................................329 Sync Your Sequencer to Sound Forge ..............................................................331 Trigger Sound Forge from Your MIDI Sequencer ............................................334 Build a Sound File .........................................................................................334 Trigger Your Sounds .....................................................................................336 Quiz ......................................................................................................................337

CHAPTER 13

Sound Forge and Sampling .........................................................339 What Are Samples? ............................................................................................339 Create and Edit Samples ....................................................................................340 One-Shot Samples ........................................................................................340 Loop Samples ................................................................................................342 Sustaining Samples .......................................................................................344 The Loop Tuner ..............................................................................................346 Sustaining with Release Samples ................................................................348 Save and Transmit Samples ...............................................................................350 Send Your Sample ........................................................................................351 Retrieve a Sample .........................................................................................352 Quiz ......................................................................................................................353

CHAPTER 14

Scripting and Batch Processing ...................................................355 What Is Scripting? ...............................................................................................355

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CONTENTS Running a Script ..................................................................................................356 The Scripting Menu .......................................................................................357 The Scripting Toolbar ....................................................................................358 The Script Editor ..................................................................................................359 Viewing Scripts ..............................................................................................360 Editing Scripts ................................................................................................361 Creating New Scripts ....................................................................................363 The Script Files .....................................................................................................364 Add Markers .................................................................................................364 Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files ...........................................................366 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract ....................................................368 Create 3 Simple Waveforms ........................................................................370 Crop and Fade ..............................................................................................371 Extract CD ......................................................................................................373 Extract CD and Encode .................................................................................373 Modify Summary Information .....................................................................375 Normalize and Graphic Fade ......................................................................376 Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats ...............................................378 Save Regions as Files ...................................................................................379 Batch Processing .................................................................................................381 Create a Batch Converter Job ......................................................................381 Define Files to Convert ..................................................................................388 Convert the Files ............................................................................................389 Quiz ......................................................................................................................389

APPENDIX A Using Sound Forge with ACID® ...................................................391 APPENDIX B

Sound Forge Resources on the Web ..........................................399

APPENDIX C Quiz Answers ...............................................................................403 INDEX

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Introduction This is the first book on the market that deals exclusively with Sound Forge® 8 by Madison Media Software. You can find plenty of generic books about using computers to create and record music that may provide a small amount of information about Sound Forge 8, but none of them provide complete coverage of the product. Of course, Sound Forge 8 comes with an excellent manual in electronic format on its CD-ROM, but like most other manuals, it is meant only as a feature guide. Instead of just describing the features of the program and how they work, I’m going to dig deep down into the software and show you exactly how to use the product with step-by-step examples and exercises that will help make your audio editing sessions run more smoothly. I will explain all of the features available, and I’ll do it in a manner you can understand and use right away. Sound Forge Studio users will be interested to know that all the functions found in that program can be found in Sound Forge 8. Therefore, this book is of use to you, too. So why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been using Sound Forge for many years. I’ve already written two Sound Forge-related books before this one—Sound Forge Power! and Sound Forge 6 Power! I’ve also written about Sound Forge and other Sony products in numerous review articles for magazines, such as Electronic Musician, Keyboard, and Recording. In addition, I’ve been working with the people at Sony for quite some time now, learning all there is to know about Sound Forge 8, as well as testing the product during the beta process. And the people at Sony have helped

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INTRODUCTION me develop much of the information in this book, making sure that everything is “officially” technically accurate. How’s that for a seal of approval? Suffice it to say, I know my way around the product, and now I want to share that knowledge with you. I’m going to assume that Sound Forge 8 is installed on your computer and that you know how to start the program. In addition, you should have at least skimmed through the manual that comes with the software and have all your external audio and MIDI gear set up already. I’m also going to assume that you know how to use your mouse for clicking, dragging, double-clicking, right-clicking, and so on. You should know how to work with basic Windows features, such as Windows Explorer and the Control Panel. And you should have access to the World Wide Web, or perhaps a friend who does. Otherwise, all you need is a strong interest in learning how to get the most out of Sound Forge 8. Just leave the rest up to me, and I promise that you’ll be working with Sound Forge 8 like you never have before. You might even have some fun with it, too.

How this Book Is Organized You’ll find that although I’ve tried to avoid overlapping content between this book and the manual that comes with Sound Forge, in some instances, this overlap just can’t be avoided. I wanted to be sure to help you understand all the important features of the program, and doing so means including some basic explanations to begin with. For the most part, though, the information included in this book is more “how-to” rather than “this feature does so-and-so.” Chapter 1, “MIDI and Digital Audio Basics,” and Chapter 2, “Getting Started with Sound Forge 8,” provide an introduction to computer music and the software. These chapters explain the importance of registration and how to find help, as well as the major features and more obscure parts of the software and how they work together. Chapter 3, “Customizing Sound Forge 8,” shows you how to make Sound Forge work the way you want it to. This chapter explains program preferences and workspace customization, as well as how to find the optimal settings for MIDI and audio functionality.

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HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED In Chapter 4, “Working with Audio Files,” you learn how to work with audio files. This chapter includes step-by-step instructions for opening, closing, and saving existing audio files. You also learn how to create new audio files and the ideal formats to use. Chapter 5, “Getting Around in Sound Forge,” and Chapter 6, “Recording and Playback,” describe how to navigate within Sound Forge and record and play back your audio files. You’ll find instructions on how to record and play audio, and you’ll learn about synchronizing Sound Forge via SMPTE. I explain the importance of the Current Position Cursor and show you how to use the Transport menu, Go To, and Markers, as well as the Zoom features. After you read these chapters, you’ll be “steering” Sound Forge like a pro. In Chapter 7, “Editing Basics,” and Chapter 8, “Exploring the Processing Functions,” you’re ready to dive into editing. First, I explain the basics to you, including the Data Window, Edit menu, and Edit tool. Then you can investigate the processing tools in more detail. Chapter 9, “Exploring Effects,” explains one of my favorite parts of Sound Forge, which would be effects. The things you can do with these tools are amazing. I cover all of the effects functions, and show you how to use them in the proper way. Chapter 10, “Additional Audio Tools,” takes a look at all of the “extras” that come with Sound Forge. These include functions such as audio spectrum analysis, audio data statistics, and even some basic sound synthesis. Many of these functions come in handy in a variety of situations. For those of you interested in creating audio for multimedia and the Internet, Chapter 11, “Producing for Multimedia and the Web,” shows you how to use Sound Forge to add audio to video and also how to export your audio files in the various formats developed specifically for distribution on the Internet, including RealAudio, Windows Media, and MP3. Chapter 12, “Using Sound Forge with MIDI,” and Chapter 13, “Sound Forge and Sampling,” jump into some of the more complicated features that Sound Forge offers. These features include triggering audio files via MIDI and how to create and edit your own sample loops.

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INTRODUCTION Finally, Chapter 14, “Scripting and Batch Processing,” shows you how you can write your own computer program scripts to automate the processing in Sound Forge. This includes batch processing many files at the same time. Don’t worry if you think scripting and batch processing are out of your reach as a beginning user. Actually, you can use these features in plenty of ways even if you decide not to explore them fully. My hope is that by reading this book you will learn how to master Sound Forge 8. And, along the way, if you have a little fun while you’re at it, that’s all the better.

Conventions Used in this Book As you begin to read, you’ll see that most of the information in this book is solid and useful. It contains very little fluff. I won’t bore you with unrelated anecdotes or repetitious data. But to help guide you through all this material, I’ll use a “sidebar” convention that highlights specific types of information that you should keep an eye out for. The design for these sidebars is shown below. With the exception of Notes, all sidebars have specific titles that explain what type of additional information they contain. Q

MIDI MESSAGES The above title reflects an actual title of a Tip sidebar in this book. Tips are extra information related to the topic being discussed that you should know about. In some cases, they include personal experiences or specific techniques not covered elsewhere.

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MAKE A BACKUP The above title reflects an actual title of a Caution sidebar in this book. Cautions highlight actions or commands that can make irreversible changes to your files or potentially cause problems in the future. Read them carefully because they may contain important information that can make the difference between keeping your files, software, and hardware safe or losing a huge amount of work.

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NOTE Sometimes you might like to know (but don’t necessarily need to know) certain points about the current topic. Notes provide additional material to help you avoid problems or to shed light on a feature or technology, and they also offer related advice. Instead of having a specific title, many Note sidebars just contain the word "NOTE" at the top of the sidebar.

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1

MIDI and Digital Audio Basics

If you’re anything like me, you want to get started right away learning all about Sound Forge® 8. But if you don’t understand the basic concepts and terms associated with computer music, you might have a hard time working your way through this book. So, just to give you a quick overview of the most significant aspects of music technology, this chapter will do the following: Q Define MIDI and explain how it works. Q Define digital audio and explain how it works. Q Explain the difference between MIDI and digital audio. Of course, this one chapter can’t replace an entire book about the subject. If you want to learn more about MIDI and digital audio, plenty of extended resources are available. For example, there is an e-book called the Desktop Music Handbook available for free on the Web. You can find it at http://www.cakewalk.com/tips/desktop.asp.

What Is MIDI? MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a special kind of computer language that lets electronic musical instruments (such as synthesizer keyboards) “talk” to computers. It works like this example. Say that you use a synthesizer keyboard as your musical instrument. Every key on the keyboard of your synthesizer has a corresponding electronic switch. When you press a key, its corresponding switch is activated and sends a signal to the computer chip inside your keyboard. The chip then sends the signal to the MIDI interface in your keyboard, which translates the signal into MIDI messages and sends those messages to the MIDI interface in your computer system.

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CHAPTER 1 } MIDI and Digital Audio Basics Q

MIDI INTERFACE A MIDI interface is a device that is plugged into your computer, allowing it to understand the MIDI language. Basically, you can think of the interface as a translator. When your electronic musical instrument sends out MIDI messages to your computer, the MIDI interface takes those messages and converts them into signals that your computer can understand.

The MIDI messages contain information telling your computer that a key was pressed (called a Note On message), which key it was (the name of the note represented by a number), and how hard you pressed the key (called the MIDI velocity). For example, if you press Middle C on your keyboard, a Note On message is sent to your computer telling it that you pressed a key. Another message containing the number 60 is sent telling the computer that you pressed Middle C. And a final message is sent containing a number from 1 to 127 (1 being very soft and 127 being very loud), which tells your computer how hard you pressed the key. Different MIDI messages represent all the performance controls on your keyboard. In addition to each key, MIDI messages represent the modulation wheel, pitch bend wheel, and other features. Your computer can store all the MIDI messages that are sent to it as you play your keyboard. The timing of your performance (how long it takes you to press one key after another and how long you hold down each key) can be stored as well. Your computer can then send those MIDI messages back to your keyboard with the same timing, so that it seems as if you are playing the music, but without touching the keys. The basic concept goes like this: You play a piece of music on your keyboard. Your performance is stored as instructions in your computer. Then those instructions are sent back to your keyboard from the computer, and you hear the piece of music played back exactly the same way you performed it, mistakes and all (see Figure 1.1). Figure 1.1 This diagram shows how MIDI messages are recorded and played back with a computer.

What Is Digital Audio? Digital audio is the representation of sound as numbers. Recording sound as digital audio is similar to recording sound using a tape recorder, but slightly different. Let’s say you have a microphone

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Q What Is Digital Audio? connected to your computer system. When you make a sound (such as singing a tune, playing a musical instrument, or even simply clapping your hands), the microphone “hears” it and converts the sound into an electronic signal. The microphone sends the signal to the sound card in your computer, which translates the signal into numbers. These numbers are called samples. Q

NOTE A sound card is a device that is plugged into your computer allowing it to understand the electronic signals of any audio device. Basically, you can think of the sound card as a translator. When an audio device (such as a microphone, electronic musical instrument, CD player, or anything else that can output an audio signal) sends out signals to your computer, the sound card takes those signals and converts them into numbers that your computer can understand.

The samples contain information telling your computer how the recorded signal sounded at certain instants in time. The more samples used to represent the signal, the better the quality of the recorded sound. For example, to make a digital audio recording that has the same quality as audio on a CD, the computer needs to receive 44,100 samples for every second of sound that’s recorded. The number of samples received per second is called the sampling rate. The size of each individual sample also makes a difference in the quality of the recorded sound. This size is called the bit depth. The more bits used to represent a sample, the better the sound quality. For example, to make a digital audio recording with the same quality as audio on a CD, each sample has to be 16 bits in size. Q

NOTE Computers use binary numerals to represent numbers. These binary numerals are called bits, and each bit can represent one of two numbers: 1 or 0. By combining more than one bit, computers can represent larger numbers. For instance, any number from 0 to 255 can be represented with 8 bits. With 16 bits, the range becomes 0 to 65,535.

Your computer can store all the samples that are sent to it. The timing of each sample is stored as well. Then your computer can send those samples back to the sound card with the same timing so that what you hear sounds exactly the same as what was recorded. The basic concept goes like this: Your sound card records an electronic signal from an audio device (such as a microphone or CD player). The sound card converts the signal into numbers called samples, which are stored in your computer. Then those samples are sent back to the sound card, which converts them back into an electronic signal. The signal is sent to your speakers (or other audio device), and you hear the sound exactly as it was recorded (see Figure 1.2).

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CHAPTER 1 } MIDI and Digital Audio Basics Figure 1.2 This diagram shows how audio is converted into numbers so that it can be recorded and played back with a computer.

So, What’s Really the Difference? After reading the explanations of MIDI and digital audio, you might still be wondering what the difference is between them. Both processes involve sending signals to the computer to be recorded and then the computer sends those signals back out to be played, right? Well, the point that you must keep in mind is that when you’re recording MIDI data, you’re not recording actual sound. You are recording only performance instructions. This concept is similar to a musician reading sheet music, with the sheet music representing MIDI data and the musician representing a computer. The musician (or computer) reads the sheet music (or MIDI data) and then stores it in memory. The musician plays back the music via a musical instrument. Now, what if the musician uses a different instrument to play back the music? The musical performance remains the same, but the sound changes. The same thing happens with MIDI data. A synthesizer keyboard can make all kinds of different sounds, but playing back the same MIDI data with the keyboard yields the exact same performance, no matter what. When you’re recording digital audio, you are recording actual sound. If you record a musical performance as digital audio, you cannot change the sound of that performance, as described earlier. And because of these differences, MIDI and digital audio have their advantages and disadvantages. Because MIDI is recorded as performance data and not actual sound, you can manipulate it much more easily than you can manipulate digital audio. For example, you can easily fix mistakes in your performance by simply changing the pitch of a note. And MIDI data can be translated into standard musical notation. Digital audio can’t. On the other hand, MIDI can’t be used to record anything that requires actual audio, such as sound effects or vocals. With digital audio, you can record any kind of sound whatsoever. And you can always be sure that your recording will sound exactly the same every time you play it back. With MIDI, you can’t be sure of that because, although the MIDI data remains the same, the playback device or sound can be changed. I hope that this description clears up some of the confusion you may have about MIDI and digital audio. You need to be familiar with a number of other related terms, but I will cover them in different areas of the book as I go along. For now, as long as you understand the difference

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Q Quiz between MIDI and digital audio, I can begin talking about the real reason you bought this book—to learn how to use Sound Forge 8.

Quiz 1. What does MIDI stand for? 2. MIDI is a special kind of computer language. True or False? 3. A MIDI interface is a device that allows your computer to communicate with your synthesizer

keyboard. True or False? 4. Can MIDI be used to record a vocal performance as audio? Yes or No? 5. What is digital audio? 6. Will a sound card let you record audio with your computer? Yes or No? 7. What sampling rate and bit depth values are required to create CD quality audio? 8. When recording MIDI, you are recording actual sound. True or False? 9. When recording digital audio, you are recording actual sound. True or False? 10. The same MIDI data can be used to produce all different kinds of sounds. True or False?

You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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Getting Started with Sound Forge 8

Now that you have a basic understanding of the technology involved with MIDI and digital audio, I think you’ll find it easier to grasp the functionality provided by Sound Forge 8. Ready to get started? This chapter will do the following: Q Tell you how to obtain the latest product updates. Q Give you a quick overview of Sound Forge’s features. Q Briefly cover the new features in Sound Forge 8. Q Describe a basic studio environment. Q Let you know where to look for help, if problems arise.

What Version of Sound Forge Do You Have? Even though you’re using Sound Forge 8, it still may not be the latest version. Sony is constantly fixing and improving the software. Any problems that you may experience might easily be remedied with an update. To find out exactly what version you’re using, start Sound Forge and click Help ඎ About Sound Forge Software. A dialog box similar to Figure 2.1 appears, displaying your exact version number. You should then check to see whether a more recent update is available.

Get the Latest Product Update Although automatically receiving new product updates would be nice, most companies can’t afford to send out CDs to all their users every time they create updates. That’s one of the reasons the Internet has become such a wonderful tool. Sometimes, the answer to your problem is just a

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 Figure 2.1 The About Sound Forge Software dialog box shows the program’s current version number.

download away. Sony provides a support area on its Web site where you can get the latest updates for Sound Forge. Just follow these steps to get the updates: 1. Log on to the Internet, start Sound Forge, and choose Help ඎ Sony on the Web ඎ Latest

Updates. This opens your Web browser and takes you to Sony’s Updates page, as shown in Figure 2.2. 2. From the list of available updates, select the product in which you’re interested. Figure 2.2 You can download updates from the Sony Updates page.

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Q A Quick Tour of Sound Forge 3. Click the appropriate download link. Enter your name and e-mail address on the next page

that appears. This takes you to the final page, from which you can download the update. 4. Create a temporary folder on your Windows desktop and download the update file to

that folder. 5. Close Sound Forge and run the file. Your software is then updated. That’s all there is to updating your Sound Forge software. Q

FOUND A BUG? Think you’ve found a bug? Just because a software product is released to the public doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Improvements are always being made. That’s why updates become available. If you have a problem with Sound Forge on a regular basis, and you can reproduce that problem by performing the same steps each time, you may have found a bug in the software. Before you go spreading any rumors, first see if others can reproduce the problem on their computer systems. If so, then you should fill out the form on the following Web page: http://www.custcenter.com/cgi-bin/sonypictures.cfg/php/ enduser/ask.php to let the people at sony know about the problem. The staff may already be aware of the bug and working on a fix for it. But then again, they may not, and although your diligence won’t make you famous, you’ll feel good knowing that you may have saved your fellow Sound Forge users some frustration.

A Quick Tour of Sound Forge Because Sound Forge is such a powerful application, you can use it for a variety of different tasks. These tasks include audio editing and mastering, developing sound effects and sample loops, producing compact discs, creating audio for the World Wide Web, and even postproduction for films and videos. Sound Forge provides a number of features to support all these endeavors and more. And when used in conjunction with your favorite digital audio sequencing software, Sound Forge provides you with all the power you need to produce recordings just like the professional sound studios do. In whatever manner you decide to use Sound Forge, you’ll find plenty of flexibility and functionality in the tools provided.

Audio Files Because audio data can be stored in a variety of file formats, Sound Forge provides support for a wide array of audio file formats. The two most popular are WAV (on the Windows platform) and AIFF (on the Macintosh platform). These formats are so popular that they have pretty much become standard, but there are many other file formats floating around that provide different advantages and characteristics as compared to WAV and AIFF. Some of these include MP3, Windows Media, and RealAudio. In all, Sound Forge is able to load and save over 20

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 different formats, and that’s not including the ACM formats. I’ll talk more about file formats in Chapter 4.

Workspace To allow you to work with audio files, Sound Forge provides the Workspace. This is the main area of the program that holds the Data Windows (which I’ll talk about in a moment) for each of the open audio files. Sound Forge allows you to have more than one audio file open at once (see Figure 2.3). Figure 2.3 The Workspace is the main area used to work with audio files in Sound Forge.

You can save and load the layout of the Workspace in special Workspace files, which provide a quick and easy way for you to set up Sound Forge for each of your different projects. I’ll talk more about the Workspace in Chapter 3.

Data Window When you open an audio file in Sound Forge, its data is displayed in a Data Window. If you open more than one file at a time, each file is shown in its own Data Window. While working with an audio file, you see the sound waves representing the data in that file; see an example in Figure 2.4.

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Q A Quick Tour of Sound Forge Figure 2.4 Each audio file opened in Sound Forge is displayed in a Data Window.

Not only does a Data Window allow you to see the audio data in a file, but you can also edit and process the data there. In addition, you can apply effects. I’ll talk a lot more about Data Windows and how to use them throughout the book.

Menus You can access all of the editing, processing, and effects features that Sound Forge provides by using its drop-down menus. The ones that you will probably use the most are the Special, Process, Effects, Tools, and FX Favorites menus (see Figure 2.5). Figure 2.5 You can access all of the features in Sound Forge via drop-down menus.

Each menu represents a different group of features. The Special menu represents most of the navigation, recording, and playback features. The Process menu represents the audio processing features, such as equalization and amplitude manipulation. The Effects menu represents the effects features (as its name implies). And the Tools menu provides additional features that don’t fall into the aforementioned categories, such as Spectrum Analysis. I’ll talk more about all of the audio processing features in Chapters 8, 9, and 10.

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8

Record Dialog Box In addition to loading and saving existing audio files, you can also use Sound Forge to create and record new files. For recording audio, Sound Forge provides the Record dialog box (see Figure 2.6). Figure 2.6 You can record new audio files in Sound Forge using the Record dialog box.

Sound Forge allows you to record audio using bit depths of up to 64 and a variety of sampling rates from 8 Hz to 192 KHz. The Record dialog box provides its own set of input meters, and it even provides MTC/SMPTE synchronization. You’ll learn more about recording audio with Sound Forge in Chapter 6.

Spectrum Analysis One of the more advanced features provided by Sound Forge is Spectrum Analysis. Even though the Spectrum Analysis feature may seem complicated, it really isn’t that difficult to use. It’s definitely worth taking the extra effort to learn how it works. In basic terms, the Spectrum Analysis feature enables you to examine your audio data via special graphs that display the amplitude and frequency content found in the data, so you can process your data and actually “see” the effect of the processing. This feature has quite a bit of power, so you’ll see more about it in Chapter 10.

What’s New in Sound Forge 7 and 8? Since I didn’t write a Sound Forge 7 Power book, but will definitely be including the features added from that version in this book, I thought it would be nice to give you a list of new features for both versions 7 and 8. This will make it easier for you to find the information about these features. The features added to version 7 include the following: Q New Recording Methods. Sound Forge provides three new recording methods to set up the software for automated recording based on time, audio level threshold, and MIDI timecode.

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Q What’s New in Sound Forge 7 and 8? There is also a new prerecord buffer feature that can save you from missing the initial seconds of your recordings by mistake. (See Chapter 6 for more information.) Q Explorer Window. To make managing and opening audio files easier, Sound Forge provides the Explorer window. Actually, the Explorer window can be used for more tasks, including drag-and-drop CD extraction and automatic file mixing (see Chapters 4, 7, and 11). Q Sound Forge Project Files. Now you can edit your audio files nondestructively by using the new Sound Forge Project file format. You can close your file and then go back to it at the exact point you left it, including having access to the file’s full undo history (see Chapters 4 and 7 for more information). Q Enhanced Spectrum Analysis. The Spectrum Analysis feature has gotten an overhaul with some new features and a brand new look (see Chapter 10). Q Clip Detection and Marking. You can use Sound Forge to find specific points in your audio files where the data is clipped, and have it automatically marked for future editing (refer to Chapter 5). Q Improved Fade Curves. The fade curves in the Graphic Fade, Envelope, Pan/Expand, Pitch Bend, and FM Synthesis dialog boxes have been enhanced, as shown in Chapters 8, 9, and 10. Q Automation. You can automate volume, pan, and effects parameters in Sound Forge using editable, graphic envelopes, which are shown directly on the audio waveform in a Data Window. This feature provides extreme flexibility when applying these types of processing to your files. You’ll find step-by-step instructions in Chapter 9. Q Enhanced Synthesis. The Simple Synthesis and FM Synthesis features provide additional noise waveforms, enabling you to create many more different types of sounds, including your own test tones. (See an explanation of these features in Chapter 10.) The new features added to version 8 include the following: Q VST Effect Support. You can use VST effect plug-ins with Sound Forge. This opens up a wide variety of effects-related options because there are so many VST plug-ins on the market, including many free ones. See Chapter 9 for information on how to use effects. Q CD Architect Integration. Not only does the full version of Sony’s excellent CD Architect burning software come included with Sound Forge, but there are also some special features that allow integration between the two applications. I’ll talk about these features in Chapter 11. Q Scripting and Batch Conversion. By writing your own computer scripts (programs), you can automate many of the functions provided by Sound Forge. In addition, you can set up scripts

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 for simultaneous processing of multiple audio files. This is a very powerful new feature, and I will explain it in Chapter 14. Q Audio Scrubbing. Sound Forge provides two new features that give you a lot of control over scrubbing your audio. These features include a new scrubbing tool and new scrubbing keyboard commands (see Chapter 6). Q Keyboard Shortcuts and ASIO Support. You can define your own keyboard shortcuts for all of the available features in Sound Forge. In addition, now there is support for ASIO sound card drivers. Learn about both these features in Chapter 3. Q Path Saving. When using Sound Forge Project files, rendered media files can now save the path of their associated Project files. This makes it much easier to go back and work on a past project (see Chapter 4). Q Enhanced Regions List(s) and Playlist(s) Windows. Both the Regions List(s) and Playlist(s) windows have gotten a few upgrades. They both have new looks, as well as the ability to sort regions and playlist lists. You can also select multiple regions with ease. I’ll show you how to use these new enhancements in Chapters 5 and 6.

A Basic Studio Setup Over the years, I’ve built up quite an arsenal of tools that currently reside in my home studio. But you don’t need a ton of gizmos and gadgets to produce great music. If I were to scale down my setup to include only the basics, I’d be left with everything needed to compose and record my tunes.

Computer Other than Sound Forge and additional music software, a basic studio revolves around one main component—your PC. If you already have a PC, be sure to check it against Sony’s system requirements for Sound Forge.

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Q A Basic Studio Setup Q

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Sony’s system requirements for Sound Forge are as follows: System requirements: 500 MHz Processor 128 MB RAM 150 MB hard-disk space for program installation Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP Windows-compatible sound card CD-ROM drive (for installation from a CD only) Supported CD-Recordable drive (for CD burning) DirectX 8.1 or later (included on CD-ROM) Internet Explorer 5.1 or later (included on CD-ROM) Microsoft .NET framework 1.1 (included on CD-ROM) Some features may require online product registration.

If your system matches (or exceeds) the system requirements, you are all set to run Sound Forge. If not, you should seriously consider either upgrading or purchasing a brand-new system. If you decide to go with a new system, you might want to think about building it yourself or picking out the components and having it built for you. It’s not that a generic Gateway or Dell PC won’t do, but they are not really optimized for audio work, which is the main reason I decided to put my own system together. I cheated a little, though, and had a company called Aberdeen, Inc. (http:// www.aberdeeninc.com) build the base system for me. I actually went with a bare-bones system called a Shuttle PC, and then I added the necessary additional components. The specifications for my current system are as follows: Q Shuttle PC SS51G bare-bones system Q Intel Pentium 4 2.4B GHz/533FSB processor Q 1.0 GB DDR333 SDRAM memory Q Teac 3.5 1.44 MB floppy drive Q Two Seagate 80GB 9.5ms 7200rpm ATA/100 2MB hard drives Q Integrated SIS 651 graphic engine for video Q Onboard 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Q Toshiba CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM combo drive Q NEC AccuSync 75F monitor Q Echo Mona audio interface (sound card) Q Windows XP Professional

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 Q

THE NEW DIGIFREQ AUDIO PC The reason I went with a Shuttle PC system wasn’t just because I needed a better PC with more power. I also chose it because it is one of the quietest systems on the market, and it gives off much less heat than a typical PC. If you’d like to hear more about the Shuttle PC, check out my feature article entitled “The New DigiFreq Audio PC” in Issue 18 of DigiFreq. You can get the issue for free at http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

As you can tell, my current PC can easily run Sound Forge and then some, but you don’t need a top-of-the-line system to get good performance. As long as the specifications for your computer land at or above Sound Forge’s minimum system requirements, you shouldn’t have any trouble running the software. But if you have the money and decide to get a new PC, by all means get the most powerful system you can afford. You won’t be sorry. Q

OPTIMIZE YOUR AUDIO PC One of the reasons that many people can get away with using a less powerful system is that they have optimized it for audio work. There are a number of things you can do to your PC that will make it run more efficiently for the purposes of making music. These include making adjustments to the system itself, as well as to Windows. If you’d like more information about how to optimize your audio PC, check out my feature article entitled “Optimize Your Audio PC” in Issue 14 of DigiFreq. You can get the issue for free at http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

Sound Card There are many things to consider when choosing a particular card. You should look for a PCI-based sound card (one that is installed inside of your computer) rather than a USB-based sound card. USB audio interfaces don’t really provide enough bandwidth to transfer audio data fast enough for sufficient use. However, with the new USB 2.0 spec, that shouldn’t present a problem after manufacturers update their products. You might also want to consider using a FireWire-based sound card; those are now becoming popular. They still aren’t as good as a PCIbased card, but they’re definitely better than USB 1.0. You should also be aware of the connection types that sound cards supply. The typical sound card provides a number of different audio inputs and outputs, including line level, microphone level, and speaker. Line level inputs and outputs are used to transfer sound from cassette decks, radios, electronic keyboards, or any other standard audio device. Microphones generate a very small audio level by themselves, so they need a special input of their own, which is connected to an internal preamplifier on the sound card. Speakers also need their own special connector with a built-in amplifier to produce a decent amount of volume. Some high-end sound cards also offer digital inputs and outputs. These special connectors let you attach the sound card directly to compatible devices, such as some CD players

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Q A Basic Studio Setup and DAT (Digital Audio Tape) decks. Using these connections gives you the best possible sound because audio signals stay in the digital domain and don’t need to be converted into analog signals. You should also be aware that connectors come in a variety of forms. Low-cost cards usually provide the same ൤-inch jacks used for headphones on boom boxes. For better quality, there are ­-inch, RCA or XLR jacks. Connections can also be balanced or unbalanced. Balanced connections provide shielding to protect the audio signal against RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). Unbalanced connections don’t provide any type of protection. If you want to be able to record more than one audio track at once, you need a card with multiple audio connections. Most average sound cards internally mix all of their audio sources down to one stereo signal, but other higher-end (more expensive) cards let you record each device separately on its own discrete stereo channel. This capability is much more desirable in a music recording studio, but not everyone needs it. A good quality audio signal is something that everybody desires. During recording, the sampling rate (which I talked about in Chapter 1) plays a big part in the quality of the audio signal. Suffice it to say, the higher the sampling rate that a sound card can handle, the better the sound quality. The sampling rate of a CD is 44.1 kHz (44,100 samples per second) and all sound cards on the market support this. Professional cards can hit 48 kHz or higher. Bit resolution (also discussed in Chapter 1) is a factor in determining digital sound quality as well. The more bits you have to represent your signal, the better it sounds. The CD standard is 16 bits, which is supported by all sound cards. Some cards (again, mostly high-end) go up to 20, 22, or even 24 bits. Two other measurements you need to look for are signal-to-noise ratio and frequency response. As with the other measurements, the higher the better. Because all electronic devices produce some amount of noise, the signal-to-noise ratio of a sound card tells you how much higher the signal strength is compared to the amount of internal noise made by the sound card. The bigger the number, the quieter the card. A good signal-to-noise measurement is about 90 dB or higher. Frequency response is actually a range of numbers, which is based on the capabilities of human hearing. The frequency response of human hearing is approximately 20 Hz to 20 kHz. A good sound card encompasses at least that range, maybe even more. What do I use? I decided to go with the Mona from Echo Audio. The Mona provides a wide variety of professional features, and the sound quality is great. My main reasons for choosing it, however, were good software drivers, built-in preamps, and multiple connections. If you get a card with built-in preamps, you can eliminate the need for yet another component in the signal chain, which can potentially add noise. And if you get a card with multiple connections, you can usually do away with having to use a mixing board, which can also be a source of additional noise. I love being able to just plug my microphone and instruments directly into my sound card, knowing that I’m getting the cleanest signal possible. Unfortunately, the Mona was discontinued and is no longer sold by the company, but you can find other cards with similar features. I usually

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 recommend checking out the products available from Echo Audio (http://www.echoaudio.com) and M-Audio (http://www.m-audio.com).

MIDI Interface If you have any external MIDI devices (like a MIDI keyboard), then you’ll need a MIDI interface for your computer. I explained MIDI interfaces back in Chapter 1, but I didn’t really go into what you should know when you’re looking to buy one. If you have a simple setup with only one MIDI keyboard, then you can easily get away with a simple single- or double-port MIDI interface. The best way to go here is to get a USB-based interface. It will be easy to install (just plug it in), and it won’t take up an IRQ or PCI slot inside your computer. Also, be sure that the interface has Windows 2000 or Windows XP compatible drivers (depending on what OS you are using). Bad drivers can cause problems. Other than that, the only major differences between interfaces are the number of ports they provide. If you have many external MIDI devices, it’s best to connect each device to its own dedicated MIDI port. I’m currently using a M-Audio Midisport 2x2 USB interface under Windows XP. It works great and does just what I need it to do. When people ask me about MIDI interfaces, I usually recommend checking out the products available from M-Audio (http://www.m-audio.com).

Microphone If you plan to do any acoustic recording (vocals, acoustic guitar, and so on), you’ll need a good microphone. There are literally hundreds of microphones on the market, and entire books have been written on the subject, so I won’t go into great detail here. Basically, the microphone you choose depends on the application. I needed a good vocal mic, but not something that was going to put me in the poor house. While I would love to get a Neumann U87 (one of the best), there’s no way I could afford one. So luckily, Shure came to my rescue with their KSM27. It’s a great vocal mic that isn’t too expensive. You can find more information about it at http:// www.shure.com/. I like the fact that it can also be used for other applications in a pinch. But what’s right for me might not be right for you, so I’ve rounded up a number of online resources that will allow you to educate yourself on the subject of microphones. Q Microphone University: http://www.dpamicrophones.com/page.php?PID=1 Q Shure Performance and Recording Microphone Selection Guide: http://www.shure.com/ selectionguides/sel-perfrecmics.html Q The Microphone FAQ: http://www.harmony-central.com/Other/mic-faq.txt Q Harmony Central Microphone Manufacturers List: http://www.harmony-central.com/ Recording/manufact.html#mic

Speakers Of course, you also need to be able to hear the music you’re recording, so you’ll need a good set of speakers (or monitors, as they’re called in the professional audio world). Like

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Q Finding Help When You Need It microphones, there are literally hundreds of different monitors on the market. For home studio purposes, you’ll probably want to get a good pair of active nearfield monitors. They’re called active because they come with a built-in amplifier, which saves you from having to buy an external amp and match it up to your monitors. They’re called nearfield because you listen to them at a fairly close distance (about four feet). This lets you set up your home studio in just about any space you can find because you don’t have to acoustically treat the room, at least not professionally. Q

CREATING THE RIGHT RECORDING ENVIRONMENT For some tips about how to set up your home studio space for better recording, check out my feature article entitled “Creating the Right Recording Environment” in Issue 15 of DigiFreq. You can get the issue for free at http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

There is a wide variety of monitors available, but I’m currently having fun with the V4s from KRK Systems (http://www.krksys.com). This is a pair of active nearfield monitors that really deliver great sound. I also love that they’ve been designed for small workstation areas, and they are shielded, which means you can sit them close to your computer screen without problems. Of course, as with microphones, what I like might not be what you like, so I’ve compiled a number of online resources that will help you learn about and choose the right monitors for you. Q Ten Powered Nearfields Reviewed: http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/ 0B7FAE7ED3205D3C86256AE100044F41 Q Audio FAQ (Speakers): http://www.audioweb.com/AudioFAQ/Default.asp?faq=5 Q eCoustics.com speaker articles: http://www.ecoustics.com/Home/Home_Audio/ Speakers/Speaker_Articles/ Q Harmony Central Speakers Manufacturer List: http://www.harmony-central.com/ Recording/manufact.html#speak

Finding Help When You Need It Sony provides a number of ways for you to find help when you’re having a problem with Sound Forge. The two most obvious places to look are the user’s guide and the Sound Forge Help file. At the first sign of trouble, you should go through the troubleshooting information. If you can’t find an answer to your problem there, you can pay a visit to the Sony Web site. The support page of the Sony Web site (http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/support/) contains a ton of helpful information, including FAQs and technical documents that provide details on a number of Sony-related topics. You should check them first. If you still can’t find an answer to your problem, the next place to look is either in the Sony forums (http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/default.asp) or the DigiFreq discussion area (http://www.digifreq.com/

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CHAPTER 2 } Getting Started with Sound Forge 8 digifreq/discuss.asp). In the forums and discussion area, you can trade tips, advice, and information with other Sony product users. Many times, you’ll find that someone has had the same problem you’re having, and he has already found a solution. Isn’t sharing great? For even more helpful information, check out Appendix B, “Sound Forge Resources on the Web,” at the end of this book. Q

FREE MUSIC TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER Also be sure to sign up for a free subscription to my DigiFreq music technology newsletter. DigiFreq is a monthly e-mail newsletter that teaches you more about music technology. It provides free news, reviews, tips, and techniques for music technology users. By applying for your own free subscription, you can learn all about the latest music product releases, read straightforward reviews, explore related Web resources, and have a chance to win free products from brand-name manufacturers. To get your free subscription, go to http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/.

You can also contact Sony Technical Support directly by using the phone support information on this Web page: http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/support/phonesupport.asp. Or you can contact them via e-mail using this Web page: http://www.custcenter.com/cgi-bin/ sonypictures.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php.

Quiz 1. Sound Forge can be used for all of the following tasks: audio editing and mastering,

developing sound effects and sample loops, and producing compact discs. True or False? 2. The Workspace is the main area used to work with audio files in Sound Forge. True or False? 3. Each audio file opened in Sound Forge is displayed in a Data Window. True or False? 4. Sound Forge 8 now supports VST effects. True or False? 5. A typical sound card provides a number of different audio input and output connections.

What are they? 6. What kind of MIDI interface is the easiest to connect to your computer? 7. What kind of microphone is one of the best you can buy? 8. Active monitors (speakers) need to be connected to an external amplifier. True or False? 9. Some monitors (speakers) are called nearfield because you listen to them at a close distance.

True or False? 10. What is the name of my free music technology newsletter?

You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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3

Customizing Sound Forge 8

Although we all may be Sound Forge users, it doesn’t mean we like to work with the product in the same exact way. I have my way of doing things, and you probably have your own way. Luckily, Sound Forge 8 provides a number of settings so that you can make the program conform to your own way of working. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Associate different types of audio files with Sound Forge. Q Customize the program’s Workspace, including colors, toolbars, window layouts, and other general settings. Q Set up the MIDI parameters. Q Set up the audio parameters.

General Options Sound Forge provides a number of general options that affect the overall operation of the software. These options include the logo splash-screen, program close confirmation, and the textured background. They may not sound very significant, but it’s these little things that can affect your efficiency while using the software.

Splash-Screen One of the first things you’ll probably want to change about the behavior of Sound Forge is the automatic display of the logo splash-screen, which pops open every time you run the software. I mean, how many times do you need to be reminded of what version you have? Turning this feature off gets you up and running with Sound Forge a little quicker. To do so, just follow these steps: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click the General

tab, as shown in Figure 3.1. 2. In the list of options, click Show Logo Splash-Screen on Startup to deactivate that feature.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.1 You can set a number of general options in Sound Forge’s Preferences dialog box.

3. Click OK.

Now, whenever you run Sound Forge, you won’t have to put up with the annoyance of the splash-screen. Q

OTHER PREFERENCES In the Preferences dialog box, you may have noticed a number of other parameters that allow you to change the behavior of Sound Forge. I’ll cover more of them in this chapter and throughout the book. In addition, you can click the question mark in the upper right corner of the dialog box and then click a parameter to get a brief description of that parameter.

Program Close Confirmation If you’re prone to errant mouse clicks, you may want to set up Sound Forge so that it asks you to confirm your decision before you exit the software. In most cases, you won’t need this option. Even with this option deactivated, Sound Forge still warns you before you exit the program if you haven’t saved your data. So, in essence, you really don’t need the program close confirmation option, and it’s deactivated by default. But if you’d rather have that extra measure of protection, you can activate this feature by simply selecting Options ඎ Preferences to open the

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Q File Associations Preferences dialog box and clicking the General tab. Then, in the list of options, click Confirm on Close to activate that feature and click OK. From now on, Sound Forge always warns you before closing down.

Textured Background The Workspace area (which I’ll talk about shortly) in Sound Forge is usually shown with a blank, gray background color. If you’d rather see the Workspace background shown as a textured graphic that matches the color of the rest of the application, you can do so by choosing Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and clicking the General tab. Then, in the list of options, click Show A Textured Background on the Workspace. This option doesn’t affect Sound Forge’s performance, but I usually keep it deactivated anyway.

Windows XP Theme Support If you are running Sound Forge under Windows XP, you’ll notice that Sound Forge sports a new look and color scheme that corresponds to the Windows XP theme that you are using. This is a new feature in Sound Forge 8 and gives the software a graphic overhaul, which (in my opinion) is much better looking than the drab look in previous versions. However, if you’d rather go back to the drab look, you can do so by choosing Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and clicking the General tab. Then, in the list of options, click Enable Windows XP Theme Support. You’ll have to close and restart Sound Forge before the changes will take effect.

File Associations Sound Forge provides support for many different types of audio files. They include WAV files, AIF files, MP3 files, and so on. (Don’t worry, I’ll go into more detail about each of the different file types in Chapter 4.) By default, only some of the file types are associated with Sound Forge during installation. This means that if you double-click certain audio files within Windows Explorer, the files are opened or played using a software application other than Sound Forge. If you want to automatically open certain audio file types within Sound Forge by double-clicking them, you can easily associate the file types by using Sound Forge’s File Types feature. Just do the following: 1. In Sound Forge, choose Options ඎ Preferences. 2. In the Preferences dialog box, click the File Types tab (see Figure 3.2) 3. The “File Types to Associate” section lists all the file types that can be associated with Sound

Forge. The first column shows the three-letter file extension. The second column shows the name of the file type. The third column shows the name of the program to which each file type is currently associated. To associate a file type with Sound Forge, just click it to place a check mark next to it.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.2 You can associate file types in Sound Forge’s File Types dialog box.

4. To associate all the files in the list with Sound Forge, click the Select All button. Click the

Select None button to do the opposite. 5. When you’re finished selecting the file types, click OK. 6. Sound Forge tells you that “This may overwrite file associations used by other applications,”

and then asks if you’re sure you want to continue. Click Yes. 7. Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

From now on, whenever you double-click one of the associated file types in Windows Explorer, it automatically opens in Sound Forge.

The Workspace In addition to all the aforementioned parameters, you can also change the way Sound Forge looks and the way it responds to your commands. By customizing the Sound Forge Workspace, you can increase your efficiency with the program and make it more comfortable to work with. Some of the adjustments you can make are to the colors, toolbars, Data Window layouts, and keyboard shortcuts.

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Q The Workspace

Colors Sound Forge enables you to change the colors of many of the graphic elements within the program. I haven’t found much use for making color changes, though. The default colors that the program ships with work just fine for me. However, you might find a different set of colors more pleasant to work with, or maybe you can see some colors better than others. Changing the colors Sound Forge uses is simple; just follow these steps: 1. In Sound Forge, choose Options ඎ Preferences. 2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Display tab (see Figure 3.3). Figure 3.3 In the Preferences dialog box’s Display tab, you can change the appearance of Sound Forge to your liking.

3. Notice the Color Preference drop-down list in the bottom half of the dialog box, which shows

all of the screen elements you can change. To change the color of an element, select it from the list. 4. Select how you want that screen element to look by choosing the Custom option. 5. To create your own custom color for the screen element, change the values of the Red,

Green, and Blue parameters by dragging the sliders. The mixture of the three values is what produces the final color, which is shown in the small rectangle in the lower-left corner of the dialog box.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each screen element you want to change. 7. When you’ve completed your changes, click OK.

Your color changes take effect as soon as you close the Preferences dialog box. If you ever want to return to the default color values, just repeat the previous steps; however, for each element, instead of selecting the Custom option, select the Default option.

Toolbars To increase your productivity, Sound Forge provides a number of toolbars for quick access to many of its major functions. So, instead of having to click through a series of menus, you can simply click a single toolbar button. Toolbars are available for standard file access functions, recording and playback controls, and so on. Sound Forge can change the position of its toolbars, as well as whether they are visible or not. Why wouldn’t you want to have all the toolbars on the screen all the time? Because they can clutter up the Workspace and get in the way while you’re working on a project. Change Their Position Just as with most toolbars in other Windows programs, you can dock these toolbars to the top, bottom, or even the sides of the Workspace. And if you drop a toolbar anywhere within the Workspace, it becomes a little floating window (see Figure 3.4). Figure 3.4 You can dock toolbars to the top, bottom, or sides of the Workspace; you can also drop them anywhere else within the Workspace.

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Q The Workspace Q

ALLOW TO DOCK You can only dock toolbars (and other floating windows) by activating the appropriate option. To access this option, choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ General and then put a check mark next to the Allow Floating Windows to Dock option. In addition, you can override this option by holding down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard.

Change Their Visibility To change the visibility of the toolbars, you need to access the Toolbars tab in the Preferences dialog box or just choose View ඎ Toolbars to open the dialog box (see Figure 3.5). Figure 3.5 Choose View ඎ Toolbars to change the visibility of Sound Forge’s toolbars.

By placing or removing the check mark next to each selection in the box, you control whether the associated toolbar is visible. For example, if you remove the check mark in the box next to the Standard selection, the Standard File Functions toolbar disappears. Change Their Configuration In addition to docking and changing the visibility of the toolbars, you can also change their configuration. What I mean by this is that you can change what buttons appear on each of the toolbars, thus customizing them to your own liking.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Q

NO NEW TOOLBARS Unfortunately, there is still one shortcoming to Sound Forge’s toolbars: You can’t create your own specialized toolbars in addition to the ones already provided. You are stuck with having to customize an existing toolbar. For example, you can’t create a brand-new toolbar and name it My Special Editing Tools.

Customizing an existing toolbar is very easy. To show you how to do this, I’ll walk you through an example. I’ll describe how I created a special toolbar that I use to prepare audio files for the Internet. (I’ll talk more about preparing audio files for the Internet in Chapter 11.) 1. Because most of the toolbars are already crowded with existing buttons (although they can

be removed), I like to start with one of the toolbars that is fairly empty to “create” a special toolbar of my own. For this example, I’ll use the Levels toolbar. Choose View ඎ Toolbars to display the Preferences ඎ Toolbars dialog box. 2. Click to place a check mark next to the Levels option and click Apply to make the Levels toolbar appear. 3. Click the Levels option to select it and then click the Customize button to open the Custom-

ize Toolbar dialog box (see Figure 3.6). The Current Tools section of the box shows all the buttons currently assigned to the selected toolbar. In this case, the Levels toolbar is empty. The Available Tools section shows all the buttons that can be assigned to the selected toolbar. Figure 3.6 Use the Customize Toolbar dialog box to configure an existing toolbar to your liking.

4. To assign a button to a toolbar, select a button/function from the Available Tools list and

then click Add. For this example, add the DC Offset button/function first (see Figure 3.7).

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Q The Workspace Figure 3.7 Use the Available Tools list to assign a button/function to the selected toolbar.

Q

QUICK FUNCTION FIND For a quick way to find a function in the Available Tools list, click the first function in the list to select it. Then press (on your computer keyboard) the first letter of the name of the function you are trying to find. For example, to find the DC Offset function, press D. You’ll see that this brings you to the Double Selection function. Press D again, and you’ll find the DC Offset function.

5. If you want to delete a button from the selected toolbar, select it in the Current Tools list and

click Remove. 6. To change the position of a button on the toolbar, select it in the Current Tools list and click

Move Up and Move Down to move the button up or down within the list. 7. To set a toolbar back to its default configuration, click Reset. 8. For this example, add three more buttons to the toolbar as follows: Paragraphic EQ, Graphic

Dynamics, and Normalize. 9. Click Move Up and/or Move Down so that the buttons appear in the following order in the

list: DC Offset, Paragraphic EQ, Graphic Dynamics, and Normalize (see Figure 3.8). 10. You can also add Separators if you want to group different buttons together. To add a

Separator, choose Separator from the Available Tools list and click Add. Go ahead and add a Separator for this example and then move the Separator to the bottom of the Current Tools list. 11. Add one more button: Save As. Move it to the bottom of the Current Tools list. 12. Click OK to close the Customize Toolbar dialog box. 13. Click OK to close the Preferences ඎ Toolbars dialog box.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.8 Add some additional buttons to the sample toolbar.

When complete, the Levels toolbar will have four buttons, a separator, and one more button in addition to the two level readouts it already contained (see Figure 3.9). Figure 3.9 The Levels toolbar has been customized for our own needs.

Now you can use this toolbar to easily access all the functions you need to prepare your audio for the Internet (see Chapter 11 for more information).

Data Window Layouts Because Sound Forge lets you have more than one audio file open at once, you need to deal with multiple Data Windows, which were described in Chapter 2, and are explained more thoroughly in later chapters. When you close Sound Forge, the size, position, and file name of the currently open Data Windows are automatically saved. This capability is nice because the next time you open the program, you can pick up exactly where you left off. Q

DEACTIVATE DEFAULT WORKSPACE If you do not want Sound Forge to automatically open with the same configuration as your previous session, you can turn this feature off. Choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ General and click the Open Default Workspace on Startup option to deactivate it. Click OK.

As you get more experienced with Sound Forge, you’ll probably find that having the Data Windows set up in certain configurations helps your editing sessions go more smoothly. For

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Q The Workspace instance, let’s say you’re working with four different audio files. You might like to have them positioned so that each Data Window takes up one-quarter of the Workspace (see Figure 3.10). Figure 3.10 The size, position, and file name of all currently open Data Windows are automatically saved when you close Sound Forge.

What if you come up with a few favorite configurations that you like to use during different stages of the same project? That’s where Workspace files come in. Using Workspace files, you can save the size, position, and file name of all the currently open Data Windows. Then you can later load the saved Workspace files for quick and easy organization. You can set this up by using the Workspace ඎ Open and Workspace ඎ Save As features. Save and Load a Workspace You save and load a Workspace file like this: 1. Open the audio files that you want to work with. 2. Arrange the Data Windows in the Workspace in the positions and sizes that you want them

to be saved. 3. Choose File ඎ Workspace ඎ Save As to open the Save Workspace dialog box (see

Figure 3.11). 4. Type a name for the new Workspace file in the File Name text box.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.11 You can save Workspace files by using the Save Workspace dialog box.

Q

WORKSPACE NAMING I’ve found that giving a descriptive name to each Workspace file helps me when I want to load them. For example, I include the names of each open audio file in the name of the Workspace file, along with a hint as to their positions. If I have four files open, with each one taking up one-quarter of the Workspace, I name the Workspace file “Drums-Bass- Guitar-Piano-QuarterScreen.sfw.”

5. Click the Save button to save your new Workspace file. 6. To load your new (or previously saved) file, simply choose File ඎ Workspace ඎ Open to

open the Open Workspace dialog box. 7. Select a file from the list and click Open. The Workspace file is loaded, and the configuration

of the Data Windows is changed accordingly.

Window Docking and Stacking In addition to the Data Window configurations, you can also specify how other windows in Sound Forge are configured. This pertains to all the windows listed under the View menu (Explorer, Regions List, Playlist, Video Preview, Time Display, Play Meters, Undo/Redo History, Spectrum Analysis, Plug-In Chainer, Plug-In Manager, Script Editor, and the Keyboard). What I mean by “configured” is that these windows can be docked or stacked to provide a less cluttered working environment in Sound Forge.

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Q The Workspace Docking a window works the same way as docking a toolbar. Let’s walk through an example so you can see how it works: 1. Choose View ඎ Plug-In Manager (or press Ctrl + Alt + 0 on your computer keyboard) to

open the Plug-In Manager window. 2. If you drag the window to the left or right side of the Workspace, it changes in appearance and docks to that side (see Figure 3.12). Figure 3.12 You can dock windows to the left or right side of the Workspace.

3. If you drag the window to the top or bottom of the Workspace, it changes in appearance

and docks to that location (see Figure 3.13). 4. To undock a window, click the bar located on the top or side of the docked window and

drag it to an open place in the Workspace. Q

DISABLE DOCKING If you are dragging a window around the Workspace, and you don’t want it to be docked, hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard as you drag the window. You can also permanently disable docking by choosing Options ඎ Preferences ඎ General and removing the check mark next to the Allow Floating Windows to Dock option.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.13 You can also dock windows to the top or bottom of the Workspace.

Stacking windows is also quite easy, and it works by docking more than one window in the same place. Let me show you an example: 1. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions window. 2. Dock the Regions window to the bottom of the Workspace. 3. Choose View ඎ Undo/Redo History (or press Alt + 7 on your computer keyboard) to open

the Undo/Redo History window. 4. Dock the Undo/Redo History window in the same place as the Regions window. Notice that

both windows are now stacked on top of each other and there are tabs on the bottom of the windows (see Figure 3.14). 5. To access the window you want to use, click the appropriate tab to bring that window to

the front. 6. You can also dock more windows in the same location without stacking them. Choose View ඎ Playlist (or press Alt + 3 on your computer keyboard) to open the Playlist window. 7. Dock the Playlist window to the bottom of the Workspace, but drag it toward the bottom

right of the Workspace instead of the bottom left. Notice that you now have two stacked windows on the bottom left and one docked window on the bottom right (see Figure 3.15).

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Q The Workspace Figure 3.14 Dock windows in the same location to stack them.

Figure 3.15 You can have both docked and stacked windows located next to each other.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 In addition, notice that the Play Meters are also still docked to the right side of the Workspace, but their vertical size has changed to make room for the docked windows on the bottom of the Workspace. This is how I usually have my windows configured when working with Sound Forge because it provides easy access to the Undo/Redo History, and I can easily drag and drop regions from the Regions window to the Playlist window. I’ll talk more about all of the aforementioned windows later in the book.

Keyboard Shortcuts As with most Windows software, Sound Forge provides keyboard shortcuts for most of its functions. Like toolbars, keyboard shortcuts give you quick access to the program’s features. Instead of having to click through a series of menus, you can simply press a key combination on your computer’s keyboard. Many of these key combinations are displayed next to their assigned menu functions, like in the File menu (see Figure 3.16). For a full list of all the default keyboard shortcuts that work within Sound Forge, choose Help ඎ Keyboard Shortcuts. Figure 3.16 The keyboard shortcuts for opening a file in Sound Forge are Ctrl + O and Ctrl + Alt + F2.

The wonderful thing about keyboard shortcuts is that if you don’t like them, you can change them. You can also create new ones for functions that don’t already have default keyboard

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Q The Workspace shortcuts. You can assign hundreds of different keyboard shortcuts using just about any key combination. To create your own keyboard shortcuts or change existing ones, do the following: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ Keyboard to open the Preferences ඎ Keyboard dialog

box, as shown in Figure 3.17. Figure 3.17 You can set your own keyboard shortcuts in the Preferences ඎ Keyboard dialog box.

2. Using the Context drop-down list, choose the type of command to which you would like to

assign a keyboard shortcut. For example, if you want to assign a shortcut to one of the functions available in a Data Window, choose Data Window from the Context drop-down list. Choose Global to list all available commands. 3. In the Available Commands section, select the Sound Forge function to which you would like to assign a new shortcut or edit an existing one. 4. Click inside the Press New Shortcut Keys text box and then press the keyboard shortcut you would like to use for the function you previously selected.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Q

QUICK FUNCTION FINDING Since Sound Forge provides a very long list of functions from which to choose, it can be difficult to find the exact function you want by scrolling through the list. To quickly find a function, type a word in the Show Only Commands Containing text box. This will filter the Available Commands list to show only those functions containing the word that you typed. For example, to easily find all the save commands, just type the word Save.

5. Click the Assign button to assign the keyboard shortcut. The new shortcut will now appear

in the Current Key Bindings list. 6. To delete a keyboard shortcut, select it from the Current Key Bindings list and click the Remove button. 7. To set all keyboard shortcuts back to the way they were when you first installed Sound Forge,

click the Default All button. 8. If you would like to share your keyboard shortcuts with other Sound Forge users, you can export them by clicking the Export button. Likewise, you can use keyboard shortcuts from others by clicking the Import button. 9. When you’re done, click OK.

After you’ve created (or changed) some keyboard shortcuts, you’ll notice the changes in Sound Forge’s menus. As I mentioned earlier, the keyboard shortcuts are displayed next to their assigned menu functions. MIDI Triggers In addition to creating keyboard shortcuts using your computer keyboard, you can assign the keys on your MIDI keyboard synthesizer or controller as shortcuts to execute functions within Sound Forge. For example, you can assign the Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play function in Sound Forge to the Middle C key on your keyboard. Then, when you press Middle C, Sound Forge plays the audio data in the Data Window that is currently active. The MIDI Triggers feature assigns MIDI note and controller messages to a number of the functions within Sound Forge.

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Q The Workspace Q

MIDI MESSAGES There are seven types of MIDI messages, each providing different kinds of functionality within the MIDI language. These categories include Notes, Key Aftertouch, Channel Aftertouch, Controllers, Program Changes, Pitch Bend, and System Exclusive. The Notes category pertains to MIDI Note On and MIDI Note Off messages. When you press a key on your MIDI keyboard, a MIDI Note On message is sent. When you release the key, a MIDI Note Off message is sent. On some MIDI keyboards, in addition to pressing the keys, you can press and hold them down to apply varying degrees of pressure. This pressure is called aftertouch. Depending on how the synthesizer is programmed, aftertouch lets you control how loud it is or even how it sounds. Aftertouch comes in both key and channel varieties. Key Aftertouch has different pressure levels for each individual key on the keyboard. Channel Aftertouch restricts you to a single pressure level over the entire range of the keyboard. A wide range of controller MIDI messages is available. Basically, these messages control different aspects of your MIDI synthesizer or device. Some controller messages control volume, whereas others control the position of a synthesizer sound in the stereo field. However, far too many are available to discuss them all here. Program changes (also called Patch Changes) let you select from the many different sounds available in a MIDI synthesizer. For example, a Program Change #1 MIDI message might activate a piano sound in your synthesizer, and Program Change #10 might activate a glockenspiel sound. Pitch Bend messages temporarily alter the tuning of your MIDI instrument. Many MIDI keyboards have a lever or a wheel that controls pitch bend. Moving this wheel makes the instrument send out Pitch Bend (also called Pitch Wheel) messages. System Exclusive messages pertain to special MIDI data that is (as the name implies) exclusive to the instrument sending and receiving it. For instance, the manufacturer of a MIDI synthesizer might include special functions in the product that can’t be controlled via standard MIDI messages. By using System Exclusive messages, the manufacturer gives you access to these special functions, but still keeps the product compatible with the MIDI language. For more in-depth information about MIDI and the different types of messages available, check out the following resources: 1. MIDI Power!: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929685661/compmediaA/ 2. Basic MIDI: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1860742629/compmediaA/ 3. MIDI for the Technophobe:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1860744443/compmediaA/

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Q

REMOTE CONTROL If your studio is set up so that your computer isn’t located next to your MIDI keyboard or controller, using MIDI Triggers is a great way to still have access to Sound Forge. For example, if you want to be able to start and stop playback of audio in Sound Forge via your MIDI keyboard, you can just assign one MIDI Trigger to the Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play function and another MIDI Trigger to the Special ඎ Transport ඎ Stop function.

You can easily create your own MIDI Triggers via the MIDI Triggers dialog box. Here’s how: 1. Choose Options ඎ MIDI Triggers to open the MIDI Triggers dialog box (see Figure 3.18). Figure 3.18 You can create MIDI Triggers in the MIDI Triggers dialog box.

2. In the Event list, select the Sound Forge function for which you want to create a MIDI Trigger. 3. In the Trigger section, choose either the Note or Controller option to assign a MIDI note or

MIDI controller as the MIDI Trigger, respectively. 4. If you select the Note option, be sure to also select a value for the channel parameter, which

assigns a specific MIDI channel for the MIDI Trigger. Then select a value for the note parameter, which designates the MIDI note to be used for the MIDI Trigger. 5. If you select the Controller option, you need to assign a value for the channel parameter as well. Then select a value for the controller parameter, which designates the MIDI controller to be used for the MIDI Trigger. Finally, select a value for the value parameter, which designates the value of the MIDI controller to be used for the MIDI Trigger.

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Q MIDI Settings Q

AUTOMATIC TRIGGER SETTINGS Instead of entering values for the note and controller parameters via your computer keyboard, you can also use your MIDI keyboard to do the same thing. Simply activate the Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option. Then activate a key or controller on your MIDI keyboard. The values for the parameters are set automatically.

6. After you’ve set up all your MIDI Triggers, save the current configuration by clicking the

Save As button and typing a name in the Save Preset dialog box. Then click OK. Q

MIDI TRIGGER CONFIGURATIONS You can save as many different MIDI Trigger configurations as you want. This comes in handy if you want to create one set of MIDI Triggers for use with one MIDI device and another set of MIDI Triggers for use with a different MIDI device, and so on.

7. When you’re done, click OK. 8. Choose Options ඎ MIDI In/Out ඎ Trigger from MIDI Timecode (or press Ctrl + F7 on your

computer keyboard) to allow MIDI input in Sound Forge. After you’ve created (or changed) a set of MIDI Triggers, notice that activating certain controls on your MIDI device triggers their assigned functions within Sound Forge. Q

ENABLE/DISABLE TRIGGERS If you create MIDI Triggers, activating their associated notes or controllers on your MIDI device activates their assigned functions in Sound Forge. You really don’t want this to happen while you’re performing, so you need a quick way to turn MIDI Triggers on and off. In the Event list in the MIDI Triggers dialog box, there is a function labeled Enable/Disable Triggers. You can assign a MIDI Trigger to this function to be a sort of “on/off switch.” This allows you to turn MIDI Triggers on and off without having to access the MIDI Triggers dialog box every time.

MIDI Settings Sound Forge 8 is a digital audio editing application, so you wouldn’t think there would be any need for it to provide MIDI functionality. But because Sound Forge 8 provides audio recording and playback features, the good people at Sony have also included synchronization features within the program. This means that you can use Sound Forge in conjunction with other software (such as your MIDI sequencer) and other devices (such as external tape recorders). I’ll talk more

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 about synchronization and using Sound Forge with other software and devices in Chapters 6 and 12. In the meantime, you need to tell Sound Forge which MIDI input and output ports on your MIDI interface that you want to use. Q

MIDI INTERFACE As I explained in Chapter 1, a MIDI interface is a device that is plugged into your computer that allows it to understand the MIDI language. Every MIDI interface has at least two connections on it called MIDI ports. One is the MIDI In port, which is used to receive MIDI data. The other is the MIDI Out port, which is used to send MIDI data. Some of the more sophisticated MIDI interfaces on the market have multiple pairs of MIDI ports.

Setting Up Your MIDI Ports To see what MIDI ports Sound Forge is using currently and to designate which ports you want to use, perform the following steps: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then click the

MIDI/Sync tab (see Figure 3.19). Figure 3.19 Under the MIDI/Sync tab in the Preferences dialog box, you can set the MIDI input and output ports to be used by Sound Forge.

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Q Audio Settings 2. From the Output drop-down list, select the MIDI output port that you want to use. This

parameter designates which output port Sound Forge will use to send MIDI data. 3. From the Input drop-down list, select the MIDI input port that you want to use. This parameter

designates which input port Sound Forge will use to receive MIDI data. 4. Click OK.

Sound Forge is now set to use the MIDI ports you designated to send and receive MIDI data.

Audio Settings Because Sound Forge’s main purpose is to deal with digital audio data, there are quite a few more settings available for audio than there are for MIDI. Most of these settings relate to obtaining the best recording and playback performance from Sound Forge. But there are a few other settings that allow you to adjust additional aspects of Sound Forge’s behavior pertaining to audio, such as telling the program where to store audio data and which sound card ports to use for recording and playback. During installation, Sound Forge attempts to make some educated guesses as to what the audio settings should be, and although these settings work just fine, you might find that you still need to make a few adjustments. However, adjusting these settings can be tricky, and, unfortunately, there are no set rules. There are, however, some general guidelines you can follow.

Temporary Storage Folder When you open an existing audio file (or create a new one) in Sound Forge, the program creates a temporary file that is used to hold the audio data while you perform your editing tasks. Sound Forge also creates a number of other temporary files if you use its Undo/Redo and Clipboard functions (which I’ll talk about in Chapter 7). To keep things somewhat organized, Sound Forge uses a single folder on your hard drive to store all of these temporary files. Initially, this folder is set to a default location, but Sound Forge will change this setting if you want. Why would you want to change the location of the temporary storage folder? Well, Sound Forge uses your hard drive extensively when you are performing your recording, playback, and editing tasks. Essentially, this means that the faster your hard drive works, the faster Sound Forge works. So, if you happen to use a separate (and more powerful) hard drive exclusively for your audio data, then you should definitely place your temporary storage folder for Sound Forge there, too. In addition, in some instances (which I’ll talk about in Chapter 4), Sound Forge can save files faster if its temporary storage folder is kept in the same location as all your other audio data. To change the location of the temporary storage folder, follow these steps: 1. Create a new temporary storage folder by using Windows Explorer to create a new folder

as you normally would on the hard drive of your choice. For this example, let’s say that you have two hard drives, one named “C:” and another named “D:”. The D drive is where you

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 store all your audio data, so you should create your new folder there. You could name it something like: “D:\Sound Forge Temp Files\”. 2. In Sound Forge, choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then

click the General tab (see Figure 3.20). Figure 3.20 The General tab in the Preferences dialog box lets you change the temporary storage folder setting.

3. In the bottom section of the dialog box, click the Browse button to open the Browse For

Folder dialog box (see Figure 3.21).

Figure 3.21 The Browse For Folder dialog box allows you to designate the location of the temporary storage folder.

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Q Audio Settings 4. From the list, select the hard drive on which your new temporary storage folder is located. 5. Select your new temporary storage folder. 6. Click OK twice to close both dialog boxes.

From now on, when you open an existing file or create a new file, Sound Forge stores the temporary data in the new temporary storage folder that you specified.

Record and Playback Settings Just as you had to tell Sound Forge which input and output ports to use for MIDI, you also have to tell it which sound card input and output you want to use for playback and recording of audio. In addition, you need to specify the type of sound card drivers that you want to use. Q

SOUND CARD DRIVERS I talked about sound card drivers in Chapter 2, but just to recap a bit, MME drivers are an old variety of Windows sound card drivers and are provided for the support of older sound cards that might still be in existence. Since Sound Forge supports both MME and ASIO drivers, you have a choice as to which drivers you want to use. Sony technical support tells me it’s better to use MME drivers for Sound Forge, but you can experiment to see which drivers work best for you. If you have ASIO drivers available for your sound card, I suggest you use those because they will provide better performance.

Because Sound Forge doesn’t provide multitrack recording, you only need to assign one input for recording and one output for playback. Here are the steps to do so: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then click the Audio

tab (see Figure 3.22). 2. From the Audio Device Type drop-down list, choose the type of sound card drivers you would

like to use. ASIO drivers should be labeled accordingly. To use MME drivers, choose the Windows Classic Wave Driver option. 3. From the Default Playback Device drop-down list, choose the sound card output you want

to use. 4. If you chose to use MME drivers, set the Playback Buffering parameter. Sound Forge uses

a part of your computer’s RAM (memory) to provide a small playback buffer. This buffer helps to optimize the program’s playback performance by eliminating skips and gaps. If you find that you’re getting bad playback performance, you may want to try increasing the buffer value. Most often, though, the default value works just fine.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Figure 3.22 Under the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog box, you can assign the sound card input and output you want Sound Forge to use for recording and playback of audio.

5. From the Default Recording Device drop-down list, select the sound card input you want

to use. 6. Click OK. Q

PLAY DEVICE TOOLBAR If you have a sound card that provides multiple outputs, there may be times when you want to use a different output for playback in Sound Forge. Instead of having to go through all the motions of opening the Performance dialog box and making adjustments, you can use the Play Device toolbar to change your audio output on the fly. To open the toolbar, choose View ඎ Toolbars and put a check mark next to the Play Device option in the list. You only have to do this once. From then on, you can keep the toolbar open. Then, if you want to change the audio output quickly, just choose a new output from the Play Device toolbar drop-down list.

Advanced Record and Playback Settings You may have noticed that at the bottom of the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box is a button labeled Advanced. This button accesses a number of advanced record and playback settings that can

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Q Audio Settings help you get better performance out of Sound Forge. The settings that are available depend upon the sound card drivers that you chose to use. ASIO Buffer Size If you chose to use ASIO drivers, the Playback Buffering parameter was unavailable in the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box, but you can still set playback buffering for ASIO drivers. To do so, click the Advanced button at the bottom of the dialog box to open the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box. Then click the Configure button to open the ASIO control panel for your sound card. Every sound card provides its own ASIO control panel, so yours may look different than the one I’m using for this example, which is the M-Audio Revolution (see Figure 3.23). Figure 3.23 Use your sound card’s ASIO control panel to set playback buffering when using ASIO drivers.

Somewhere inside the control panel you will find an ASIO Buffer Size parameter. Choose a buffer size from the list and then close the panel. If you’re getting skips or gaps in your playback, try choosing the larger buffer size, but most likely the default value will work fine. When you’re finished, click OK to close the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box and click OK again to close the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 Advanced MME Buffers If you want more control over the playback buffering when using MME drivers, you can find some advanced settings in the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box. To adjust those settings, do the following: 1. Click the Advanced button at the bottom of the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box to open the

Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box (see Figure 3.24). Figure 3.24 Use the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box for more control over MME playback buffering.

2. Select the sound card output that you are using from the Audio Devices list. 3. Use the Audio Buffers slider to set the number of playback buffers you want to use. The more

buffers you use, the greater the amount of playback buffering. You may need to use a higher amount to get rid of gaps and skips, but try to use the lowest setting possible. 4. Set the Buffer Size parameter. If you chose the MME option, Sound Forge will use your

Playback Buffering parameter setting from the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box in conjunction with the Audio Buffers parameters to create a set of playback buffers whose length is designated in seconds. For example, if you set the Audio Buffers to 5 and the Playback Buffering parameter to 0.35, you will get five playback buffers of 0.07 seconds each. If you don’t choose the MME option and choose a size in samples instead, your Playback Buffering setting will be ignored and Sound Forge will create a set of playback buffers whose length is designated in samples. Again, higher values mean more playback buffering, but you want to find the lowest setting you can use without hearing gaps or skips in your playback.

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Q Audio Settings 5. Set the Priority parameter. The higher the priority you give to the playback buffer, the

smoother the playback, but too high a setting can decrease performance in other areas of Sound Forge. It’s best to keep this at the default setting if possible. 6. Set the Do Not Pre-Roll Buffers Before Starting Playback parameter. This parameter tells

Sound Forge whether or not to create buffers prior to starting playback. You can probably keep this deactivated, but if you hear stuttering during playback, try activating this parameter to fix the problem. 7. Click OK to close the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box. 8. Click OK to close the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box.

Interpolate and Position Bias While adjusting the advanced MME buffer settings, you may have noticed a couple of other parameters in the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box. These are the Interpolate and Position Bias settings, which are only available when using MME drivers. During recording and playback, Sound Forge provides a counter that shows you (in terms of a certain measurement, such as time) at what point in the current audio file that data is being recorded or played. Usually, the driver software of your sound card provides this counter value, but unfortunately many sound card drivers don’t report their counter values accurately. This means that during recording, your time counters will be off, or during playback, your Markers (which I’ll talk about in Chapter 5) will be positioned within your data incorrectly. To remedy this problem, Sound Forge provides the Interpolate and Position Bias parameters. The Interpolate feature allows Sound Forge to provide the counter value during recording and playback rather than making the program rely on possibly inaccurate sound card drivers. By default, the Interpolate feature is deactivated for both playback and recording. If you want to activate them, do the following: 1. In the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box, click the Advanced button to open the Advanced

Audio Configuration dialog box. 2. In the Audio Devices list, select the sound card output you are using. 3. Place a check mark next to the Interpolate Position parameter to activate interpolation

for playback. 4. In the Audio Devices list, select the sound card input you are using. 5. Place a check mark next to the Interpolate Position parameter to activate interpolation

for recording.

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 The Position Bias feature specifies an offset that Sound Forge should add to the counter value in order to compensate for an inaccurate sound card driver value. By default, Position Bias is set to zero for both recording and playback, which means it has no effect. But if you find that you are having problems with the counter value either lagging behind or counting ahead of the actual sound during playback or recording, you may be able to correct the problem by assigning values to the Position Bias parameters. Just do the following: 1. In the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box, click the Advanced button to open the Advanced

Audio Configuration dialog box. 2. In the Audio Devices list, select the sound card output you are using. 3. Adjust the Position Bias slider to increase or decrease the value for playback. 4. In the Audio Devices list, select the sound card input you are using. 5. Adjust the Position Bias slider to increase or decrease the value for recording.

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POSSIBLE BIAS SETTINGS Most sound cards that exhibit an inaccurate counter value problem provide a value that counts ahead of the actual sound. So, say that you want to enter a positive value for the Position Bias settings. Typical values are 4, 8, 16, and 32, which correspond to the typical inaccuracies of many sound card drivers. Try out these values and keep adjusting the Position Bias settings until you get an accurate counter reading.

6. Click OK to close the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box. 7. Click OK to close the Preferences ඎ Audio dialog box.

Other Performance Optimizations In addition to the previously mentioned parameter settings, there are a few other adjustments you can make to help Sound Forge perform more smoothly. More than likely, you won’t have to make these adjustments because they don’t consume much computer processing power, but if you experience glitches in playback or recording, these tweaks may help. Turn Off the Playback Position Counter and Record Counter During playback, Sound Forge displays a playback position counter in the bottom area of the Data Window, and during recording, Sound Forge displays a time counter in the Record dialog

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Q Quiz box. If you find you are having performance problems, you may want to deactivate these features. Here’s how: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then click the

General tab. 2. To deactivate the playback position counter, remove the check mark next to the Show the Position of the Playback Cursor option. 3. To deactivate the record time counter, remove the check mark next to the Show the Record

Counter While Recording option. 4. Click OK. Turn Off the Meters During playback, Sound Forge displays audio amplitude (volume) levels in the Play Meters window (which is docked on the right side of the Workspace by default). To help with playback performance, you can turn the meters off by closing the window. To do so, choose View ඎ Play Meters (or press Alt + 6 on your computer keyboard). Q

OPTIMIZE YOUR AUDIO PC There are a number of other things you can do to your PC that will make it run more efficiently for the purpose of making music. These include adjustments to the system itself, as well as to the Windows OS. If you want more information about how to optimize your audio PC, check out my feature article in Issue 14 of DigiFreq. You can get the issue for free at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

Quiz 1. Some of the Workspace adjustments you can make are to the colors, toolbars, Data Window

layouts, and keyboard shortcuts. True or False? 2. You can create your own entirely new toolbars in Sound Forge. True or False? 3. When you close Sound Forge, the size, position, and file name of the Data Windows cur-

rently open are saved automatically. True or False? 4. Can you have both docked and stacked windows located next to each other? Yes or No? 5. What is the first step you need to take in order to create your own keyboard shortcuts? 6. You can assign the keys on your MIDI keyboard synthesizer or controller as shortcuts to

execute functions within Sound Forge. True or False? 7. What are the seven different types of MIDI messages?

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CHAPTER 3 } Customizing Sound Forge 8 8. Can moving the Sound Forge temporary storage folder to a separate hard drive give you

better performance? Yes or No? 9. Sound Forge provides multitrack audio recording. True or False? 10. Why would you want to use the Play Device toolbar?

You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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4

Working with Audio Files

Because audio data can be stored in a variety of file formats, Sound Forge has to support many different types of audio files. You can’t perform very many tasks in Sound Forge without first creating a new audio file or opening an existing one. So, in this chapter’s discussion of audio files, you’ll learn how to: Q Explain the different audio file formats. Q Open an existing audio file. Q Create a new audio file. Q Save an audio file.

Understanding Audio File Formats Just as different physical methods of storing audio were developed over time for different applications and reasons (vinyl records, tapes, compact discs, and now DVDs, etc.), different computerized methods for storing audio data have been developed as well. These methods come in the form of audio file formats. An audio file format is simply a specification stating the structure of how audio data in a file should be stored. For example, one audio file format may specify that the bits and bytes of audio data should be ordered in a certain manner, and another format may specify that the data be ordered in an entirely different manner. Of course, this is a very simplified explanation, but what it boils down to is that the same audio data can be stored in a variety of different ways. Why do you need more than one audio file format? Because you may want to use your audio data for different tasks, such as playback on a CD, music or sound effects in a video game, a film or video soundtrack, or even for downloading over the Internet. Each task may require that your audio data be saved in a different way. For example, audio for a CD must be stored using a bit depth of 16 and a 44.1 KHz sampling rate. But for downloading over the Internet, you use a

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files different bit depth and sampling rate because at 16 bit, 44.1 KHz, every minute of stereo audio consumes about 10 MB of disk space! That’s a lot of data to push over a lowly phone line. In addition to providing different bit depths and sampling rates, some audio file formats also offer data compression. This means that by saving to certain file formats, you can shrink the size of your audio files for use in low-bandwidth situations, as mentioned earlier with the Internet. Sometimes, the compression doesn’t affect the quality of your audio, but most of the time it does. With compression, you have to find a good compromise between the quality of your audio data and the size of the file you want to end up with. There are many different compression schemes available, and I talk about those shortly. Different audio file formats also exist because of the many different computer platforms that have been created over the years, such as the Amiga, Macintosh, NeXT, and the Windows PC. To provide you with as much flexibility as possible, Sound Forge allows you to open and save a large number of the existing audio file formats. Some of these, you might never use, but just in case, it’s good to know that you can if the need arises.

Dialogic VOX (.VOX) This is an optimized audio file format that is mainly used for telephony applications. The Dialogic VOX format saves 16-bit audio data and compresses it to 4-bit audio data, which gives you a 4:1 compression ratio. This means that you can save files that are very large in size and compress them significantly. Of course, the quality of the audio is affected, and the format only supports monophonic data. Dialogic VOX audio files have a .VOX file extension, and they use ADPCM as their compression method. Q

PCM AND ADPCM CODING PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is a coding method used to represent uncompressed audio data. It is the most common method of audio data configuration, and is used in many of the available audio file formats. ADPCM (Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation) is a coding method used to represent compressed audio data. There is a standard ADPCM method, which is approved by the International Multimedia Association (IMA). There are also a wide number of variants available that have been developed by companies such as Microsoft. The different variants produce different results in terms of quality and file size.

Intervoice (.IVC) Like the Dialogic VOX format, the Intervoice format is for use in telephony applications. It only supports 8-bit, monophonic audio data, but it provides a number of different compression schemes. These schemes include both A-Law and u-Law. Intervoice files have a .IVC file extension.

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Q Understanding Audio File Formats Q

A-LAW AND U-LAW COMPRESSION A-Law is an audio compression scheme optimized for compressing voice audio data, and is commonly used for telecommunications applications in the United States. The A-Law compression scheme encodes 16-bit PCM audio into 8-bit PCM audio. The scheme is very similar to u-Law, except that each scheme uses different coding and decoding methods. u-Law (or mu-Law, pronounced “mew-law”) is also a compression scheme optimized for compressing voice audio data, but instead is commonly used for telecommunications applications in Europe. As with A-Law, u-Law encodes 16-bit PCM audio into 8-bit PCM audio.

Audio Interchange File Format AIFF (.AIF/.SND) This is the standard file format for saving audio data on the Macintosh. If you ever need to transfer audio files between the PC and the Mac, this is the format you should use. The format supports 8-bit and 16-bit monophonic and stereo audio data. Files in this format may or may not also contain a Mac-Binary header. If a file of this type doesn’t contain a Mac-Binary header, it probably has .AIF for a file extension. If a file of this type does contain a Mac-Binary header, Sound Forge opens it but identifies the file as a Macintosh Resource instead. In this case, the file probably has .SND for a file extension. Q

MAC-BINARY HEADER Files on the Macintosh are stored with what is called a Mac-Binary header. This is a small section of information stored in the beginning of a file that identifies the type of file to the Mac OS (operating system) and other applications. This is how the Mac can tell whether a file contains text, graphic, or audio data, and so on. If you want to learn more about how files work on the Mac, check out all the technical information available at http://www.apple.com/.

MP3 Audio (.MP3/.MPG/.MPEG) More than likely, you’ve heard of the MP3 audio file format. It’s all the rage (literally) these days with people on the Internet. News about the format has even made it into the mainstream media because the format is being used to post illegal copies of music all over the Web. Why is the format so popular? Because it compresses your audio data at about a ratio of 12:1, and the quality of the audio is very close to CD quality. Sound Forge provides support for opening MP3 files and saving to MP3. Q

NOTE For more information about the MP3 format, check out the HowStuffWorks site at: http://www.howstuffworks.com/mp3.htm.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files

Ogg Vorbis (.OGG) In addition to MP3, you may have heard of the Ogg Vorbis audio file format. It’s a fairly new type of file format that does pretty much the same thing as MP3, but some say it provides better quality and smaller file sizes. For all you ever wanted to know about this format, go to: http://www.vorbis.com/.

NeXT/Sun (.AU/.SND) Like the Macintosh AIFF, the NeXT/Sun audio file format is also a standard format, but it’s for the NeXT and Sun Sparc station computer systems rather than the Mac or PC. This format supports many types of audio data, including 8-bit and 16-bit, monophonic and stereo. It also provides support for a variety of compression schemes, but Sound Forge only supports the most common (u-Law) compression for this format. If you download a lot of audio files from the Internet, you’ll file many of them with the .AU file extension. Most of these files are 16-bit audio that have been compressed to 8-bit u-Law data for transferring over the Net or for use in Java applications.

RealMedia (.RM) If you spend any time surfing the Internet, you’ve more than likely heard of this file format. The RealMedia file format creates streaming audio and video files for transmission over the Internet. It supplies sophisticated proprietary compression features for making it possible to transmit audio and video data over the Internet (even through a lowly telephone connection) in real time. This means that you can start listening to or viewing the data as it downloads rather than having to wait for the whole file to be stored on your computer’s hard drive. The RealMedia format was created by RealNetworks. If you want to find out more about this format, surf on over to http://www.real.com/. Q

OPENING REALMEDIA FILES Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions, Sound Forge doesn’t allow you to open RealMedia files. Not to worry though, you can still save your audio to the RealMedia format. You’ll need the RealMedia player in order to listen to the files after saving. I’ll talk more about saving to the RealMedia format later in this chapter.

Sound Designer 1 (.DIG/.SD) Yet another product-specific format, the Sound Designer 1 audio file format is for use with the Sound Designer 1 software application on the Macintosh. And it only supports 16-bit monophonic audio. The files have either a .DIG or .SD extension.

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Q Understanding Audio File Formats

Video for Windows (.AVI), QuickTime (.MOV), MPEG-1 & 2 (.MPG) Believe it or not, in addition to audio data, Sound Forge loads and saves video data in the form of AVI, MOV, and MPG files. You can’t edit the video data, but you can edit the audio data stored within a video file. AVI, QuickTime, and MPEG are special digital video file formats specifically designed for working with video on computers. Each format uses its own unique compression scheme to achieve video quality as good as possible in a file size as small as possible. AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) is a Windows-based format, which means that any computer running Windows can play AVI files. QuickTime is a Mac-based format, which means that any Macintosh computer can play QuickTime files. With special players’ software, a computer running Windows can also play QuickTime files. MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) is a more advanced format that sometimes requires special hardware for playback. Sound Forge can both load and save all of these file types, but the MPEG formats require an additional purchase.

Microsoft Wave (.WAV) Like MP3, Wave is another very popular audio file format that you’ve probably heard about. Wave is a Windows-based format, which means that any computer running Windows can play Wave files. The format supports a lot of different types of audio data, including 8-bit and 16-bit, monophonic and stereo audio. The Wave format also provides support for a huge number of different compression schemes, including many of the different ADPCM variants via the Microsoft ACM (Audio Compression Manager). The ACM is a part of Windows that works transparently, providing access to any compression schemes that are installed on your computer. Windows ships with a number of different schemes, and you probably also have a number of others from audio product manufacturers. If you’re working with Windows, then you probably use the Wave format for about 90 percent of your audio work. Most sound and music software on the Windows platform support this format. Wave files have a .WAV file extension.

Windows Media Audio/Video (.WMA/.WMV) Similar to RealMedia, Windows Media Audio/Video is a special audio/video file format that creates streaming audio/video files for transmission over the Internet. The format is a Windowsbased format, which means that any computer running Windows (with the Windows Media Player installed) can play Windows Media files. Like RealMedia, Windows Media Audio supplies sophisticated proprietary compression features that make it possible to transmit audio/video data over the Internet in real time. And also similar to RealMedia, the compression does affect the quality of your audio/video data. Windows Media files have .WMA (audio) and .WMV (video) extensions. If you want to find out more about this format, surf on over to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/.

RAW File (.RAW/*.*) RAW audio format files (as the name states) contain plain audio data. The data is not saved in a specific format (like those mentioned earlier). When you save a RAW file, the audio data is saved

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files in a “plain brown wrapper,” so to speak. It’s pure audio data. And when you load a RAW file in Sound Forge, you must specify certain parameters for the data to be loaded.

Perfect Clarity Audio (.PCA) In addition to all of the aforementioned audio file formats, Sony also provides its own format called Perfect Clarity Audio. Similar to MP3, Perfect Clarity Audio uses compression to create small file sizes, but unlike MP3, the quality of the audio is not affected. Perfect Clarity Audio is known as a lossless audio file format, which means there is no loss of quality when audio is saved to this format, even though the file size is smaller than if you had saved the same audio data to the WAV file format. This is a nice way to store audio data in a limited amount of space without having to worry about affecting the quality, but keep in mind that only Sony products support this format. So, you still need to store your data in another format if you want it to be accessible from within other audio applications. In addition, because it is a lossless format, Perfect Clarity Audio can’t create the same small file sizes as the MP3 format can. Either way, there is a tradeoff between file size and audio quality. Q

AUDIO FILE FORMAT FAQ If you want to dig even deeper and find more in-depth information about these (and other) audio file formats, be sure to check out the Audio File Format FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). You can find it on the Internet at: http://www.cnpbagwell.com/audio.html.

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PROJECT FILES Sound Forge also opens and saves Sound Forge Project Files (.FRG). A project file is not an actual audio file. Instead, a project file provides virtual pointers to original audio files so that you can do your editing nondestructively. I will talk more about project files in the last section of this chapter.

Opening Audio/Video Files There are a number of ways to open an existing file in Sound Forge. The quickest way is to use the bottom portion of the File menu (see Figure 4.1). Sound Forge lists your previously opened audio files here. To open one of these files, just choose File and then click the file you want to open (or press Alt + F + the number of the file in the list). Sound Forge keeps track of the last two to nine files you’ve worked with. When you open one more than the maximum number of allowed listed files, the file on the bottom of the list is bumped off—not killed or deleted, just removed from the list. You can set the maximum number of previously opened files to be listed by using the Preferences dialog

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Q Opening Audio/Video Files Figure 4.1 Your previously opened audio files are listed in the bottom portion of Sound Forge’s File menu.

box. Just choose Options ඎ Preferences and click the General tab. At the bottom of the dialog box, make sure there is a check mark next to the Recently Used File List option. Then simply enter a number from 2 to 9 to set the maximum number of files to be included on the list. You can also open an existing file by using Sound Forge’s Open function. To do so, follow these steps: 1. Choose File ඎ Open to display the Open dialog box (see Figure 4.2). Notice that this dialog

box provides a bit more functionality than the standard Windows File Open dialog box. 2. Locate the folder in which the file resides using the Look In drop-down list. Or, for a list of recently accessed folders, use the Recent drop-down list. 3. Choose the type of audio file you want to open by using the Files of Type drop-down list. 4. Select the file you want to open from the displayed list of files.

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OPENING MULTIPLE FILES You can open multiple separate files at the same time by holding down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard while you select the files with your mouse. In addition, you can select a range of files by holding down the Shift key, or you can drag your mouse over multiple files. Sound Forge opens each file in a separate Data Window.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Figure 4.2 You can also open existing files using the Open dialog box.

5. If the Auto Play option is activated, Sound Forge plays the selected file. If you deactivate

the Auto Play function, you can play the file manually by clicking the Play button. To stop playback, click the Stop button. If you have multiple files selected, the Auto Play function is not available. 6. To find out some specifics about the selected file, look at the bottom section of the Open

dialog box. Here, you’ll find displayed the file type, the file length (in minutes, seconds, frames, and samples), the format of the data (PCM, ADPCM, etc.), the attributes of the data (sampling rate, bit depth, monophonic or stereo), whether the data has sample loop properties (such as a unity note and loop type), the SMPTE offset assigned to the data, whether the file contains any region or playlist attributes, and any comments attached to the file in the form of text. (Don’t worry if I’ve mentioned some things here that you don’t understand just yet. I’ll talk about them later in the book.) 7. For even more details about the file, click the More button to open the Properties dialog box

(see Figure 4.3). Click Cancel to close the dialog box after you’ve finished examining its properties. 8. If you simply need to copy some data from the file without making any other edits, and you

want to take extra care not to alter the file, you can open it in read-only mode. Just put a check mark next to the Open as Read-Only option to activate it so that you can open the file for playback or data copying, but you won’t be able to alter the file in any way.

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Q Opening Audio/Video Files Figure 4.3 The Properties dialog box displays detailed information about your selected audio file.

9. If you have two mono files that you would like to open as a single stereo file, activate the

Merge L/R To Stereo open. Then hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard and select the two files you want to open. The first file you select will be opened as the left channel of the stereo file and the second file will be opened as the right channel. 10. Click the Open button to open your file(s). After you’ve opened your file(s), Sound Forge displays the Data Window(s). It also shows attributes and file length in the currently selected Data Window in the status bar at the bottom of the Workspace. In addition, you can see how much hard disk space you have left after opening your file(s) by checking the number of megabytes display, which is also located in the status bar. Q

DRAG AND DROP Another way to open files with Sound Forge is to simply drag and drop them from the Windows Explorer or Desktop onto the Sound Forge Workspace.

The Explorer Window In addition to dragging and dropping files from the Windows Explorer or the Windows Desktop, you can also open files via drag and drop using Sound Forge’s built-in Explorer window. The Explorer window lets you examine and preview any audio/video files stored on your computer system before dragging and dropping them for opening. To use the Explorer window, follow these steps: 1. Choose View ඎ Explorer (or press Alt + 1 on your computer keyboard) to open the Explorer

window (see Figure 4.4). The Explorer window is very similar to Windows Explorer.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Figure 4.4 Use the Explorer window to find and open your audio and video files.

2. In the Folders pane (the left side of the window), navigate to the folder on your computer

system that contains your audio/video files and then select the folder. Its contents will be displayed in the File pane. 3. You can display your audio/video files as a list of file names or a detailed list of file names.

Just use the Views menu to toggle the Details option off or on (see Figure 4.5). You can also filter the display to show only audio/video files or all types of files by toggling the All Files option. In addition, toggling the Summary View and Region View options displays file attribute and region information about a selected file, respectively. I’ll talk more about regions in Chapter 5. 4. To preview an audio/video file, select the file in the File pane and then click the Start Preview

button on the Explorer window toolbar. To stop playback, click the Stop Preview button. If you want a file to start playing automatically as soon as you select it, activate the Auto Preview option (see Figure 4.6). 5. To open a file, just drag and drop it from the Explorer window into any blank area of the Sound Forge Workspace. You can also right-click (or double-click) on a file to open it or perform a variety of other Windows file-based functions. A Data Window will be opened, and the audio waveform for the file will be displayed. 6. You can keep the Explorer window open for as long as you need to continue dragging and

dropping files into Sound Forge.

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Q Opening Audio/Video Files Figure 4.5 Customize the Explorer window using the Views menu.

Stop Preview Start Preview Auto Preview

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Figure 4.6 Preview a file using the Start Preview, Stop Preview, and Auto Preview functions.

QUICK FILE MIXING You can also use the Explorer window to quickly mix together the audio contents of multiple files. I will talk about how to do this in Chapter 7.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files

Opening RAW Files Because a RAW file is nothing more than pure audio data, Sound Forge can’t tell the file’s attributes when opening the file. Instead, you have to tell Sound Forge what attributes to use when opening a RAW file. So, after you click the Open button in the Open dialog box (discussed earlier), you need to make some additional option choices. Here are the steps you should take: 1. After you select the RAW file and click the Open button in the Open dialog box, the Raw

File Type dialog box is displayed (see Figure 4.7). Figure 4.7 The Raw File Type dialog box lets you select the attributes of the RAW file that you want to work with in Sound Forge.

2. Select a sampling rate for the audio file from the Sample Rate drop-down list. 3. Select sample type or bit depth for the audio file by selecting one of the options in the Sample

Type section. 4. Select a format for the audio file in the Format section. This option is a bit technical. You use

it to tell Sound Forge whether the bits of audio data are stored as Unsigned or Signed. Most files utilize the Signed option. 5. Select whether the audio file is monophonic or stereo by selecting an option in the Channels

section. 6. Select how the audio data bytes are ordered in the file by selecting an option in the Byte Order section. If it is a PC-based audio file, select the Little-Endian option. If it is a Mac-based audio file, select the Big-Endian option. 7. If you know that there is other data stored in the file before the audio data, specify how many bytes of non-audio data are included by entering a number in the Header field.

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Q Opening Audio/Video Files 8. If you know that there is other data stored in the file after the audio data, specify how many

bytes of non-audio data are included by entering a number in the Trailer field. 9. Click OK.

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SAVE YOUR SETTINGS If you get a lot of RAW files that use the same audio format settings, activate the Remember My Preference and Apply It in the Future option. Sound Forge will remember your settings in the Raw File Type dialog box and apply them automatically the next time.

Sound Forge then opens the RAW file using the attributes that you selected. If the attributes you specified are incorrect, Sound Forge opens the file, but you get nothing but junk data. If you try playing the file, it just sounds like noise. So, if anyone ever sends you a RAW audio data file, be sure they tell you the attributes of the file and save yourself a lot of trial and error, not to mention frustration.

File Crash Recovery Sound Forge automatically creates temporary edit files for the files you open. If your computer crashes at any time during your audio editing session, Sound Forge has the ability to recover the temporary files containing your edited audio data. I really like this feature because I never know when Windows is going to decide to crash. Here’s how the file recovery feature works: 1. After your computer crashes, reboot and then run Sound Forge. 2. When you start the program, it automatically detects any temporary audio files that might

still be on your hard drive. If any are found, Sound Forge displays the Crash Recovery dialog box (see Figure 4.8). 3. In the list of displayed files, select the files you want to recover and click the Recover button. 4. If you know you don’t need the files, you can just delete them by clicking the Cancel button.

Figure 4.8 The Crash Recovery dialog box recovers temporary audio files that may have been left on your hard drive during a computer system crash.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files After you recover your files, Sound Forge opens them in Data Windows and brings you back to the point you were at in your editing session right before your computer crashed.

Creating New Audio Files Creating a new audio file with Sound Forge is one of the easiest tasks you’ll ever perform with the software. It’s really just a simple matter of using the File ඎ New function and defining the attributes of your new file. Here are the steps you need to take: 1. Choose File ඎ New (or press Ctrl + N on your computer keyboard) to open the New Window

dialog box (see Figure 4.9). Figure 4.9 The New Window dialog box defines the attributes of the new audio file you want to create.

2. Select a sampling rate for the new file by using the Sample Rate drop-down list. 3. Select a bit depth for the new file by using the Bit-Depth drop-down list. 4. Select whether the file will be monophonic or stereo by choosing an option in the Channels

section. 5. Click OK. Q

MAXIMUM EDITING TIME As you change each of the parameters, Sound Forge displays an estimate (via the Maximum Editing Time feature) of how long (in hours, minutes, and seconds) a file you can create, taking into account the remaining space on your hard drive.

Sound Forge then opens a new, blank Data Window ready and waiting for you to fill it with audio data. Q

RECORD A NEW FILE You can also create new audio files by using Sound Forge’s audio recording feature, which automatically creates a new audio file with the data that you record. I’ll talk more about that in Chapter 6.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files

Saving Audio/Video Files Sound Forge provides three different commands for saving files: Save, Save All, and Save As. The Save command provides a quick way to save the file with which you’re currently working. Simply choose File ඎ Save (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard) and the file is saved. The Save All command provides a quick way to save all of the currently open files (if you have more than one open). Simply choose File ඎ Save All. Sound Forge asks you if you’re sure you want to save each individual file. Q

SAVE ALL FILES QUICKLY If you hold down the Shift key on your computer keyboard when you choose the File ඎ Save All command, Sound Forge does not confirm the saving of each open file. All of the files are simply saved.

The Save As command specifies the format to which you want to save the currently open file. To use this command, follow these steps: 1. Choose File ඎ Save As to display the Save As dialog box (see Figure 4.10). Notice that

this dialog box provides a bit more functionality than the standard Windows file save dialog box. Figure 4.10 You can specify the format to which you want to save the currently open file using the Save As dialog box.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 2. Locate the folder into which you want to save the file using the Save In drop-down list. Or,

for a list of recently accessed folders, use the Recent drop-down list. 3. Enter a name for the file (if it doesn’t already have one) into the File Name field. 4. Choose the file type for the file in the Save as Type drop-down list. 5. Choose the format (PCM, ADPCM, etc.) for the file in the Template drop-down list.

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SAVE AS TEMPLATES Templates provide a quick and easy way to choose the attributes for your file (including sample rate, bit depth, etc). Each file type provides different attributes that can be set. There are predefined templates for each file type, but you can also create your own. I’ll talk about this later in this chapter.

6. If you have created regions or a playlist for your file (see Chapters 5 and 6) or defined

summary information for the file, you can save this information within the file by activating the Save Metadata with File option. 7. To edit or view the summary information for a file, click the Summary button to open the Properties dialog box (see Figure 4.11). Figure 4.11 The Properties dialog box allows you to edit and view the summary information for a file.

8. Edit the Title, Subject, Engineer, Copyright, and Comments information for the file.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files 9. You can also attach a picture to the file by clicking the Picture button. In the Open Picture

dialog box, simply select a Windows Bitmap (.BMP), Windows Cursor (.CUR), or Windows Icon (.ICO) file to attach and then click the Open button. Q

USE PICTURE IDENTIFICATION Most Windows graphics applications allow you to create your own Windows Bitmap (.BMP) files. For identification purposes, you could take a picture of yourself, scan it into your computer, save it as a Windows Bitmap, and then attach it to all your audio files.

10. If you want to include even more information in your file, click the Extended button to open

the Extended Summary dialog box (see Figure 4.12). Figure 4.12 The Extended Summary dialog box allows you to enter even more textual data to embedd in your file.

11. The Fields section lists all the additional information you can include in your file. To include

a specific piece of information, put an X next to it in the list. Then enter the text for the information in the Contents section. To see a description of each item listed in the Fields section, just highlight the item and read the description at the bottom of the dialog box. Q

SET DEFAULT SUMMARY INFORMATION Whenever you save a file in Sound Forge, a default set of summary information is included in the file. If you want to specify the current file’s summary information as the default information for newly saved files, just click the Default button and then click Yes.

12. Click OK in the Extended Summary dialog box.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 13. Click OK in the Properties dialog box. 14. Click the Save button to save your file.

Sound Forge then saves your file with all of the settings that you specified.

File Save Templates In past versions of Sound Forge, you had to specify individual parameter settings for each file type whenever you saved a file. Starting with Sound Forge 6, this process was made much easier through the use of templates. Now, for example, instead of having to set the compression format, sample rate, bit depth, and channels when saving a WAV file, you simply choose a template, which defines those settings for you. Sound Forge ships with a number of predefined templates for each file type. Of course, some of these templates may not serve your needs. In this case, you may have to create a new template. To create a new template, you simply click the Custom button in the Save As dialog box. This opens the Custom Settings dialog box. But this box does not always look the same. Each file type has different parameter settings available, so creating a template can sometimes be different for each one. In the following sections, I’ll show you how to create a template for the file types available within Sound Forge. Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.13). Figure 4.13 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the AIFF file format.

2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Select a sampling rate from the Sample Rate drop-down list. 5. Select a bit depth from the Bit Depth drop-down list.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files 6. Specify whether the file should be mono or stereo in the Channels drop-down list. 7. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 8. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 9. Click OK.

Intervoice File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.14). Figure 4.14 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Intervoice file format.

2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Choose the type of audio compression to be associated with this template in the Format

drop-down list. 5. Select a sampling rate from the Sample Rate drop-down list. 6. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 7. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 8. Click OK. MP3 Audio File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.15).

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Figure 4.15 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the MP3 file format.

2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Under the Encode Settings tab, select a bit rate from the Bit Rate drop-down list. The bit rate

lets you specify how much data needs to be read from the file to achieve reliable playback. The higher the bit rate, the better the quality of the sound, but the bigger the file. The lower the bit rate, the worse the quality of the sound, but the smaller the file. Most MP3 files that you find on the Internet use a 128 kbits/sec bit rate. This setting provides a good balance between sound quality and file size. 5. Set the Quality slider. This setting determines the quality and speed of the encoding process. The higher the Quality slider setting, the better the encoding process and the better your file sounds. This setting makes the encode process take more time, but not so much of a difference from a lower Quality slider setting. I always leave this set to Highest Quality. 6. Set the VBR Quality option. Activating this option tells Sound Forge to vary the bit rate during

the encoding process. Sometimes this can yield a higher quality sound and a smaller file size, but it depends on the material you are encoding. You’ll have to experiment with this setting to see if it is worth using. Personally, I usually leave this option deactivated.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files 7. In the Stereo Encoding section, choose how you want your MP3 file encoded: Mono, Dual

Channel, Stereo, or Joint Stereo. If you choose the Mono option, your file will be encoded as a mono file. If you choose the Stereo option, your file will be encoded as a stereo file. If you choose the Dual Channel option, your file will be encoded as a stereo file with two independent channels. This means that the encoder will not compare the audio material in both channels to each other during the encoding process. This can be useful when encoding multilingual vocal files with a different language being spoken in each channel. If you choose the Joint Stereo option, the left and right channels are compared and any audio material that is the same in both channels is eliminated. This allows you to obtain smaller audio files, but it will also affect the quality of the file. 8. If you want to apply property markings to be included in the file that indicate the audio material is copyrighted, private, or original, activate the Copyrighted, Private, or Original Material options. These options don’t affect the sound at all—they just tell the player software that the file has certain characteristics. 9. Click the ID3 Settings tab. 10. If you want to save some descriptive textual information in the template, activate the Save

Both ID3 Version 1 and Version 2 Tags to File option. 11. Add information regarding Title, Artist, Album, Copyright, Comments, Year, and Genre into the appropriate fields. This information can be displayed by the MP3 player during playback of the file. 12. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 13. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 14. Click OK. Ogg Vorbis File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.16). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Select an encoding mode from the Mode drop-down list. If you want to specify a bit rate for

the file, choose Average Bit Rate. If you want to let Sound Forge vary the bit rate during encoding, choose VBR Quality.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Figure 4.16 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Ogg Vorbis file format.

5. If you chose Average Bit Rate for the Mode parameter, choose a bit rate from the Bit Rate

drop-down list. The bit rate lets you set how much data needs to be read from the file to achieve reliable playback. The higher the bit rate, the better the quality of the sound, but the bigger the file. The lower the bit rate, the worse the quality of the sound, but the smaller the file. If you want your Ogg Vorbis file to have CD quality sound, use a 128 kbits/sec bit rate. This setting provides a good balance between sound quality and file size. 6. If you chose VBR Quality for the Mode parameter, choose a setting for the Quality slider.

The higher the Quality slider setting, the higher the sound quality of your file. But the higher the setting, the larger your file size, so you may need to try a few settings before you can find the right quality to file size ratio. 7. Select a sampling rate from the Sample Rate drop-down list. For CD quality sound, use a setting of 44,100 Hz. 8. Specify whether the file should be mono or stereo in the Channels drop-down list. 9. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 10. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 11. Click OK.

RAW File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.17). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files Figure 4.17 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the RAW file format.

4. Select the sample type or bit depth for the audio file by selecting one of the options in the

Sample Type section. 5. Select a format for the audio file in the Format section. This option is a bit technical. You use it to tell Sound Forge whether the bits of audio data are stored as Unsigned or Signed. Most files utilize the Signed option. 6. Specify whether the audio file is monophonic or stereo by selecting an option in the Channels

section. 7. Specify how the audio data bytes are ordered in the file by selecting an option in the Byte

Order section. If it is a PC-based audio file, select the Little-Endian option. If it is a Mac-based audio file, select the Big-Endian option. 8. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right of the Template field). 9. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 10. Click OK. RealMedia File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.18). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template parameter. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description parameter.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Figure 4.18 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the RealMedia file format.

4. Under the Encode Settings tab, activate the Connect At Project Settings option. Activating

this option tells the encoder to take into account the current audio file settings. 5. Choose the type of audio data you are encoding in the Audio Mode drop-down list. 6. Activate the High Quality Audio Resampling option. You should keep this option activated

to get the best quality audio. 7. Choose the type of video data you are encoding in the Video Mode drop-down list. 8. Activate the 2-Pass Encoding option. Activating this option tells Sound Forge to spend more

time examining the data, thus yielding better quality. So, if you don’t mind spending a little extra time encoding your file, turn this option on. 9. If you want to change the size of the video frames to something other than the original size, you can do so by selecting a new frame size from the Frame Size drop-down list. You can also set a custom video frame size by selecting Custom from the drop-down list and then entering values for the Width and Height parameters. You should also activate the High Quality Resize option. This will give you a better quality video file, but will take longer to encode. 10. Under the Audiences tab, choose the type of Internet connection your visitors will be using to download or stream your audio/video file. Select an audience from the Available

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files Audiences section and click the Add button. You can add as many audiences as you’d like, but it will increase the size of your file. 11. Under the Video Filters tab, use the Cropping option to set the exact size of the video in

screen pixels. 12. Activate the Black Level Correction option. This setting adjusts the brightness of your video so that black colors look darker. 13. If you’re converting a video from one format to another (such as 24 frames per second to 30 frames per second), activate the Deinterlace/Inverse Telecine option. This feature can improve jagged-looking video and remove repeat video frames. 14. If you have noise (snow) in your video, you can try removing it by activating the Video Noise Reduction option. You can also set this option to use High or Low quality. Try both to see which works best for your video. 15. Under the Summary tab, enter any text information you want to incorporate into the template

including Title, Author, Copyright, Keywords, Description, and Rating. 16. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 17. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon to the right of the Template field). 18. Click OK. Perfect Clarity Audio File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.19). Figure 4.19 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Perfect Clarity Audio file format.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Select a sampling rate from the Sample Rate drop-down list. 5. Select a bit depth from the Bit Depth drop-down list. 6. Specify whether the file should be mono or stereo in the Channels drop-down list. 7. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 8. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon to the right of the Template field). 9. Click OK.

Video for Windows (AVI) File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.20). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option.

Figure 4.20 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Video for Windows file format.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. If you want to use this template to save video data, activate the Include Video option under

the Video tab. 5. If you want to change the size of the video frames to something other than the original size, you can do so by selecting a new frame size from the Frame Size drop-down list. You can also set a custom video frame size by selecting Custom Frame Size from the drop-down list and then entering values for the Width and Height parameters. 6. Select the frame rate for the video from the Frame Rate drop-down list. The higher the frame

rate, the smoother the video motion will be. There are certain frame rates that should be used with certain video material. For instance, a frame rate of 15 is used for multimedia content; a frame rate of 24 is used for film; a frame rate of 25 is used for European television; and a frame rate of 29.970 is used for American television. 7. Select the field order from the Field Order drop-down list. You need to consult the user’s

manual of your video capture card for information on what setting to use here. For most purposes, just leave it set to None. 8. Select the pixel aspect ratio from the Pixel Aspect Ratio drop-down list. You need to consult

the user’s manual of your video capture card for information on what setting to use here. For most purposes, just leave it set to 1.000. 9. Select a compression scheme for your video from the Video Format drop-down list. This

setting applies compression to your video data to make the video file smaller in size. Be aware that this does affect the quality of the video, and that different compression schemes yield different results. 10. Depending on the compression scheme you select, the Quality, Keyframe Every, and Data Rate parameters may or may not be available. If they are available, set them to the appropriate values. The Quality parameter sets the amount of compression that you want to apply to the video data. The Keyframe Every parameter sets the number of key frames that will be included in the video data. Key frames are individual video frames that have less compression or no compression at all applied to them. The more key frames included in the video data, the higher the quality of the video will be but the lower the amount of compression (less compression means a bigger file size). The Data Rate parameter sets the amount of data per second that will be required to play back the AVI file in real time. The standard data rate for a CD-ROM drive is 150 K per second, but with most modern drives able to transfer data at quadruple or higher speeds, you shouldn’t have any trouble with higher rates. Plus, hard drives transfer data even faster, so setting the data rate depends on where you plan to play back your AVI file.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 11. Some of the compression schemes also come with additional parameters that you can con-

figure. You can access these parameters by clicking the Configure button. Unfortunately, there are so many different compression schemes available, it is impossible for me to cover them all, so you are on your own here. 12. Set the Interleave Every parameters. Activating the Interleave Every parameters structures the data in the AVI file so that segments of the audio and video data are interspersed and read sequentially during playback. This is a good way to improve the playback performance of your AVI files, especially if they are destined for CD-ROM. The seconds value of the Interleave Every (Seconds) parameter specifies the interval between audio and video segments. Alternatively, you can activate the Interleave Every Frame parameter, which interleaves the data at every video frame. 13. Click the Audio tab. 14. If you want to use this template to save audio data, activate the Include Audio option. 15. Select a compression scheme for the audio data from the Audio Format drop-down list. 16. Depending on your choice in the Audio Format drop-down list, you can set the sampling

rate, bit depth, and channels of the audio data from either the Attributes drop-down list or the Sample Rate, Bit-Depth, and Channels drop-down lists. 17. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 18. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon to the right of the Template field). 19. Click OK. Wave (WAV) File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.21). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Select a compression scheme for the audio data from the Format drop-down list. 5. Depending on your choice in the Format drop-down list, you can set the sampling rate, bit

depth, and channels of the audio data from either the Attributes drop-down list or the Sample Rate, Bit-Depth, and Channels drop-down lists.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files Figure 4.21 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the WAV file format.

6. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 7. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 8. Click OK.

Windows Media Audio File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.22).

Figure 4.22 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Windows Media Audio file format.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. Under the Audio tab, select an encoding mode from the Mode drop-down list. Choose the

CBR (Constant Bit Rate) mode to specify a specific sampling rate, bit rate, and number of channels for your encoded audio. Choose the Quality VBR (Variable Bit Rate) mode to let the encoder vary the bit rate throughout the encoding process to obtain a possibly smaller file size, although audio quality may be compromised. 5. Choose an audio compression format from the Format drop-down list. Windows Media provides a number of different formats, depending on the mode you choose. Windows Media Audio 9 is the basic consumer encoding format and provides 16-bit audio encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Professional provides 24-bit audio encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Voice provides encoding that is specially geared toward encoding speaking audio material and only provides mono encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless encoding will encode your audio with no loss of audio quality; however, the file size will be larger than if you used one of the other encoding formats. 6. Select the bit rate, sampling rate, and channels of the audio data from the Attributes drop-

down list. 7. Click the Index/Summary tab. 8. Enter any textual data you want to incorporate into the template, including Title, Author,

Engineer, Copyright, Description, Rating, and Year. 9. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right

of the Template field). 10. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 11. Click OK. Windows Media Video File Templates To create a template for this file type, do the following: 1. With the Save As dialog box open, click the Custom button to open the Custom Settings

dialog box (see Figure 4.23). 2. Enter a name for the template in the Template option. 3. Enter a description for the template in the Description text box. 4. If you are including audio in your video file, under the Audio tab, put a check mark next to

the Include Audio option.

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Q Saving Audio/Video Files Figure 4.23 Use the Custom Settings dialog box to create a template for the Windows Media Video file format.

5. Select an encoding mode from the Mode drop-down list. Choose the CBR (Constant Bit Rate)

mode to set a specific sampling rate, bit rate, and number of channels for your encoded audio. Choose the Quality VBR (Variable Bit Rate) mode to let the encoder vary the bit rate throughout the encoding process to obtain a possibly smaller file size, although audio quality may be compromised. 6. Choose an audio compression format from the Format drop-down list. Windows Media

provides a number of different formats, depending on the mode you choose. Windows Media Audio 9 is the basic consumer encoding format and provides 16-bit audio encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Professional provides 24-bit audio encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Voice provides encoding that is specially geared toward encoding speaking audio material and only provides mono encoding. Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless encoding will encode your audio with no loss of audio quality; however, the file size will be larger than if you used one of the other encoding formats. 7. Select the bit rate, sampling rate, and channels of the audio data from the Attributes drop-

down list. 8. Click the Video tab. 9. Use the Mode drop-down list to choose a video encoding mode. As with audio, you can

choose to use a constant bit rate that you select or a variable bit rate.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files 10. Select a compression scheme for your video from the Format drop-down list. This setting

applies compression to your video data to make the video file smaller in size. Be aware that this does affect the quality of the video, and different compression schemes yield different results. 11. Select the size of the video from the Image Size drop-down list along with the Width and Height parameters if you decide to change the size. 12. Select the frame rate for the video from the Frame Rate drop-down list. The higher the frame

rate, the smoother the video motion will be. There are certain frame rates that should be used with certain video material. For instance, a frame rate of 15 is used for multimedia and Internet content. 13. By activating the Override Default Compression Buffer option, you can specify the number

of seconds of video data that the player software will download before it begins to play the video. This can result in better playback sometimes, but most often, the user sets his/her own buffer settings in the player software, so it’s usually best to leave this option deactivated. 14. Adjust the Video Smoothness slider to alter the quality of your encoded video. The higher

the value, the better the quality will be, but the longer it takes to encode the file. 15. Click the Bit Rate tab. 16. Choose the target bit rates that you want to use for the video data, depending on what

connection speeds your visitors will be using to view your video over the Internet. 17. Click the Index/Summary tab. 18. If you want your users to be able to search through your video using the video player’s seek

bar and fast forward/rewind controls, activate the Index File option. Then enter values for the Method, Interval, and Type parameters. These parameters specify how your video file is indexed. 19. Enter any textual data you want to incorporate into the template, including Title, Author, Engineer, Copyright, Description, Rating, and Year. 20. To save the template, click the Save Template button (shown as a small disk icon to the right of the Template field). 21. If you want to delete the template, click the Delete Template button (shown as a small X icon

to the right of the Template field). 22. Click OK.

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Q Working with Projects

Working with Projects Check out this scenario… you’ve recorded a great vocal performance for your latest song, but it still needs a few tweaks. You load it into Sound Forge, make a number of tedious edits, and then save the file. The next day you listen to the vocal again and realize you made a mistake with one of your edits in Sound Forge, but it’s too late now. You already made the edits and saved the file. Not only that, but it was the only copy of the file you had. When you were editing in Sound Forge, you were making changes to the original file. The only thing left to do is record all over again. With Sound Forge Project files, however, you can avoid this painful situation. Sound Forge Project files allow you to edit your audio nondestructively and keep your original audio files untouched. This means that although it looks like your data is being changed, it’s really not. Instead, Sound Forge creates a list of pointers, which tell it what sections of audio were edited and how the edits were performed. For more information about nondestructive editing, read Chapter 7. In addition, Project files allow you to keep your undo history even after you’re done saving your work. This means you can go back to the file any time and reverse any edits you previously made.

Create a Project File To create a Sound Forge Project file, do the following: 1. Open your original audio file as explained earlier in this chapter. 2. Choose File ඎ Save As to open the Save As dialog box. 3. For the Save As Type parameter, choose Sound Forge Project File. 4. From the Save In drop-down list, choose a disc location in which to save your file. 5. Type a name for your Project file in the File Name field. 6. Click Save.

When you click Save, Sound Forge creates a Project file (.FRG) and a folder to hold all the temporary files used to keep track of any edits that you make.

Render a Project File When you’re finished editing, be sure to save your Project file again. Then you’ll need to render the Project file into an actual audio file. Project files are not audio files (like the ones described earlier in this chapter), so in order to convert all your edits stored in a Project file, you need to render it. To render a Project file, simply open the Project file and choose File ඎ Render As to open the Render As dialog box. You’ll notice that the Render As dialog box looks exactly the same as the Save As dialog box. That’s because it is the same. So from here, you simply choose the type of audio file you would like to render from your Project file and then follow the steps outlined earlier in this chapter for that particular audio file type. That’s all there is to it.

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CHAPTER 4 } Working with Audio Files Q

SAVE THE PROJECT PATH If you want to link your rendered audio file to its original Project file, activate the Save Project as Path Reference in Rendered Media option. This allows you to come back to the rendered audio file at a later date and easily make changes. To do this, right-click on the rendered audio file in the Sound Forge Explorer window (discussed earlier in this chapter) and choose Edit Source Project from the pop-up menu.

Quiz 1. Why would you need to use more than one audio file format? 2. What kind of audio file format is Perfect Clarity Audio? 3. A-Law is an audio compression scheme optimized for compressing voice audio data, and is

commonly used for telecommunications applications in the United States. True or False? 4. Your previously opened audio files are listed in the bottom portion of Sound Forge’s File

menu. True or False? 5. What is the main function of the Explorer window? 6. When opening a RAW audio file, Sound Forge can automatically detect the file attributes.

True or False? 7. If your computer crashes at any time during your audio editing session, Sound Forge has

the ability to recover the temporary files containing your edited audio data. True or False? 8. What command can you use to quickly save all audio files currently open in Sound Forge, without confirming each save? 9. Sound Forge Project files allow you to edit your audio nondestructively and keep your original audio files untouched. True or False? 10. Sound Forge Project files allow you to keep your undo history even after you’re done saving

your work. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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5

Getting Around in Sound Forge

To record, play, and edit your audio in Sound Forge, you have to know how to navigate your way through the data in your file. As you learned in Chapter 2, Sound Forge provides a Data Window that examines and manipulates your audio data. Sound Forge also provides a number of other features that allow you to navigate through your audio within the Data Window. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Use the Current Position. Q Use the Go To function. Q Set place marks in your audio file. Q Search for specific audio data in your file.

The Current Position You learned a little about timing in Chapter 1. Essentially, you learned that in addition to the audio data itself, the timing of the sounds is tracked during recording. What this means is that Sound Forge keeps track of exactly when a sound occurs while you are recording, so that later during playback, your audio is played accurately and sounds exactly as it did during recording. To give you access to your data in a file, Sound Forge provides a feature known as the Current Position. The Current Position is essentially a pointer that indicates your current time location within an audio file. For example, the beginning of a file has a Current Position of 00:00:00 (when measured in hours, minutes, and seconds). If you want to view the data at two minutes and five seconds, for example, set the Current Position to 00:02:05. In addition, you can get even more precise by specifying milliseconds, such as a Current Position of 00:05:02:010, which is five minutes, two seconds, and ten milliseconds.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge The Current Position is also updated in real time, which means that it changes constantly during recording or playback of an audio file. So, for example, as you play your file, the Current Position counts along and shows you the current timing while you listen to your audio.

Show Me the Current Position You can view the Current Position in several different ways. Numerically, the Current Position is displayed in the Playbar of the Data Window (see Figure 5.1). Figure 5.1 You can view the Current Position in the Playbar of the Data Window.

Current Position

You can also use the Time Display to view the Current Position (see Figure 5.2). To open the Time Display, simply choose View ඎ Time Display (or press Alt + 5 on your computer keyboard). Figure 5.2 The Current Position is also shown in the Time Display.

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BIG TIME DISPLAY If you’re like me, and you have some of your equipment set up in your home studio a fair distance away from your computer, you might have trouble reading the small Current Position in either the Data Window Playbar or the Time Display. To remedy this situation, you can change the size of the Time Display. Just drag any of its sides or corners, like you do with any window in Windows. Sound Forge scales the size of the Current Position accordingly, as shown in Figure 5.3.

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Q The Current Position Figure 5.3 By manipulating the Time Display, you can view the Current Position in a variety of sizes on your computer screen.

The Current Position Cursor In addition to being displayed numerically, the Current Position is displayed graphically within Sound Forge’s Data Windows. In the Data Window, the Current Position is displayed as a vertical line cursor that extends from the top to the bottom of the window. As the Current Position changes—either from being set manually or in real time during playback—the cursor follows along and indicates graphically the place in the audio file that the Current Position is currently pointing. To demonstrate what I mean, try the following: 1. Choose File ඎ Open (or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard) and load one of the

sample files that comes with Sound Forge. For this example, choose MUSICBED.PCA (see Figure 5.4). Figure 5.4 This screen shows the Data Window for the MUSICBED.PCA audio file.

Current Position Cursor

2. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play (or press the spacebar on your computer keyboard) to

start playing the file. 3. Look at the Data Window. See the Current Position cursor moving across the screen as the

audio plays?

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge 4. Notice the row of numbers above the place where the Current Position cursor is moving; this

is the Time Ruler. The Time Ruler displays the time in the current audio file. By lining up the top of the Current Position cursor with the Time Ruler, you can get a quick estimate of the Current Position.

Set the Current Position As you’ve just seen, the Current Position changes automatically as an audio file is played, but you can also manually set the Current Position while a file isn’t playing. Sound Forge gives you this capability so that you can access different parts of your file for editing, which I’ll discuss in Chapter 7. Numerically Changing the Current Position is easy. If you want to set the Current Position to a precise numerical value, you can use the Go To function. Here’s how: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Go To (or press Ctrl + G on your computer keyboard) to open the Go To

dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.5. Figure 5.5 You can change the Current Position using the Go To function via the Go To dialog box.

2. Sound Forge gives you quick access to a number of predefined points in a file via the Go

To drop-down list. To use one of these, just make a selection from the list and skip to Step 5. 3. For precise positioning, enter a time value in the Position field.

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QUICKLY SET THE CURRENT POSITION If you want to set the Current Position quickly to a particular time, you don’t have to enter all the numerical values. For example, to set the Current Position to five seconds and ten milliseconds, type 5.010. That’s it. There’s no need to enter values for the hours or minutes because they’re just zero anyway.

4. If you want to set the Current Position using a different type of time measurement, you can

change the measurement using the Input Format drop-down list. In addition to time, you can enter a value in a number of different formats, including samples (refer to Chapter 1), measures and beats, frames, or SMPTE timecode.

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Q The Current Position Q

WHAT IS SMPTE? SMPTE (which stands for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) is a special timing code used for synchronizing audio and video data, although it can be used for other purposes, too. The technology was originally developed by NASA because it needed a precise method of keeping track of space mission data. In Sound Forge, you can use SMPTE to keep track of the timing of your audio file. Sound Forge automatically converts the regular time values in a file to the hours, minutes, seconds, and frames format used by SMPTE. The frames parameter comes from the fact that SMPTE is used extensively with video, film, and television. Video is created by recording a series of still picture frames very quickly. When these frames are played back, you see them as a moving picture. SMPTE can be used to time video data accurately right down to a single frame. Every second of video data usually has thirty frames, but the number depends on the format of the data. You’ll learn more about using SMPTE in Chapter 6. For now, just know that you can view and set the Current Position of your file in a number of different ways, including in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.

5. When you’ve entered the value you want to use, click OK.

Sound Forge changes the Current Position to the value you entered, and it also moves the Current Position cursor to the appropriate place within your file. Graphically Remember earlier when I described the Time Ruler in the Data Window in The Current Position Cursor section? Well, you can quickly change the Current Position by simply clicking within the Waveform Display area of the Data Window (the large area below the Time Ruler). For example, you can do the following: 1. Like you did earlier, choose File ඎ Open (or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard)

and load one of the sample audio files included with Sound Forge. For this example, choose MUSICBED.PCA. 2. Click in the Waveform Display area of the Data Window, as shown in Figure 5.6.

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MOVING THE CURSOR WITH YOUR KEYBOARD You can also use your computer keyboard to move the Current Position cursor. For a list of all the keyboard shortcuts available, choose Help ඎ Keyboard Shortcuts. Then click on Cursor Movement in the shortcuts list.

3. Click once more in a different place. See how the Current Position changes? Depending on

where you click within the Waveform Display, the Current Position changes to the appropriate value as measured on the Time Ruler.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge Figure 5.6 By clicking within the Waveform Display area of the Data Window, you can change the Current Position.

Current Position Cursor

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CHANGING THE TIME RULER FORMAT As I mentioned earlier, you can enter a time value in the Go To dialog box using a number of different formats. Well, you can also change the Time Ruler to display its values in any of those formats. Just rightclick the Time Ruler (or choose Options ඎ Status Format) and select the type of format you want to use. You can also right-click on the Current Position field mentioned earlier.

The Overview Area Another quick way to graphically set the Current Position is to use the Overview Bar. The Overview Bar is part of the Data Window, located just above the Time Ruler (see Figure 5.7). To use the Overview Bar, just click within it like you did earlier with the Waveform Display. That’s it. Figure 5.7 You can also graphically set the Current Position by clicking in the Overview Bar.

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Overview Bar

Q The Transport Menu Q

SCROLL WITH THE OVERVIEW BAR The Overview Bar does offer a few other options, some of which I’ll talk about later in the book. But for navigational purposes, the Overview Bar gives you access to your entire audio file, even if part of it is located off the screen. For example, if you open a very long audio file, all of the data can’t be displayed inside the Data Window. To change the Current Position to a part of the file that isn’t displayed, you have to scroll the Data Window first (I’ll also talk about this later in the book) to the appropriate place and then click in the Waveform Display. With the Overview Bar, you can just click once to change the Current Position, even if it’s off the screen. And you can simply double-click within the Overview Bar to both change the Current Position and scroll the Data Window so that you can view the new area of your audio file.

The Transport Menu In addition to setting the Current Position both numerically and graphically, Sound Forge provides a few special functions that let you change the Current Position quickly within an audio file. All these functions are part of the Transport menu. To activate them, simply choose Special ඎ Transport and choose the appropriate function. Following is a list of the functions, along with explanations for each of them:

Go to Start This function is pretty self-explanatory. Simply put, it sets the Current Position to the time that corresponds to the beginning of your audio file.

Rewind The Rewind function sets the Current Position by subtracting a time value from its current value, thus moving the Current Position cursor closer to the beginning of your audio file. The time value subtracted depends on the zoom level you are currently using. I’ll talk more about Sound Forge’s Zoom features in Chapter 7.

Forward The Forward function sets the Current Position by adding a time value from its current value, thus moving the Current Position cursor closer to the end of your audio file. The time value added depends on the zoom level you are currently using.

Go to End This function is also self-explanatory. It sets the Current Position to the time that corresponds to the end of your audio file.

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TRANSPORT SHORTCUTS Instead of using the Transport menu, you can use your computer keyboard for even quicker access to the previously mentioned functions. For Go to Start, just press Ctrl + Home. For Go to End, press Ctrl + End. For Rewind, press Page Up. For Forward, press Page Down. And, if you want to Rewind or Forward the Current Position precisely by the smallest value possible, press either the left arrow (Rewind) or right arrow (Forward) keys on your computer keyboard. In addition, you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and use your mouse wheel to precisely change the Current Position.

Markers, Oh My! All the methods for setting the Current Position that I’ve described so far have either been based on numbers or predefined designations, such as the beginning or end of an audio file. These methods are fine when you already have the material for your file mapped out so you know exactly where everything occurs ahead of time, but what if you’re creating material from scratch simply by recording on the fly? In this case, being able to put names to certain locations within a file is very helpful, and that’s exactly what Markers do. With Markers, you can assign a name to any exact point in time within an audio file. They’re great for designating the places at which certain passages of a vocal recording occur. In addition, they make it very easy for you to jump to any point within a file that you specify simply by name.

Make Your Mark(ers) Creating Markers is a simple process. Essentially, you just need to set the Current Position to the time at which you want to place the Marker in the file, activate the Insert Marker/Region dialog box, and type in a name. To create a Marker, just follow these steps: 1. Set the Current Position to the time at which you want to place the Marker in the audio file.

As you learned earlier, you can set it either numerically or graphically. 2. Right-click in the Ruler Tag area (located just below the Time Ruler in the Data Window), as

shown in Figure 5.8. 3. Choose Insert Marker/Region from the shortcut menu to open the Insert Marker/Region

dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.9. 4. Type a name for the Marker. Q

MENU SHORTCUT Instead of right-clicking in the Ruler Tag area, you can simply choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Insert to open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box.

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Q Markers, Oh My! Figure 5.8 The Ruler Tag area is located just below the Time Ruler in the Data Window.

Figure 5.9 Using the Insert Marker/ Region dialog box, you can create a Marker.

5. Make sure the Marker option in the Type section is activated (see the Region option later

in this chapter). 6. Because you’ve already set the Current Position, you don’t need to change the position of

the Marker, but if you want to make adjustments, enter a new time in the Start field. As with the Go To dialog box (mentioned earlier), you can select the format you want to use for entering the position value via the Input Format drop-down list. 7. Remember when I talked about MIDI Triggers back in Chapter 3? Well, in addition to many

of its other functions, Sound Forge assigns MIDI Triggers to Markers, too. This feature starts playback from any point within your audio file via an external MIDI device, such as a synthesizer keyboard. To assign a MIDI Trigger to your Marker, choose an option from the Trigger drop-down list. MIDI: Note On–Play triggers playback via a specified Note On message. MIDI: Note On–Play/Note Off–Stop triggers playback via a specified Note On message and stops playback upon receiving a follow-up Note Off message. MIDI: Note

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge On–Queue /Note Off–Play triggers the Current Position to be set to the Marker position and starts playback upon receiving a follow-up Note Off message. 8. Enter the number of the MIDI channel to use for your MIDI Trigger via the Channel parameter. 9. Enter the pitch of the MIDI note to use for your MIDI Trigger via the Note parameter. 10. Click OK.

When you’re finished, your Marker (and its name) is added to the Ruler Tag area (just below the Time Ruler) in the Data Window. Q

AUTOMATIC MARKER LABELS Usually, you add Markers to an audio file while no real-time activity is going on, but you can also add Markers while a file is playing. Simply press the M key on your computer keyboard, and Sound Forge creates a Marker at the present Current Position. The new Marker is automatically assigned a temporary name, which you can change later. If you want, you can also adjust how the temporary Marker names are created. Just click the Automatic Labeling button in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box to display the Preferences ඎ Labels dialog box. In the Marker Labels section, you can have your Markers automatically labeled using the Current Position value or via a custom labeling scheme by activating the appropriate option. If you choose the Custom Label option, you can have a prefix added to each Marker name by using the New Marker Prefix option. You can also have each Marker name use a consecutive number by using the Use Counter and Start At and Insert Leading Zeros in Field Width Of options.

Edit the Markers Editing existing Markers is just as easy as creating new ones. You can change their names, times, and MIDI Triggers, make copies of them, and delete them. Name and Trigger Change To change the name or MIDI Trigger of a Marker, follow these steps: 1. Right-click the Marker in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window and choose Edit from the

shortcut menu to open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box (which is for both inserting and editing). Alternatively, choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window (see Figure 5.10). 2. Type a new name for the Marker.

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Q Markers, Oh My! Figure 5.10 The Regions List window displays a list of all the Markers in an audio file.

3. If you want to change the MIDI Trigger settings for the Marker, you need to use the Insert

Marker/Region dialog box. 4. Click OK in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box or press Enter in the Regions List window.

Time Change Follow these steps to change the time value of a Marker numerically: 1. Right-click the Marker in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window and choose Edit from

the shortcut menu to open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box. Alternatively, choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window. 2. Enter a new time value via the Start parameter for the Marker. 3. Click OK in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box or press Enter in the Regions List window.

You can also change the time value of a Marker graphically by simply dragging the Marker within the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window with your mouse. Drag the Marker to the left to decrease its time value, or drag it to the right to increase its time value. Simple, no? In addition, you can quickly change the Marker’s position to the Current Position by right-clicking the Marker and choosing Update from the shortcut menu. The Go To selection in the shortcut menu does the exact opposite: It quickly sets the Current Position to the same value as the Marker. Make a Copy To make a copy of a Marker, follow these steps: 1. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions window and click the Marker to select it in the list. 2. Choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Replicate to make an exact copy of the Marker.

Alternatively, right-click the Marker in the Regions window and select Replicate from the shortcut menu. 3. Initially, the new Marker has the exact same characteristics (including name and time value)

as the original. Edit the new Marker to change its settings.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge Delete a Marker You can delete a Marker in one of two ways—either directly in the Data Window or via the Regions List window. Here’s the exact procedure: 1. If you want to use the Data Window, right-click on the Marker that you want to delete and

choose Delete from the menu. 2. If you want to use the Regions List window, select View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on

your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window. 3. Right-click the Marker and select Delete from the shortcut menu. Alternatively, you can click on the marker number to select it and then choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Delete (or press Delete on your computer keyboard).

Navigate with Markers Of course, what good is creating Markers if you can’t use them to navigate through the data in your file? What’s more, all you need to do is select the name of a Marker, and the Current Position is automatically set to the exact time of that Marker. You can move to a specific Marker in a file in two different ways: either by using the Regions window or the Go To function. Use the Regions List Window To jump to a specific Marker using the Regions List window, do the following: 1. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions List window. 2. Select the Marker that you want to jump to by clicking on the Marker’s number. 3. Sound Forge sets the Current Position to the time corresponding to that Marker, and the

Current Position cursor in the Data Window jumps to the appropriate location. Use the Go To Function To jump to a specific Marker using the Go To function, do the following: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Go To (or press Ctrl + G on your computer keyboard) to open the Go To

dialog box. 2. Click on the Go To drop-down list. Notice that your Markers have been appended at the

bottom of the list. Select the Marker to which you wish to jump. 3. Click OK.

Sound Forge sets the Current Position to the time corresponding to that Marker, and the Current Position cursor in the Data Window jumps to the appropriate location.

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Q What About Regions? Q

QUICK MARKER JUMP To jump quickly to the next or previous Marker in the Data Window, simply press the Ctrl + Left Arrow or Ctrl + Right Arrow keys on your computer keyboard.

What About Regions? In addition to Markers, Sound Forge labels different sections of your audio file using its Regions feature. The only difference between Markers and Regions is that Markers specify a single point within a file, whereas Regions specify an entire area. In addition to a starting point, Regions also have an ending point and length associated with them. Regions are great for specifying certain areas of your file for easy playback or editing. And just like with Markers, you can assign a name to any section of your file. So, for example, if you are working with a vocal recording, you can easily mark the different lyric passages within the file. Then you can easily jump to or edit any passage in the file.

Make Your Regions You can create Regions in one of two ways: manually, using the Insert Marker/Region dialog box or automatically, using Sound Forge’s Auto Region function. Use the Insert Marker/Region Dialog Box To create a Region using the Insert Marker/Region dialog box, do the following: 1. Click and drag your mouse within the Waveform Display of the Data Window to select the

portion of your audio file around which you want to create a Region, as shown in Figure 5.11 (see more about selecting data in Chapter 7). Figure 5.11 To create a Region, first select a portion of your audio file.

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KEYBOARD DATA SELECTION You can also select data using your computer keyboard by simply holding down the Shift key while using the navigation keyboard shortcuts that I mentioned earlier. For example, hold down the Shift key and press the Left Arrow key to make a selection from the Current Position towards the beginning of the audio file.

2. Choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Insert (or press the R key on your computer keyboard) to

open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box (see Figure 5.12). Figure 5.12 In addition to Markers, the Insert Marker/Region dialog box can be used to create Regions.

3. Type a name for the Region. 4. Make sure the Region option in the Type section is activated. 5. Because you’ve already selected a portion of your audio file, the Start, End, and Length

parameters should already be set. However, if you want to make adjustments, enter new values into any of the fields. As with the Go To dialog box (mentioned earlier), you can select the format you want to use for entering position values from the Input Format dropdown list. 6. As with Markers, you can set up a MIDI Trigger for your new Region. Triggering Regions is

even more useful than triggering Markers, because when you play a Region, Sound Forge only plays the audio data contained within the Region’s boundaries. So, for example, you could have an audio file containing a number of different vocal passages that could be triggered during a live performance or recording session in any order that you choose. 7. Click OK.

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Q What About Regions? When you’re finished, your new Region and its name is added to the Ruler Tag area (just below the Time Ruler) in the Data Window. Q

QUICK REGION CREATION For a really quick way to create a Region, just make a data selection and press Shift + R on your computer keyboard. A new Region is created and is automatically assigned a temporary name, which you can later change. If you want, you can also adjust how the temporary Region names are created. Just click the Automatic Labeling button in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box to display the Preferences ඎ Labels dialog box. In the Region Labels section, you can have your Regions automatically labeled using the Current Position value or via a custom labeling scheme by activating the appropriate option. If you choose the Custom Label option, you can have a prefix added to each Region name by using the New Region Prefix option. You can also have each Region name use a consecutive number by using the Use Counter and Start At and Insert Leading Zeros in Field Width Of options.

Use the Auto Region Function The Auto Region function automatically creates Regions for you by scanning the data in your audio file for certain characteristics that you specify. To detect these characteristics, the Auto Region function uses a digital noise gate. Depending on your parameter settings, this noise gate opens up when the Auto Region function comes upon a section in your audio that has an amplitude (volume) level greater than the one you set. It identifies this part of the audio as acceptable sound (or the beginning of a Region) and lets it pass through. When the level of audio dips below a certain amplitude level that you set, the noise gate identifies that part of the audio as the end of a Region, and it closes to stop it from passing through. At that point, the Auto Region function creates a new Region from the acceptable data. This process happens over and over until the entire audio file has been scanned. To create new Regions using the Auto Region function, do the following: 1. Choose Tools ඎ Auto Region to open the Auto Region dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.13. 2. Set the Minimum Level parameter by dragging its slider up or down. This parameter deter-

mines how loud the audio data has to be to make the noise gate open, thus identifying the data as acceptable sound and the start of a new Region. 3. Set the Attack Sensitivity parameter by dragging its slider up or down. This parameter determines how quickly the noise gate opens and thus creates the start of a Region. If you set this parameter too high, the noise gate reacts to any small amplitude increases and ends up creating Regions where you don’t want them. If you set this parameter too low, the noise

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge Figure 5.13 Before Auto Region can do its magic, you need to specify the characteristics you want to use via the Auto Region dialog box.

gate may not detect all the Regions that you want it to. You should experiment to find the right setting for the material you are scanning. 4. Set the Release Sensitivity parameter by dragging its slider up or down. This parameter is

similar to the Attack Sensitivity parameter but in reverse. It determines how quickly the noise gate closes and thus creates the end of a Region. If you set this parameter too high, the noise gate reacts to any small amplitude decreases and ends some Regions where you don’t want them to end. If you set this parameter too low, the noise gate may not detect the end of some Regions. Again, you should experiment to find the right setting for the material you are scanning. 5. Set the Minimum Beat Duration parameter. This parameter determines how long (in seconds)

the noise gate remains open even when a dip in the amplitude level is detected. Basically, it means that this amount of time must elapse before a new Region can be detected/created. Setting this parameter low allows the noise gate to detect quick amplitude changes, such as drumbeats. Setting this parameter high prevents the noise gate from detecting this type of data. 6. Activate the Use Release Point for End of Region option if you don’t want low amplitude sections of your audio (such as silence) included in your Regions. Deactivate this option if you only want the end of a Region created when the start of a new Region is detected. 7. Click OK. Sound Forge scans your audio file and creates new Regions according to the settings that you specified.

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Q What About Regions? Q

AUTO REGION APPLICATIONS For some examples on how the Auto Region parameters should be set, be sure to check out the default presets provided by Sound Forge. To access them, click in the Preset drop-down list at the top of the dialog box.

You can also have the Auto Region function create Regions for you based on musical designations, such as tempo, measures, and beats. To do this, you have to determine the tempo of your audio data, and then tell the Auto Region function at what measures and beats you want new Regions to be created. Here’s how: 1. Click and drag your mouse within the Waveform Display of the Data Window to select a

portion of your audio file that is equal to one measure of musical data. You may have to listen to the audio a few times to find the right area to highlight. 2. Choose Special ඎ Edit Tempo to open the Edit Tempo dialog box (see Figure 5.14). Figure 5.14 You can tell Sound Forge the tempo of your music using the Edit Tempo dialog box.

3. Because you’ve already made a data selection, the Start, End, and Length parameters

should be set, but you can make adjustments to them if you want. 4. Set the Number of Beats in a Measure parameter. For example, if your music is in 4/4 time, then the number of beats in a measure is 4. 5. Set the Selection Length in Beats parameter. This tells Sound Forge how many beats are in

the portion of data you selected. For example, if your music has four beats in a measure, and you selected one measure’s worth of data, then you would set this parameter to 4. 6. Sound Forge should then automatically adjust the Tempo in Beats Per Minute parameter. If

this isn’t correct, adjust it. When you adjust this parameter, the Selected Length in Beats Parameter is adjusted automatically, and vice versa. 7. When you’re satisfied with the parameter settings, click OK.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge 8. In the Data Window, change the Time Ruler to display its measurements in measures and

beats by right-clicking the Time Ruler and choosing Measures & Beats from the shortcut menu (or choosing Options ඎ Status Format ඎ Measures & Beats). 9. Choose Tools ඎ Auto Region to open the Auto Region dialog box. 10. Activate the Build Regions Using the Current Tempo option. 11. Set the Measures parameter and the Beats parameter. These parameters work together,

and they specify at what intervals you want Regions to be created in your file. For example, if you want Regions to be created at every beat, then set Measures to 0 and Beats to 1. If you want Regions to be created at every measure, set Measures to 1 and Beats to 0. If you want Regions to be created at every 7 beats, set Measures to 1 and Beats to 3. All of these examples are based on your music having 4 beats per measure. You get the idea. 12. Click OK.

Sound Forge creates new Regions according to the tempo, measure, and beat settings that you specified, and the Start and End points of the Regions should line up with the measurements in the Time Ruler. Q

CONVERT MARKERS TO REGIONS There is one additional way to create Regions in Sound Forge. If your file contains existing Markers, you can convert those Markers to Regions by choosing Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Markers To Regions.

Edit the Regions Just as with Markers, you can edit the Regions you create. You can change their names, start, and end times, make copies of them, split them into smaller Regions, and delete them. Name and Trigger Change To change the name or MIDI Trigger of a Region, follow these steps: 1. Right-click on either of the tags of the Region in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window and

choose Edit from the shortcut menu to open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box. Alternatively, choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window. 2. Type a new name for the Region. 3. If you want to change MIDI Trigger settings for the Region, you need to use the Insert

Marker/Region dialog box. 4. Click OK in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box or press Enter in the Regions List window.

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Q What About Regions? Time Change Follow these steps to change the time values of a Region numerically: 1. Right-click on either of the tags of the Region in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window and

choose Edit from the shortcut menu to open the Insert Marker/Region dialog box. Alternatively, choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window. 2. Enter new values for the Start and End parameters. Changing these parameters automati-

cally changes the Length parameter. If you change the Length parameter, the End parameter is automatically adjusted. 3. Click OK in the Insert Marker/Region dialog box or press Enter in the Regions List window.

You can also change the time values of a Region graphically by simply dragging the Start and End tags within the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window with your mouse. Drag the tags to the left to decrease their values, or drag them to the right to increase their values. Just as with Markers, it’s a simple procedure. In addition, you can quickly select the data within a Region by rightclicking on either of the Region’s tags and choosing Select from the shortcut menu (or just doubleclick anywhere within the Region). Make a Copy To make a copy of a Region, follow these steps: 1. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions List window and click on the Region to select it in the list. 2. Choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Replicate to make an exact copy of the Region. Alterna-

tively, right-click on the Region in the Regions window and select Replicate from the shortcut menu. By the way, this does not make a copy of the data outlined in the Region, just a copy of the Region tags. Remember, Regions just mark areas of your data, they don’t contain audio data themselves. 3. Initially, the new Region will have the exact same characteristics (including name and time

values) as the original. So, edit the new Region to change its settings. Split a Region In addition to copying a Region, you can also split it into two new Regions. For example, if you have a Region that outlines two measures of data and you’d rather break that Region down so that you have one measure per Region, this function makes the process easy. To split a Region, follow these steps: 1. Change the Current Position to the point within the Region at which you want it to be split.

This point becomes the end of one of the new Regions and the start of the other.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge 2. Right-click on either of the tags of the Region in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window and

choose Split from the shortcut menu. Sound Forge creates two new Regions from the old Region. Delete a Region You can delete a Region in one of two ways, either directly in the Data Window or via the Regions List window. Here’s the procedure: 1. If you want to use the Data Window, right-click on either of the Region’s tags and choose

Delete from the menu. 2. If you want to use the Regions List window, choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on

your computer keyboard) to open the Regions List window. 3. Right-click on the Region and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Alternatively, you can

choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Delete. Q

DELETE ALL REGIONS You can also delete all the Regions in a file by simply choosing Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Clear. Please note that this removes all the Markers in a file as well.

Navigate with Regions Just as with Markers, you can use Regions to navigate through the data in your audio file. You can move to a specific Region in a file in two different ways: either by using the Regions List window or the Go To function. Use the Regions List Window To jump to a specific Region using the Regions List window, do the following: 1. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions List window. 2. Select the Region to which you want to jump by clicking on the Region’s number. 3. Sound Forge selects the Region and sets the Current Position to the End tag of that Region.

Use the Go To Function To jump to a specific Region using the Go To function, do the following: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Go To (or press Ctrl + G on your computer keyboard) to open the Go To

dialog box.

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Q What About Regions? 2. Click on the Go To drop-down list. Notice that your Region Start and End tags have been

appended at the bottom of the list. Select the Start or End tag to which you wish to jump. 3. Click OK. Sound Forge sets the Current Position to the time corresponding to the Start or End tag of that Region (depending on what you selected from the list), and the Current Position cursor in the Data Window jumps to the appropriate place. Q

QUICK REGION JUMP To jump quickly to the next or previous Region tag in the Data Window, simply press the Ctrl + Left Arrow or Ctrl + Right Arrow keys on your computer keyboard.

Saving and Loading Markers and Regions When you save your audio file in certain formats, your Region markings get saved along with it. But, unfortunately, not all file formats (discussed in Chapter 4) store Region data along with your audio data. What if you want to save your audio in an incompatible format and still keep the Region markings? To remedy this problem, Sound Forge saves and loads Region data as separate files. Save your Region Data To save your Region data as a separate file, do the following: 1. Choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Save As to open the Save As Regions/Playlist dialog box.

This box is just like any other Windows file save dialog box. 2. Choose a folder location for your new file. 3. Type a name for your new file. 4. Click Save.

Load your Region Data To load your Region data back into Sound Forge for use with your existing audio file, do the following: 1. Choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Open to display the Open Regions/Playlist dialog box.

This box is just like any other Windows file open dialog box. 2. Choose the folder location in which you will find your file. 3. Select a file type from the Files of Type drop-down list to display only those types of files.

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge 4. Choose the file you want to open. 5. Click Open.

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MULTIPLE REGION SETS The functions for loading and saving Region data can also be used for creating more than one set of Regions for the same audio file. For example, if you are editing a vocal recording, you can use one set of Regions to outline all the phrases and another set of Regions to outline all the syllables in each phrase. This is especially useful in playback and editing, which I’ll discuss in a number of other chapters in the book.

The Extract Regions Function Another useful function that is related to Regions is the Extract Regions function. This function is especially useful for editing purposes because it allows you to break up your audio file into smaller files that are based on the Regions in your original file. For example, suppose that you are editing a vocal performance and you have Regions set up that outline all of the phrases in the performance. You might want to split each phrase into its own audio file for use as individual sounds in your MIDI sampler device. The Extract Regions function makes this very easy. Here’s how it works: 1. After you have defined all the Regions in your file, choose Tools ඎ Extract Regions to open

the Extract Regions dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.15. Figure 5.15 The Extract Regions function creates new audio files from the data outlined by the Regions in your original audio file.

2. Choose the Regions you want to extract by selecting them in the list. If you want to extract

them all, click the Select All button. 3. Choose a folder in which to save the new audio files by either typing a file path in the

Destination Folder text box or by using the Browse button.

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Q Where’s that Sound? 4. Type a word or phrase that you want the names of each new file to begin with into the File

Name Prefix text box. 5. If you want to use long file names, activate the Use Long File Names for Destination File Names option. Otherwise, enter a number for the Start File Counter Index parameter. This parameter tells Sound Forge to append a number to each file name starting with the number that you entered. 6. Click Extract.

Sound Forge saves the audio data outlined in each of the Regions that you selected as new audio files in the WAV format. Your original audio file remains unchanged.

Where’s that Sound? Until now, I have been describing how to navigate through the data in a file by somehow specifying the Current Position, with the result being that you go to a specific point within a file. Well, what happens when you don’t know the exact position in a file to which you want to move? For instance, suppose you hear an annoying click or pop in your audio file but you can’t quite pinpoint its location? Instead of playing the file and trying to listen for the click via trial and error, you can use Sound Forge’s Find function. The Find function automatically examines the data in your audio file and finds a number of different kinds of amplitude-related (volume) sounds. These sounds include glitches that come in the form of unwanted clicks and pops, amplitude levels that are equal to or above a level that you specify, silent sections or passages in the audio, and the highest amplitude levels in a file. This function is very useful for finding certain points within a file (such as the silent sections of a vocal performance) and placing Markers or Regions there. The function is also useful for precisionediting tasks, which you’ll learn more about in Chapter 7. In the meantime, you can use the Find function for navigational purposes like this: 1. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Go to Start (or press Ctrl + Home on your computer key-

board) to set the Current Position to the beginning of the file. If you don’t take this step, the Find function begins looking at your data starting at the immediate Current Position, not at the beginning of the file. This means that if the Current Position is set to 00:00:10, the Find function does not look at any of the data contained in the first ten seconds. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Find to open the Find dialog box (see Figure 5.16). 3. In the Find drop-down list, select the kind of amplitude data for which you want to search.

Choose Glitch to find any clicks or pops in your audio that may have occurred from bad editing procedures, or perhaps from material that originated as a vinyl recording. Choose Level Equal to or Above to find any amplitude level in your audio that is equal to or above

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge Figure 5.16 In the Find dialog box, specify the criteria for your search.

the level that you specify. The Level Equal to or Above option can be useful in finding clipped or distorted material in your audio file. Choose End of Silent Region to find the end of the next silent section in your audio file. The End of Silent Region option can be useful in finding (and marking) different passages in a vocal performance or even different beats in a percussion performance. Choose Largest Peak to find the highest amplitude level in your audio file. The Largest Peak option can be useful when you’re trying to match the overall amplitude levels between multiple audio files, such as all the songs you want to include on the same CD. Q

WHAT IS CLIPPING? Clipping (or distortion) occurs when the amplitude level of audio data is raised higher than 100 percent (or 0 dB, which I’ll talk about shortly). The top and bottom of the audio waveform becomes clipped, and when you play the audio, it sounds distorted.

4. Set the Threshold Slope parameter. Depending on which option you choose in the Find

drop-down list, the Threshold Slope parameter works differently. If you choose Glitch, the Threshold Slope parameter determines the slope (steepness) of the glitch. (Glitches—or pops and clicks—in audio data look like big spikes in the audio waveform, and these spikes have a slope—or steepness—to them.) If you choose Level Equal to or Above, the Threshold Slope parameter determines the amplitude (volume) for which you want to search. If you choose End of Silent Region, the Threshold Slope parameter determines the amplitude level at which the audio data falls below and then rises above. This signifies a silent or quiet section in the audio. If you choose Largest Peak, the Threshold Slope parameter does not have to be set.

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Q Where’s that Sound? Q

DECIBEL DEFINED The Threshold Slope parameter is set in decibels (dB). Decibel is a very complicated term to describe, especially in a beginning to intermediate text such as this one. The most basic explanation is that a decibel is a unit of measurement used to determine the loudness of sound. In regard to digital audio, the highest possible level you can use is 0 dB. Anything higher, and you introduce clipping into your data. For a more detailed explanation, in Sound Forge, choose Help ඎ Contents and Index. Then click Glossary and scroll down to the section labeled Decibel (dB).

5. Set the Sensitivity parameter. This parameter is only relevant if you choose Glitch in the Find

drop-down menu. The Sensitivity parameter determines how closely Sound Forge examines the audio data when searching for glitches. A high setting tells Sound Forge that any audio with a slope above the Threshold Slope setting should be considered a glitch. A low setting tells Sound Forge that not all audio with a slope above the Threshold Slope setting should be considered a glitch, and that it should look more closely during the search process. Q

THRESHOLD AND SENSITIVITY SETTINGS If you can hear glitches in the audio but Sound Forge doesn’t detect them, try lowering the Threshold Slope and raising the Sensitivity. If you find that Sound Forge is detecting glitches where there are none, try raising the Threshold Slope and lowering the Sensitivity.

6. Click OK.

Sound Forge searches through the audio in your file and finds the appropriate data that you specified. It also changes the Current Position and the Current Position cursor to the appropriate location within the file. Q

QUICK FIND SHORTCUT To quickly perform the Find function again using the same parameter settings without having to access the Find dialog box, just press Ctrl + Y on your computer keyboard.

The Detect Clipping Function In the previous section, I talked about clipping and how to locate it in your audio file using the Find function. But Sound Forge actually includes a dedicated function (called Detect Clipping)

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CHAPTER 5 } Getting Around in Sound Forge for finding clipping in your audio that provides some additional control, making it more accurate. To use the Detect Clipping function, do the following: 1. Select the portion of your audio file that you would like to scan for clipping. If you don’t

make a selection, Sound Forge will scan the entire audio file. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Detect Clipping to open the Detect Clipping dialog box (see Figure 5.17). Figure 5.17 Use the detect Clipping function to find errors in your audio data.

3. Set the Threshold parameter. This parameter determines what you want to define as clipping.

In other words, any audio found with a level higher than the Threshold setting will be identified as clipping. Most of the time, you’ll want to set this to 0 dB, but there may be times when you want to find a lower audio level. 4. Set the Clip Length parameter. This parameter determines how long (in samples) the audio

must stay above the Threshold level to be marked as clipping. For example, really small clips might be defined as a Clip Length of 3. Larger clips might be a setting of 5. And extremely large clips might be a setting of 15. 5. Click OK.

Sound Forge scans the audio in your file and marks (with Markers) any area that you defined as clipping in the Detect Clipping dialog box. Q

MAKING REPAIRS The Find and Detect Clipping functions find errors in your audio data, but Sound Forge also provides features that repair your audio. Check out Chapter 7 for more information about the Pencil tool and Chapter 10 for the repair functions.

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Q Quiz

Quiz 1. What is the Current Position? 2. What does SMPTE stand for? 3. How do you change the Time Ruler display format? 4. What do Markers allow you to do? 5. By assigning a MIDI Trigger to a Marker, you can start playback from any point within your

audio file via an external MIDI device such as a synthesizer keyboard. True or False? 6. What is the difference between Regions and Markers? 7. A quick way to create a new Region is make a data selection and press Shift + R on your

computer keyboard. True or False? 8. What does the Auto Region function do? 9. What does the Extract Regions function do? 10. Clipping is a special function that allows you to clip the beginning and end of your audio

files automatically. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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6

Recording and Playback

As I mentioned in Chapter 3, Sound Forge doesn’t provide multitrack recording or playback. What this means is that you can only record or play a single stereo audio file at a time. This is how most audio editing applications work. Their main purpose is editing, but they also provide recording for tasks such as making a stereo recording of a live performance or creating new sounds for a MIDI sampling device. Sound Forge provides a vast number of recording and playback features. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Identify which parameters need to be set prior to recording. Q Record audio using various available methods. Q Play audio using various available methods. Q Correct mistakes using Punch-In. Q Define and use synchronization.

Preliminary Parameters Before you do any actual recording with Sound Forge, you need to be aware of a number of parameters. These parameters configure Sound Forge for a variety of recording situations. The parameters include recording attributes and DC offset adjustment. All of the parameters are accessed via the Record dialog box (see Figure 6.1). As a matter of fact, all audio recording within Sound Forge is done via the Record dialog box. To access the Record dialog box, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard). I’ll talk more about the actual recording procedures later in this chapter. For now, I’ll explain the what, why, and how of each parameter that you need to set prior to recording.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback Figure 6.1 Recording audio in Sound Forge should be preceded by setting a few parameters.

Recording Attributes First, you need to tell Sound Forge the specifications of the audio data that you want to record. In other words, you need to set the bit depth, sampling rate, and number of channels for your new recording. When you first open the Record dialog box, these parameters are automatically set to match the current Data Window. If no data window is open, they are automatically set to the current defaults. To use different settings, click the New button in the Recording Attributes section of the Record dialog box to access the New Window dialog box (see Figure 6.2). Figure 6.2 Change the bit depth, sampling rate, and channel parameters of your recording in the New Window dialog box.

Sampling Rate and Bit Depth You learned about the meanings of the terms sampling rate and bit depth in Chapter 1. Sound Forge enables you to set the sampling rate and bit depth used for the audio data that you record. Depending on the sophistication of your sound card, you can set the sampling rate up to 192,000 Hz and the bit depth up to 64 bits. So, what settings should you use? Well, the higher the sampling rate and bit depth, the better the quality of your recorded audio. However, higher settings also put more strain on your computer system, and the data takes up more memory and hard disk space. Plus, if your input signal is

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Q Preliminary Parameters already bad (if you use a low-end microphone to record your vocals, for instance), higher settings won’t make it sound any better. In my opinion, if your computer has enough power, memory, and hard disk space, then you should use at least a 96,000 Hz sampling rate and a 24-bit bit depth. Using these settings ensures a very high-quality recording. Of course, you can use even higher settings, and higher always results in a better quality audio signal. However, it’s very doubtful that most people will hear the difference, especially if you want to put your audio on CD. For CD, the audio needs to have a sampling rate of 44,100 Hz and a bit depth of 16 bits. Why record at higher settings if you’re ultimately going to put your audio on CD? Well, the main reason is because of mathematical errors. You see, when audio is recorded as digital data, a finite range of numbers is used to represent the audio signal. When you edit or process your audio, Sound Forge applies mathematical calculations to the data to achieve different results. Each mathematical process results in tiny errors because the data has to be rounded or truncated. These errors result in small amounts of noise or other artifacts added to your audio signal. Most of the time, this noise isn’t really noticeable, but if you do enough processing and editing, the noise eventually becomes audible. To set the sampling rate and bit depth for your new recording, simply select the appropriate values for the Sample Rate and Bit-Depth parameters in the New Window dialog box. Q

CONVERT SETTINGS FOR CD As mentioned earlier, to store music on a CD, the audio data is required to have a sampling rate of 44,100 Hz and a bit depth of 16 bits. These values cannot be higher or lower. They must be exact. Of course, you can start by recording your audio with different settings. For example, if your computer has a limited amount of memory or hard disk space, you might want to use smaller values. I don’t recommend this, unless it’s absolutely necessary, because lower values mean lower-quality audio. You can also record by using higher values, which raises the quality of your audio data. When it comes time to put the audio on CD, however, you must convert the sampling rate and bit depth to the values just mentioned. By using Sound Forge’s Resample and Bit-Depth Converter features, you can convert the sampling rate and bit depth of your audio file. (Learn more about these features in Chapter 8.)

Number of Channels Because Sound Forge does not provide any kind of multitrack recording capabilities (meaning you can’t record different instruments separately and then play them back via separate but synchronized audio tracks), you are only given two choices for the type of audio file you want to create: mono (one channel) or stereo (two channels). To set the number of channels for your new recording, select the appropriate option in the Channels section of the New Window dialog box.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback Q

PSEUDO-MULTITRACK RECORDING Although Sound Forge only records monophonic or stereo audio, you can do a sort of pseudo-multitrack recording by recording in stereo. Because stereo is comprised of two distinct audio channels (one for the left speaker and one for the right), you can simply record one audio source into the left channel and another audio source into the right channel simultaneously. This might come in handy, for example, if you need to record two different voices at the same time. Sound Forge edits and processes each channel of a stereo recording separately, so you can easily manipulate the data for each voice recording independently.

DC Offset Depending on the quality of your sound card, your audio may not get recorded as accurately as it should. Many times (especially with less expensive sound cards, such as the Sound Blaster), an electrical mismatch may occur between a sound card and the input device. When this happens, an excess of current is added to the incoming signal and the resulting audio waveform is offset from the zero axis. This is known as DC offset. Q

WHAT IS AN AUDIO WAVEFORM? An audio waveform is a graphical representation of sound. Let me try to explain by using the cup and string analogy. Remember when you were a kid, and you set up your own intercom system between your bedroom and your tree house by using nothing but a couple of paper cups and a long piece of string? You poked a hole in the bottom of each cup and then tied one end of the string to one cup and the other end of the string to the other cup. Your friend would be in the tree house with one of the cups, and you would be in your bedroom with the other. As you talked into your cup, your friend could hear you by putting his cup to his ear, and vice versa. Why did it work? Well, when you talked into the cup, the sound of your voice vibrated the bottom of the cup, making it act like a microphone. This movement, in turn, vibrated the string up and down, and the string carried the vibrations to the other cup. This movement made the bottom of that cup vibrate so that it acted like a speaker, thus enabling your friend to hear what you said. If it were possible for you to freeze the string while it was in motion and then zoom in on it so that you could see the vibrations, it would look similar to the audio waveform shown in the Data Window (see Figure 6.3). As you can see, a waveform shows up and down movements just like a vibrating string. A line, called the zero axis, runs horizontally through the center of the waveform. The zero axis represents the point in a waveform at which there are no vibrations or there is no sound, so the value of the audio data at the zero axis is the number zero (also known as zero amplitude). When a waveform moves above or below the zero axis, vibrations occur, and thus there is sound. The amplitude value of a waveform in these places depends on how high above or how far low below the zero axis the waveform is at a certain point in time (shown on the Time Ruler in the Data Window). You can read the value of a waveform by using the Level Ruler in the Data Window. I’ll discuss the different features of the Data Window in Chapter 7.

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Q Basic/Auto Retake Recording Figure 6.3 An audio waveform is similar to that of a vibrating string, if you could freeze the string and zoom in on it to observe the vibrations.

If your audio waveform is offset from the zero axis because of DC offset, you can introduce noise and other anomalies into your data during editing and processing. To remove DC offset during recording, you simply need to calibrate Sound Forge so that it adds a constant value to your audio samples during recording. Doing so ensures that your waveform is centered on the zero axis. In the Record dialog box, activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button. That’s all there is to it. Q

OTHER DC OFFSET SITUATIONS Whenever you change sound cards, or sound card inputs, or even alter the recording attributes (described earlier), you may want to recalibrate for DC offset. Any changes of this type can sometimes cause DC offset to occur. Just be sure to calibrate when you don’t have any audio being sent to the sound card inputs. You only want to calibrate when you have a live connection, but there is no input signal.

Basic/Auto Retake Recording You’re now ready to start recording with Sound Forge. Nothing is really complicated about the process, but you should follow a number of steps to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Here, and in the following sections, I’ll show you step-by-step how to record audio with Sound Forge in a variety of ways. First, let’s tackle a basic recording. To get started, do the following: 1. Create a new audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your computer

keyboard) to open the New Window dialog box. 2. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to use for your new file.

Then click OK. 3. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard) to

open the Record dialog box.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback 4. Select the recording device you want to use via the Device drop-down list. If you have more

than one sound card or you have a sound card with multiple audio inputs, you can choose which input you want to use for recording. Q

INDIVIDUAL SOUND CARD CHANNELS Even if your sound card provides only stereo inputs, Sound Forge allows you to select individual channels for recording. In other words, when choosing a recording device from the Device drop-down list, be sure to choose a stereo device if you want to create a stereo audio file. Otherwise, if you choose an individual channel device (like the left channel or right channel), your audio will only be recorded in the left or right channel of the audio file.

5. Activate the DC Adjust option, and click the Calibrate button to compensate for any DC

offset that may be present because of your audio hardware. 6. Select the Normal recording method by choosing Normal from the Method drop-down list.

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AUTOMATIC RECORDING You probably noticed that there are a number of different recording methods available. I will be talking about these later in the “Automatic Recording” section of this chapter.

7. Select the Automatic Retake recording mode via the Mode drop-down list (see Figure 6.4).

I’ll explain Automatic Retake later.

Figure 6.4 Choose the recording mode you want to use by selecting an option from the Mode drop-down list.

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Q Basic/Auto Retake Recording 8. Make sure the Monitor option is activated. You should see the recording meters display your

current audio input signal level in decibels (see Figure 6.5). Figure 6.5 The recording meters display your current audio input signal level in decibels.

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AUDIO METER OPTIONS Right-click on the meters to set a different range and scale, and to determine whether signal level peaks and valleys are displayed longer. You can also reset the meters by selecting Reset Clip or by clicking the Reset button.

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THE DECIBEL Decibel is a very complicated term to describe, especially in a beginning to intermediate text such as this. The most basic explanation is that a decibel is a unit of measurement used to determine the loudness of sound. For a more detailed explanation, in Sound Forge, choose Help ඎ Contents and Index. Then click Glossary and scroll down to the section labeled Decibel (dB).

9. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud, but also not too soft.

To do so, use the software mixer that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see a small speaker icon. Double-click the speaker icon to open your sound card mixer. Then choose Options ඎ Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your sound card mixer (see Figure 6.6).

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback Figure 6.6 Use your sound card mixer to adjust the input levels for your sound card.

10. For the set of controls labeled Line In, activate the Select option. This option tells your sound

card that you want to record audio by using its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection (such as a microphone or internal CD player), use the set of controls associated with that connection. Q

READ YOUR SOUND CARD DOCS These steps show how to use a standard Windows XP sound card for recording. You might have a sound card that uses a different method for setting audio input levels. In that case, you need to read the documentation for your sound card to find out how to use it correctly.

11. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound card, begin playing the

material you want to record. Be sure the material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record. As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the recording meters light up anywhere between –6dB and –3dB during the loudest portion of your material, you have a good input level setting.

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THE PRERECORD BUFFER If you’re doing a recording session where you don’t know the exact second the audio material will begin (such as at a live event), you may want to activate the Prerecord Buffer option (located at the bottom of the Record dialog box). Activating this option initializes a background recording process where Sound Forge will continually loop record the number of seconds you specify into your computer’s memory. As soon as you click the Arm button (see Step 12), Sound Forge starts recording whatever audio is coming into your sound card. It will record for a specified number of seconds (up to 30) and then start over again. As soon as you click the Record button (see Step 13), Sound Forge automatically adds the Prerecord Buffer data to the beginning of your recording session. Why is the Prerecord Buffer option useful? Well, let’s say you are recording a live band. If you’re recording each song manually using Sound Forge, you will need to click the Record button right before the beginning of each song. But you may not know exactly when each song will begin. By setting the Prerecord Buffer option, you can make sure that the start of each song is not missed.

12. Click the Arm button to initialize the recording process. 13. Click the Record button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to start recording. 14. Play the material that you want to record. As you make your recording, the Time Recorded

display shows how much time has elapsed during your recording; the Time Left on Drive display shows how much space you have left on your hard drive. Q

ADD MARKERS ON THE FLY By clicking the Drop Marker button (the one with the letter M shown on it) or pressing M on your computer keyboard, you can drop Markers into your audio file while it’s being recorded. This can be very useful if you need to keep track of different places within the audio or if you need to separate the file into different sections. An example might be if you are recording your own sound effects and you need to get a number of variations of the same sound, such as hitting a trash can to get a percussion effect. Each time you hit the trash can, you would pause and drop a Marker to indicate the different hits. After you finished recording all the hits, you could easily split the file into separate files (one for each hit variation) by using the Markers to Regions feature. Just choose Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Markers to Regions. I explained Markers and Regions in Chapter 5.

15. When you’re finished, click the Stop button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to stop

recording. The Stop button is actually located in the same place as the Record button. When Sound Forge is idle, the button acts as the Record button. As audio is being recorded, the button acts as the Stop button. After you’ve stopped recording, Sound Forge displays your

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback new audio waveform in the Data Window you opened previously (see Figure 6.7). You may need to move the Record dialog box over a bit to see underneath. Figure 6.7 After you finish recording, Sound Forge displays an audio waveform in the Data Window you opened earlier.

16. Listen to your new recording by clicking the Play button (or press P on your computer key-

board) in the Record dialog box. Earlier, I told you to set the recording mode to Automatic Retake. This tells Sound Forge to automatically “rewind” (or set the Current Position) back to the beginning of the file. So, if you don’t like the recording, you can simply do it over again by going back to Step 8. 17. After you’ve got a recording that you like, just click Close to leave the Record dialog box.

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BE SURE TO SAVE Be sure to save your audio file after you’ve finished recording. This step isn’t really mandatory, but it’s a good precautionary measure because you never know when your computer might decide to crash on you. Rather than lose that really great recording, quickly choose File ඎ Save (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard) so you can rest easy in knowing that your data is safe.

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HOME STUDIO RECORDING If you have your home studio set up within a single room containing all of your equipment (including your computer), and you are recording audio by using a microphone, the microphone picks up the background noise made by your electronic devices (including the fan inside your computer). To remedy this situation, set up your microphone and one of your MIDI instruments in a different room, but keep them connected to your computer via longer cables. Then you can set up some MIDI Triggers (you learned about them in Chapter 3) so that you can control Sound Forge remotely. This way, when you record the audio from your microphone, it won’t pick up all that background noise.

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Q Multiple Take Recording

Multiple Take Recording When using the Automatic Retake mode, you can easily redo your recording because Sound Forge automatically “rewinds” to the beginning of the file. But this also overwrites any existing data. What if you want to keep all of the different versions of your recording and then pick the best one after you’ve finished? You can do this by using any of the three available multiple take recording modes.

Multiple Takes Creating Regions The Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode allows you to make multiple recordings one right after the other, and have them all stored within the same audio file, but separated into different Regions within that file (see Chapter 5 for information on Regions). To use this recording mode, do the following: 1. Create a new audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your computer

keyboard) to open the New Window dialog box. 2. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to use for your new file.

Then click OK. 3. Select Special ඎTransport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard) to open

the Record dialog box. 4. Select the recording device you want to use via the Device drop-down list. If you have more

than one sound card or you have a sound card with multiple audio inputs, you can choose which input you want to use for recording. 5. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to compensate for any DC offset

that may be present because of your audio hardware. 6. Select the Normal recording method by choosing Normal from the Method drop-down list. 7. Select the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode via the Mode drop-down list. 8. Activate the Monitor option. You should see the recording meters display your current audio

input signal level in decibels. 9. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud, but also not too soft. To do so, use the software mixer that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see a small speaker icon. Double-click the speaker icon to open your sound card mixer. Then choose Options ඎ Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your sound card mixer. 10. For the set of controls labeled Line In, activate the Select option. This option tells your sound

card that you want to record audio by using its line input connection. If you want to use a

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback different connection (such as a microphone or internal CD player), use the set of controls associated with that connection. Q

USING YOUR SPECIFIC SOUND CARD These steps show how to use a standard Windows XP sound card for recording. You might have a sound card that uses a different method for setting audio input levels. In that case, you need to read the documentation for your sound card to find out how to use it correctly.

11. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound card, begin playing the

material you want to record. Be sure the material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record. As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the recording meters light up around –6dB during the loudest portion of your material, you have a good input level setting. 12. Click the Arm button to initialize the recording process. 13. Click the Record button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to start recording. 14. Play the material that you want to record. As you make your recording, the Time Recorded

display shows how much time has elapsed during your recording; the Time Left On Drive display shows how much space you have left on your hard drive. 15. When you’re finished, click the Stop button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to stop

recording. The Stop button is actually located in the same place as the Record button. When Sound Forge is idle, the button acts as the Record button. As audio is being recorded, the button acts as the Stop button. After you’ve stopped recording, Sound Forge displays your new audio waveform in the Data Window you opened previously. You may need to move the Record dialog box over a bit to see underneath. 16. Because we’re using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode, Sound Forge

keeps the Current Position located at the end of the current recording. So, to record another take/Region, just go back to Step 11. 17. After you’ve finished all of the takes that you need, just click Close to leave the Record

dialog box.

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Q Punch-In Recording Your audio file now contains all of the recordings that you made, separated into Regions within the same file. If you want to extract each Region into a separate file, just use the Extract Regions function (described in Chapter 5).

Multiple Takes (No Regions) The Multiple Takes (No Regions) recording mode works in exactly the same way as the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode, except that each take is not separated into a Region. Instead, you are left with having to either designate each take manually by inserting Markers or by recording some silence between each take to separate them. To use the Multiple Takes (No Regions) recording mode, just follow the same steps as when using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode. The only difference is that in Step 7, be sure to select the Multiple Takes (No Regions) recording mode from the Mode drop-down list.

Create a New Window The Create a New Window for Each Take recording mode also works in the same way as the two previously mentioned recording modes, except that each take is put into a separate Data Window. To use the Create a New Window for Each Take recording mode, just follow the same steps as when using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode. The only difference is that in Step 7, be sure to select the Create a New Window for Each Take recording mode from the Mode drop-down list.

Punch-In Recording If you make a mistake during a recording, you may think that the only way to correct it is to do the recording all over again. Not so. By using Sound Forge’s Punch-In recording mode, you can rerecord only the part of your material that was messed up, leaving the good parts alone. Using the Punch-In recording mode, you can set up Sound Forge to automatically start recording and stop recording at precise times within an audio file. You, therefore, can record over certain parts of your material without having to redo the entire thing. The Punch-In recording mode is very similar to the other recording modes, but with a few differences. Here’s the step-by-step procedure: 1. Suppose that you want to correct some mistakes on an audio file that you just recorded. To

get started, select Normal from the Method drop-down list and select the Punch-In recording mode from the Mode drop-down list in the Record dialog box. 2. For the Start parameter, enter the hour, minute, second, and millisecond at which you want Sound Forge to begin recording. For the End parameter, enter the hour, minute, second, and millisecond at which you want Sound Forge to stop recording. The section of the audio file that falls between the Start and End parameters should contain the part of your material in which the mistakes are located.

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QUICK START AND END PARAMETER SETTING For a much easier way to set the Start and End parameters, try creating a Region that contains the area of your audio file that you want to rerecord. You need to do this before you open the Record dialog box. (I discussed creating Regions in Chapter 5.) After you’ve created the Region, open the Record dialog box and click the Selection button to open the Set Selection dialog box (see Figure 6.8). In the Set Selection dialog box, select your recently created Region from the Selection drop-down list. Then click OK. Your Start and End parameters are automatically set to the start and end of the Region. This technique is much easier than trying to guess and set the Start and End parameters manually.

Figure 6.8 Use the Set Selection dialog box for an easier way to set the Start and End parameters in the Record dialog box.

3. At the bottom of the Record dialog box, activate the Review Pre/Post-Roll option. Then enter

the number of seconds you want Sound Forge to play, both before it begins recording and after it stops recording. This lets you get prepared before recording begins, and it lets you hear if there is a smooth transition after recording ends. 4. Click the Record button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to start recording. De-

pending on how many seconds you set for the Review Pre-Roll, you’ll hear some of the material being played before recording begins. 5. Play along with the existing material as you did before when you first recorded the audio file. When Sound Forge reaches the time indicated by the Start parameter, the program automatically starts recording the new material over the old material. 6. When the Current Position has reached the time indicated by the End parameter, Sound

Forge stops recording. Depending on how many seconds you set for the Review Post-Roll, you’ll hear some of the material being played after recording stops. Sound Forge replaces any existing material between the times indicated by the Start and End parameters with the new material that you just recorded. As long as no mistakes were made this time, your audio file is now fixed. Click the Stop button (or press R on your computer keyboard) to take Sound Forge out of Recording mode. 7. Listen to the new material by clicking the Play button (or pressing P on your computer keyboard). If you like what you hear, move on to the next step. Otherwise, go back to Step 4.

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Q Automatic Recording 8. After you’re satisfied with the new material, just click Close to leave the Record dialog box.

Remote Recording The Remote Recording mode is a bit misleading because it is not really a recording mode like the ones mentioned earlier. And it doesn’t allow you to control Sound Forge remotely. Instead, clicking the Remote button in the Record dialog box simply hides Sound Forge’s main program window, leaving a small window on the screen that contains the essential controls from the Record dialog box (see Figure 6.9). Figure 6.9 The Record Remote window is a condensed version of the Record dialog box.

All the controls in the Record Remote window work exactly the same way as in the Record dialog box. So why do you need a feature like this? Well, its main use is for running Sound Forge along with another program on your computer simultaneously. For example, let’s say you want to make a stereo digital audio recording of a MIDI composition you created in your MIDI sequencer. You could do that by running your MIDI sequencer and Sound Forge on the same computer. With Sound Forge in Remote Recording mode, it’s much easier to access your MIDI sequencer and control Sound Forge at the same time. By initiating playback in your MIDI sequencer and then starting the recording process in Sound Forge via the Record Remote window, you can easily record your MIDI compositions as stereo audio files.

Automatic Recording In addition to doing manual recording with Sound Forge, you can automate the recording process by using one of the available automatic recording methods, Automatic: Time and Automatic: Threshold. Q

AUTOMATIC: MIDI TIMECODE There is a third automatic recording method called Automatic: MIDI Timecode. However, this method is different than the others because it involves synchronization. I will talk about this in the “Synchronization” section later in this chapter.

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Automatic Time Recording The Automatic: Time recording method allows you to create multiple recording sessions and automatically start and stop those sessions according to a specific date, time, and duration that you specify. This method is very useful for those times when you can’t be around to initiate your recordings manually, but you do know when audio playback will occur. For example, you can use the Automatic: Time recording method to record your favorite radio programs. To use this method, do the following: 1. Since this recording method relies on your computer system clock for current date and time

information, be sure your clock is set correctly. To check your clock, double-click on the time display in the lower right corner of the Windows desktop to open the Date and Time Properties dialog box. Make sure the date and time are set correctly and then click OK. 2. Create a new audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your computer

keyboard) to open the New Window dialog box. 3. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to use for your new file.

Then click OK. 4. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard) to

open the Record dialog box. 5. Select the recording device you want to use via the Device drop-down list. If you have more

than one sound card or you have a sound card with multiple audio inputs, you can choose which input you want to use for recording. 6. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to compensate for any DC offset

that may be present because of your audio hardware. 7. Select the Automatic: Time recording method from the Method drop-down list. 8. Choose a recording mode from the Mode drop-down list. If you are creating multiple timed

recording sessions, be sure to choose one of the multiple recording modes: Multiple Takes Creating Regions, Multiple Takes (No Regions), or Create a New Window for Each Take. 9. Make sure the Monitor option is activated. You should see the recording meters display your current audio input signal level in decibels. 10. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud, but also not too soft.

To do so, use the software mixer that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see a small speaker icon. Double-click the speaker icon to open your sound card mixer. Then choose Options ඎ Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your sound card mixer.

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Q Automatic Recording 11. For the set of controls labeled Line In, activate the Select option. This option tells your sound

card that you want to record audio by using its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection (such as a microphone or internal CD player), use the set of controls associated with that connection. 12. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound card, begin playing the

material you want to record. Be sure the material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record. As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for the Line In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the recording meters light up anywhere between –6dB and –3dB during the loudest portion of your material, you have a good input level setting. 13. To set up your recording session(s), use the Timer Event List and its associated buttons (see Figure 6.10). 14. Click the Add button to open the Record Timer Event dialog box, as shown in Figure 6.11. 15. Type a name for the recording session in the Name parameter. 16. Choose the type of session you want from the Recurrence drop-down list. Choose One Time

to set up a session that will occur only once, Daily to set up a session that will occur once every day, or Weekly to set up a session that will occur once every week. 17. If you chose One Time for the Recurrence parameter, choose a date for your session using

the Start Date parameter. If you chose Weekly, choose a day of the week for your session using the Start Date parameter. If you chose Daily, you do not have to set a day or date since the session will occur every day. 18. Choose the time you want the recording session to begin by setting the Start Time parameter. 19. Choose how long the recording session will last by setting the Duration parameter in hours,

minutes, and seconds. 20. Click OK and repeat Steps 14 to 20 for each recording session you need. 21. To edit a recording session, select its name in the Timer Event List and click the Edit button

to open the Record Timer Event dialog box. Make your changes and click OK. 22. To delete a recording session, select its name in the Timer Event List and click the Delete

button. 23. To remove all sessions that have expired or been completed, click the Remove All Past Events from List button.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback Figure 6.10 The Timer Event List displays your recording session(s). Edit Add Timer Event List Delete Remove All Past Events From List

Figure 6.11 Use the Record Timer Event dialog box to set up your recording session(s).

24. Click the Arm button to initialize the recording process. Sound Forge will automatically start

counting down to the beginning of the first session. When it reaches the start time of the first session, it will begin recording. Once it reaches the duration of the first session, Sound Forge will automatically stop recording and then start counting down to the start time of the next session and so on until it completes all the sessions. 25. To stop a recording session in progress, click Stop.

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BACKGROUND RECORDING If you have a powerful computer that can handle multiple tasks, you can use your computer for other things while Sound Forge is recording in the background. To make room on your computer screen, click the Remote button in the Record dialog box. This will reduce the Sound Forge application to a single small window, which you can move out of the way while you perform other tasks. However, you need to click the Remote button before you click the Arm button.

While Sound Forge is recording, you can leave your computer with Sound Forge running. When you return and the sessions are complete, click Close and you will find your recordings in the Data Window(s) you specified with the Mode parameter.

Automatic Threshold Recording The Automatic: Threshold recording method creates recordings based on audio input level. In other words, you can set Sound Forge to automatically start and stop recording according to the amplitude (volume) level of the audio signal that you are recording. This method can be useful for recording live events where you don’t have time to start recording manually and don’t know exactly when the audio will begin to play. Another good use is for transferring material from LP or cassette to CD. To use this method, do the following: 1. Create a new audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your computer

keyboard) to open the New Window dialog box. 2. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to use for your new file. Then click OK. 3. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard) to

open the Record dialog box. 4. Select the recording device you want to use via the Device drop-down list. If you have more

than one sound card or you have a sound card with multiple audio inputs, you can choose which input you want to use for recording. 5. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to compensate for any DC offset

that may be present because of your audio hardware. 6. Select the Automatic: Threshold recording method from the Method drop-down list. 7. Choose a recording mode from the Mode drop-down list. If you are creating multiple

recordings (like when transferring material from LP or cassette to CD), be sure to choose one of the multiple recording modes: Multiple Takes Creating Regions, Multiple Takes (No Regions), or Create a New Window for Each Take.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback 8. Make sure the Monitor option is activated. You should see the recording meters display your

current audio input signal level in decibels. 9. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud, but also not too soft.

To do so, you have to use the software mixer that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see a small speaker icon. Double-click the speaker icon to open your sound card mixer. Then choose Options ඎ Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your sound card mixer. 10. For the set of controls labeled Line In, activate the Select option. This option tells your sound

card that you want to record audio by using its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection (such as a microphone or internal CD player), use the set of controls associated with that connection. 11. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound card, begin playing the material you want to record. Be sure the material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record. As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for the Line In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the recording meters light up anywhere between –6dB and –3dB during the loudest portion of your material, you have a good input level setting. 12. Set the Threshold parameter to the audio amplitude (volume) level at (or above) which you want Sound Forge to start recording (see Figure 6.12)— for example, if you are transferring some audio material from a cassette, and you have silence on one part of the cassette and music on another part. You want Sound Forge to start recording as soon as the music starts playing. In this case, you should measure the level of the silent section on the meters. Set the Threshold parameter to a level just above the silent measurement. That way any material louder than that level will trigger the start of recording. Q

USE THE PRERECORD BUFFER If you’re having trouble setting the right Threshold value and the beginning of your recordings are getting cut off, you may want to try activating the Prerecord Buffer that I talked about earlier. This may help eliminate any recording start problems.

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Q Automatic Recording Figure 6.12 Set the Threshold parameter to tell Sound Forge when to start recording.

13. Set the Release parameter. This parameter tells Sound Forge how long it should wait to stop

recording after the audio level has fallen below what you set for the Threshold parameter. For example, if you have multiple music recordings on a cassette with silence in between each recording and you would like to record each piece of music separately, you will need to measure the length of the silent sections. Then you will set the Release parameter to something lower than that length. Let’s say the length of silence between each piece of music is four seconds. If you set the Release parameter to two seconds, you can be sure you won’t cut off the end of each piece of music, but you can also make sure that Sound Forge creates a new region or window. 14. If you are recording more than one piece of audio material, you will want Sound Forge to

automatically arm itself again after it stops recording. To do this, activate the Automatically Rearm After Record option. 15. Click the Arm button to initialize the recording process. Sound Forge will wait now until the

input audio signal level rises above the Threshold parameter level. Then Sound Forge will start recording. Once the audio signal level falls below the Threshold, Sound Forge will count for the number of seconds you set for the Release parameter and stop recording. If you set the Automatically Rearm After Record option, Sound Forge will wait until the signal level rises again and continue doing so until you click the Stop button. 16. To stop a recording in progress, click Stop.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback While Sound Forge is recording, you can leave your computer with Sound Forge running. When you return, click Stop. Then click Close, and you will find your recordings in the Data Window(s) you specified with the Mode parameter.

Synchronization Another aspect related to recording that you should know about is synchronization. This subject is very complicated and a bit beyond the scope of this book, but you might need to utilize synchronization in a couple of different situations. So, I’ll cover a few of the basics and explain how to use synchronization when Sound Forge is syncing to an external device or an external device is syncing to Sound Forge.

Basics All music is based on time. Without time, there is no music. To record and play audio data, Sound Forge needs a timing reference. It uses this reference to keep track of the Current Position during recording and playback. When you work with Sound Forge alone, it uses the clock built into your sound card as a timing reference. So the built-in clock on your sound card provides the timing for the Current Position during recording and playback. This is called internal synchronization. Sometimes, however, you might need to synchronize Sound Forge externally with another device. For example, if you have a videotape containing some footage to which you want to add narration or music, you could use Sound Forge for this task by syncing it to the videotape. In this situation, the VCR is known as the master device, and Sound Forge is the slave device. The master sends messages to the slave, telling it when to start and stop, and what timing to use so that they can stay in sync with one another. To accomplish this, you need to use what is called SMPTE/MIDI Time Code.

SMPTE/MIDI Time Code You learned a little about SMPTE in Chapter 5, so you know that it is a timing reference that counts hours, minutes, seconds, and frames (as in video frames). But you didn’t really learn how it works. Q

OTHER USES FOR TIME CODE In addition to video, SMPTE/MIDI Time Code is often used to synchronize digital audio software to an external multitrack tape recorder or DAT (Digital Audio Tape) deck. The procedure for doing this (explained in the following section) is the same.

SMPTE is a complex audio signal that is recorded onto a tape track (in the case of video, it’s recorded onto one of the stereo audio tracks) by using a Time Code generator. This signal represents the absolute amount of time over the length of the tape in hours, minutes, seconds, and

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Q Synchronization frames. A program (such as Sound Forge) reading the code can be synchronized to any exact moment along the length of the entire tape recording. In our video example, the VCR is the master, and Sound Forge is the slave. When you play the tape in the VCR, Sound Forge records the current audio file to the exact hour, minute, second, and frame. Reading the time code from tape requires a SMPTE converter, which translates the SMPTE code into MTC (MIDI Time Code). The MIDI Time Code is read by your MIDI interface and sent to Sound Forge via the MIDI input port that you set back in Chapter 3. MIDI Time Code is the equivalent of SMPTE, except that it exists as special MIDI messages rather than as an audio signal. As Sound Forge receives MTC, it calculates the exact Current Position that corresponds to the exact time reading. This means that you can start playback anywhere along the tape, and Sound Forge begins recording audio data at precisely the right point in the current file in perfect sync. Sync with SMPTE (Recording) As an example, suppose you want to add some narration to a video. This video might be your own or a video from a client. To synchronize Sound Forge to the video, follow these steps: 1. If the video is your own, add SMPTE Time Code to it by using a SMPTE generator. This

process is called striping. I won’t go into the details of doing that here. You’ll need to purchase a SMPTE generator and read the instructions in the included manual on how to stripe SMPTE to tape. If the video is from a client, they will probably stripe the tape before sending it to you. Q

SMPTE CONVERTER You also need a SMPTE converter to read the time code from the tape. If you have a professional MIDI interface attached to your computer, it might provide SMPTE generating and converting capabilities. Check the user’s manual to be sure. You might be able to save yourself some money.

2. Create a new audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your computer

keyboard) to open the New Window dialog box. 3. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to use for your new file.

Then click OK. 4. Select Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Click the MIDI/Sync tab.

Choose the appropriate MIDI input port from the Input drop-down list (see more about MIDI settings in Chapter 3). 5. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Record (or press Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard) to

open the Record dialog box.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback 6. Select the recording device you want to use via the Device drop-down list. If you have more

than one sound card or you have a sound card with multiple audio inputs, you can choose which input you want to use for recording. 7. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to compensate for any DC offset

that may be present because of your audio hardware. 8. Select Automatic: MIDI Timecode from the Method drop-down list. 9. Select the Automatic Retake recording mode via the Mode drop-down list. 10. Activate the Monitor option. You should see the recording meters display your current audio

input signal level in decibels. 11. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud, but also not too soft.

To do so, you have to use the software mixer that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see a small speaker icon. Double-click the speaker icon to open your sound card mixer. Then choose Options ඎ Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your sound card mixer. 12. For the set of controls labeled Line In, activate the Select option. This option tells your sound card that you want to record audio by using its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection (such as a microphone or internal CD player), use the set of controls associated with that connection. 13. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound card, begin playing the

material you want to record. Be sure the material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record. As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the recording meters light up at around –6dB during the loudest portion of your material, you have a good input level setting. 14. If you want recording to start at a specific SMPTE time automatically, activate the MIDI Timecode Start option and then input a SMPTE time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Otherwise, recording starts as soon as a time code from the external device is received. 15. If you want recording to end at a specific SMPTE time automatically, activate the MIDI

Timecode End option and then input a SMPTE time in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames

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Q Synchronization (see Figure 6.13). Otherwise, you have to manually stop the recording process by clicking the Stop button. Figure 6.13 Set the MIDI Timecode Start and End parameters for automated recording.

16. Click the Arm button to tell Sound Forge to start “listening” for any incoming SMPTE/MTC

data. Sound Forge flashes a green indicator light that says Armed. 17. Start playback on your master device (in this case, start the tape playing in the VCR). It sends SMPTE code to Sound Forge. If you entered a value for the MIDI Timecode Start parameter, Sound Forge won’t start recording until the appropriate SMPTE time is reached. Otherwise, it starts recording right away. 18. If you entered a value for the MIDI Timecode End parameter, Sound Forge stops recording automatically at the appropriate SMPTE time. If you didn’t enter a value for the End parameter, click the Stop button to stop recording when you’re ready. Also, be sure to stop playback on your master device. 19. After you’ve finished recording, click Close to leave the Record dialog box.

Sync with SMPTE (Playback) You may run into a situation where you need an external device to synchronize to the playback of a file in Sound Forge. In that case, perform the following steps.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback 1. Open an audio file in Sound Forge. 2. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Click the MIDI/Sync

tab. Choose the appropriate MIDI output port from the Output drop-down list. This is the MIDI port to which your external device is connected. For more information about MIDI settings, see Chapter 3. 3. Choose Options ඎ MIDI In/Out ඎ Generate MIDI Timecode (or press F7 on your computer

keyboard) to activate MTC output from Sound Forge. 4. Set up your external device to receive SMPTE/MTC. Refer to the owner’s manual for your

device to find out how to do this. 5. You may need to enter a SMPTE/MTC offset in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. For

example, if you are syncing a tape deck to Sound Forge but the material on the tape doesn’t start at the very beginning, you may need Sound Forge to output SMPTE/MTC starting at a different value than 00:00:00:00, which is its default starting value. To set a playback offset, choose Options ඎ Preferences. Click the MIDI/Sync tab. Activate the Enable SMPTE Playback Offset option and type in an offset in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. 6. Start playback on the external device. Instead of playing, it should wait for an incoming

SMPTE/MTC signal. 7. In Sound Forge, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play (or press the spacebar on your computer

keyboard) to begin playback of the current audio file. At this time, Sound Forge starts playback of the file and simultaneously sends out SMPTE/MTC to the external device. The external device should also start playing in sync with the audio from Sound Forge. A little confused? Well, as I said, synchronization is a complicated subject. You’ll find more information in the Sound Forge manual and the Help file, but it can still be difficult to understand. Your best bet is to experiment as much as possible with synchronization and get a good beginner’s book on audio recording. Knowing how to utilize synchronization is worthwhile if a situation that requires it ever arises.

Playback In the previous sections of this chapter, I touched upon some of the playback features that Sound Forge provides, but didn’t really cover all the features in detail. Sound Forge includes many different playback methods and modes and each has its own special uses. First, let’s talk about the basic playback functions.

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Q Playback

Basics You’ve already learned about some of the ways to play an audio file in Sound Forge. Just to refresh your memory, they are as follows: Q Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play to start playback and choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Stop to stop playback. To pause playback, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Pause. Q Press the spacebar on your computer keyboard to start playback and press the spacebar again to stop playback. To pause playback, press Enter. Q Click the Play buttons in either the Transport toolbar or the Data Window Playbar to start playback. Click the Stop buttons in either the Transport toolbar or the Data Window Playbar to stop playback. To pause playback, click the Pause button in the Transport toolbar. There is no Pause button available in the Data Window Playbar. Q

PLAYBACK KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS If you would rather have the spacebar start and pause playback, choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ General and put a check mark next to the Spacebar and F12 Play/Pause Instead of Play/Stop option. In addition, you can change the keyboard shortcuts for playback by defining your own. See Chapter 3 for more information about keyboard shortcuts.

Play All There is one additional method available to start playback called the Play All function. If you start playback using one of the previously mentioned methods, Sound Forge only plays the currently selected data. The Play All function plays the entire audio file, whether or not there is a data selection. This can come in handy when doing editing or processing tasks and you want to keep your data selection intact but want to listen to the entire audio file. To use the Play All function, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play All (or press Shift + Space on your computer keyboard). You can also use the Play All button in the Transport toolbar. There is no Play All button available in the Data Window Playbar. Loop Playback When editing or processing an audio file (or selected area of an audio file), it can be useful to continuously hear the audio data played over and over as you make your changes. Sound Forge provides for this situation with its Loop Playback function. To toggle the Loop Playback function on/off, click the Loop Playback button in the Transport toolbar (or press Q on your computer keyboard). If you made a data selection in the audio file, the data in that selection is played over and over when you activate playback. If there is no data selection, then the entire audio file is played repeatedly.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback Playback Modes All of the previously mentioned playback functions are known as Play Normal Mode functions, but Sound Forge actually provides four different playback modes. They are as follows: Q Play Normal Mode. To activate this mode, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play Normal Mode. In Play Normal Mode, Sound Forge’s playback functions work as previously mentioned in this chapter. Q Play Plug-In Chainer Mode. To activate this mode, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play PlugIn Chainer Mode. The Audio Plug-In Chainer applies effects to an audio file nondestructively. Using this playback mode, Sound Forge processes the audio file through the Audio Plug-In Chainer (for more details about the Audio Plug-In Chainer, see Chapter 9). Q Play As Sample Mode. To activate this mode, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play as Sample Mode. You can use Sound Forge to create your own digital audio sample loops. Using this playback mode, Sound Forge plays the audio file as a digital audio sample loop. I’ll talk more about sampling and sample loops in Chapter 13. Q Play As Cutlist Mode. To activate this mode, choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play as Cutlist Mode. Using Sound Forge’s Cutlist function, you can make edits to your audio files nondestructively. Using this playback mode, Sound Forge plays the audio file according to the cutlist that you defined. I’ll talk more about the Cutlist function in Chapter 7.

Advanced Playback In addition to all the previously mentioned playback functions, Sound Forge includes an advanced playback function called the Playlist. With the Playlist, you can designate what sections of an audio file will play (along with how many times they will play) and what sections will not play. This can be useful for testing how the audio file sounds with and without certain sections. It can also be useful in a performance situation for sound effect or musical passage playback. For the Playlist function to work, you need to define Regions within your audio file. If you need to, please read Chapter 5 again to become familiar with Regions before reading the rest of this chapter. Create a Playlist To create a new Playlist, just do the following: 1. Separate your audio file into sections using Regions (see Chapter 5 for more information).

For this example, just open the sample file included with Sound Forge called VOICEOVER.PCA. You’ll notice that the sample file already has some Regions defined (see Figure 6.14).

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Q Playback Figure 6.14 Open the VOICEOVER.PCA sample file for this Playlist example.

2. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions List window. 3. Choose View ඎ Playlist (or press Alt + 3 on your computer keyboard) to open the Playlist

window. 4. Drag and drop the Region called Wow from the Regions List window to the Playlist window.

This creates an entry in the Playlist (see Figure 6.15). Figure 6.15 Drag and drop Regions from the Regions List window to the Playlist window to create entries in the Playlist.

Q

NOTE You can also select a Region in the Regions List window and right-click in the Playlist window. Then choose Add from the shortcut menu to create a Playlist entry. But I find it much easier to use the drag-and-drop method. In addition, you can simply right-click on a Region in the Regions List window and choose Add to Playlist.

5. Drag and drop the Region called Sound Editing Just Gets Easier from the Regions List window

to the Playlist window. 6. Drag and drop the Region called …And Easier to the Playlist window.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback You now have a Playlist for the VOICEOVER.PCA audio file. To listen to the Playlist, click the small Play button next to the first entry in the list (see Figure 6.16). You can also start playback from any entry in the list by clicking the appropriate Play button. Figure 6.16 Click the small Play button next to a Playlist entry to start playback from that entry.

Edit a Playlist I’m sure you noticed that the Playlist you created in the previous example wasn’t anything spectacular. The Playlist entries simply played the audio file Regions in their original order. To demonstrate the real power of the Playlist, you need to do a little editing. Let’s continue where we left off with the previous example. Here’s how to edit a Playlist: 1. To move an entry to a different position within the Playlist, drag and drop the entry up or

down within the list. Click the number of the entry and hold down the left mouse button for a couple of seconds. Then drag the entry up or down. For this example, let’s move the Wow entry so that it appears second instead of first in the list (see Figure 6.17). Figure 6.17 To move an entry in the Playlist, drag and drop the entry number up or down within the list.

2. You can also change the number of times an entry will be played. For this example, let’s

have the Wow entry play three times. Double-click the Cnt field for the Wow entry (see Figure 6.18). 3. Enter three for the Cnt parameter and press Enter on your computer keyboard.

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Q Playback Figure 6.18 Double-click the Cnt field of an entry to edit its play count.

4. Start playback from the first entry. Sounds pretty good, eh? I think another Wow entry at

the end would be cool, though, so let’s add one. Right-click the Wow entry and choose Replicate from the shortcut menu. 5. Move the new Wow entry to the end of the list, and change its Play Count to one. Start

playback from the first entry. 6. Hmmm… on second thought, let’s get rid of that last Wow entry. To delete an entry from the Playlist, right-click the entry and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. If you want to use the Playlist function as a performance tool, there are two additional options that make this feasible—the Stop Point and MIDI Trigger options. In the Playlist, you can designate any entry as a Stop Point. This means that when the list is played and it encounters an entry that has been labeled as a Stop Point, playback stops. Let me show you how it works with a brief example: 1. From the last example, right-click the …And Easier entry and choose Stop Point from the

shortcut menu. This designates that entry as a Stop Point in the Playlist (see Figure 6.19). Figure 6.19 Right-click an entry and choose Stop Point to designate that entry as a Stop Point in the Playlist.

2. Start playback from the first entry in the Playlist. You’ll notice that the first two entries play,

but the last one doesn’t because it is a Stop Point. To play the rest of the entries in the Playlist, you need to start playback from the …And easier entry. Then that entry and any entries that might be after it will play.

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CHAPTER 6 } Recording and Playback 3. If you want to remove a Stop Point from the list, right-click the entry and choose Stop Point

from the shortcut menu. The Stop Point option becomes even more powerful when you combine it with the MIDI Trigger option (see MIDI Triggers in Chapter 3). MIDI Triggers can be used to start playback of a Region (or Playlist entry) using MIDI messages from your MIDI device. Combined with Stop Points, you can easily create a complex Playlist for use in a musical performance situation. You can also use it to trigger the playback of sound effects in a Foley recording session for video and more. To set up a MIDI Trigger for a Playlist entry, do the following: 1. Right-click the Playlist entry and choose Edit to open the Edit Playlist dialog box. 2. In the Trigger section, choose the type of trigger you want to use for that entry from the drop-

down list (see Figure 6.20). Figure 6.20 Use the Edit Playlist dialog box to set up a MIDI Trigger for a Playlist entry.

3. Depending on the type of trigger you choose, do the following: for a MIDI Trigger, enter a

MIDI Channel and MIDI Note in the appropriate parameters; for a SMPTE Trigger, enter a time value for the SMPTE Time parameter. The MIDI Channel and Note that you designate are the ones that must be transmitted from your MIDI device to start playback of that entry. If you choose the SMPTE option, the entry will be played when a certain SMPTE time is reached if you are synchronizing Sound Forge to another device using SMPTE synchronization (I talked about synchronization earlier in this chapter). 4. Click OK.

Save and Open a Playlist After you’ve created a Playlist for an audio file, you can save it as a separate Playlist file (which you can also open for use at a later time). This means that you can have multiple Playlists for the same audio file, if you want. To save a Playlist, perform the following steps.

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Q Playback 1. Right-click anywhere within the Playlist window and choose Save As from the shortcut menu

to open the Save As Regions/Playlist dialog box (see Figure 6.21). Figure 6.21 Use the Save As Regions/Playlist dialog box to save your Playlist.

2. Choose a disk/folder location in which to save the file using the Save In drop-down list. 3. Type a name for the file in the File Name field. 4. Click Save.

To open an existing Playlist, do the following: 1. Right-click anywhere within the Playlist window and choose Open from the shortcut menu

to open the Open Regions/Playlist dialog box. 2. Choose a disk/folder location in which the file is located using the Look In drop-down list. 3. Select the file to open. 4. Click Open.

Create a New Audio File One final but very powerful Playlist feature is the ability to convert a Playlist into a new audio file. This feature renders all the entries in a Playlist and converts them into a new audio file. To do this, you simply right-click anywhere within the Playlist window and choose Convert to New from the shortcut menu. If we did this with the previous Playlist example, we would get what is shown in Figure 6.22.

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Figure 6.22 Use the Convert to New function to create a new audio file from your Playlist.

You’ll notice that there are four Regions in the new audio file. The first Region represents the first entry in the Playlist. The next three Regions represent the second entry in the Playlist; remember that the second entry in the Playlist had a Play Count of three, which is why we get three Regions with the same data in the new audio file. And finally, the last Region is represented by the last entry in the Playlist. The Convert to New function can actually be used as an editing tool. I’ll discuss this method in Chapter 7.

Quiz 1. All recording in Sound Forge is done via the Record dialog box. True or False? 2. What recording attributes do you need to set when starting a new recording? 3. What is the zero axis? 4. When the recording meters turn red, you know you have a good audio recording level. True

or False? 5. The Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode allows you to make multiple recordings

one right after the other, and have them all stored within the same audio file, but separated into different Regions within that file. True or False? 6. The Remote Recording feature controls the recording functions of Sound Forge from a remote location. True or False? 7. What key on your computer keyboard is used to start and stop normal playback in Sound

Forge? 8. The Play All function plays an entire audio file, whether or not there is a data selection in that file. True or False?

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Q Quiz 9. What are the four different playback modes available in Sound Forge? 10. With the Playlist, you can designate which sections of an audio file will play (along with how

many times they will play) and which sections will not play. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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7

Editing Basics

After you’ve finished recording, it’s time to do some editing. This is where Sound Forge shines. The program provides a vast array of editing, processing, and effects tools so that you can mold your audio data every which way imaginable. I’ll talk about the processing tools in Chapter 8 and the effects tools in Chapter 9. In this chapter, however, you’ll learn how to: Q Work with the Data Window. Q Select audio data. Q Copy, cut, delete, crop, and paste audio data. Q Use Undo/Redo and the Undo/Redo History. Q Use the Edit, Magnify, and Pencil tools. Q

MAKE A BACKUP Before you do any editing to your recently recorded material, I suggest that you make a backup of your audio file. This way, if you totally mess things up during the editing process, you still have your raw data to fall back on. However, if you are using a Sound Forge Project file, then making an initial backup is not necessary since Project files do not alter the original audio files. Project files allow you to edit nondestructively (see Chapter 4 for more information about Project files).

The Data Window When you open an existing audio file or record a new one, Sound Forge displays a Data Window (see Figure 7.1). The Data Window gives you access to your audio data for viewing, editing, and processing. More than one Data Window can be open simultaneously so that you can edit more than one file at a time, if necessary. You already learned how to work with the Data Window in terms of navigating

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Figure 7.1 Sound Forge displays your audio file in a Data Window.

Edit Tool Selector

Title Bar

Overview Bar

Time Ruler

Level Ruler

Time Zoom Resolution Time Zoom

Level Zoom

Maximize Width Playbar Scrollbar Scrub Control

Selection Status Bar

within Sound Forge and recording new audio files. However, you haven’t learned how to actually manipulate the audio data within the Data Window. Manipulating includes selecting, copying, cutting, pasting, and so on.

Scrolling As you already know, the Data Window displays the data from your file as a graphical representation of its audio waveform. If your file is monophonic (one channel), one waveform is shown. If your file is stereo (two channels), two waveforms are shown; the top waveform represents the left channel and the bottom waveform represents the right channel. The length of the audio waveform is shown horizontally from left (the beginning of the file) to right (the end of the file). More often than not, the data from the entire file does not fit within the Data Window. For situations like this, the Data Window provides a scroll bar (located just below the waveform display and just above the Playbar). This scroll bar works the same as scroll bars in any standard Windows application. You can either click the scroll bar arrows to move the display or click and drag the scroll bar itself to move the display. As you scroll to the right, the values in the Time Ruler increase and you are able to view the data in the remaining part of the audio file. Scrolling doesn’t change the Current Position cursor, though (as you learned in Chapter 5).

Zooming The Data Window also provides zooming functions. Using these functions, you can magnify the audio waveform in case you want to do some really precise editing. If you take a look at the bottom of the Data Window, you’ll notice two sets of buttons (one set to the left of the scroll bar and one set to the right of the scroll bar) that have little pictures of plus and minus signs on them. Using the buttons to the right of the scroll bar (the Time Zoom buttons), you can magnify the audio waveform horizontally in time. So, by clicking the Time Zoom In button (the one with the plus sign on it), the audio waveform grows longer horizontally and gives you a more detailed look at the data. Clicking the Time Zoom Out button (the one with the minus sign on it), of course, does the opposite. As you use the Time Zoom buttons, you’ll also notice that the values in the Time Ruler

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Q The Data Window change to reflect the more detailed view, and the Time Zoom Resolution display (located to the right of the scroll bar) also changes. The Time Zoom Resolution display shows the current zoom resolution as a ratio. A zoom resolution of 24:1 (24 screen pixels = 1 audio sample) gives you the most detailed (magnified) view of the audio waveform that’s possible. The least detailed view you can achieve depends on the length of the audio waveform. By default, a ratio of 1:4,096 can be achieved. Q

DEFAULT ZOOM RATIO You can change the default zoom out ratio by choosing Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then click the Display tab and select a new ratio from the Normal Zoom Ratio drop-down list.

The buttons to the left of the scroll bar (the Level Zoom buttons) work in the same manner as the Time Zoom buttons, except that they affect the display vertically. Clicking the Level Zoom In button (the one with the plus sign on it) magnifies the amplitude level of the audio waveform. Clicking the Level Zoom Out button (the one with the minus sign on it) does the opposite. As you manipulate these buttons, the Level Ruler (located on the left side of the Data Window) changes to reflect the different amplitude levels shown for the audio waveform. Q

CHANGE LEVEL READINGS You can make the Level Ruler show amplitude levels in decibels (dB) or as a percentage. Just right-click the Level Ruler and select the appropriate option: Label in dB or Label in Percent.

In addition to the Zoom buttons themselves, you’ll notice a small vertical bar located between each set of Zoom buttons. By clicking and dragging on this bar, you can quickly change the zoom values for either level or time. Click and drag to the left to decrease the values; click and drag to the right to increase the values. Q

THE ZOOM MENUS For an even quicker way to change the zoom values, use the View ඎ Zoom Level and View ඎ Zoom Time menus. They are self-explanatory.

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Q

MOUSE SHORTCUTS You can also change the zoom values using your mouse. If your mouse has a wheel, rotate the wheel forward to zoom in horizontally. Rotate the wheel back to zoom out horizontally. For vertical zooming, hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard while rotating the mouse wheel.

The Magnify Tool In addition to the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons, as well as the Zoom menu functions, Sound Forge provides the Magnify tool. You can use this tool to select a range of data and just zoom in on that selection. To use it, simply do the following: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Tool ඎ Magnify to activate the Magnify tool. You can also click the Magnify

Tool button in the Standard Toolbar (see Chapter 3 for more information). Or you can click the Edit Tool Selector in the Data Window. 2. Move your mouse pointer within the waveform display of the Data Window, and it turns

into a magnifying glass. 3. Click and drag anywhere within the area to draw a rectangle around the data that you want to zoom (see Figure 7.2). Figure 7.2 Just click and drag to draw a rectangle with the Magnify tool.

4. Release the mouse button. Sound Forge then zooms in on the data within the rectangle.

The Magnify tool remains activated so that you can perform another zoom procedure if you want. To reactivate the Edit tool (which I’ll talk about shortly), choose Edit ඎ Tool ඎ Edit (or press Ctrl + D on your computer keyboard). You can also click the Edit Tool button in the Standard Toolbar, or you can click the Edit Tool Selector in the Data Window.

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Q The Data Window Q

QUICK EDIT ACCESS While you are using the Magnify tool, you can temporarily switch to the Edit tool by holding down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard.

Custom Time Zoom Sound Forge provides one last zoom function called Custom Zoom. This function defines two custom time zoom settings, which can then be accessed with simple keyboard shortcuts. This lets you set up two of your most used time zoom settings and implement them with ease. To define the Custom Zoom settings, do the following: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. 2. Click the Display tab. 3. To define the first custom time zoom setting, choose a value from the Custom Zoom Ratio 1

drop-down menu. 4. To define the second custom time zoom setting, choose a value from the Custom Zoom Ratio 2 drop-down list. 5. Click OK.

To access the first custom time zoom setting, press 1 on the number pad of your computer keyboard. To access the second custom time zoom setting, press 2 on the number pad of your computer keyboard. You can also access the custom zoom settings from the View ඎ Zoom Time menu.

Selecting and the Edit Tool To manipulate your audio data in a file, you have to be able to select it. There are a number of ways to do this in Sound Forge. The most common way is by simply dragging your mouse within the waveform display of the Data Window. Just activate the Edit tool (the tool used for selecting data in Sound Forge) by choosing Edit ඎ Tool ඎ Edit (or pressing D on your computer keyboard). You can also click the Edit Tool button in the Standard Toolbar, or you can click the Edit Tool Selector in the Data Window. Then just click and drag your mouse within the waveform display in the Data Window to select a portion of the data. Q

SELECTING STEREO CHANNELS When working with stereo files, you can select data in the left and right channels independently, or in both channels at once. To select data in both channels, click and drag your mouse in the middle of the waveform display. To select data in the left channel, click and drag your mouse in the top portion of the waveform display. You’ll notice a small letter L attached to your mouse cursor, which lets you know that

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics only data in the left channel will be selected. To select data in the right channel, click and drag your mouse in the bottom portion of the waveform display. You’ll notice a small letter R attached to your mouse cursor, which lets you know that only data in the right channel will be selected.

When you select a portion of data in the Data Window, you’ll notice the values in the Selection Status Bar change. The first value shows the time at which the beginning of the selection resides. The second value shows the time at which the ending of the selection resides. The third value shows the length of the current selection. These values are shown in the same format as the Time Ruler. If you change the Time Ruler format (by right-clicking and choosing a different format from the shortcut menu), the format of the Selection Status Bar changes as well. You can also select data in other ways, including the following: Q To select all the data in a file, choose Edit ඎ Select All or press Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard. Q To create a specific data selection, use the Mark In and Mark Out functions. Set the Current Position cursor to the start of the data you want to select and choose Special ඎ Mark In (or press I on your computer keyboard). Then set the Current Position cursor to the end of the data and choose Special ඎ Mark Out (or press O on your computer keyboard). Q To toggle the selection on and off, choose Special ඎ Toggle Selection or press the Backspace key on your computer keyboard. The Set Selection Dialog Box If you want to be more precise, you can select data by entering exact numeric values for the start, end, and length of a selection by using the Set Selection dialog box. Here’s how: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Set (or press Ctrl + Shift + D on your computer keyboard) to

open the Set Selection dialog box (see Figure 7.3). Figure 7.3 The Set Selection dialog box specifies a selection using exact numerical values.

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Q The Data Window 2. Choose a value format via the Input Format drop-down list. For example, if you would rather

specify your selection in measures and beats rather than in time, choose Measures & Beats from the drop-down list. 3. If you are editing a stereo audio file, use the Channel drop-down list to choose whether you

want to make a selection in both channels, or just in the left or right channel. 4. Enter a value for the Start parameter to define where to begin the selection in the file. 5. Enter a value for the End parameter to define where the selection will end. 6. You can also enter a value to define how long the selection will be by using the Length

parameter. Changing the Length parameter, however, also changes the End parameter. 7. To listen to the data within your selection, click the Play button. 8. When finished defining the selection, click OK.

Your new selection is set in the Data Window. Adjust the Selection After you’ve made your selection, you may find that it needs a little adjusting. You can do this with a quick click and drag of the mouse. To adjust your selection, do one of the following: Q To adjust the beginning or end of a selection, move your mouse over the start or end of the selection until your mouse cursor turns into a double-headed arrow. Then click and drag either left or right to make the selection longer or shorter. Q You can also adjust the ends of a selection by simply holding down the Shift key on your computer keyboard and then clicking once anywhere before or after the defined selection to adjust the selection’s beginning or end. Q

SELECTING WITH KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS You can also set and adjust selections using nothing but your computer keyboard. There are a large number of different keyboard combinations that provide various selection functions. To see a list of these keyboard combinations, open the Sound Forge Help file by choosing Help ඎ Keyboard Shortcuts. Then click Selecting Data to see the list.

Snap the Selection There may be occasions when you want the start or end of a selection to match up to the exact time values in the Time Ruler. This can be difficult to do with a mouse, but Sound Forge has some specific functions to remedy the situation.

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Q To snap both the start and end of a selection to the nearest rounded time values on the Time Ruler, choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap To Time (or press T on your computer keyboard). Q To snap just the start of a selection to the nearest rounded time value on the Time Ruler, move the Current Position cursor to the start of the selection by moving your mouse over the start of the selection until the mouse cursor turns into a double-headed arrow and clicking the left mouse button once (or press the Home key on your computer keyboard). Then choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap Edge to Time (or press Shift + T on your computer keyboard). Q To snap just the end of a selection to the nearest rounded time value on the Time Ruler, move the Current Position cursor to the end of the selection by moving your mouse over the end of the selection until the mouse cursor turns into a double-headed arrow and clicking the left mouse button once (or press the End key on your computer keyboard). Then choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap Edge to Time (or press Shift + T on your computer keyboard). Even more important, however, is being able to snap the start or end of a selection to a zero crossing in the audio waveform. Q

ZERO CROSSING Remember the description of the zero axis from Chapter 6? Well, any point in an audio waveform that lands on the zero axis is called a zero crossing. It’s called that because as the waveform moves up and down, it crosses over the zero axis.

Why is it important that your selections line up with zero crossings? It’s because a zero crossing is a point in the audio waveform at which no sound is being made. A zero crossing provides a perfect spot at which to edit the waveform—for example, when you’re cutting and pasting pieces of audio. If you edit an audio waveform at a point where it’s either above or below the zero axis, you might introduce glitches, which can come in the form of audible pops and clicks. You get these glitches because you cut at a moment when sound is being produced. You also get them because, when you’re pasting together pieces of audio, you cannot guarantee that the ends of each waveform will line up perfectly (except, of course, if they both are at zero crossings). To snap a selection to a zero crossing, do one of the following: Q To snap both the start and end of a selection to the nearest zero crossings, choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap To Zero (or press Z on your computer keyboard). Q To snap just the start of a selection to the nearest zero crossing, move the Current Position cursor to the start of the selection by moving your mouse over the start of the selection until the mouse cursor turns into a double-headed arrow and clicking the left mouse button once

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More (or press the Home key on your computer keyboard). Then choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap Edge to Zero (or press Shift + Z on your computer keyboard). Q To snap just the end of a selection to the nearest zero crossing, move the Current Position cursor to the end of the selection by moving your mouse over the end of the selection until the mouse cursor turns into a double-headed arrow and clicking the left mouse button once (or press the End key on your computer keyboard). Then choose Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Snap Edge to Zero (or press Shift + Z on your computer keyboard). Q

AUTOMATIC SNAP If you want to have your selections snap automatically as you are making a selection, choose one of the following options: Options ඎ Auto Snap to Time or Options ඎ Auto Snap to Zero.

Copy, Cut, Paste, and More After you’ve made a selection, you can do a variety of things to the selected data. Some of the more common ones include copying the data to the Clipboard (a temporary storage area), cutting and removing the data from the file to the Clipboard, deleting the data, trimming/cropping the data, and pasting the data. You can accomplish these tasks as follows: Q To delete the data, choose Edit ඎ Delete (or press the Delete key on your computer keyboard). Q To delete all the data in the file, except for the data in the selection, choose Edit ඎ Trim/ Crop (or press Ctrl + T on your computer keyboard). Q To copy the data to the Clipboard, choose Edit ඎ Copy (or press Ctrl + C on your computer keyboard). This simply makes a copy of the data and leaves the data in the selection intact. Q To cut the data from the file and store it in the Clipboard, choose Edit ඎ Cut (or press Ctrl + X on your computer keyboard). This removes the selected data from the file and places it in the Clipboard. This is the same as copying the selected data and then deleting it. Q To paste any data from the Clipboard to an open audio file, move the Current Position cursor to the position within the audio file at which you want to paste the data. Then choose Edit ඎ Paste (or press Ctrl + V on your computer keyboard). The data is inserted into the file starting at the Current Position cursor. If there is data located after the cursor, that data is pushed back to make room for the new data.

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CLIPBOARD CONTENTS After you copy or cut data from a file, it is placed in the Clipboard. To view statistical information about the data in the Clipboard, choose View ඎ Clipboard ඎ Contents. This gives you the format, attributes, length, number of samples, and size in bytes of the audio data in the Clipboard. You can also listen to the data held in the Clipboard by choosing View ඎ Clipboard ඎ Play.

Special Pasting Functions There may be times when pasting (inserting) the data from the Clipboard into your audio file isn’t exactly what you need. You may want to utilize the Clipboard data in a variety of ways, and Sound Forge provides five special paste functions for these purposes. Overwrite The Paste Overwrite function pastes the data from the Clipboard over a current data selection. For example, if you have a situation in which you are trying to piece together a great vocal audio recording from a couple of prerecorded files, you can copy a good section from one file and paste it into the other file, thereby replacing the bad part in the second file. Here’s how the function works: 1. Select and copy the data you want to use for overwriting so that it is placed on the Clipboard. 2. Select the data to be replaced. The data to be replaced can reside either in the current file

or in a different file. 3. Choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Overwrite.

Sound Forge replaces the selected data with the data on the Clipboard. There are two exceptions to this: If the selected data is longer than the data on the Clipboard, the data on the Clipboard replaces only the first part of the data in the selection. The remaining data in the selection is untouched. If the selected data is shorter than the data on the Clipboard, the data on the Clipboard replaces all of the data in the selection, but only for the length of the selection. In this instance, not all of the data from the Clipboard is used. More often than not, you’ll want the length of the selected data and the length of the data on the Clipboard to match up. Q

MATCHING SELECTIONS Use the View ඎ Clipboard ඎ Contents function to obtain the length of the data in the Clipboard. Then use the Edit ඎ Selection ඎ Set function to set your selection to the same exact length for overwriting.

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More Replicate The Paste Replicate function pastes the data from the Clipboard repeatedly over a current data selection. For example, if you have a one-measure drum beat and you want to fill up four more measures in your audio file with the same drum beat, you can copy and paste that one measure into the next four measures quickly and easily using the Paste Replicate function. Here’s how the function works: 1. Select and copy the data you want to use for replicating so that it is placed on the Clipboard. 2. Make a new selection in the current file or a selection in another open file, and be sure the

length of the new selection matches up to the amount of data you want to replicate. So, if you copied one measure of data and you want to copy it four times, be sure to make the new selection four measures long. 3. Choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Replicate to open the Replicate dialog box (see Figure 7.4). Figure 7.4 The Paste Replicate function pastes multiple copies of the data contained on the Clipboard.

4. If the length of the new selection you made in Step 2 is not an exact multiple of the length

of the data on the Clipboard, the new selection may or may not be filled entirely with data. In other words, if the data on the Clipboard is one measure long, but you only make the new selection three and a half measures long, that last half of a measure might be left empty. In the Replicate dialog box, if you choose the Whole Copies option, only whole copies of the Clipboard data are used to fill the selection, so in our example, only three measures are filled. If you choose the Copy Partials option, the entire selection is filled. The first three measures would contain whole copies of the Clipboard data and the last half of a measure would contain only the first half of the Clipboard data. Choose the option you want to use. 5. Click OK. Sound Forge copies the data from the Clipboard as many times as it takes to fill the current data selection. Paste to New The Paste to New function is the simplest of the Paste functions. To use the Paste to New function, select and copy some data into the Clipboard. Then choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Paste to New (or press Ctrl + E on your computer keyboard). Sound Forge takes the data from the Clipboard

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics and places it into a new Data Window, ready and waiting to be edited and saved as an entirely separate audio file. Mix The Paste Mix function mixes the data from the Clipboard with the data in an open audio file. For example, if you have a vocal narration that you want to add to an already existing piece of background music, you can use the Paste Mix function to mix the two parts into one audio file. Here’s how the function works: 1. Select and copy the data you want to use for mixing so that it is placed on the Clipboard. 2. Set the Current Position cursor or set a selection in another open file to specify where to

place the mixed audio. 3. Choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Mix (or press Ctrl + M on your computer keyboard) to open

the Mix dialog box (see Figure 7.5). Figure 7.5 The Paste Mix function mixes the contents of the Clipboard with the data in an open audio file.

4. If you set a selection in the file rather than just setting the Current Position cursor, you can

specify whether the mixing starts at the beginning or the end of the current selection. Choose either the Start Mix at Start Selection option or the Start Mix at End Selection option. 5. Adjust the Source Volume slider and the Destination Volume slider. These controls determine how loud the audio data from the Clipboard (Source) and the audio data in the file (Destination) will be after they are mixed. You can test how the final mixed audio will sound by clicking the Preview button. 6. After setting the appropriate amplitudes for the Source and Destination, click the Preview

button again. This time, listen to determine if the audio sounds “hollow.” This usually happens due to phase cancellation, which occurs when one audio waveform increases in volume and

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More the other decreases in volume at exactly the same time with the same amount. Because of this phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound hollow. If this occurs, try activating the Invert Data option for either the Source or the Destination, but not both. This option inverts the audio waveform and can usually fix the phase cancellation problem. 7. If the Invert Data options don’t help with phase cancellation, you might be able to fix the problem using the Tune parameter. This parameter lets you slightly alter the mix start position in the destination file, meaning the data from the Clipboard will be mixed slightly before or after the current mixing point. Phase cancellation won’t occur because the audio waveforms don’t line up exactly, and thus won’t be changing volumes at exactly the same time. To adjust the Tune parameter, simply enter a value in milliseconds anywhere from –500 to +500. You’ll need to judge by ear how this affects the final mix by using the Preview button. 8. If you want the Destination Volume to be applied only in the part of the file where the two audio parts are being mixed, activate the Apply Destination Volume to Overlapping Area Only. Otherwise, the Destination Volume slider changes the amplitude of all the data in the file. More often than not, you’ll want to have this option activated. 9. If the Apply Destination Volume to Overlapping Area Only option is activated, you can also

apply an automatic fade to the Destination Volume. This is a great way to mix a vocal narration with background music. When the vocal comes in, the background gets softer so that you can hear the vocal better. To accomplish a fade, activate the Pre/Post Fade Destination Edges option. Then set the number of seconds you want it to take for the Destination Volume to get lower at the beginning of the mix (the level is set via the Destination Volume slider) and the number of seconds you want it to take for the Destination Volume to get back to its original level at the end of the mix. For an example, select the Fast Duck (-6 dB) Preset from the Preset drop-down list at the top of the dialog box. Q

FADING IN AND OUT A fade is a gradual and smooth increase from a low volume to a higher volume (usually called a fadein), or a gradual and smooth decrease from a high volume to a lower volume (usually called a fadeout). In the vocal example provided earlier, fading out a piece of background music during a mix and then fading the music back in after the mix is usually called ducking.

10. Click OK.

Sound Forge mixes the data according to your parameter settings.

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Crossfade The Paste Crossfade function is similar to the Paste Mix function in that it lets you mix the data from the Clipboard with the data in an open audio file. However, the Paste Crossfade function goes a bit further. A crossfade is a special kind of mixing procedure that can come in handy when you want to make a smooth transition from one style of music to another or from one instrument to another. It is especially useful when you’re adding audio to video; you can smoothly change from one type of background music to another as the scene changes. Of course, it has many other types of creative uses too. When you apply a crossfade to two pieces of audio, it usually works like this: As the final mixed audio is played, one of the original pieces of audio fades in and the other piece of audio fades out. These fades can occur fast or slow and at different levels that are independent of each other. It all depends on how you apply the crossfade. You can apply a crossfade as follows: 1. Select and copy the data you want to use for mixing so that it is placed on the Clipboard. 2. Set the Current Position cursor or set a selection in another open file to specify where to

place the mixed audio. 3. Choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Crossfade (or press Ctrl + F on your computer keyboard) to

open the Crossfade dialog box (see Figure 7.6). Figure 7.6 The Paste Crossfade function is similar to the Paste Mix function, except that it applies fades to both pieces of audio data.

4. If you set a selection in the file rather than just setting the Current Position cursor, you can

specify whether the mixing starts at the beginning or at the end of the current selection. Choose either the Start Crossfade at Start of Selection option or the Start Crossfade at End of Selection option. 5. Adjust the Source and Destination Start Level and End Level sliders. These controls determine the amplitude of the Clipboard and audio file data at the start and end of the crossfade. For

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More example, if you want the Clipboard data to fade in and the audio file data to fade out, set the Source Start Level to –Inf dB, the Source End Level to 0 dB, the Destination Start Level to 0 dB, and the Destination End Level to –Inf dB. 6. If phase cancellation occurs, adjust the Tune parameter as discussed earlier in the “Paste

Mix” section of this chapter. 7. Click OK. Sound Forge mixes and crossfades the data according to your parameter settings. Quick Paste, Mix, and Crossfade In Chapter 4, I talked about using the Explorer window to open files quickly by dragging and dropping the files into the Sound Forge workspace. Well, you can also perform quick paste, mix, and crossfade procedures using drag and drop as well. Here is how it works: 1. With the Explorer window open and an existing audio file already open in the Sound Forge

workspace, drag an audio file into the existing audio file’s Data window, but continue to hold down your left mouse button. 2. If you would like to paste the audio, click the right mouse button (while continuing to hold

the left button) until you see the letter P next to your mouse cursor. Position your mouse at the point where you would like to paste the audio. Then simply let go of the left mouse button (see Figure 7.7). Figure 7.7 Click the right mouse button until the letter P appears next to your mouse cursor.

3. If you would like to crossfade the audio, click the right mouse button (while continuing to

hold the left button) until you see the letter C next your mouse cursor. Position your mouse at the point you would like the crossfade to occur. Then simply let go of the left mouse button (see Figure 7.8). In the Crossfade dialog box, set the parameters according to the step-bystep procedure described earlier.

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Figure 7.8 Click the right mouse button until the letter C appears next to your mouse cursor.

4. If you would like to mix the audio, click the right mouse button (while continuing to hold the left

button) until you see the letter M next to your mouse cursor. Position your mouse at the point you would like the mix to occur. Then simply let go of the left mouse button (see Figure 7.9). In the Mix dialog box, set the parameters according to the step-by-step procedure described earlier. Figure 7.9 Click the right mouse button until the letter M appears next to your mouse cursor.

5. Click OK if you did a crossfade or mix.

Scrubbing When you’re editing audio data, the procedure usually involves playing the audio to find an edit point, making your edits, and then playing back the audio to hear how the changes sound. However, playing back very small sections can be a bit difficult, especially when you’re working with music that has a fast tempo. To remedy this situation, Sound Forge provides scrubbing functions. Using the scrubbing functions, you can play your audio at different rates, making it easier to find edit points and work with small sections of audio. Use the Overview Bar To do a quick scrub and loop a section of audio at the normal playback rate, you can use the Overview bar. Simply click and drag your mouse from left to right in the Overview bar. As long

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More as you hold down your mouse button, Sound Forge will loop the section of audio over which you dragged. The length of the audio loop is a preset value, but you can change this by choosing Options ඎ Preferences ඎ Previews to open the Preferences ඎ Previews dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.10. Figure 7.10 Use the Preferences ඎ Previews dialog box to set the audio loop length for scrubbing in the Overview bar.

In the Audio Event Locator section, set the Pre-Roll and Loop Time parameters. The Pre-Roll parameter determines how much audio will play prior to the location where you click your mouse. The Loop Time parameter determines how many seconds of audio will play when you do a scrub in the Overview bar. Use the Current Position Cursor Scrubbing with the Current Position cursor provides more control than the Overview bar. Here you can play audio both forward and backward, as well as at different rates. To scrub with the cursor, simply hover your mouse over the cursor and hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard. The mouse will change to a picture of a small speaker. Then click and drag to the right to play the audio forward or drag to the left to play the audio backward (see Figure 7.11). The farther you drag your mouse from its original position, the faster the playback rate will be. In the Playbar at the bottom of the Data window, the current playback rate is displayed. In

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics Figure 7.11 Drag your mouse left or right in the Data window to scrub using the Current Position cursor.

addition, you can drag your mouse left and right while the audio is playing in order to zero-in on an edit point. Use the Scrub Control In the Playbar of the Data window, there is a Scrub control (see Figure 7.12). Figure 7.12 Use the Scrub control to scrub audio starting at the Current Position.

Scrub Control

You can use this control in the same way that you use the Current Position cursor. Simply hover your mouse over the Scrub control and then click and drag either left or right. Playback starts the Current Position. If you drag right, the audio plays forward. If you drag left, the audio plays backward. The farther you drag your mouse, the faster the playback rate. In addition, you can drag your mouse left and right while the audio is playing in order to zero-in on an edit point. Q

QUICK PLAYBACK RATE CHANGE While dragging the Scrub control, hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard to change the playback rate in small increments for more precise scrubbing.

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Q Copy, Cut, Paste, and More Use the Normal Rate Indicator The Playbar of the Data window also provides the Normal Rate Indicator (shown as a small triangle directly below the Scrub control). By dragging the Indicator left or right, you can change the rate of normal audio playback in Sound Forge. This can be useful in finding edit points in a looped section of audio. Here is an example of how the Indicator might be used: 1. Open an audio file in Sound Forge. 2. Click and drag your mouse over a section of the audio to make a selection. 3. Press Q on your computer keyboard to turn on looped playback. 4. Press the spacebar on your computer keyboard to start playback. 5. As your audio is playing, click and drag the Indicator to the left to slow the rate

of playback. Or click and drag the Indicator to the right to increase the rate of playback (see Figure 7.13). Figure 7.13 Drag the Normal Rate Indicator left or right to decrease or increase the playback rate, respectively.

6. To set the playback rate back to its default, double-click the Indicator. 7. After you find your edit point, press Enter on your computer keyboard to pause playback.

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QUICK INDICATOR SETTINGS To quickly set the Indicator to a specific value, right-click the Indicator and choose a value from the pop-up menu.

Use the JKL Keys In addition to all of the previously discussed methods, you can scrub audio using your computer keyboard. Simply click at the point in your audio data where you want to start playback. Then press the J key on your computer keyboard to scrub the audio in reverse. Press the L key to scrub the audio in the forward direction. Or press K to pause playback. During playback you can press the J and L keys to alternate play modes. You can also press the J and L keys repeatedly to change the playback rate. Q

SPECIAL SHUTTLE MODE You can use the JKL keyboard shortcuts to emulate the shuttle control like you might find on an outboard hardware-based control surface. To do this, press and hold the K key on your computer keyboard. Then press the J or L keys (and release the K key) to start playback in reverse or forward modes, respectively. To stop playback, press the K key again.

Dealing with Editing Errors Sound Forge provides an Undo function that reverses any action that you take while editing an audio file. You’re probably familiar with this feature because it can be found in most applications that enable you to manipulate data, such as word processing software and so on. So, if you ever make a mistake, just choose Edit ඎ Undo (or press Ctrl + Z on your computer keyboard). If you decide that you didn’t really make a mistake after all, you can actually undo the Undo function by choosing Edit ඎ Redo (or pressing Ctrl + Shift + Z on your computer keyboard). Sound Forge goes even further to help you with editing errors by providing an Undo/Redo History feature. This feature logs every step you take while working on an audio file and enables you to undo or redo each step, all the way back to the beginning or all the way forward to the end of your current editing session. Each open Data Window has its own Undo/Redo History log, so that you can undo and redo steps independently for each audio file with which you are working. To access the Undo/Redo History log, choose View ඎ Undo/Redo History (or press Alt + 7 on your computer keyboard) to open the Undo/Redo window (see Figure 7.14).

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Q Dealing with Editing Errors Figure 7.14 You can reverse the actions that you take via the Undo/ Redo History window.

In the Undo half of the window, you can see all the actions that can be undone. In the Redo half of the window, you can see all the actions that can be redone. Each entry in each list has a description of the action that was performed along with a range of time (shown as hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds) that designates the part of the audio file that was processed. In addition, each entry has a small Play button next to it. This lets you hear what the audio sounds like at that particular point in the editing session. To go back to a certain point in the session, doubleclick an entry. If you want, you can keep the Undo/Redo window open while you work. There are a number of other useful features associated with the Undo/Redo functions. They are as follows: Q To undo all the editing actions for the current Data Window, choose Edit ඎ Undo All. Q To clear the Undo/Redo History lists for the current Data Window (thus losing the ability to reverse any mistakes, but clearing up some memory and disk space), choose Special ඎ Undo/Redo History ඎ Clear. Q To clear the Undo/Redo History lists for all the open Data Windows, choose Special ඎ Undo/Redo History ඎ Clear All. Q

UNDO PAST SAVE Normally, the Undo/Redo History log for each Data Window is not saved, so as soon as you save your audio file, you lose the ability to undo any changes you made to that audio file. However, Sound Forge allows you to change this so that you can save your undo history. Just choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ General. In the General Preferences list, put a check mark next to the option called Allow Undo Past Save. By saving your undo history, you can make changes to your audio file and save it. Then you can audition the file in other applications and still have the ability to go back and remove any of the edits, if necessary.

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NO UNDO PAST CLOSE Even though you can undo changes after you save an audio file, if you close that audio file, your undo history is permanently lost. The only way around this is to use Sound Forge Project files. I talked about Project files in Chapter 4.

Nondestructive Editing With the introduction of Version 6, Sound Forge added the ability to do nondestructive editing when you use the copy, cut, and paste functions. This means that although it looks like your data is being changed, it’s really not. Instead, Sound Forge creates a list of pointers, which tell it what sections of audio have been copied, cut, or pasted. It then renders your audio data using the pointer list when you save the audio file. This makes editing changes instantaneous, even on large files. In addition to this, Sound Forge provides another nondestructive editing feature called the Cutlist. I talked about this briefly in Chapter 6 while explaining the Playlist feature. Actually, the Cutlist works in a similar manner to the Playlist, except you make a list of the Regions you want to remove instead of the Regions you want to be played. Why would you want to use the Cutlist instead of the usual editing features? Well, at times you may find it more intuitive because you can actually see the data that has been removed. Let’s work through an example, so I can show you what I mean: 1. Open the sample audio file that comes included with Sound Forge called VOICEOVER.PCA. 2. Choose Special ඎ Playlist/Cutlist ඎ Treat as Cutlist to turn off the Playlist function and turn

on the Cutlist function. 3. Choose View ඎ Regions List (or press Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Regions List window. 4. Choose View ඎ Cutlist (or press Alt + 3 on your computer keyboard) to open the Cutlist

window. 5. Adding Regions to the Cutlist works the same way as adding them to the Playlist. For this

example, drag and drop the Sound Editing Just Gets Easier entry from the Regions List window to the Cutlist window. You’ll notice that Region has been shaded out in the Data Window (see Figure 7.15). 6. Choose Special ඎ Transport ඎ Play as Cutlist Mode. This sets the default play mode for the

current audio file to Cutlist. Press the spacebar on your computer keyboard. You’ll notice that all the data except the Region on the Cutlist is played.

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Q Nondestructive Editing Figure 7.15 Regions in the Cutlist are shaded out from the audio file in the Data Window.

7. If you want to delete an entry in the Cutlist, right-click the entry and choose Delete from the

shortcut menu. Q

NO STOP OR EDIT OPTIONS Even though you still have access to the Stop Point and Edit options, they do not work in the Cutlist window. For more information about these options, please read the “Advanced Playback” section in Chapter 6.

8. After you’ve created a Cutlist, you can make its changes permanent in two different ways.

You can right-click in the Cutlist window and choose Convert to New to create a new audio file in a new Data Window that only includes audio Regions not in the Cutlist. You can also right-click in the Cutlist window and choose Delete Cut Regions to remove all the Regions in the Cutlist from the current audio file in the current Data Window. Either way, this makes your editing changes permanent and allows you to save your new audio file. Q

SAVING A CUTLIST Just as with a Playlist, you can also save and open Cutlist files. For details, please read the “Advanced Playback” section in Chapter 6.

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TOTAL NONDESTRUCTIVE EDITING For all-encompassing nondestructive editing, you should use Sound Forge Project files. I talked about Project files in Chapter 4.

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The Pencil Tool One other basic editing tool that Sound Forge provides is the Pencil tool. This tool “draws” audio data into a file. That’s a bit misleading, though. You can’t actually use the Pencil tool to create new sounds or anything like that. Instead, its main purpose is for making precise changes or repairs to your audio data. For example, if you have a click or a pop in your audio that you want to remove, you may be able to take it out with the Pencil tool. Here’s an example of how to use the Pencil tool: 1. Find the click or pop in the audio data either by ear or by using the Find tool as described

in Chapter 5. 2. Zoom in on the area of the audio data containing the disturbance. The click or pop should

look like a sharp disturbance in the audio waveform, similar to the one shown in Figure 7.16. Figure 7.16 Clicks or pops are usually fast noises that look like spikes in the normal curve of the audio waveform.

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PENCIL ZOOM RATIO The Pencil tool only works when you are using a zoom ratio of 1:32 or lower.

3. Activate the Pencil tool by choosing Edit ඎ Tool ඎ Pencil or by clicking the Pencil tool button

in the Standard Toolbar. 4. Place the Pencil tool on the zero axis immediately before the location of the glitch in the audio waveform (see Figure 7.17). 5. Click and hold the left mouse button while you drag the Pencil tool slowly over the waveform,

so that the data you are drawing looks similar to the waveform data shown right before or after where the glitch is located (see Figure 7.18). 6. When you’ve finished “drawing,” release the left mouse button to complete the editing task.

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Q Quiz Figure 7.17 When removing glitches, start by placing the Pencil tool on the zero axis just before the location of the glitch in the audio waveform.

Figure 7.18 Fix the glitch in the waveform by dragging the Pencil tool over it.

When you play the audio file, the glitch should be gone. If not, undo the work you did with the Pencil tool and try again.

Quiz 1. The Data Window gives you access to your audio data for viewing, editing, and processing.

True or False? 2. Using the zooming functions, you can speed up the playback rate of your audio. True

or False? 3. What is the most common way to select audio data? 4. What is a zero crossing? 5. To delete all the data in an audio file, except for any selected data, choose Edit ඎ Trim/

Crop (or press Ctrl + T on your computer keyboard). True or False? 6. What five special paste functions does Sound Forge provide? 7. What keyboard shortcut keys can be used to scrub audio in Sound Forge?

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CHAPTER 7 } Editing Basics 8. In addition to undoing changes after you save an audio file, you can also undo changes

even if you close that audio file and reopen it. True or False? 9. When using the Cutlist for editing, you can actually see the data that was removed from the

file. True or False? 10. The main purpose of the Pencil tool is to make precise changes or repairs to your audio

data. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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Exploring the Processing Functions

In Chapter 7, you learned about some of the essential editing features found in Sound Forge, including the Data Window (and the tools it provides), as well as how to manipulate your audio data via copy, cut, paste, delete, and so on. Although these features provide a lot of power, you might be asking yourself, “Is that all there is?” Not even close! In addition to its fundamental tools, Sound Forge provides a full arsenal of sophisticated editing features. You can use these features to change many of the different aspects of your audio, such as amplitude (volume), equalization (frequency content), length, and so on. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Use the Preset Manager and work with presets. Q Deal with silence in audio data. Q Deal with audio data quality. Q Change the loudness of audio data. Q Use equalization. Q Use various audio data manipulation features.

Presets While working with many of the editing functions in Sound Forge, you’ll find yourself manipulating a multitude of parameter settings. At times, you may find a certain combination of settings that you want to save for future use. Sound Forge’s Preset feature lets you do this. Presets let you store and later recall any parameter settings for a given function. You work with presets within the individual function dialog boxes, such as the Mix dialog box (see Figure 8.1), which I talked about in Chapter 7.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Figure 8.1 You can access presets from individual function dialog boxes, such as the Mix dialog box, shown here.

Load a Preset At the top of the dialog box, you’ll notice the Preset drop-down list. This parameter loads a preset into the current dialog box for the current function. To load a preset, just select it from the Preset drop-down list (see Figure 8.2). Figure 8.2 Select a preset from the Preset drop-down list.

Save a Preset If you want to save the current parameter settings as a new preset, do the following: 1. Click the Save As button to open the Save Preset dialog box (see Figure 8.3). 2. Type in a name for the new preset. 3. Click OK.

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Q Presets Figure 8.3 Use the Save Preset dialog box to save the current parameter settings as a new preset.

You’ll notice that your new preset is now shown in the Preset drop-down list.

Delete a Preset You can also delete presets from the Preset drop-down list. Just select a preset from the list to load the preset and then click the Delete button. Q

DEFAULT PRESETS You can’t delete any of the default presets that are included with Sound Forge.

The Preset Manager After using Sound Forge on a regular basis, you’ll build up your own collection of presets for many of the different editing and processing functions in the program. What if you want to share your presets with a fellow Sound Forge user? Or how about if you need to transfer your Sound Forge application to a different computer and you want to transfer your presets along with it? Keeping a backup of your presets collection is also a good idea. Well, Sound Forge’s Preset Manager does all of these things. The Preset Manager comes as a separate program on the Sound Forge CD, and you need to install it manually. It is not automatically installed with Sound Forge. To install the Preset Manager, just put the Sound Forge CD into your CD-ROM drive, wait for the Setup screen, click Install Preset Manager, and follow the instructions. After the Preset Manager is installed, you can access it from within Sound Forge by choosing Tools ඎ Preset Manager (see Figure 8.4). In the bottom half of the window is the System Presets pane, which lists all of the available presets in your current Sound Forge installation. Initially, the System Presets pane shows a single plug-in folder called FX Plug-Ins. Click the plus sign next to the FX Plug-Ins folder, and a list of functions that have user presets available is displayed. Click one of the function names, and a list of presets available from that function is displayed (see Figure 8.5). In the top half of the window is the Preset Package pane, which shows a list of the presets that you want to save. Initially, the Preset Package pane is blank, but you can easily add some presets to the list and then save them as a file for backup or sharing purposes.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Figure 8.4 You can back up, share, and transfer your collection of presets using the Preset Manager.

Figure 8.5 The System Presets pane displays a list of available presets.

Save a Preset Package File To save a list of presets, do the following: 1. Select a preset from the System Presets pane by clicking it. 2. Add the preset to the Preset Package pane by clicking the Copy to File button (see

Figure 8.6). 3. To remove a preset from the Preset Package pane, select the preset and then click the Delete button (see Figure 8.7). 4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 until all the presets you want to save are listed in the Preset Package pane.

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Q Presets Figure 8.6 The Copy to File button adds a preset to the Preset Package pane.

Figure 8.7 Click the Delete button to remove a preset from the Preset Package pane.

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DELETING SYSTEM PRESETS You can also use the Delete button to delete presets in the System Presets pane. If you do this, it removes the preset from your computer entirely, so be careful when selecting presets to delete. If you make a mistake and delete the wrong preset, use the Edit ඎ Undo function immediately to retrieve the deleted preset.

5. Choose File ඎ Save As to open the Save Preset Package dialog box (see Figure 8.8). 6. Select a location in which to save the Preset Package file from the Save In drop-down list. 7. Type a name for the Preset Package file in the File Name field. 8. Click Save.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Figure 8.8 Save your presets using the Save Preset Package dialog box.

Your selected presets are saved as a Preset Package file (.sfpreset) in the location you specified. Now, you can use this file as a backup or even share it with another Sound Forge user. Of course, you also need to be able to open the file for future use. Open a Preset Package File The Preset Manager opens the Preset Package files as well. To do so, follow these steps: 1. In the Preset Manager, choose File ඎ Open to display the Open Preset Package dialog box

(see Figure 8.9). Figure 8.9 Open a Preset Package File from the Open Preset Package dialog box.

2. Choose the Preset Package file that you want to open and click the Open button. You’ll see

your Preset Package file in the Preset Package pane (see Figure 8.10).

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Q Presets Figure 8.10 Your Preset Package file is shown in the Preset Package pane.

3. If you have more than one version of Sound Forge installed on your computer, choose

Edit ඎ Sound Forge Preset Destination to choose the version of Sound Forge in which you would like the presets to appear. 4. Click the plus sign next to your Preset Package file to display the presets it holds. Then select the presets you want to transfer to your computer and click the Copy to System button (see Figure 8.11). Figure 8.11 Click the Copy to System button to transfer presets from a Preset Package file to your computer.

5. When you are finished with the Preset Manager, choose File ඎ Exit to close it.

The presets that you selected from the Preset Package File are added to your chosen Sound Forge installation. The next time you use the function to which those presets pertained, the presets will be listed in the function’s Preset drop-down list.

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Prepare Audio Data for Editing Back in Chapter 6, I talked about how to remove DC offset, set the bit depth, and set the sampling rate for a new audio file that you’re about to record. But what if you have an existing audio file that needs to have DC offset removed, or needs its bit depth or sampling rate changed? Sound Forge provides three different functions specifically for these purposes.

Remove DC Offset Depending on the quality of your sound card, your audio may not get recorded as accurately as it should. Many times (especially with less expensive sound cards, such as the Sound Blaster), an electrical mismatch may occur between a sound card and the input device. When this happens, an excess of current is added to the incoming signal and the resulting audio waveform is offset from the zero axis. This is known as DC offset. To remove DC offset from an existing sound file, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file from which you want to remove the DC offset. If you want

to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ DC Offset to open the DC Offset dialog box (see Figure 8.12). Figure 8.12 Remove DC offset from audio data via the DC Offset dialog box.

3. To have Sound Forge automatically detect and remove any DC offset in your data, choose

the Automatically Detect and Remove option. 4. If you already know the amount of DC offset in your file and you want to remove it manually, choose the Adjust DC Offset By option. Then enter a number of samples by which to adjust the position of the audio waveform around the zero axis. For example, if your file has a DC offset of 95, then enter a value of –95 so that the addition of the two numbers results in 0, or no DC offset. 5. If you are processing a very long audio file, activate the Compute DC Offset from First 5

Seconds Only option. This instructs Sound Forge to look only at the first five seconds of a file when determining how much DC offset it contains.

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Q Prepare Audio Data for Editing Q

DC OFFSET STATS To manually find out the amount of DC offset in an audio file, choose Tools ඎ Statistics to open the Statistics dialog box. This dialog box tells you a number of different things about the current audio file, including the amount of DC offset it contains. The DC Offset is listed as Average Value in the dialog box.

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ACCURATE OFFSET DETECTION Activating the Compute DC Offset from First 5 Seconds Only option usually provides accurate results. However, if your audio file starts off with a long period of silence or the volume of the file is gradually faded in, you should deactivate this option. In these circumstances, with the option activated, Sound Forge does not accurately detect the amount of DC offset.

6. Click OK.

The DC offset in your selected audio data (or entire audio file) is removed. Q

ALWAYS REMOVE DC OFFSET If you have an existing audio file and are not sure whether it contains DC offset, you should always process the file with the DC Offset function before you do any other kind of editing or processing. If you don’t, the editing or processing can introduce noise and other anomalies into your data.

Convert to a New Bit Depth There may be times when you want to change the bit depth of an existing audio file. For example, if you initially record and edit your file using 24 bits, but you later want to burn that file to CD, you need to change the bit depth to 16 bits. An audio CD can only use audio data with 16 bits. To change the bit depth of an audio file, do the following: 1. Choose Process ඎ Bit-Depth Converter to open the Bit-Depth Converter dialog box (see

Figure 8.13). 2. Select the new bit depth for your audio file from the Bit Depth drop-down list. 3. Set the Dither parameter. This parameter specifies how much dither noise you want to add

to your file so as to mask any quantization noise (see the following note) that occurs because of the bit-depth conversion. When converting from a low bit depth to a higher bit depth, you probably want to keep this parameter set to None. When converting from a high bit depth to a lower bit depth, you need to experiment with the parameter to see which setting

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions sounds best. As a starting point, I like to use the Highpass Triangular setting. I find it usually gives the best results in most situations. Figure 8.13 The Bit-Depth Converter function changes the bit depth of an audio file.

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BIT DEPTH AND AUDIO QUALITY If you have a file with a low bit depth and you convert the file to a higher bit depth, this does not raise the audio quality. For example, if you have an 8-bit audio file and you change it to a 16-bit audio file, it still sounds like an 8-bit file because that is how it was originally recorded. There is at least one advantage to raising the bit depth of a file: It gives the file a higher resolution, so that any editing or processing done to the file does not introduce additional noise. For example, if you want to edit an 8-bit audio file, it’s a good idea to raise the bit depth of the file first. On the other hand, if you lower the bit depth of an audio file, this does lower the audio quality, so be sure to keep a copy of the original file before you process it. For example, if you have a 24-bit audio file and you want to lower the bit depth to 16 so that you can burn the file to CD, be sure to keep a copy of the 24-bit version for any future editing or processing.

4. Set the Noise Shaping parameter. This parameter moves any noise that may occur in your

file up into the higher frequencies where humans have more trouble hearing. You have to experiment with this parameter to find the best setting for your audio file. As a starting point, I like to use the Highpass Contour setting. Q

QUANTIZATION NOISE When you convert an analog audio waveform to digital, the waveform is defined using a finite range of numbers. As the bit depth of an audio file gets lower, there are fewer numbers to represent the audio waveform, which results in more noise. When you convert an audio file from a higher bit depth to a lower bit depth, the process can introduce what is known as quantization noise. Quantization noise occurs because the numbers in a higher bit depth file have to be mathematically rounded down to fit in a lower

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Q Prepare Audio Data for Editing bit depth file. To mask the quantization noise, you can add dither noise to the data. It may seem strange to add noise to a file in order to actually lower the amount of noise that you might hear, but by adding dither noise, it helps to smooth out the rough edges (so to speak) in the audio waveform because of quantization noise. Quantization noise is only audible at low levels of audio that is 16-bit or higher. It isn’t really perceptible except in fade outs and reverb tails when the audio level gets to the point where, because of the lack of resolution, a normally complex waveform oscillates between two quantization values and becomes a square wave instead of a complex waveform. The square wave adds harmonics to the signal that never existed in the original and, therefore, is undesirable. The dither noise fixes this problem by adding enough low-level noise that the signal doesn’t just simply oscillate between the lowest values. You get a low level hiss, but it is generally more natural sounding than the quantization noise. Add good noise shaping, and you can almost eliminate (perceptually) the dither noise.

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WHEN NOT TO USE NOISE SHAPING If your audio file has a low sampling rate (i.e., lower than 44,100 Hz), you should leave the Noise Shaping parameter set to Off. This is because files with low sampling rates also have a lower frequency range. If you use the Noise Shaping parameter with these types of files, you can actually make the noise content of the file worse.

5. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 6. Click OK.

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ADJUSTING THE PREVIEW FEATURE By default, the Preview feature plays only the first four seconds of the selected data. You can adjust the Preview time by choosing Options ඎ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Under the Previews tab, set the Limit Non-Realtime Previews To option to the number of seconds (1 to 600) that you want to use for the Preview feature. You can also set whether you want the Preview to loop continuously, fade out at the end, or react to any parameter changes you make during playback, as well as play some of the audio data unprocessed before or after your selection so you can hear the difference between the two. Just activate the appropriate options. They are pretty self-explanatory.

The bit depth of the current audio file is then changed according to your parameter settings.

Resample to a New Sampling Rate As with bit depth, there may be times when you want to change the sampling rate of an existing audio file. Again, the example of burning the audio data to CD comes to mind. An audio CD can

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions only use audio data with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz (44,100 Hz). To change the sampling rate of an audio file, do the following: 1. Choose Process ඎ Resample to open the Resample dialog box (see Figure 8.14). Figure 8.14 The Resample function changes the sampling rate of an audio file.

2. Set the new sampling rate for your audio file by using the New Sample Rate parameter.

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SAMPLING RATE AND AUDIO QUALITY If you have a file with a low sampling rate and you resample the file to a higher sampling rate, this does not raise the audio quality. For example, if you have a file with a 22 kHz sampling rate and you change the sampling rate to 44.1 kHz (so that you can burn the file to CD), it still sounds like a 22 kHz file because that is how it was originally recorded. There is at least one advantage to raising the sampling rate of a file: Raising the sampling rate gives the file a higher resolution, so that any editing or processing done to the file does not degrade it. For example, if you want to edit a 22 kHz audio file, it’s a good idea to raise the sampling rate of the file first. On the other hand, if you lower the sampling rate of an audio file, this does lower the audio quality, so be sure to keep a copy of the original file before you process it. For example, if you have a 48 kHz audio file and you want to lower the sampling rate to 44.1 kHz so that you can burn the file to CD, be sure to keep a copy of the 48 kHz version for any future editing or processing.

3. Set the Interpolation Accuracy parameter. This parameter specifies the accuracy of the

resampling process. A lower setting provides faster but less accurate processing. A higher setting provides slower but more accurate processing. Unless you have a really long audio file, you probably want to keep this parameter set to 4.

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Q Dealing with Silence 4. If you are converting from a higher sampling rate to a lower sampling rate, be sure to activate

the Apply an Anti-Alias Filter during Resample option. This prevents any high frequency content from the file with a higher sampling rate from becoming noise in the converted file. 5. If you just want to set a new playback rate for your file rather than changing the actual data,

activate the Set the Sample Rate Only option. By using this option, the data in your file is not changed, it is only played back at a different rate. This also results in the pitch of the audio sounding different. The only time you would probably want to use this option is if someone gives you a file with the wrong playback sampling rate. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 7. Click OK.

The sampling rate of the current audio file is then changed according to your parameter settings. Q

COMPENSATE FOR DULL AUDIO When you convert to a lower bit depth or sampling rate, your audio loses some of its high-frequency content. This can make the audio sound dull. To compensate for this side effect, try processing the audio with Sound Forge’s Smooth/Enhance function. Just select the audio data you want to process and choose Process ඎ Smooth/Enhance to open the Smooth/Enhance dialog box. Then adjust the Operation parameter slider. You have to experiment here, but a good setting to start with is 3 (Enhance). Use the Preview button to test how your audio sounds before you actually apply the processing. When you like what you hear, click OK.

Dealing with Silence Sound Forge provides a number of functions that manipulate the silent passages in your audio data. There may be times when you want to remove the silent sections from your data, such as awkward pauses between vocal phrases or dialogue. There may also be times when you want to add silence to your data, such as a delay between different musical sections. The Auto Trim/ Crop, Insert Silence, and Mute functions let you tackle these tasks with ease.

Getting Rid of Silence The Auto Trim/Crop function automatically removes silence from an audio file by scanning the data for certain characteristics that you specify. To detect these characteristics, the Auto Trim/ Crop function uses a digital noise gate. Depending on your parameter settings, this noise gate opens up when the Auto Trim/Crop function comes upon a section in your audio that has an amplitude (volume) level greater than the one you set. It identifies this part of the audio as acceptable sound and lets it pass through. When the level of audio dips below a certain amplitude

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions level that you set, the noise gate identifies that part of the audio as the end of the section (or the beginning of silence), and it closes to stop it from passing through. At that point, the Auto Trim/Crop function scans for the next section of audio and then deletes any silence between the sections. This happens until your selected data is processed or the entire audio file is processed. To automatically remove silence using the Auto Trim/Crop function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file from which you want to remove any silence. If you want

to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Auto Trim/Crop to open the Auto Trim/Crop dialog box (see Figure 8.15). Figure 8.15 The Auto Trim/Crop function removes silence from your audio file.

3. Choose the type of processing you want by using the Function drop-down list. Use the Keep

Edges Outside of the Selection option to remove the silence inside a selection of audio but leave any data outside the selection alone. Use the Remove Edges Outside of the Selection option to remove the silence inside a selection of audio and delete any data (even data other than silence) that is outside of the selection. This option is useful for keeping only a good section of the file and discarding the rest. Use the Remove Silence Between Phrases option to remove the silence between phrases (such as vocal dialogue) inside a selection or entire file. This option also automatically creates Regions separating each phrase in the file (see Chapter 5). Use the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option to remove all data (not just silence) after a selected loop in an audio file (see Chapter 13). Use the Remove Data from Start and Limit File Length option to remove any silence at the start of an audio file and also to “chop off” the end of a file at a specified number of seconds, thus limiting the length of the file.

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Q Dealing with Silence 4. Set the Attack Threshold parameter by dragging its slider up or down. This parameter

determines how loud the audio data has to be to make the noise gate open, thus identifying the data as acceptable sound and the start of a trim/crop start point. The only time you don’t need to set this parameter is when using the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option. 5. Set the Release Threshold parameter by dragging its slider up or down. This parameter

determines how soft the audio data has to be to make the noise gate close, thus identifying a trim/crop end point. The only time you don’t need to set this parameter is when using the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option. 6. If you want the segments of audio in your file to sound smooth after silence is removed, it’s a good idea to apply a slight fade-in and fade-out to the start and end points. To do this, just enter a number of milliseconds for the Fade In and Fade Out parameters. The default number of 20 milliseconds usually works quite well. When using the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, you don’t need to set these parameters. 7. If you choose the Remove Silence Between Phrases option, you also need to set the Minimum

Inter-Phrase Silence parameter. This tells the Auto Trim/Crop function how many seconds (from 0.1 to 3) of silence must exist between phrases in order for a new Region to be created. For example, if you’re removing the silence between sentences from a vocal dictation, set this parameter to a higher setting so that the function doesn’t detect the silence between individual words by mistake. It takes some trial and error to get the right setting. For the vocal example, a good setting is probably around 0.5. 8. If you choose the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, you also need to set the Minimum

Length Following Loop End parameter. This setting tells the Auto Trim/Crop function to leave a certain number of samples of data after the loop end point. This is to prevent some sample players from malfunctioning, because not all sample players use exact loop points. (I’ll talk more about loops and sample players in Chapter 13.) 9. If you choose the Remove Data from Start and Limit File Length option, you also need to set the Auto Delete from Start and Maximum Output Size parameters. The Auto Delete from Start parameter tells the Auto Trim/Crop function to remove a certain amount of data (measured in seconds) from the beginning of the file, no matter if it is silence or not. The Maximum Output Size parameter tells the Auto Trim/Crop function to limit the entire size of the file to a certain length (measured in seconds). 10. Click OK.

Sound Forge scans your data selection or entire audio file and removes any silence according to your Auto Trim/Crop parameter settings.

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Inserting Silence There may be times when instead of removing silence, you actually need to add silence to your audio file. The Insert Silence function allows you to do this, and here is how it works: 1. If you want to insert silence at a specific point in your audio file, set the Current Position

cursor to that point in the file. 2. Choose Process ඎ Insert Silence to open the Insert Silence dialog box (see Figure 8.16). Figure 8.16 The Insert Silence function adds silence to your audio file.

3. Enter the amount of silence (measured in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames) that you want

to add to your file using the Insert parameter. 4. Choose an option from the At drop-down list to determine where to add silence in the file.

If you want to insert silence at a specific point in your audio file, choose the Cursor option. If you want to add silence to the beginning or end of the file, choose the Start of File or End of File options, respectively. 5. Click OK. Silence is inserted into your audio file according to your parameter settings. If you inserted silence at a specific point in the file, any data occurring after that point is pushed back toward the end of the file, and the length of the file is increased.

Muting Audio The Mute function is similar to the Insert Silence function because it lets you introduce silence into your audio file. But unlike the Insert Silence function, the Mute function doesn’t insert silence. Instead, the Mute function simply erases any selected data, thus turning it into silence. To use the Mute function, simply make a selection in your audio file and choose Process ඎ Mute. Any audio data in the selection is then overwritten and turned to silence.

Adjust Audio Volume One of the most fundamental ways of working with audio data is changing its amplitude (volume). There are countless reasons why you might want to change the amplitude of your audio

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Q Adjust Audio Volume data, and Sound Forge provides a number of different functions that do this. These functions are called Volume, Fade, and Normalize.

The Volume Function To simply increase or decrease the amplitude of a data selection or entire audio file, you need to use the Volume function. Here is how the Volume function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file to which you want to apply amplitude changes. If you want

to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Volume to open the Volume dialog box (see Figure 8.17). Figure 8.17 The Volume function adjusts the amplitude of your audio data.

3. To adjust the amplitude of your data, set the Gain parameter. Move the slider up to increase

amplitude. Move the slider down to decrease amplitude. This does not provide an absolute setting. Instead, the amplitude is either boosted or cut from its current value by the amount that you specify. 4. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 5. Click OK. Q

WATCH OUT FOR CLIPPING Remember the description about setting your input level during the recording process in Chapter 6? I mentioned that you have to be careful not to set the level too high because it can overload the input and cause your audio to be distorted. Well, when you’re raising the volume of your audio data, you also have to watch out that you don’t raise it too high. Raising it too high can cause “clipping.” Clipping occurs when Sound Forge attempts to raise the amplitude of the audio data higher than 100 percent

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions (according to the amplitude ruler in the Data Window). The top and bottom of the waveform become clipped, and when you play the audio, it sounds distorted. So, be careful when using the Volume function. Be sure to keep an eye on the amplitude levels of your audio waveforms and listen to your data to see if it sounds OK. If you hear distortion, use Undo to remove the volume change.

Sound Forge increases or decreases the amplitude of your audio data according to the parameter settings you specified.

Fade Audio In addition to basic volume changes, Sound Forge applies a fade-in or fade-out to your audio data. Q

FADE DEFINITIONS A fade-in is a gradual and smooth increase from a lower volume to a higher volume. This increase in volume is also called a crescendo in musical terms. A fade-out is the exact opposite: a gradual and smooth decrease from a higher volume to a lower volume. In musical terms, this decrease in volume is called a decrescendo.

To apply a fade-in or fade-out to your audio data, follow these steps: 1. Select the data in your audio file to which you want to apply a fade. If you want to process

the entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. To apply a fade-in, choose Process ඎ Fade ඎ In. 3. To apply a fade-out, choose Process ඎ Fade ඎ Out.

Sound Forge applies a fade to your data selection according to your choice. Complex Fading Although the Fade In and Fade Out functions apply fades to your audio, they are just basic linear fades. This means that the volume of the audio increases or decreases in a uniform fashion. If you want to get a little more creative with your volume changes, you can build much more complex fades by using the Graphic Fade function as follows: 1. Select the data in your audio file to which you want to apply a fade. If you want to process

the entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard).

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Q Adjust Audio Volume 2. Choose Process ඎ Fade ඎ Graphic to open the Graphic Fade dialog box (see Figure 8.18).

The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows amplitude values, which can range from 0 to 400 percent (according to the Maximum Gain option located just below the graph). Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the fade that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the envelope from left to right, the left end of the envelope represents the beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the envelope represents the end of your audio data selection. If the envelope were set so that the left end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was at the top, a straight linear fade-in would be applied to your audio data, because as you look at the graph, the left end of the envelope is set at 0 percent, and the right end of the envelope is set at 100 percent. So the volume of the audio data would begin at 0 percent and fade-in all the way up to 100 percent. See how it works? Figure 8.18 You can use the Graphic Fade function to apply complex fades to your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small

squares at the ends. These squares are called nodes. Q

SHOW WAVE OPTIONS If you are applying a fade to a stereo file, you can choose to have your audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right channels, or from both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the fade is applied to your data. If you only want to apply a fade to one of the stereo channels, you need to select only the data from that channel. You can do this either before you open the Graphic Fade dialog box or by pressing the Selection button in the dialog box and using the Set Selection function to choose a channel.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions 4. If you want to create some really complex fades, you can add more nodes by double-clicking

anywhere on the envelope. The more nodes you add (you can add as many as you need), the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. 5. If you move a node and then want to set it back to its default value, right-click it and choose

Set to Default. And to move multiple nodes, click and drag your mouse around the nodes to select them. Then click and drag one of the selected nodes to move the group of nodes together. 6. To quickly set a node to a value of 0%, right-click it and choose Set to Min. 7. To set the value of a node to a specific value, right-click it and choose Set To. Then type in

a value and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. 8. To delete a node, right-click it and choose Delete. 9. You can also change the shape of the envelope between nodes (these sections are called

segments). Right-click the envelope between any two nodes and choose one of the fade options from the menu (see Figure 8.19), which controls the rate (speed) of the envelope changes applied to your audio. Choosing Linear Fade means that no rate change is made to that segment. Choosing Fast Fade means that the envelope rate is fast at the beginning of the segment and very slow at the end of the segment. Choosing Slow Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment and changes to very fast at the end of the segment. Choosing Smooth Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment, speeds up at the middle of the segment, and slows down again at the end of the segment. Choosing Sharp Fade means that the envelope rate is very fast at the beginning of the segment, slows down at the middle of the segment, and speeds up again at the end of the segment. Choosing Hold means that there is no transition at all from one node to the next. The envelope moves instantly from the first node of the segment to the last node of the segment. 10. One last feature allows you to quickly create an envelope that is the opposite of the current envelope. Simply right-click anywhere on the envelope and choose Flip All Points. 11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 12. Click OK.

Sound Forge changes the volume of your audio data selection according to the envelope that you defined in the Graphic Fade dialog box.

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Q Adjust Audio Volume Figure 8.19 You can change the shape of the envelope between nodes.

Normalize Audio Like the Volume function, the Normalize function also raises the volume of audio, but in a different way. Instead of simply raising the volume, the Normalize function first scans the audio waveform to find its highest amplitude level. It subtracts that amplitude level from the maximum level, which is 100 percent (or a maximum level that you set). The Normalize function then takes that value and uses it to increase the volume of the audio data. So, when all is said and done, the highest amplitude in the waveform is 100 percent (or a maximum level that you set), and all the other amplitude values are increased. In other words, if an audio waveform has its highest amplitude value at 80 percent, and you set a normalize level of 100 percent, the Normalize function subtracts that value from 100 percent to get 20 percent. It then increases the volume of the audio data by 20 percent so that the highest amplitude value is 100 percent, and all the other amplitude values are 20 percent higher. Basically, you can use the Normalize function to raise the volume of your audio data to the highest it can be without causing any clipping. To use the Normalize function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to normalize. If you want to process the

entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box (see Figure 8.20). 3. For the Normalize Using parameter, choose the Peak Level option. (I’ll talk about the

Average RMS Level option later.) 4. Click the Scan Levels button to find the highest amplitude level in your audio data.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Figure 8.20 You can normalize the amplitude of your audio data using the Normalize function.

5. Adjust the Normalize To parameter by dragging its slider up or down, which sets the highest

amplitude level to where you want your audio to be normalized. More often than not, you want to set this to 100 percent, but if you plan to do any additional editing or processing to your data, you should set this parameter to a lower level, such as 50 percent or –6 dB because additional processing can raise the amplitude and cause clipping. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 7. Click OK.

Sound Forge normalizes the amplitude of your audio data according to your parameter settings. Root Mean Square In addition to the basic peak normalizing, the Normalize function provides more advanced processing in the form of average RMS (Root Mean Square) level. In this mode, the Normalize function doesn’t simply find the highest amplitude in an audio file. Instead, it measures the loudness of the file, as a listener would hear it over a period of time. This is also known as perceived loudness. Even though the volume of audio may be set at a certain level, it can sometimes be perceived to be louder because of the way human hearing works. The subject is a bit complicated to explain in detail here, but normalizing via average RMS level usually gives better results than peak normalizing when matching the loudness of different audio files. When scanning an audio file, the Normalize function with RMS uses a digital noise gate like the Auto Trim/Crop function (discussed earlier in this chapter). To use the Normalize function with RMS, perform the following steps.

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Q Adjust Audio Volume 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to normalize. If you want to process the

entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box. 3. For the Normalize Using parameter, choose the Average RMS Level option. 4. Adjust the Ignore Below parameter slider to specify the threshold above which the Normalize

function will judge material as acceptable sound. In other words, you should set this parameter a few dB above what you consider to be silence in your audio data. Anything below the threshold is ignored when calculating the RMS for the data. A good setting is around –45 dB, but it depends on your audio data. 5. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter determines how fast the digital noise gate opens to let through acceptable sound material during the scan. If you have fast occurring sounds in your audio (like drum beats), set the attack to a lower amount. Higher amounts cause fast-occurring sounds to be ignored. A good setting is around 200 ms, but it depends on your audio data. 6. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter determines how fast the digital noise gate

closes to stop sound material from being scanned and included in the RMS calculation. If you want more material included in the scan, you should set a slow release time. A fast release time includes less material in the scan. A good setting is around 200 ms, but again, it depends on your audio data. 7. Because of the limitations of human hearing, very low and very high frequencies are more

difficult to hear than mid-range frequencies. To compensate for this, the Normalize function provides the Use Equal Loudness Contour option. You’ll usually want to keep this option activated. 8. Click the Scan Levels button to find the RMS of the audio data. 9. Set the Normalize To parameter to specify the new average RMS level for your audio data.

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AVOIDING CLIPPING Because the Average RMS Level mode works with perceived sound rather than with actual sound levels, you need to be careful when setting the Normalize To parameter. If you set it too high, you get distorted or clipped audio data. The best rule of thumb is never to set the Normalize To parameter any higher than –6 dB when using the Average RMS Level mode.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions 10. For a bit of extra protection against clipping, be sure to set the If Clipping Occurs parameter.

You usually want to keep this parameter set to the Apply Dynamic Compression option, unless you actually want your audio data to be distorted or clipped (such as when processing an electric guitar performance). 11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 12. Click OK. Sound Forge normalizes the amplitude of your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Play with the Stereo Image When working with stereo audio files, Sound Forge provides a number of different ways to process the left and right channels. For example, you can convert stereo files to mono files or vice versa. You can also move sounds around the stereo field for different types of effects. The Channel Converter and Pan/Expand functions tackle these (and other) tasks.

Change Channels If you ever need to convert a stereo file to a mono file, or vice versa, you need the Channel Converter function. To use the Channel Converter function, do the following: 1. Choose Process ඎ Channel Converter to open the Channel Converter dialog box (see

Figure 8.21). Figure 8.21 The Channel Converter function converts stereo files to mono files and vice versa.

2. Set the Output Channels parameter. If you want to convert your file to mono, choose the

Mono option. If you want to convert your file to stereo, choose the Stereo option.

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Q Play with the Stereo Image 3. If you just want to do a simple, straight conversion, activate the Convert to Specified Output

Channels Only option. Then click OK and skip the remaining steps. 4. If you want to adjust the levels of the left and right channels, and specify how much of each

will end up in the final file, leave the Convert to Specified Output Channels Only option deactivated. 5. In the New Left Channel section, adjust the From Left and From Right parameter sliders. If you are converting to mono, only the From Left parameter is available. The From Left parameter determines how much of the left channel from the original audio file will be added to the left channel of the converted file. The From Right parameter determines how much of the right channel from the original audio file will be added to the left channel of the converted file. 6. In the New Right Channel section, adjust the From Left and From Right parameter sliders. If you are converting to mono, only the From Left parameter is available. The From Left parameter determines how much of the left channel from the original audio file will be added to the right channel of the converted file. The From Right parameter determines how much of the right channel from the original audio file will be added to the right channel of the converted file. 7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge

make any actual changes to the data. If you don’t like what you hear, adjust the levels in each section. 8. After adjusting the levels in the New Left Channel and New Right Channel sections, click the Preview button again. This time, listen to determine if the audio sounds “hollow.” This usually happens due to phase cancellation, which occurs when one audio waveform increases in volume and the other decreases in volume at exactly the same time with the same amount. Because of this phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound hollow. If this occurs, try activating the Invert Left Channel Mix option or the Invert Right Channel Mix option, but not both. This option inverts the audio waveform and can usually fix the phase cancellation problem. 9. Click OK.

Sound Forge converts your audio file according to the parameter settings that you specified. You can also achieve some cool effects with the Channel Converter function, such as creating a pseudo-stereo signal from a mono signal. Be sure to check out some of the presets to test some of the other capabilities of this function.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Q

QUICK CHANNEL CHANGE Choose File ඎ Properties ඎ Format and use the Channels parameter to quickly change your audio file from mono to stereo or from stereo to mono.

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ELIMINATE THE LEAD VOCAL The Channel Converter function can be used somewhat successfully to remove the lead vocal from a prerecorded song, leaving just the background music. This can be useful if you’re trying to create some karaoke tracks or add your own vocal to existing background music. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, check out issue 10 of my DigiFreq music technology newsletter. You can get the issue for free at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

Panning Around The Pan/Expand function determines where a sound will be heard in the sound field between two stereo speakers. You can make it so that the sound will play out of the left speaker, the right speaker, or anywhere in between. Positioning sounds in the stereo field is called panning. The Pan/Expand function also provides a few other features, which I will talk about shortly. To use the Pan/Expand function for panning, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box (see Figure 8.22). Figure 8.22 You can pan the sound in a stereo audio file to any position in the sound field using the Pan/Expand function.

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Q Play with the Stereo Image 3. Set the Process Mode parameter. Use the Pan (Preserve Stereo Separation) option to

perform panning without mixing the left and right channels of the stereo audio together. This option is useful if you have a stereo signal (such as the recording of a background vocal group), and you want to keep the stereo signal intact but you also want to pan the group of voices to a specific location in the stereo field. Use the Pan (Mix Channels Before Panning) option to perform panning while also mixing the left and right channels of stereo audio together. This option is useful for changing the entire stereo field rather than a specific sound within the stereo field. 4. In addition to the Process mode parameter, you’ll notice a graph. The left side of the graph shows stereo positioning, which ranges from Right to Center to Left, representing the stereo field. Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the panning that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the envelope from left to right, the left end of the envelope represents the beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the envelope represents the end of your audio data selection. If the envelope were set so that the left end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was at the top, a straight linear pan from right to left would be applied to your audio data, because as you look at the graph, the left end of the envelope is set at the Right side of the stereo field, and the right end of the envelope is set at the Left side of the stereo field. So the sound would begin in the right speaker and move all the way across the stereo field to the left speaker. See how it works? Q

SHOW WAVE OPTIONS Because you are working with a stereo audio file, you can choose to have your audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave option. You can show just the data from the left or right channels, or from both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the panning is applied to your data.

5. You can change the shape of the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small

squares at the ends. These squares are called nodes. 6. If you want to create some really complex panning, you can add more nodes by

double-clicking anywhere on the envelope. The more nodes you add (you can add as many as you need), the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. 7. If you move a node and then want to set it back to its default value, right-click it and choose

Set to Default. And to move multiple nodes, click and drag your mouse around the nodes

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions to select them. Then click and drag one of the selected nodes to move the group of nodes together. 8. To quickly set a node to its minimum or maximum value, right-click it and choose Set to Min

or Set to Max, respectively. 9. To set the value of a node to a specific value, right-click it and choose Set To. Then type in

a value and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. 10. To delete a node, right-click it and choose Delete. 11. You can also change the shape of the envelope between nodes (these sections are called

segments). Right-click the envelope between any two nodes and choose one of the fade options from the menu (see Figure 8.23). This controls the rate (speed) of the envelope changes applied to your audio. Choosing Linear Fade means that no rate change is made to that segment. Choosing Fast Fade means that the envelope rate is fast at the beginning of the segment and very slow at the end of the segment. Choosing Slow Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment and changes to very fast at the end of the segment. Choosing Smooth Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment, speeds up at the middle of the segment, and slows down again at the end of the segment. Choosing Sharp Fade means that the envelope rate is very fast at the beginning of the segment, slows down at the middle of the segment, and speeds up again at the end of the segment. Choosing Hold means that there is no transition at all from one node to the next. The envelope moves instantly from the first node of the segment to the last node of the segment. Figure 8.23 You can change the shape of the envelope between nodes.

12. One last feature allows you to quickly create an envelope that is the opposite of the current

envelope. Simply right-click anywhere on the envelope and choose Flip All Points.

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Q Play with the Stereo Image 13. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the file after it is processed.

You can use this to boost or cut the volume of the audio if you want. 14. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 15. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the panning to your audio data selection according to the envelope that you defined in the Pan/Expand dialog box. Stereo Compress/Expand In addition to panning, the Pan/Expand function compresses or expands the entire stereo field. In other words, you can compress your stereo audio so that the stereo field sounds smaller (the left and right sides of the field are compressed closer to the center between the two speakers). You can also expand your stereo audio so that the stereo field sounds bigger (the left and right sides of the field are expanded to give the illusion of being beyond the two speakers). You need to hear it to truly understand what I mean. To compress or expand your audio, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box. 3. Set the Process Mode parameter to Stereo Expand. 4. You’ll notice that the left side of the graph (explained in the last section) now shows stereo

field measurements, which range from Center to Normal to Wide. As you adjust the envelope on the graph, the closer the envelope gets to the bottom of the graph, the more your audio is compressed toward the center of the stereo field. The closer the envelope gets to the top of the graph, the more your audio is expanded outward beyond the stereo field. Again, as in the last section, the left end of the envelope represents the beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the envelope represents the end of your audio data selection. 5. Adjust the compression or expansion by clicking and dragging the nodes at the ends of the envelope. 6. You can also create more complex compression or expansion by adding more nodes, as

well as adjusting segment fades as explained in the last section. 7. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the file after it is processed.

You can use this to boost or cut the volume of the audio if you want.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions 8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 9. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the compression or expansion to your audio data selection according to the envelope that you defined in the Pan/Expand dialog box. Mid-Side Processing One last use for the Pan/Expand function is in processing Mid-Side recordings. Q

MID-SIDE DEFINITION A Mid-Side recording is a special type of recording in which one microphone is pointed directly at the performer(s) to record the middle (center) channel, and another microphone is pointed 90 degrees away from the performer(s) to record the side (stereo) channel.

To convert a Mid-Side recording using the Pan/Expand function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box. 3. Set the Process Mode parameter to Mix Mid-Side (MS) Recording to Left and Right Channels. 4. Place the graph envelope in the center of the graph so that it is lined up with the Normal

measurement on the left side of the graph (see Figure 8.24). Figure 8.24 Place the envelope in the center of the graph to convert a Mid-Side recording.

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Q Equalization (EQ) 5. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the file after it is processed.

You can use this to boost or cut the volume of the audio if you want. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 7. Click OK.

Sound Forge converts your Mid-Side recording to a regular stereo recording. Q

EXTRACT THE LEAD VOCAL The Pan/Expand function can be used somewhat successfully to extract the lead vocal from a prerecorded song. This can be useful if you want to create your own backing tracks to a song but still want to use the original vocal performance. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, check out issue 11 of my DigiFreq music technology newsletter. You can get the issue for free at: http://www.digifreq.com/ digifreq/issues.asp.

Equalization (EQ) You have a radio in your car, right? Maybe even a cassette or CD player, too? If so, then you’ve probably used equalization without even knowing it. Adjusting the bass and treble controls on your car radio is a form of equalization. Equalization (EQ) enables you to adjust the tonal characteristics of an audio signal by increasing (boosting) or decreasing (cutting) the amplitude of different frequencies in the audio spectrum. Q

THE AUDIO SPECTRUM When a musical object (such as a string) vibrates, it emits a sound. The speed at which the object vibrates is called the frequency, which is measured in vibrations (or cycles) per second. This measurement is also called Hertz (Hz). If an object vibrates 60 times per second, the frequency is 60 Hz. The tricky point to remember here is that most objects vibrate at a number of different frequencies at the same time. The combination of all these different vibrations makes up the distinct sound (or timbre) of a vibrating object. That’s why a bell sounds like a bell, a horn sounds like a horn, and so on with all other types of sounds. Of course, we humans can’t perceive some very slow and very fast vibrations. Technically, the range of human hearing resides between the frequencies of 20 Hz and 20 KHz (1 KHz is equal to 1000 Hz). This range is known as the audio spectrum. Equalization enables you to manipulate the frequencies of the audio spectrum, and because sounds contain many of these frequencies, you can change their tonal characteristics (or timbre).

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions In other words, using EQ, you can bump up the bass, add more presence, reduce rumble, and sometimes eliminate noise in your audio material. Not only that, but you can also use EQ as an effect. You know how in some of the modern dance tunes the vocals sound like they’re coming out of a telephone receiver or an old radio? That’s an effect done with EQ. Sound Forge provides three different types of EQ: Graphic, Parametric, and Paragraphic. There’s also a special Smooth/Enhance function, which I’ll talk about later. All of these functions have their strengths and weaknesses.

Graphic EQ You may already be familiar with graphic equalizers because they are sometimes included on boom boxes and home stereo systems. Sound Forge’s Graphic EQ function simulates a hardware-based graphic equalizer (although it also provides an advanced mode of operation that I’ll discuss later). It even looks similar (see Figure 8.25). Figure 8.25 The Graphic EQ function resembles a real graphic equalizer.

In its most basic mode of operation, the Graphic EQ function provides ten different frequencies (called bands) that you can adjust. Each band can either be boosted by 24 dB or cut by - Inf. (or minus infinity, which is the same as cutting the frequency out of the spectrum altogether). You simply drag the appropriate slider up (boost) or down (cut) to increase or decrease the amplitude of that frequency. But herein lies the weakness of graphic equalization. Although it’s very easy to use, you are limited by the frequencies that you can manipulate. You can’t change any of the frequencies below, above, or between the ones provided. Still, the Graphic EQ function is very useful if you want to make quick equalization changes, and its advanced mode lets you get around this limitation somewhat. Here’s how the Graphic EQ function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard).

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Q Equalization (EQ) 2. Choose Process ඎ EQ ඎ Graphic to open the Graphic EQ dialog box. Then choose the 10

Band mode by clicking the 10 Band tab near the bottom of the box. 3. Adjust the sliders for the frequencies that you want to cut or boost. Q

RETURN TO DEFAULT For a quick way to return a slider to 0 dB, double-click the slider’s handle.

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WATCH OUT FOR CLIPPING Be careful when you’re boosting frequencies because doing so also increases the overall volume of the audio data. If you raise the volume too high, you can introduce clipping into the data.

4. If all you want to do is make basic EQ adjustments to your audio, skip to Step 10. Otherwise,

click the 20 Band tab to switch to the 20 Band mode (see Figure 8.26). Figure 8.26 Make even finer frequency adjustments using the 20 Band mode.

5. You’ll notice that your adjustments in the 10 Band mode have been carried over to the

20 Band mode. Now, make more adjustments to fine tune the equalization of your audio even further. 6. If using the 20 Band mode is sufficient for your EQ adjustments, skip to Step 10. Otherwise,

click the Envelope tab to switch to Envelope mode (see Figure 8.27).

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Figure 8.27 In Envelope mode, the Graphic EQ function makes adjustments using an actual graph.

7. In Envelope mode, the Graphic EQ function takes on a whole new look. Instead of sliders,

you’ll see a graph. The bottom of the graph shows the frequencies being adjusted, which range from 20 Hz to 20 KHz. The left side of the graph shows the amplitude of each frequency, which ranges from -Inf. to +24 dB. Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the equalization curve to be applied to your audio data. Any part of the envelope above 0 dB represents frequencies that are being boosted. Any part of the envelope below 0 dB represents frequencies that are being cut. 8. You can adjust the envelope by clicking and dragging the small squares (called nodes). As you drag a node, you’ll notice the frequency and amplitude values being displayed on top of the upper-right corner of the graph. 9. If you want to create a really complex EQ curve, you can add more nodes by clicking

anywhere on the envelope. The more nodes you add, the more flexibility you’ll have in changing the shape of the envelope (see Figure 8.28). 10. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the EQ processing you want to use. The

higher the quality, the slower the processing will be. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can usually keep this set to the best option, which is High. 11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. If you hear any clipping, adjust the Output Gain parameter so that the overall volume of the EQ processing is reduced. Try bringing it down to –1 dB and use trial and error from there. 12. Click OK.

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Q Equalization (EQ) Figure 8.28 You can create a more complex EQ curve by adding more nodes.

Sound Forge applies the equalization to your audio data according to the EQ curve that you defined in the Graphic EQ dialog box.

Parametric EQ Parametric equalization is a bit more powerful and flexible than graphic equalization. With the Parametric EQ function, you’re not limited to set frequencies. You can specify an exact frequency to adjust. Yes, by using Graphic EQ Envelope mode you can specify frequencies, but not exactly. You are limited by the resolution of the graph. The Parametric EQ function isn’t difficult to use, and I can explain it best by showing you how it works. 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ EQ ඎ Parametric to open the Parametric EQ dialog box (see Figure 8.29).

Figure 8.29 The Parametric EQ function adjusts very specific frequencies.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions 3. Choose an option from the Filter Style parameter drop-down list: Low-Frequency Shelf, High-

Frequency Shelf, Band-Pass, or Band-Notch/Boost. 4. Set the Center Frequency parameter. If you choose the Low-Frequency Shelf filter style,

5.

6.

7. 8.

any frequencies below the Center Frequency are either cut or boosted. If you choose the High-Frequency Shelf filter style, any frequencies above the Center Frequency are either cut or boosted. If you choose the Band-Pass filter style, frequencies above or below the Center Frequency are cut or boosted. If you choose the Band-Notch/Boost filter style, the Center Frequency is cut or boosted. If you choose the Low-Frequency Shelf or High-Frequency Shelf filter styles, you need to adjust the Transition Width parameter. This parameter determines how much the frequencies above or below the Center Frequency are affected. The lower the value, the sharper the EQ curve is at the Center Frequency. The higher the value, the smoother the EQ curve. If you choose the Band-Pass or Band-Notch/Boost filter styles, you need to adjust the Band Width parameter. This parameter determines how many frequencies are affected around the Center Frequency. The lower the value, the fewer frequencies that are affected. The higher the value, the more frequencies that are affected. Adjust the Amount Parameter. This parameter determines how much the specified frequencies are cut or boosted. It ranges from –60 dB to +20 dB. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the EQ processing you want to use. The higher the quality, the slower the processing will be. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can usually keep this set to the best option, which is High.

9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. If you hear any clipping, adjust the Output Gain parameter so that the overall volume of the EQ processing is reduced. Try bringing it down to –1 dB and use trial and error from there. 10. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the equalization to your audio data according to the parameters you specified in the Parametric EQ dialog box.

Paragraphic EQ Sound Forge’s most advanced EQ function is the Paragraphic EQ. The Paragraphic EQ combines many of the features from the different EQ functions I’ve already discussed. If you take a look at the Paragraphic EQ dialog box (see Figure 8.30), you’ll notice a frequency graph in the upper-right portion of the dialog box.

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Q Equalization (EQ) Figure 8.30 The Paragraphic EQ function is a combination of multiple EQ functions.

This graph displays the EQ curve (like in the Graphic EQ function), but this graph is not adjustable directly. Instead, it shows the EQ curve according to the other parameter settings. The Paragraphic EQ also contains four independent Parametric EQs, each complete with Gain, Width, and Center Frequency controls. All of these controls work the same as described earlier. The only difference is that if the Gain of an EQ is set to 0 dB, it means the EQ is deactivated. To activate an EQ, adjust the Gain. The other controls then become available. In addition, the Paragraphic EQ contains low-shelf and high-shelf EQs, each with adjustable Gain and Center Frequency controls. One final difference between the Paragraphic EQ and the other EQ functions is that instead of a master Gain control, the Paragraphic EQ provides the Dry Out and Wet Out controls. This allows you to mix the original audio data with the equalized audio data and determine how much of each will end up in the processed audio. The Dry Out parameter controls the level of the original audio, and the Wet Out parameter controls the level of the equalized audio. So, basically, the Paragraphic EQ is a combination of four full-band Parametric EQs, as well as a low-shelf and a high-shelf EQ. The combination of all these functions provides the means to create some very complex equalization processing. To get an idea of how powerful the Paragraphic EQ function is, be sure to try out some of the presets by using the Preset drop-down list.

Some EQ Applications Right about now, you might be saying to yourself, “OK, EQ sounds pretty cool, but what can I do with it?” Well, you can use EQ in many different ways to process your audio. To begin with, you might want to try some of the presets that come included with Sound Forge. After that, you might want to try experimenting with some of the settings described in the following sections.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions Fullness To make your audio sound a little fuller, try boosting the range of frequencies around 200 Hz by 6 dB. To do so, use the Parametric EQ function with Band-Pass filter style and set the filter parameters to the following: Center Frequency = 200, Band Width = 2.0, and Amount = 6.0 dB (see Figure 8.31). Figure 8.31 Use the Parametric EQ function to add fullness to your audio.

Punch To add a little more punch to your audio, try boosting the range of frequencies between and around 800 Hz and 2 kHz by 6 dB. To do so, use the Paragraphic EQ function with the first band set to the following: Center Frequency = 800, Width = 2.0, and Gain = 6.0 dB. And set the sec-ond band parameters to: Center Frequency = 2000, Width = 2.0, and Gain = 6.0 dB (see Figure 8.32). Noise Reduction You can also use EQ as a simple means of reducing noise in your audio. This is especially true for high frequency hiss. Use the Parametric EQ function with the High-Frequency Shelf filter style and then set the filter parameters to the following: Cutoff Frequency = 8000, Transition Width = 0.5, Amount = -60.0 dB (see Figure 8.33). To reduce buzzing or humming noises with EQ, use the Parametric EQ function with the BandNotch/Boost filter style and set the filter parameters to the following: Center Frequency = 60, Band Width = 1.0, Amount = -60.0 dB (see Figure 8.34). Q

MORE EQ APPLICATIONS I will talk about more applications using equalization in future issues of my DigiFreq music technology newsletter. To sign up for a free subscription, go to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/.

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Q Equalization (EQ) Figure 8.32 Use the Paragraphic EQ function to add punch to your audio.

Figure 8.33 Use the Parametric EQ function to reduce high frequency hiss in your audio.

Figure 8.34 Use the Parametric EQ function to reduce hum or buzz in your audio.

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions

Play It Backward Assuming you’re old enough to remember vinyl recordings, did you ever take a record and play it backward to see whether your favorite band had left some satanic messages in their songs or perhaps a recipe for their favorite lentil soup? Well, guess what? You can do the same thing with your audio data. Sound Forge enables you to “turn around” the data in a file (or selection) so that it plays in reverse. This feature doesn’t have much practical use, but combined with some other processing, it can render some cool effects. To use it, simply select the data that you want to change and choose Process ඎ Reverse. Now the data plays backward. If you don’t make a data selection, all the data in the file is processed.

Flip It Over Back in Chapter 7, I talked about the Paste Mix function and about how when you mix certain sound files together, phase cancellation can occur. Phase cancellation occurs when one audio waveform rises above the zero-axis while the other descends below the zero-axis at exactly the same rate. Because of this phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound “hollow.” The Paste Mix function provides an invert option, which inverts the audio waveform around the zero axis. This can sometimes help eliminate phase cancellation. Sound Forge manually inverts the data in an audio file using the Invert/Flip function. To use it, simply select the data that you want to change and choose Process ඎ Invert/Flip. The data is inverted. If you don’t make a data selection, all the data in the file is inverted.

Change the Length Usually, when you change the length of audio data, the pitch also changes. Shorten the data and the pitch rises. Lengthen the data and the pitch falls. More often than not, you want to avoid pitch changes. Luckily, Sound Forge provides a function that lets you change the length of your audio data without affecting the pitch. This function is called Time Stretch, and here is how it works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Time Stretch to open the Time Stretch dialog box (see Figure 8.35). 3. Set the Mode parameter. To provide the best type of processing, the Time Stretch function

takes into account the type of audio data you are processing. You should select the appropriate option in the drop-down list according to the type of data you want to process. For instance, if you are processing unpitched percussion instruments, you might want to use the Drums, Unpitched option.

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Q Quiz Figure 8.35 The Time Stretch function lets you change the length of audio without changing its pitch.

4. Set the Input Format parameter. You can choose to specify a new length for your audio as

a percentage, a tempo, or a specific length in time. 5. Whichever option you choose for the Input Format parameter, the appropriate control

appears that specifies the length for your audio. If you choose Percentage, the Final Percentage parameter is available. If you choose Tempo, the Final Tempo parameter is available. If you choose Time, the Final Time parameter is available. Adjust the available parameter to specify the new length of your audio data. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 7. Click OK.

Sound Forge changes the length of your audio data according to the parameter settings you specified in the Time Stretch dialog box.

Quiz 1. Sound Forge’s Preset feature lets you store and later recall any parameter settings for a

given function. True or False? 2. If you have an audio file with a low bit depth and you convert the file to a higher bit depth,

this raises the audio quality. True or False? 3. The Auto Trim/Crop function automatically removes silence from an audio file by scanning the data for certain characteristics that you specify. True or False? 4. What does the Mute function do? 5. What function would you use to apply a complex amplitude (volume) fade to your

audio data?

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CHAPTER 8 } Exploring the Processing Functions 6. Basically, you can use the Normalize function to raise the volume of your audio data to the

highest it can be without causing any clipping. True or False? 7. What function would you use to convert a stereo file to a mono file or vice versa? 8. Equalization (EQ) enables you to adjust the tonal characteristics of an audio signal by

increasing (boosting) or decreasing (cutting) the amplitude of different frequencies in the audio spectrum. True or False? 9. What are the names of the three EQ functions provided by Sound Forge? 10. What function would you use to change the length of your audio data without changing

its pitch? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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9

Exploring Effects

Just as adding spices to a recipe makes it taste better, adding effects to your audio data makes it sound better. Effects can make the difference between a dull, lifeless recording and a recording that really rocks. For example, you can apply echoes and background ambiance to give the illusion that your audio was recorded in a particular environment, such as a concert hall. You can also use effects to make your vocal recordings sound rich and full. And the list goes on. Sound Forge provides a number of different effects functions that you can use to spice up your audio data. Although applying these effects to your data isn’t overly complicated, understanding what they do and how to use them can sometimes be confusing. In this chapter, you’ll learn to use: Q Reverberation and the Acoustic Mirror. Q Delay, Chorus, and Flanging. Q Pitch bending and pitch shifting. Q Compression and limiting. Q Various other types of effects. Q Plug-ins and the FX Favorites menu. Q The Plug-In Manager and the Audio Plug-In Chainer.

Echo Effects You know what an echo is, right? It’s a repeating sound that mimics an initial sound. For example, if you yell the word hello in a large, enclosed area (such as a concert hall or a canyon), you’ll hear that word repeated (or echoed) back over and over until it fades away. This effect is also known as delay. Delay can be used to create many different kinds of effects, not just echoes. Sound Forge provides a number of functions to create these effects. I’ll talk about them one by one in this section.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects

Simple Delay The Simple Delay function applies basic echo effects to your audio data. To use this function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Delay/Echo ඎ Simple to open the Simple Delay dialog box

(see Figure 9.1). Figure 9.1 Use the Simple Delay function to add basic echoes to your audio.

3. Set the Delay Time parameter. This parameter determines how much time (in seconds) occurs

between each echo. You can set the Delay Time from 0.001 to 5 seconds. Q

TEMPO SYNC Many professional musicians use delay to synchronize the echoes with the music. For instance, you can have the echoes play in time with each quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, and so on, if you are applying echoes to some recorded music. All that’s required for this cool trick is a little simple math. Begin by figuring the Delay Time needed to synchronize the echoes to each quarter note. To do so, just divide 60,000 (the number of milliseconds in one minute) by the current tempo (measured in beats per minute) of your recorded music. So, for a tempo of 120 bpm, you get 500 milliseconds (which is 0.500 seconds). If you set the Delay Time to 0.500, the resulting echoes sound at the same time as each quarter note in your music.

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Q Echo Effects To figure out the Delay Time for other note values, you just need to divide or multiply. Because an eighth note is half the value of a quarter note, you simply divide 500 by 2 to get 250 milliseconds (or 0.250 seconds). A sixteenth note is half the value of an eighth note, so 250 divided by 2 is 125 milliseconds (or 0.125 seconds). See how it works? If you want to find out larger note values, just multiply by 2. Because a half note is twice as long as a quarter note, you multiply 500 by 2 to get 1000 milliseconds (or 1 second), and so on. You may have noticed that there is a Tempo Sync Delay option provided for the Delay Time parameter. However, this option is not available within Sound Forge. Instead, it is available in any host application that supports tempo-based effects, such as a MIDI/digital audio sequencer. In any case, you can still create tempo-based delay by using the math trick I described previously.

4. Set the Dry Out and Delay Out parameters. When you apply an effect to your original data,

you can determine how much of the effect and how much of the original data ends up in the final sound. This way, you can add a certain amount of effect without drowning out the entire original data. The Dry Out parameter determines how much of the original data you will hear in the processed audio, and the Delay Out parameter determines how much of the effect you will hear in the processed audio. 5. Set the Multiple Delays option and the Decay Time parameter. With some effects, you can

take their resulting signals and send them back through to have the effect applied multiple times. This is called feedback. The resulting sound can be different depending on the effect. For the Simple Delay function, the Multiple Delays option and the Decay Time parameter control how many echoes occur. If you activate the Multiple Delays option, more than one echo will occur. The Decay Time parameter determines how many echoes there will be. The lower the Decay Time, the fewer the number of echoes. The higher the Decay Time, the more echoes. You can alternatively control the number of echoes by designating a musical tempo. Just activate the Tempo Sync Decay option and then enter a tempo and musical unit of measurement. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. Q

ADJUSTING DURING PREVIEW While you are previewing your audio data, you can make adjustments to the parameters. When you have parameter settings that you like, click the Stop button to stop the preview.

7. Click OK.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Sound Forge applies the Simple Delay function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Multi-Tap Delay The Multi-Tap Delay function creates very complex echo effects by letting you set up multiple delays at once, such as setting up multiple Simple Delay effects at the same time to process your audio data. Here is how the Multi-Tap Delay function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Delay/Echo ඎ Multi-Tap to open the Multi-Tap Delay dialog box

(see Figure 9.2). Figure 9.2 The Multi-Tap Delay function lets you create very complex echo effects.

3. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work exactly the same as the

Dry Out and Delay Out parameters of the Simple Delay function. 4. Set the Input Gain parameter. This parameter determines how much of the original audio is processed. More often than not, you want to leave this set to 0 dB. 5. Set the Mod Rate and Mod Depth parameters. These parameters are a bit difficult to

describe. They add a “warble” type of effect to your audio data along with the echoes. The

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Q Echo Effects sound is also similar to that of the tremolo you hear on an electronic organ. The Mod Rate determines the speed (in Hz or cycles per second) of the “warble,” and the Mod Depth determines how much your audio data will be affected by it. 6. Set the Feedback parameter. This parameter works just like the combination of the Multiple Delays option and the Decay Time parameter of the Simple Delay function. 7. If you want to apply some low-pass EQ to your delay effect, activate and set the Low-Pass

Start Freq parameter. This filters out some of the high frequencies so that you can simulate more dense echo environments, such as echoes in a small room. All materials reflect sound differently, but softer materials (like carpeting) generally absorb higher frequencies while reflecting only the lower ones. For an example, check out the preset called Small Room 2. 8. Set the Number of Taps parameter. This parameter determines how many different taps

(delays) you want to set up in your effect. You can have up to eight different taps. As you adjust the Number of Taps parameter, you’ll notice the Current Tap options (1–8) become available. 9. Each tap comes with its own Tap Gain, Delay, and Pan parameters. This means that you can

control the initial volume, echo time, and panning in the stereo field of each delay. To adjust the parameters for a certain tap, choose the number of the tap via the Current Tap options. Then adjust the Tap Gain, Delay, and Pan parameters for that tap. You can do this for all eight taps individually. 10. As you adjust the parameters for each tap, you’ll notice changes on the graph displayed

just below the Current Tap options. This graph (called the Echogram) gives you a visual display of the echoes that will occur because of the parameter settings you have chosen. Each line represents an echo. The length of the line corresponds to the volume of the echo, measured as a percentage (the left side of the graph) of the original audio. The distance of the line from the left side of the graph represents the time at which the echo will sound after the original audio. The red line represents the currently selected tap. The black lines are other available taps. And the blue lines are echoes resulting from the Feedback parameter. To adjust how much time the Echogram shows, select an option from the Graph Resolution drop-down list. 11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 12. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Multi-Tap Delay function to your audio data according to your parameter settings. Be sure to check out some of the presets for the Multi-Tap Delay function that come with Sound Forge. They can demonstrate the true power of this function.

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Chorus Believe it or not, Sound Forge’s Chorus function has many of the same parameters as the Simple Delay and Multi-Tap Delay functions. Why? Because technically, chorus is a form of delay. Chorus uses delay and detuning to achieve its results. You don’t hear echoes when using chorus, though, because the delay is extremely short. Instead, chorus makes your audio data sound “fatter” or “fuller.” The name chorus comes from the fact that people singing in a chorus produce a full sound because each person sings slightly out of tune and out of time—not enough to make the music sound bad, but actually better. You can use Sound Forge’s Chorus function to achieve similar results with your audio data, although it will not make a vocal sound like a chorus. To use the Chorus function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Chorus to open the Chorus dialog box (see Figure 9.3). Figure 9.3 Make your audio sound “fatter” or “fuller” with the Chorus function.

3. Set the Chorus Out Delay parameter. This parameter works just like the Delay Time

parameter of the Simple Delay function. The only difference is that the Chorus Out Delay parameter is limited to 100 milliseconds. If you set this parameter high enough, you can actually get some quick repeating echoes out of it. For adding chorus to your audio, you should keep it set somewhere between 20 and 40.

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Q Echo Effects 4. Set the Dry Out, Chorus Out, and Input Gain parameters. The Chorus Out parameter is the

same as the Delay Out parameter of the Simple Delay function. I explained the Dry Out and Input Gain parameters in the last section. 5. Set the Feedback parameter. Instead of setting the number of echoes to occur (as in the Multi-Tap Delay function), this parameter determines the “fullness” of the chorus. The higher the value, the “fuller” the chorus will be. For an example, check out the preset called Chorus 5. 6. Set the Modulation Rate and Modulation Depth parameters. Instead of adding a “warble”

to your audio (as in the Multi-Tap Delay function), these parameters determine how detuning is added to the chorus. The Modulation Rate determines how quickly the detuning occurs, and Modulation Depth determines the amount of detuning. A high Modulation Depth setting makes your audio sound really out of tune (which isn’t usually desirable), but a lower setting produces a nice chorus effect. Q

TEMPO SYNC You may have noticed that there is a Tempo Sync option provided for the Modulation Rate parameter. However, this option is not available within Sound Forge. Instead, it is available in any host application that supports tempo-based effects such as a MIDI/digital audio sequencer. It sets a Modulation Rate as a tempo using a musical unit of measurement.

7. Set the Attenuate High Frequencies parameter. This parameter works the same as the

Low-Pass Start Freq parameter of the Multi-Tap Delay function. 8. Set the Chorus Size parameter. This parameter determines how many times your audio is

processed with the Chorus function. You can have the function applied up to three times in succession, which gives a very deep chorus effect. For an example, check out the preset called Chorus 1. Try changing the Chorus Size parameter to hear how each setting sounds. 9. Set the Invert the Chorus Phase and Invert the Feedback Phase options. Back in Chapter 7,

I talked about the Paste Mix function and about how when you mix certain sound files together, phase cancellation can occur. Phase cancellation occurs when one audio waveform rises above the zero-axis while the other descends below the zero-axis at the exactly the same rate. Because of this phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound “hollow.” By adjusting the Invert the Chorus Phase or Invert the Feedback Phase options, you can eliminate phase cancellation if the need arises.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 11. Click OK. Sound Forge applies the Chorus function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Flange/Wah-Wah Although the Flange/Wah-Wah function doesn’t have the same parameters as the Simple Delay function, flanging is nevertheless a form of delay—so are phasing and wah-wah, which can also be achieved with the Flange/Wah-Wah function. These effects produce very strange “spacey,” “whooshy,” or “warble” types of sounds by mixing a slightly delayed version of the original audio with itself. As with the Chorus function, you don’t hear echoes because the delay occurs so quickly. It’s difficult to describe what these effects sound like, so you’ll have to hear them for yourself. To use the Flange/Wah-Wah function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Flange/Wah-Wah to open the Flange/Wah-Wah dialog box

(see Figure 9.4). Figure 9.4 Give your audio a really strange sound using the Flange/Wah-Wah function.

3. Choose an option for the Effect parameter. Your choices are Flange, Phase, or Wah-Wah. 4. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work the same as the Dry Out

and Chorus Out parameters of the Chorus function.

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Q Pitch Effects 5. Set the Rate parameter. This parameter controls the speed of the effect in all three modes

of operation: Flange, Phase, or Wah-Wah. Q

TEMPO SYNC You may have noticed that there is a Tempo Sync option provided for the Rate parameter. However, this option is not available within Sound Forge. Instead, it is available in any host application that supports tempo-based effects, such as a MIDI/digital audio sequencer. It sets a Rate as a tempo using a musical unit of measurement.

6. Set the Depth parameter. If you choose the Flange mode, the Depth parameter controls how

much of the flanging effect is applied to your audio data. If you choose the Phase mode, the Depth parameter controls the range of frequencies that are affected by the phasing effect. If you choose the Wah-Wah mode, the Depth parameter controls the range of frequencies that are affected by the Wah-Wah effect. 7. If you choose the Flange mode, you can skip to Step 9. Otherwise, set the Center Frequency

parameter. In both the Phase and Wah-Wah modes, the Center Frequency parameter controls the frequency at which the Phasing or Wah-Wah effect is most pronounced. For example, if you are processing a tenor vocal recording, you could set the Center Frequency to about 261 Hz to center the effect within the range of the tenor voice (the tenor range is about 130 to 493 Hz). 8. Set the Resonance parameter. For both the Phase and Wah-Wah modes, the Resonance parameter controls how pronounced the Phasing and Wah-Wah effects are on your audio data. The lower the Resonance, the less pronounced the effect will be. The higher the Resonance, the more pronounced the effect will be. 9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 10. Click OK. Sound Forge applies the Flange/Wah-Wah function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Pitch Effects There may be times when you want to change the pitch of your audio data. Maybe you need to make corrections to an out-of-tune vocal or instrument part. Or perhaps you want to create a tune in the style of Alvin & the Chipmunks. Sound Forge includes three different functions that alter the

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects pitch of your data in a variety of ways. These functions include Pitch Bend, Pitch Shift, and Vibrato. I’ll explain them one by one in this section.

Pitch Bend The Pitch Bend function changes the pitch of your audio data over a period of time. For example, with this function, you could have your audio data slowly rise in pitch from beginning to end, if that’s the effect you desire. The Pitch Bend function is quite versatile. Here is how it works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Pitch ඎ Bend to open the Pitch Bend dialog box (see Figure 9.5). The

dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows pitch values, which can range from –24 to +24 semitones (according to the Range parameter located just to the left of the graph). Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the pitch bend that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the envelope from left to right, the left end of the envelope represents the beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the envelope represents the end of your audio data selection. If the envelope was set so that the left end was at the middle of the graph and the right end was at the top, the audio plays normally and then a gradual rise in pitch is applied. This occurs because, as you look at the graph, the left end of the envelope is set at a normal pitch (represented by zero in the middle of the graph), and the right end of the line is set at a pitch higher than normal. So the pitch would quickly begin at a normal value and then gradually rise upwards to a higher value. See how it works? Figure 9.5 Use the Pitch Bend function to change the pitch of your audio data gradually over time.

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Q Pitch Effects Q

SHOW WAVE OPTIONS If you are applying a pitch bend to a stereo file, you can have your audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave option. You can show just the data from the left or right channels, or both channels mixed by choosing an option from the Show Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the pitch bend is applied to your data, though. If you only want to apply a pitch bend to one of the stereo channels, you need to select only the data from that channel before you open the Pitch Bend dialog box.

3. You can change the shape of the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small

squares at the ends. These squares are called nodes. 4. If you want to create some really complex fades, you can add more nodes by double-clicking

anywhere on the envelope. The more nodes you add (you can add as many as you need), the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. 5. If you move a node and then want to set it back to its default value, right-click it and choose Set to Default. And to move multiple nodes, click and drag your mouse around the nodes to select them. Then click and drag one of the selected nodes to move the group of nodes together. 6. To quickly set a node to a value represented by the lowest part of the graph, right-click it

and choose Set to Min. To quickly set a node to a value represented by the highest part of the graph, right-click it and choose Set to Max. 7. To set the value of a node to a specific value, right-click it and choose Set To. Then type in a value and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. 8. To delete a node, right-click it and choose Delete. 9. You can also change the shape of the envelope between nodes (these sections are called

segments). Right-click the envelope between any two nodes and choose one of the fade options from the menu (see Figure 9.6). This controls the rate (speed) of the envelope changes applied to your audio. Choosing Linear Fade means that no rate change is made to that segment. Choosing Fast Fade means that the envelope rate is fast at the beginning of the segment and very slow at the end of the segment. Choosing Slow Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment and very fast at the end of the segment. Choosing Smooth Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment, speeds up at the middle of the segment, and slows down again at the end of the segment. Choosing Sharp Fade means that the envelope rate is very fast at the beginning of the segment, slows down at the middle of the segment, and speeds up again at the end of the segment. Choosing Hold means that there is no transition at all from one

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Figure 9.6 You can change the shape of the envelope between nodes.

node to the next. The envelope moves instantly from the first node of the segment to the last node of the segment. 10. Another feature quickly creates an envelope that is the opposite of the current envelope. Simply right-click anywhere on the envelope and choose Flip All Points. 11. If you want to adjust the range of the pitch bend (along with the pitch resolution of the graph),

use the Range parameter that I mentioned earlier. For subtle pitch bends, use small values. For more prominent pitch bends, use large values.

Q

PRESERVE ORIGINAL DURATION Normally, when you change the pitch of audio data, the length is altered, too. Raise the pitch and the data gets shorter; lower the pitch and the data gets longer. This can be a problem if you need your audio to remain at a certain length but a pitch change is required. In this case, be sure to activate the Preserve Original Duration option. This changes the pitch without altering the length of the audio. The only problem of which to be wary is that pitch bending can produce unwanted artifacts if you use too large an interval. It’s best to stay within an interval of a major third (four semitones) up or down if possible.

12. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 13. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Pitch Bend function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

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Q Pitch Effects

Pitch Shift As I mentioned in the previous section, when you change the pitch of audio data, the length is also altered. As with the Pitch Bend function, Sound Forge’s Pitch Shift function changes the pitch without changing the length of the audio data. But the Pitch Shift function is applied all at once and can’t be applied gradually over time as with the Pitch Bend function. Here is how the Pitch Shift function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file to which you want to apply a pitch change. If you want to

process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Pitch ඎ Shift to open the Pitch Shift dialog box (see Figure 9.7). Figure 9.7 Use the Pitch Shift function to change the pitch of your audio data all at once instead of gradually over time.

3. Set the Semitones to Shift Pitch By and Cents to Shift Pitch By parameters. These parameters

control how much the pitch will be shifted up or down. For large changes, use the Semitones to Shift Pitch By parameter. For finer control, use the Cents to Shift Pitch By parameter. There are 100 cents to each semitone in terms of pitch. Q

UNWANTED ARTIFACTS The only problem to be wary of is that pitch shifting can produce unwanted artifacts if you use too large an interval. The famous Alvin & the Chipmunks was a product of this problem. It’s best to stay within an interval of a major third (four semitones) up or down if possible.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 4. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the pitch shift processing you want to

use. The higher the quality, the slower the processing. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can usually keep this set to the best option, which is High. 5. When raising the pitch of audio, distortion can be introduced into the data. To remedy this

problem, be sure to activate the Apply an Anti-Alias Filter during Pitch Shift option. If you’re lowering the pitch of your audio data, you don’t need to worry about this. 6. If you don’t want the length of your audio data to change when you apply a pitch shift,

activate the Preserve Duration option. Then choose an option from the Mode drop-down list. You should select the appropriate option in the drop-down list according to the type of data you want to process. For instance, if you are processing unpitched percussion instruments, you might want to use the Drums, Unpitched option. 7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 8. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Pitch Shift function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Vibrato The Vibrato function is similar to the Pitch Bend function, but instead of bending the pitch, it modulates (or “vibrates”) the pitch up and down continuously. This gives a sort of warble effect when you apply it subtly. If you apply it in large amounts, you can also produce some very strange pitch variation effects. Here is how the Vibrato function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Vibrato to open the Vibrato dialog box (see Figure 9.8). The dialog

box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows pitch values, which can range from –24 to +24 semitones (according to the Semitones parameter located just to the left of the graph). Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the vibrato that will be applied to your selected audio data over time. The envelope constitutes one cycle (or vibration). This vibration is repeated over and over at a certain rate until it has been applied to your entire audio data selection. 3. You can change the shape of the vibrato envelope in one of two ways: You can simply choose one of the available presets from the Preset drop-down list. Alternatively, you can

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Q Pitch Effects change the vibrato envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small squares (nodes) at the ends. Figure 9.8 Use the Vibrato function to add pitch variation effects to your audio data.

4. If you want to create some really complex vibratos, you can add more nodes by clicking

anywhere on the vibrato envelope. The more nodes you add, the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. Q

ELIMINATE CLICKS OR POPS Because the vibrato envelope represents one frequency cycle (or vibration), the left and right ends of the envelope should end up at the same vertical position on the graph. For example, they might both rest on the zero line in the middle of the graph. This makes for smooth vibrato effects. If the ends of the envelope are not in the same vertical position, you might get clicks or pops in your audio. To help with this problem, you can try activating the Blend Graph Edges option to see if it helps to eliminate the clicks or pops.

5. If you want to adjust the range of the vibrato (along with the pitch resolution of the graph),

use the Semitones parameter that I mentioned earlier. For subtle vibratos, use smaller values. For more prominent vibratos, use larger values. 6. Set the Modulation Freq parameter. This parameter controls the speed of the vibrato. High values give you a warble effect. Low values give you more of a pitch bending effect.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Q

SUBTLE VIBRATO For a very subtle vibrato effect, choose the Vibrato 2 preset. Then change the Semitones parameter so that the range becomes –0.45 to +0.45 semitones. Finally, set the Modulation Freq parameter to 9.000. These are the settings I use for my Subtle Vibrato preset.

7. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the file after it is processed.

You can use this to boost or cut the volume of the audio if you want. 8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 9. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Vibrato function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Volume Effects In addition to all the volume processing functions that I talked about in Chapter 8, Sound Forge provides a number of other functions that manipulate volume for the purpose of producing effects. With these functions, you can apply amplitude modulation, distortion, compression, and many other types of processing to your audio data. I’ll explain all of the functions one by one in this section.

Amplitude Modulation The Amplitude Modulation function works almost identically to the Vibrato function, except that instead of modulating (or “vibrating”) frequencies, the Amplitude Modulation function modulates amplitudes (or the volume) of your audio data. With this function, you can achieve effects such as the tremolo on an electronic organ. Here is how the Amplitude Modulation function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Amplitude Modulation to open the Amplitude Modulation dialog box (see

Figure 9.9). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows amplitude values, which can range from –Inf. to 0 dB (according to the Amplitude parameter located just to the left of the graph). Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the volume changes that will be applied to your selected audio data over time. The envelope constitutes one cycle (or vibration). This vibration is repeated over and over at a certain rate until it has been applied to your entire audio data selection.

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Q Volume Effects Figure 9.9 Use the Amplitude Modulation function to add volume variation effects to your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the amplitude envelope in one of two ways: You can simply

choose one of the available presets from the Preset drop-down list; alternatively, you can change the amplitude envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small squares (nodes) at the ends. 4. If you want to create some really complex volume changes, you can add more nodes by clicking anywhere on the amplitude envelope. The more nodes you add, the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. Q

ELIMINATING CLICKS OR POPS Because the amplitude envelope represents one frequency cycle (or vibration), the left and right ends of the envelope should end up at the same vertical position on the graph. For example, they might both rest on the line in the middle of the graph. This makes for smoother volume change effects. If the ends of the envelope are not in the same vertical position, you might get clicks or pops in your audio. To help with this problem, you can try activating the Blend Graph Edges option to see if it helps to eliminate the clicks or pops.

5. If you want to adjust the range of the volume changes (along with the amplitude resolution

of the graph), use the Amplitude parameter that I mentioned earlier. For subtle changes, use smaller values. For more prominent changes, use larger values.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 6. Set the Mod Freq parameter. This parameter controls the speed of the volume changes. High

values give you a tremolo effect. Low values give you more of a slow but smooth change in volume effect. Q

TEMPO SYNC You may have noticed that there is a Tempo Sync option provided for the Modulation Freq parameter. However, this option is not available within Sound Forge. Instead, it is available in any host application that supports tempo-based effects, such as a MIDI/digital audio sequencer. It sets a Modulation Freq as a tempo using a musical unit of measurement.

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SUBTLE TREMOLO For a very subtle tremolo effect, choose the Sine Preset. Then change the Amplitude parameter so that the range becomes 0 to –2.9 to –5.9. Finally, set the Mod Freq parameter to 10. These are the settings I use for my Subtle Tremolo preset.

7. Set the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter. This parameter works the same as the Low-Pass Start

Freq parameter of the Multi-Tap Delay function. Basically, it filters out some of the high frequencies in your audio data. 8. Adjust the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. I explained these earlier in the chapter. 9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 10. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Amplitude Modulation function to your audio data according to your parameter settings. Q

STEREO PAN If you’re applying the Amplitude Modulation function to a stereo file, you can create some cool automated panning effects by adjusting the Stereo Pan parameter in the Amplitude Modulation dialog box. Set the parameter lower for a subtle panning effect and set it higher for really fast movement in the stereo field.

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Q Volume Effects

Distortion Most of the time, bad-sounding audio isn’t something that you want. Distortion is something you usually try to avoid when recording audio data. But sometimes distortion can be a good thing. For example, if you want to dress up a guitar part for a rock song, adding a bit of distortion can make it sound really cool. Or maybe you want to add a bit of “grit” to a vocal part. Using distortion as an effect can come in handy here. This is where Sound Forge’s Distortion function comes in, and here is how it works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Distortion to open the Distortion dialog box (see Figure 9.10). The dialog

box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows output amplitude. The bottom of the graph shows input amplitude. Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope) representing the input amplitude and output amplitude as they relate to each other. Initially, the envelope is drawn diagonally, and you “read” it from left to right. This shows a 1:1 ratio between input and output amplitudes, meaning that as the input level goes up 1 dB, the output level also goes up 1 dB. Figure 9.10 Use the Distortion function to add distortion effects to your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small

squares (nodes) at the ends. The Distortion function becomes audible when you add more nodes by clicking anywhere on the envelope. When you add more nodes and change the

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects shape of the envelope, the amplitude of your audio data is affected. If you adjust the nodes toward the top of the graph, the amplitude is raised. If you adjust the nodes toward the bottom of the graph, the amplitude is lowered. Lowering the amplitude doesn’t really do much, but by raising the amplitude, you can cause distortion effects in your audio. For example, if you add a node to the graph where the input and output levels intersect at –48 dB, and then raise the point so that the input stays at –48 dB but the output is raised to –24 dB, you will hear slight distortion in your audio. This is because as the input amplitude gets to –48 dB, the output amplitude is boosted by 24 dB. 4. The Distortion function goes even further by adjusting the amplitude of different parts of your

audio data. An audio waveform has positive and negative parts. The positive parts are the parts of the waveform that are above the zero axis. The negative parts are the parts of the waveform below the zero axis. By setting the Graph Polarity Edit Mode and using the Positive/Negative button, you can create two envelopes in the graph that control how the Distortion function affects the different parts of your audio waveform. If you select the Individual mode, you can create two independent envelopes on the graph for the positive and negative audio data. Use the Positive/Negative button to switch between the envelopes you want to edit. If you select the Synchronize mode, both the positive and negative data are controlled by one envelope. If you select the Mirror Y mode, the positive and negative envelopes are mirrored on the Y axis of the graph. If you select the Mirror X mode, the positive and negative envelopes are mirrored on the X axis of the graph. If you select the Mirror X/Y mode, the positive and negative envelopes are mirrored on both the X and Y axes of the graph. Check out some of the presets to see how they use each mode. 5. If you want to control how much your audio data changes over time, activate the Slew Rate

parameter. The lower the value, the less change there is. The higher the value, the more you’ll see change. A low setting can sometimes be useful in stopping a signal from clipping while still keeping the distortion effect intact. 6. Set the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter to filter out some of the high frequencies of your audio

data. This parameter can be useful if you have a really strong distortion effect going, but you get some unwanted buzzing in the higher frequencies of your audio. You can use this parameter to remove the buzzing. 7. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work the same as all the other

Dry Out and Wet Out parameters explained earlier in the chapter. 8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 9. Click OK.

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Q Volume Effects Sound Forge applies the Distortion function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Graphic Dynamics The Graphic Dynamics function applies compression and limiting to your audio data. What exactly does that mean? Well, one way to explain it is to talk about taming vocal recordings. Let’s say you recorded this vocalist who can really belt out a tune but doesn’t have very good microphone technique. When he sings, he just stays in one place in front of the microphone. Professional singers know that during the quiet parts of the song, they need to sing up close to the microphone and during the loud parts, they need to back away so that an even amplitude level is recorded. If a singer doesn’t do this, the amplitude of your recorded audio is very uneven. That’s where compression and limiting come in. Compression “squashes” the audio signal so that the amplitude levels are more even. Limiting stops the amplitude of the audio signal from rising past a certain level to prevent clipping. This can happen if the performer sings too loudly. To use the Graphic Dynamics function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Dynamics ඎ Graphic to open the Graphic Dynamics dialog box (see Figure

9.11). The dialog box displays a graph similar to the one found in the Distortion function. The left side of the graph shows output amplitude and the bottom of the graph shows input amplitude. Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope) representing the input amplitude and output amplitude as they relate to each other. Initially, the envelope is drawn diagonally, and you “read” it from left to right. This shows a 1:1 ratio between input and output amplitudes, meaning as the input level goes up 1 dB, the output level also goes up 1 dB. Even though you can add nodes to this envelope, like with the Distortion function, you don’t need to in order to create compression and limiting effects. 3. Set the Threshold parameter. The Graphic Dynamics function uses a digital noise gate to identify the parts of your audio data that should be processed. The Threshold parameter determines at what amplitude level your audio data will start being compressed or limited. When the amplitude of your audio data reaches the threshold level, processing occurs. 4. Set the Ratio parameter. This parameter determines how much processing is done to your

audio data. A ratio of 1:1 means no processing is done. A ratio of 2:1 means that for every 2 dB increase in input amplitude, there is only a 1 dB increase in output amplitude. Thus, the amplitude is being compressed. If you set the Ratio parameter to its highest value (Inf:1), that causes limiting, so no matter how loud the input amplitude gets, it is limited to the level set by the Threshold parameter.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Figure 9.11 Use the Graphic Dynamics function to apply compression and limiting to your audio data.

5. Set the Attack parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level has

reached the threshold that processing is applied. For example, if the input level reaches the threshold, it doesn’t have to be compressed right away. A slow attack means the signal won’t be compressed unless it lasts for a while. This is a good way to make sure fast, percussive parts are left alone, but long, drawn out parts are compressed. If you want to limit a signal though, a really fast attack (like 1 ms) is better. 6. Set the Release parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level goes

below the threshold that processing is stopped (or the digital noise gate is closed). If you set the Release parameter too low, your audio could get cut off. A longer release allows processing to sound more natural. 7. Set the Sync Stereo Gain option. If you are processing stereo audio, you more than likely want to have this option activated. It makes sure that both channels in the stereo audio are processed the same. 8. Set the Auto Gain Compensate option. In the singing example mentioned earlier, I talked about smoothing out the amplitude levels in a recorded vocal performance. When you compress the signal, its high amplitude levels are reduced, but its low amplitude levels remain the same. To make the amplitude levels even, the low levels need to be raised. Activating the Auto Gain Compensate option raises the low amplitude levels in your audio so you get a smoother sound when you apply compression.

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Q Volume Effects 9. Set the Output Gain parameter. This parameter allows you to adjust the overall amplitude

of your audio after it is processed. 10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 11. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Graphic Dynamics function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Multi-Band Dynamics Like the Graphic Dynamics function, the Multi-Band Dynamics function applies compression and limiting to your audio data. This function has one important difference—it processes different frequency ranges in your audio independently. Why is that important? Well, one way to explain it is to talk about de-essing. You may have noticed while doing vocal recordings that some singers produce a sort of “hissing” sound whenever they pronounce words with the letter “s” in them. That “hissing” sound is called sibilance, and you usually don’t want it in your audio. The process of removing sibilance is called de-essing, which is done by compressing certain frequencies in the audio spectrum. To use the Multi-Band Dynamics function, do the following: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Dynamics ඎ Multi-Band to open the Multi-Band Dynamics dialog box

(see Figure 9.12). 3. The Multi-Band Dynamics function actually provides four compression/limiting functions in

one. You’ll find four sets of controls called Bands. Each Band can be turned on or off by using the Band # Bypass option. The first two Bands are under the Bands 1 & 2 tab (located at the bottom of the dialog box). The second set of Bands is under the Bands 3 & 4 tab. All the Bands are identical. You can activate a Band by turning off its Band # Bypass option. 4. Set the Threshold parameter. This parameter works the same as the Threshold parameter of

the Graphic Dynamics function. 5. Set the Amount parameter. This parameter works the same as the Ratio parameter of the

Graphic Dynamics function. 6. Set the Gain parameter. This parameter controls the output amplitude of the current Band

that you are working with. You can use the Gain parameters to determine how much processing from each Band is present in the final output of the Multi-Band Dynamics function.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Figure 9.12 Use the Multi-Band Dynamics function to apply compression and limiting to specific frequency ranges in your audio data.

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AUTOMATIC THRESHOLD DETECTION The Multi-Band Dynamics function also provides an automatic threshold detection feature. When activated, the threshold level is automatically detected when you use the Preview button to listen to your audio before actually processing it. To turn on this feature, activate the Capture Threshold option at the bottom of the dialog box. The Capture Threshold feature can be useful for finding an initial setting for the Threshold parameter. You can then deactivate Capture Threshold to make additional adjustments to the Threshold parameter before processing.

7. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter works the same as the Attack parameter of

the Graphic Dynamics function. 8. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter works the same as the Release parameter

of the Graphic Dynamics function. 9. Choose an option for the Type parameter. This parameter determines the type of EQ that

you want to use to process your audio. I talked about these EQ types in the “Parametric EQ” section of Chapter 8. Low-Shelf filters out low frequencies. High-Shelf filters out high frequencies. Band-Notch filters out a specific frequency. For example, if you want to remove sibilance from your audio, you would probably use the Band-Notch option. 10. Set the Center/Above/Below parameter. This parameter determines the frequency above

which, below which, or at which your audio content will be compressed (again, see the

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Q Volume Effects “Parametric EQ” section in Chapter 8). In regard to the sibilance example, a good setting for this parameter is about 5,000 Hz. 11. If you choose the Band-Notch option, you also need to set the Width parameter. This parameter determines how many of the frequencies around the Center frequency will be affected. A low value puts the focus mainly on the one frequency that you specified for the Center parameter. A high value makes it so that a range of frequencies centered around the Center frequency are processed. In regard to the sibilance example, it’s good to go with a lower value, such as 1.0. 12. Go back through Steps 3 to 11 for each of the Bands that you want to use. 13. Set the Sync Stereo Channels option. If you are processing stereo audio, you more than

likely want to have this option activated. It makes sure that both channels in the stereo audio are processed the same. 14. Set the Output Gain parameter. This parameter adjusts the overall amplitude from all the

Bands in the Multi-Band Dynamics function. 15. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. Q

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS As you preview your audio, you can use the level meters in each Band to keep track of the input, output, and compression levels. Just make sure that the Enable Meters option (located at the bottom of the dialog box) is activated. You can switch from monitoring the input or output levels by clicking the Input/Output button (located just below each set of meters). In addition, if you want to hear your audio processed by only one Band to make sure you have the right parameter settings, just activate the Solo option for that Band. Deactivating the Solo option turns processing back on for all other available Bands.

16. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Multi-Band Dynamics function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Envelope Believe it or not, the Envelope function seems to work virtually the same as the Graphic Fade function, which I talked about in Chapter 8. The Sound Forge documentation says the Envelope function is different, stating that “unlike the Graphic Fade command, which simply fades a waveform by a specific amount over time, with the Envelope feature the gain at each point is dynamically calculated to achieve the exact specified envelope.” For example, if you take a sine

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects wave (the most basic type of audio waveform—see the “Sound Synthesis” section in Chapter 10 for more information) that has an amplitude of –12 dB and you apply the Envelope function to it with the graph (explained shortly) set to raise the amplitude to –6 dB, the result is the sine wave with an amplitude of –6 dB. If you do the same thing with the Graphic Fade function, the sine wave has an amplitude of –18 dB because 6 plus 12 is 18. The Envelope function sets amplitude in an absolute manner, and the Graphic Fade function sets amplitude in a relative manner. 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Envelope to open the Envelope dialog box (see Figure 9.13). The dialog

box displays a graph. The left side of the graph shows amplitude values, which range from 0 to 100 percent. Inside the graph is a line (called an envelope), which represents the amplitude envelope that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the envelope from left to right, the left end of the envelope represents the beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the envelope represents the end of your audio data selection. If the envelope were set so that the left end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was at the top, a straight linear rise in amplitude would be applied to your audio data, because as you look at the graph, the left end of the envelope is set at 0 percent, and the right end of the envelope is set at 100 percent. So, the volume of the audio data would begin at 0 percent and rise to 100 percent. See how it works? Figure 9.13 The Envelope function looks almost exactly the same as the Graphic Fade function.

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SHOW WAVE OPTIONS If you apply an envelope to a stereo file, you can choose to have your audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right channels, or both channels mixed by choosing an option from the Show Wave

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Q Volume Effects drop-down list. This does not affect how the envelope is applied to your data. If you only want to apply an envelope to one of the stereo channels, you need to select only the data from that channel before you open the Envelope dialog box.

3. You can change the shape of the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small

squares at the ends. These squares are called nodes. 4. If you want to create some really complex fades, you can add more nodes by double-clicking

anywhere on the envelope. The more nodes you add (you can add as many as you need), the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the envelope. 5. If you move a node and then want to set it back to its default value, right-click it and choose Set to Default. 6. To quickly set a node to a value of 0%, right-click it and choose Set to Min. To quickly set a

node to a value of 100%, right-click it and choose Set to Max. 7. To set the value of a node to a specific value, right-click it and choose Set To. Then type in a value and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. 8. To delete a node, right-click it and choose Delete. 9. You can also change the shape of the envelope between nodes (these sections are called

segments). Right-click the envelope between any two nodes and choose one of the fade options from the menu. This controls the rate (speed) of the envelope changes applied to your audio. Choosing Linear Fade means that no rate change is made to that segment. Choosing Fast Fade means that the envelope rate is fast at the beginning of the segment and very slow at the end of the segment. Choosing Slow Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment and very fast at the end of the segment. Choosing Smooth Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment, speeds up at the middle of the segment, and slows down again at the end of the segment. Choosing Sharp Fade means that the envelope rate is very fast at the beginning of the segment, slows down at the middle of the segment, and speeds up again at the end of the segment. Choosing Hold means that there is no transition at all from one node to the next. The envelope moves instantly from the first node of the segment to the last node of the segment. 10. Another feature quickly creates an envelope that is the opposite of the current envelope.

Simply right-click anywhere on the envelope and choose Flip All Points. 11. Set the Smooth Gain to Minimize Distortion on Steep Slopes option. This option makes it so

that amplitude changes aren’t applied too quickly, which can sometimes result in distortion. You usually want to keep this option activated.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 12. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 13. Click OK. Sound Forge changes the volume of your audio data selection according to the envelope that you defined in the Envelope dialog box.

Gapper/Snipper The Gapper/Snipper function is a bit odd, not because of the effects it can produce, but because of the way it produces them. By adding or cutting pieces of data to or from your audio, the Gapper/Snipper function produces tremolo, warble, and stuttering effects. The pieces of data applied to or removed from your audio are so small that they don’t ruin it, but rather produce some interesting sounds. The problem with the Gapper/Snipper function is that by adding or cutting data from your audio, it also makes your audio longer or shorter, which in some cases may not be desirable. Then again, after you apply the Gapper/Snipper function, you can always use the Time Stretch function to fix the length of your audio. In any case, here is how the Gapper/Snipper function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Gapper/Snipper to open the Gapper/Snipper dialog box

(see Figure 9.14). Figure 9.14 Use the Gapper/Snipper function to apply tremolo, warble, and stuttering effects to your audio.

3. Choose an option for the Effect parameter. If you choose the Gapper option, small sections

of silence are added to your audio and also make your file longer. If you choose the Snipper option, small sections of data are cut from your audio and also make your file shorter.

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Q Volume Effects 4. Set the Freq to Gap/Snip Events parameter. This parameter determines how many gaps

or snips are applied to your audio. The lower the setting, the fewer gaps or snips you will have. The higher the value, the more gaps or snips there will be. High values can give you “buzzing” effects when using the Snipper mode and stuttering effects when using the Gapper mode. 5. Set the Length of One Event parameter. This parameter determines the length of each gap or snip (in seconds) that is applied to your audio. The lower the setting, the smaller the gap or snip will be. The higher the setting, the larger the gap or snip will be. Use low values for subtle effects and high values to really alter the original form of your audio data. 6. If you find that the gapping or snipping done to your audio causes glitches in your audio,

adjust the Fade Edges of Each Event parameter to smooth out the edges of each gap or snip. This gets rid of any glitches that may occur. 7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 8. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Gapper/Snipper function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Noise Gate I’ve talked about digital noise gates before as they pertain to other functions, such as compression and limiting. You can also use digital noise gates independently to remove parts of your audio data. For example, if you want the quiet sections (such as the space between sentences or phrases) in a vocal dialog recording to be perfectly silent, you can use a noise gate for that purpose. The Noise Gate function provides this type of effect, and here is how it works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Noise Gate to open the Noise Gate dialog box (see Figure 9.15). 3. Set the Threshold Level parameter. The Threshold Level parameter determines at what

amplitude audio passes through the noise gate unaffected. Anything below the Threshold Level is not allowed to pass through and is thus turned into silence. 4. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level has reached the threshold level that the noise gate opens and allows audio through. A low setting keeps any quick, percussive sounds intact. A high setting makes the noise gate open more slowly, thus letting less audio data through.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Figure 9.15 Use the Noise Gate function to make quiet sections of audio perfectly silent.

5. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level

goes below the threshold level that the noise gate is closed. A low setting makes the noise gate close quickly. Again, this is good for percussive sounds. A high setting makes the noise gate close more slowly. This is good for sounds that have a long decay, like a long piano note or anything with a lot of reverberation. 6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 7. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Noise Gate function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Reverberation Like some of the functions mentioned earlier, reverb (short for reverberation) is also a form of delay, but it’s special because, instead of distinct echoes, reverb adds a complex series of very small echoes that simulate artificial ambiance. In other words, reverb produces a dense collection of echoes that are so close together that they create a wash of sound, making the original audio data sound like it’s being played in another environment, such as a large concert hall. Using Sound Forge’s reverb effects, you can make your music sound like it’s being played in all kinds of different places, such as in an arena, a club, or even live on stage. Sound Forge includes two reverb effects: Reverb and Acoustic Mirror.

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Reverb For basic reverb effects, Sound Forge provides the Reverb function. To apply the Reverb function to your audio data, follow these steps: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Reverb to open the Reverb dialog box (see Figure 9.16). Figure 9.16 Use the Reverb function to apply basic reverberation effects to your audio data.

3. Choose an option for the Reverberation Mode parameter. This parameter determines the

type of environment you are trying to simulate. The available options are self-explanatory. For example, to simulate a small environment, choose the Bright Small Room option. To simulate a large environment, choose the Cavernous Space option. 4. Set the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters. I explained these parameters earlier in the

chapter. They are similar to the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters used in other functions. One point you should note, however, is that in the case of reverb, the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters also make a difference on how the effect sounds. If you set the Dry Out high and the Reverb Out low, your audio data sounds like it’s positioned closer to the “front” of the imaginary environment. If you set the Dry Out low and Reverb Out high, your audio data sounds like it’s positioned farther away. For example, if you want to simulate what it sounds like to be seated in the very back row of a music concert, you can set the Dry Out low and the Reverb Out high.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 5. Choose an option for the Early Reflection Style parameter. When you make a sound in any

enclosed environment, some very quick echoes always occur because of the reflective surfaces (such as walls) that you are standing next to. These echoes are known as early reflections. To make your reverb simulations sound more authentic, Sound Forge provides this parameter so that you can control the early reflection content in your reverb effect. The option you select depends on the environment you’re trying to simulate. For small environments, choose a mode with a faster time (measured in milliseconds), such as Mode 2 (8 milliseconds). For larger environments, choose a mode with a slower time, such as Mode 6 (36 milliseconds). 6. Set the Early Out parameter. This parameter determines how loud the early reflections will

be in the reverb effect. The smaller the environment, the fewer early reflections are heard and vice versa. 7. Set the Decay Time parameter. When you’re applying reverb to your data, you should imagine what type of environment you want to create. Doing so helps you set the parameters. Technically, the Decay Time determines how long it takes for the reverberation to fade away, but you can think of it as controlling how big the artificial environment will be. The lower the Decay Time, the smaller the environment is and vice versa. So, if you want to make your audio sound like it’s playing in a small room, a good Decay Time might be about 0.5 seconds. If you want to make your audio sound as if it’s playing in a large area, a good Decay Time might be about 3 seconds. 8. Set the Pre-Delay parameter. This parameter is similar to the Decay Time parameter, except

that the Pre-Delay determines the time between when your audio is first heard and when the reverb effect begins. This gives you even more control in determining your artificial environment. For small spaces, use a low setting (such as 1 millisecond). For large spaces, use a high setting (such as 70 milliseconds). 9. Set the Attenuate Bass Freqs Below and the Attenuate High Freqs Above parameters. If you think these parameters look like equalization settings, you’re right. Using these parameters also helps to create more authentic environment simulations because smaller, closed environments tend to stifle some frequencies of the audio spectrum, and larger environments usually sound brighter, meaning they promote more of the frequencies. The Attenuate Bass and Attenuate High parameters work just like the High-Pass and LowPass equalization functions that I’ve described before. If you activate the Attenuate Bass parameter and set its frequency (in Hz), any frequencies above that are allowed to pass and are included in the effect, and any frequencies below that are cut. If you activate the Attenuate High parameter and set its frequency, any frequencies below that are allowed to

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Q Reverberation pass, and any frequencies above that are cut. For examples on how to set these parameters, be sure to take a look at some of the included presets. 10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. 11. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Reverb function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

Acoustic Mirror The Acoustic Mirror function also simulates environments, but it is much more sophisticated than the Reverb function. The Acoustic Mirror simulations are based on real-life environments. Here is how it works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Acoustic Mirror to open the Acoustic Mirror dialog box (see Figure 9.17). Figure 9.17 Use the Acoustic Mirror function to apply complex environment simulation effects to your audio data.

3. Choose an option for the Impulse parameter. The Acoustic Mirror function bases its envi-

ronment simulations on real-life environments by using what Sony calls Impulse files. An Impulse file is similar to an actual recording of an acoustic space or acoustic signature. It models the characteristics of a real environment, such as a concert hall or even a kitchen in someone’s home. Sound Forge ships with a large collection of Impulse files that you can use

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects to make it seem as if your audio is playing in a variety of real environments. If you don’t see any files listed in the Impulse parameter drop-down list, click the Browse button to display the Open Impulse File dialog box and choose a file that way. Impulse files have SFI extensions. Q

CREATIVE IMPULSES In addition to environments, Impulse files can be used to model the characteristics of different audio equipment. This includes microphones. What this means is that you can make it sound as if your audio was recorded with a certain type of microphone using Acoustic Mirror, even if you don’t own that particular microphone. Sound Forge ships with a number of microphone-based Impulse files that you can use. The effect is pretty cool. In addition, the Acoustic Mirror function lets you use any ordinary WAV file that is less than twelve seconds long as the basis for its processing. You can get some really weird effects using the function in this manner. Just choose a WAV file instead of an Impulse file when you are choosing an option for the Impulse parameter. Sound effects work really well here. For example, try using a quick car horn sound and processing your audio data with it. Your audio data takes on the characteristics of the car horn. Weird, huh? You can also use Sound Forge’s synthesis functions to create WAV files for use with Acoustic Mirror. (I will discuss the synthesis functions in Chapter 10.)

4. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work the same as the Dry Out

and Reverb Out parameters of the Reverb function. 5. Set the Response Width parameter. This parameter controls the width of the stereo field. This is similar to the Pan/Expand function, which I talked about in Chapter 8. When set at 50, you get a normal stereo image. The closer you set the Response Width to 0, the narrower the stereo field will be. This means that the audio sounds more like it’s being compressed between your stereo speakers. If you set the Response Width to 0, you are basically converting the stereo signal to mono. The closer you set the Response Width to 100, the wider the stereo field. This means that the audio sounds as if it’s being expanded beyond your stereo speakers. 6. Set the Response Delay parameter. This parameter is similar to the Pre-Delay parameter of

the Reverb function. A positive setting (in milliseconds) makes the processed audio sound later than the original audio. You can use this to simulate a larger space. For some strange effects, you can use a negative setting, which makes the processed audio actually sound before the original audio. This is something like hearing reverberation before hearing the sound that actually caused the reverberation.

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Q Reverberation 7. Set the Pan parameter. This parameter works like any other panning parameter that I’ve

mentioned before. It lets you pan the processed audio to any position in the stereo field. 8. Previously, I explained how the Reverb function provides a Decay Time parameter, which controls how long it takes for the reverberation to fade away (or lets you control how big your artificial environment will be). The Apply Envelope and Limit Decay To parameter of the Acoustic Mirror function is similar to Decay Time. The Apply Envelope parameter lets you control the length of your selected impulse file, which in turn controls the length of the environmental processing. This means you can use it to control the size of the room you are simulating. For example, if you choose an Impulse file that simulates the kitchen area inside a home, using the Apply Envelope parameter, you can control the size of the kitchen. Just activate the parameter and input a number of seconds (which is limited to the length of the Impulse file you are using). Enter a small value to simulate a small space. Enter a large value to simulate a large space. The Apply Envelope parameter provides even more control, though, if you need it. Click the Envelope tab at the bottom of the Acoustic Mirror dialog box. You will see a graph that represents the amplitude (left side) of the Impulse file over time (bottom). This graph works just like the one for the Envelope function that I talked about earlier. The only difference is that this graph controls the amplitude of the Impulse file being applied to your audio, rather than the amplitude of your entire audio data selection. 9. Back under the General tab, set the Low-Shelf Start Freq and the High-Shelf Start Freq

parameters. These parameters work just like the Attenuate Bass Freqs Below and the Attenuate High Freqs Above parameters of the Reverb function, respectively. 10. If you are working with mono audio data rather than stereo, you can still simulate a stereo environment with the Acoustic Mirror. Just activate the Convert Mono To Stereo option and your audio is converted to stereo when you apply the Acoustic Mirror to it. 11. Set the Quality/Speed option to specify the quality of the Acoustic Mirror processing you

want to use. The higher the quality, the slower the processing will be. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can usually keep this set to the best option, which is 5 (or High/Slow). 12. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 13. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Acoustic Mirror function to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

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SUMMARY AND RECOVER While working with Acoustic Mirror, you may have noticed two additional tabs at the bottom of the dialog box: Summary and Recover. The Summary tab provides you with information about the Impulse file you are using, such as its attributes, author, copyright, and any comments the author may have included about the file. Sometimes, you can even see a picture of the environment that was used to create the Impulse file, if the author has included one. The Recover tab is used for creating your own Impulse files. Unfortunately, this is a very advanced topic that is beyond the scope of this book. If you feel adventurous, you might want to check out the Sound Forge Help files for more information about creating Impulse files.

Wave Hammer The Wave Hammer function is a combination of effects. It contains a Compressor and Volume Maximizer rolled into one. Wave Hammer’s main use is as a mastering tool. After you edit and process your audio data, you usually put it through a final mastering process before you put it onto CD. Wave Hammer applies processing to prepare your files for their final destination, and it works as follows: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to process. If you want to process the entire

file, don’t select any data or select it all by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Wave Hammer to open the Wave Hammer dialog box (see Figure 9.18). Figure 9.18 Use Wave Hammer for mastering your audio files.

3. If you want to apply compression to your audio, deactivate the Bypass Compressor option

under the Compressor tab.

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Q Wave Hammer 4. Set the Threshold parameter. The Threshold parameter determines at what amplitude level

your audio data will start being compressed or limited. When the amplitude of your audio data reaches the threshold level, processing begins. 5. Set the Ratio parameter. This parameter determines how much processing is done to your audio data. A ratio of 1:1 means no processing is done. A ratio of 2:1 means that for every 2 dB increase in input amplitude, there is only a 1 dB increase in output amplitude. Thus, the amplitude is being compressed. If you set the Ratio parameter to its highest value (Inf:1), it causes limiting, so no matter how loud the input amplitude gets, it is limited to the level set by the Threshold parameter. 6. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level has reached the threshold that processing is applied. For example, if the input level reaches the threshold, it doesn’t have to be compressed right away. A slow attack means the signal won’t be compressed unless it lasts for a while. This is a good way to make sure fast, percussive parts are left alone, but long, drawn-out parts are compressed. If you want to limit a signal though, a really fast attack (like 1 ms) is better. 7. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter determines how quickly after the input level

goes below the threshold that processing is stopped. If you set the Release parameter too low, your audio could get cut off. A longer release allows processing to sound more natural. 8. You can also have Sound Forge vary the Release Time dynamically by setting the Smart Release parameter. If you set the Smart Release parameter to anything higher than zero, Wave Hammer analyzes your audio material during processing and automatically varies the Release Time to match the dynamics of your material. The higher the Smart Release setting, the more your initial Release Time setting is varied. This parameter can be helpful if you have material that has a lot of both short and long sustaining parts. 9. Set the Scan Mode parameter. As Wave Hammer processes your audio, it scans the data to determine its initial loudness so that it can figure out when to start compressing the data. You have two choices on how it scans the data: Peak and RMS. If you choose Peak, Wave Hammer looks for the highest amplitude in the audio data. If you choose RMS, an average of the loudness over time is used. The option you choose depends on the audio material you are compressing. Check out the presets using the Preset drop-down list for examples of how the Scan Mode parameter should be set. 10. Set the Auto Gain Compensate option. When you compress the audio signal, its high

amplitude levels are reduced, but its low amplitude levels remain the same. To make the amplitude levels even, the low levels need to be raised. Activating the Auto Gain Compensate option raises the low amplitude levels in your audio so you get a smoother sound when you apply compression.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 11. Set the Use Longer Look-Ahead option. This option tells Wave Hammer to scan further into

the audio file during processing to determine how much the data should be compressed. The advantage to using this option is that you may be able to set a slower Attack Time, but sometimes it can cause the compression to sound unnatural. I usually recommend to keep this option deactivated. 12. Set the Smooth Saturation option. If you apply really heavy compression to your audio, it can sometimes result in distortion. To reduce or even remove the distortion that may occur, activate the Smooth Saturation option. When you’re only using light compression, leave the Smooth Saturation option deactivated. 13. Click the Volume Maximizer tab at the bottom of the Wave Hammer dialog box to access

the Volume Maximizer parameters (see Figure 9.19). The Volume Maximizer raises the volume of your audio data to make it sound as loud as possible without clipping or distortion. Figure 9.19 Click the Volume Maximizer tab to access the Volume Maximizer parameters.

14. If you want to apply the Volume Maximizer to your audio, deactivate the Bypass Volume

Maximizer option. 15. Set the Threshold parameter. This parameter works a bit differently here than it does under

the Compressor tab. In the Volume Maximizer, the Threshold parameter works in conjunction with the Output Level parameter. Any audio amplitude levels that go above the threshold level are boosted or cut depending on how the Output Level parameter is set. 16. Set the Output Level parameter. To maximize the volume of your audio data, you usually

want to set this parameter higher than the Threshold parameter. For an example, check out the preset called Limit at 6 dB and Maximize. With the Threshold set to –6dB and the Output

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Q Effects Plug-Ins Level set to 0 dB, it means that the audio data is boosted by 6 dB so that any amplitude levels that go above the threshold level will reach 0 dB. 17. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter works the same as it does under the Compression tab. 18. Set the Use Longer Look-Ahead option. This option works the same as it does under the

Compression tab. 19. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 20. Click OK. Sound Forge applies the Wave Hammer function to your audio data according to your parameter settings. Q

MORE MASTERING INFO Wave Hammer’s main use is for mastering audio data. Mastering is the procedure during which the final mixed down stereo audio for a song is processed with various effects (such as EQ, compression, and limiting) to give the song that final professional touch before it is burned to CD. There have been entire books written on the topic of mastering—one of the best is Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science by Bob Katz (ISBN: 0240805453, Focal Press), http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0240805453/compmediaA/ You can also find some good information on the Internet at these sites: http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/guides.html and http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/F717F79532C9067386256688001A7623 Also, be sure to sign up for my free DigiFreq music technology newsletter so you don’t miss the mastering information I will be providing in future issues. To sign up, go to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/.

Effects Plug-Ins In addition to all of the effects I’ve described so far, Sound Forge gives you access to third-party effects in the form of plug-ins. Q

WHAT’S A PLUG-IN? In basic terms, a plug-in is a small computer program that by itself does nothing, but when used together with a larger application provides added functionality to the larger program. You can use plug-ins to easily add new features to a program. In Sound Forge’s case, plug-ins provide you with additional ways to process your audio data. As a matter of fact, Sony offers additional plug-in products for sale.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects What’s more, Sony isn’t the only vendor that sells plug-ins for Sound Forge. You can use plug-ins from a number of different third-party vendors because plug-ins conform to a standardized interface. Sound Forge enables you to use any audio effect plug-ins that are compatible with the DirectX and VST formats. DirectX is a special component built into Windows that controls all its multimedia functions, such as playing audio and video. VST is a special plug-in format developed by Steinberg. So, if you are looking for new plug-ins to add to Sound Forge, just make sure they are in DirectX or VST format (it will say so on the package), and you can be sure they will work. Please note, however, that this only applies to effect plugins. There are also software synthesizer plug-ins called DXi’s (DirectX Instruments) and VSTi’s (VST Instruments), which can’t be used within Sound Forge.

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FREE PLUG-INS For some great sources of DirectX and VST plug-ins that you can download and use for free, go to www.google.com and type one of these search phrases: “free directx plug-in” or “free vst plug-in”.

The FX Favorites Menu You can access all plug-ins via the FX Favorites menu in Sound Forge. Just select some audio data and choose FX Favorites ඎ Name of Plug-In to access the plug-ins that you have installed on your computer system. To find out how to use any specific plug-in, you have to read the documentation that came with the plug-in. When you first install Sound Forge, the FX Favorites menu is empty. This is because the menu can be customized to your own liking. In other words, you can organize your plug-ins within the menu. You can add all or only some of your plug-ins to the menu and even group them into submenus for better organization. You can customize the FX Favorites menu as follows: 1. Choose FX Favorites ඎ Organize to open the Organize Favorites dialog box (see

Figure 9.20). This box is divided into two panes. The left pane shows a directory of folders and the right pane shows the contents of a selected folder. Figure 9.20 Use the Organize Favorites dialog box to customize the FX Favorites menu.

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Q Effects Plug-Ins 2. Click the All folder to select it and display a list of all the plug-ins that are installed on your

computer system (see Figure 9.21). Figure 9.21 The All folder holds a list of all the plug-ins installed on your computer.

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OTHER PLUG-IN FOLDERS You may have noticed the other plug-in folders listed in the Organize Favorites dialog box. These folders are simply different plug-in categories. For example, while the All folder lists all plug-ins installed on your computer, the DirectX folder lists only DirectX format plug-ins. In addition, the Sony folder lists only Sony plug-ins, the Third Party folder lists all plug-ins from other manufacturers, the VST folder lists only VST format plug-ins, and the Automatable folder lists only plug-ins that can be automated. I’ll talk more about effects automation later in this chapter.

3. The FX Favorites folder represents the FX Favorites menu. Any plug-ins that you add to the

folder show up in the menu. To add a plug-in to the folder, drag and drop the plug-in onto the folder. 4. To delete a plug-in from the FX Favorites folder/menu, click the folder to select it and display

a list of the plug-ins it contains. Then right-click the plug-in you want to remove and choose Delete from the shortcut menu (see Figure 9.22). Figure 9.22 Right-click a plug-in and choose Delete to remove it from the FX Favorites folder.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 5. You can also change the name of any plug-in. This means that you are not limited to how

your plug-ins are listed in the menu. You can give them any name you want. Just right-click the plug-in and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Then type in a new name. 6. You can also organize your plug-ins into subfolders/submenus. This feature is great when you have a bunch of plug-ins that are all from the same manufacturer and you want to group them together. You can also use this feature to set up special submenus of plug-ins that you use for specific tasks. Right-click the FX Favorites folder and choose Create New Folder to add a subfolder/menu. Then, type a name for the folder/menu. You can add plug-ins to subfolders the same way you add them to the FX Favorites folder. 7. When you are finished, close the Organize Favorites dialog box. Now when you access the DX Favorites menu, you will see all the plug-ins and submenus you added (see Figure 9.23), and your plug-ins are also accessible from the menu. Figure 9.23 The FX Favorites menu displays all the changes you made via the Organize Favorites dialog box.

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AUTOMATIC FX FAVORITES You can also have Sound Forge customize the FX Favorites menu for you automatically. Choose FX Favorites ඎ Recreate by Plug-In Name. This feature scans for all the plug-ins that are installed on your computer and organizes them according to their names. Plug-ins from the same manufacturer are

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Q Effects Plug-Ins grouped into their own submenus automatically as well. Be aware that this procedure erases any of the changes you made in the Organize Favorites dialog box.

VST Plug-Ins While working through the previous exercise, you may have noticed that although you have some VST plug-ins installed on your system, they did not show up in the Organize Favorites dialog box. This is because VST plug-ins are handled differently than DirectX plug-ins. Instead of being registered under Windows (like DirectX plug-ins), VST plug-ins simply reside in a folder and need to be scanned by whatever host application with which you want to use them. As such, if you don’t see your VST plug-ins listed, you need to “tell” Sound Forge where to find them by doing the following: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ VST Effects to open the Preferences ඎ VST Effects dialog

box (see Figure 9.24). Figure 9.24 Use the Preferences ඎ VST Effects dialog box to configure your VST plug-ins in Sound Forge.

2. The Default VST Search Folder parameter displays the directory on your hard drive in which

Sound Forge initially searches for any VST plug-ins you may have on your PC. If you’d

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects like, you can simply move your VST plug-in files to this directory, close Sound Forge, and then open it again. Sound Forge will scan your plug-ins and make them available for use. 3. Otherwise, you can specify up to two additional hard drive directories in which Sound Forge will look for VST plug-ins. Just use one of the Alternate VST Search Folder parameters to specify your additional directories. You can simply type in a directory or use the Browse button to select a directory. 4. Click the Refresh button. Sound Forge will scan the additional directories and make your

plug-ins available. 5. To see a list of your plug-ins, choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ VST Effects to open the

Preferences ඎ VST Effects dialog box again. 6. In the list, you can enable or disable any plug-in by adding or removing the check mark next to the plug-in, respectively. Then click OK. Once you have your VST plug-ins specified and enabled, you can select them in the Organize Favorites dialog box as discussed previously.

Plug-In Manager Another way to organize the FX Favorites menu is to use the Plug-In Manager (see Figure 9.25) by choosing View ඎ Plug-In Manager. Figure 9.25 You can also use the Plug-In Manager to organize the FX Favorites menu.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “Hey, this looks just like the Organize Favorites dialog box.” Yes, you’re right except for one thing—the Plug-In Manager is displayed in a window instead of a dialog box. This means that you can keep it open and still have access to the rest of the Sound Forge application. You can’t do that with the Organize Favorites dialog box. Why would you want to? Well, in addition to organizing the FX Favorites menu, the Plug-In Manager organizes

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Q Effects Plug-Ins the plug-ins themselves as well as any plug-in chains you may have created. (I’ll discuss plug-in chains later in this chapter.) If you open the All menu in the left pane of the Plug-In Manager, you will see a list of all the plug-ins installed on your computer. If you right-click a plug-in, you can change its name by choosing Rename from the shortcut menu. You can also display its properties and hide the plugin. Hide a Plug-In Hiding a plug-in removes it from Sound Forge’s list of available plug-ins and keeps the plug-in installed on your computer for use within other applications. This means that although Sound Forge no longer “sees” the plug-in, it is still available in other applications. Why do this? Well, there are times when a program can accidentally be designated as a plug-in under Windows, which means it is listed in your All folder but isn’t accessible as a plug-in. Other times, some plug-ins that run under one host application won’t run under another. Some manufacturers “lock” the plug-ins that ship with their host applications so they can’t be used with other host applications. Hiding these from Sound Forge can remove some of the clutter from your All folder and ensure that you don’t accidentally try to use a plug-in that won’t work within Sound Forge. To hide a plug-in, simply right-click the plug-in and choose Hide from the shortcut menu. Sound Forge asks you if you want to permanently hide the plug-in. Q

UNHIDING CAN BE DIFFICULT You can make a plug-in visible again, but not easily. So be careful when hiding plug-ins and be certain you really want to do it.

If you choose Yes, Sound Forge hides the plug-in, and it is no longer visible in the All folder. Unfortunately, there is no way to make an individual plug-in visible again. You can, however, make all hidden plug-ins visible, but you need to do a little tweaking in the Windows Registry, as follows: 1. In Windows, choose Start ඎ Run to open the Run dialog box. 2. Type REGEDIT and click OK to open the Registry Editor. 3. In the left pane of the Editor, double-click the folder named HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. 4. Under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder, double-click the folder named Software. 5. Under the Software folder, double-click the folder named Sony Media Software. 6. Under the Sony Media Software folder, double-click the folder named Sound Forge.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 7. Under the Sound Forge folder, double-click the folder named 8.0. 8. Under the 8.0 folder, right-click the folder named DXCache and choose Delete from the

shortcut menu (see Figure 9.26). Figure 9.26 Delete the DXCache folder in the Windows Registry to unhide any hidden plug-ins.

9. Click Yes in the Confirm Key Delete dialog box. 10. Choose Registry ඎ Exit to automatically save your changes and close the Registry Editor.

Now, the next time you open Sound Forge, it scans your system for all installed plug-ins and any plug-ins that were previously hidden are visible again. Apply a Plug-In In addition to organizing plug-ins, the Plug-In Manager applies them to your audio files with a simple drag and drop of the mouse. If you want to apply a plug-in or plug-in chain (located in the Packaged Chains folder) to an audio file, just drag and drop it from the Plug-In Manager into the audio file’s Data Window (see Figure 9.27). Dragging and dropping a plug-in onto a Data Window won’t apply the plug-in in the normal way (as described earlier in the chapter). Instead, this opens the Plug-In Chainer.

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Q Effects Plug-Ins Figure 9.27 Use the Plug-In Manager to apply plug-ins to your audio data.

The Plug-In Chainer Sound Forge includes a very powerful feature called the Plug-In Chainer, which creates what I like to call Master Presets, but Sony calls them Plug-In Chains. As I mentioned in Chapter 8, Sound Forge saves the settings for most of its functions as presets. This way, you can easily use the same editing parameters that you created by simply calling them up by name, instead of having to figure out the settings every time you use a function. Presets are a real time-saver, but, unfortunately, you can save presets only for each of the individual functions. What if you want to combine a few of the functions to create a certain editing process? For example, what if you want to add a bit of EQ before you process your audio with reverberation? To do so, you need to select your audio data, use one of the EQ functions, and then use the Reverb function to process your data. For each function, you have to make the appropriate parameter adjustments. If you chain the functions together, all you need to do is select your data and apply the plug-in chain. This is where the Plug-In Chainer comes in. The Plug-In Chainer allows you to daisy-chain some of Sound Forge’s functions together (as well as any effects plug-ins you have installed) so that you can process your audio data with multiple functions (complete with specific parameter settings) in one fell swoop. In addition, the Plug-In Chainer applies plug-in chains to your data in real time instead of offline.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Offline Processing You already know what offline processing is because you performed it while using Sound Forge’s effects functions earlier in this chapter. With offline processing, the audio data in your files is permanently changed. Therefore, offline processing is also called destructive processing because it “destroys” the original data by modifying (or overwriting) it according to any processing that you apply. Q

REMOVING OFFLINE PROCESSING As you know, you can remove any offline processing done to your data by using Sound Forge’s Undo and Undo History features. You can also load a saved copy of your audio file containing the original data. But neither of these restoration methods is as convenient as using real-time processing.

Real-Time Processing On the other hand, real-time processing doesn’t change the actual data in your audio files. Instead, the effects plug-ins are applied only during playback, letting you hear the results while leaving your original data intact. Therefore, real-time processing is also called nondestructive, because it doesn’t apply any permanent changes to your data. By simply bypassing (or turning off) the effects plug-ins, you can listen to your data as it was originally recorded. Create a Plug-In Chain Using the Plug-In Chainer, you can create plug-in chains and save them as chain presets for later use. To create a plug-in chain, do the following: 1. You don’t need to have an audio file open when creating a plug-in chain, but it’s actually

better if you do because you can test your settings as you go along. So go ahead and open a file in Sound Forge by choosing File ඎ Open (or pressing Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose View ඎ Plug-In Chainer (or press Alt + 9 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Audio Plug-In Chainer (see Figure 9.28).

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Q Effects Plug-Ins Save Chain Preset

Process Selection

Preset Drop-Down List

Add Plug-ins To Chain

Mix Tail Data

Bypass

Preview

Show Parameter Chooser

Figure 9.28 Use the Plug-In Chainer to create a chain preset.

Insert Tail Data

Ignore Tail Data

Remove Selected Delete Plug-in Chain Preset

3. Click the Add Plug-Ins to Chain button to open the Plug-In Chooser dialog box

(see Figure 9.29). Figure 9.29 Use the Plug-In Chooser dialog box to add plug-ins to a plug-in chain.

4. Click one of folders to display a list of the plug-ins installed on your system. 5. Select a plug-in from the list and click the Add button to add it to the plug-in chain. You’ll

notice that the plug-in is shown along the top of the dialog box.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 6. Continue adding plug-ins until you have all the plug-ins you need for the chain. Then click

OK. The Plug-In Chainer now displays all the plug-ins you added along the top of the dialog box and the parameters of the currently selected plug-in in the bottom portion of the box (see Figure 9.30). Figure 9.30 The Plug-In Chainer displays your new plug-in chain along with the parameter settings of the currently selected plug-in.

7. Select each plug-in one at a time and adjust its parameters to the settings you want it to use

to process your files. 8. If you want to remove a plug-in from the chain, select it and click the Remove Selected Plug-In button. 9. Plug-ins are applied to your audio data in the order that they appear in the chain. Because

of this, you may want to move a plug-in to a different position in the chain. For example, if you apply EQ and reverb to a file, it’s usually best to apply EQ first, so you want the EQ plug-in to come before the reverb plug-in in the chain. To move a plug-in to a different location in the chain, drag and drop it either left or right. Audition a Plug-In Chain After you’ve created your chain, you can listen to how it will affect your audio data by doing the following: 1. To listen to your new plug-in chain, click the Preview button. 2. If you want to hear how your audio will sound when it’s not being processed by the plug-in

chain, click the Bypass button and then click the Preview button. Click the Bypass button again to turn the plug-in chain processing back on.

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EFFECT TAILS Some plug-in effects not only change your audio data, but they also insert additional data because of their nature. For example, when you apply reverb to audio, the reverberation effect continues sounding even after the original audio data has ceased to play. It does this because reverberation simulates the echoing of audio environments. The reverberation doesn’t just stop along with the original audio—instead, it slowly fades out. This extra data is known as an effect tail.

3. You can deal with effect tails in three different ways. Click the Ignore Tail Data button to

ignore the effect tail and have the audio stop playing as soon as it reaches the end of the original audio data selection. Click the Insert Tail Data button to insert the extra audio data at the end of the original data selection and have any existing data moved toward the end of the file. Click the Mix Tail Data button to mix the extra audio data into the file without moving any existing data. The Mix Tail Data option is the most natural sounding, so you want to keep this option activated most of the time. Q

EFFECT TAIL PREVIEW If you use the Insert Tail Data or the Mix Tail Data options, make sure that Loop Playback is not enabled, otherwise you will not hear the effect tail while previewing your audio. To toggle Loop Playback, press Q on your computer keyboard.

Apply and Save a Plug-In Chain After you’ve auditioned your new plug-in chain and heard how it affects your audio data, you can do two more things with it—apply it to your audio data or save it as a chain preset. To apply the chain to the currently selected audio data, click the Process Selection button. This means that the processing will be applied in a destructive manner, thus altering the original audio data. Of course, you can always use the Undo or Undo History functions to remove the changes. Before you close the Plug-In Chainer window, save your new chain as a preset. To do this, click the Save Chain Preset button to open the Save Plug-In Package dialog box (see Figure 9.31). Figure 9.31 Use the Save Plug-In Package dialog box to save your chain as a preset.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Then type a name for the preset and click OK. Your new preset is now listed in the Preset dropdown list and in the Packaged Chains folder of the Plug-In Manager window. If you want to delete a preset, select the preset from the Preset drop-down list in the Plug-In Chainer window and then click the Delete Chain Preset button. The Audio Plug-In Chainer is an extremely powerful tool. As a matter of fact, I like to keep it open at all times when I’m working with Sound Forge. It allows me to quickly test out effects on my audio data without actually altering the data, and (because the Chainer runs in a window) I still have access to all the other features in Sound Forge at the same time.

Effects Automation When you apply effects to your audio as discussed previously in this chapter, you are applying those effects in a static manner. By this I mean that you set the parameters for those effects to specific values and the parameters stay set to those values when you apply the effects to your audio. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have effects parameters change over time? For example, earlier in this chapter I talked about reverberation and how setting the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters of the Reverb effect would position your audio data within the imaginary environment. Well, by changing the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters over time, you can simulate movement in the environment, making it sound like your audio data is moving closer or farther away as it plays. You can do these types of things by utilizing the automation features in Sound Forge. Automation Setup To set up an effect for automation, do the following: 1. Open an audio file by choosing File ඎ Open or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard.

For this example, choose the sample file included with Sound Forge called MUSICBED.PCA. 2. Choose View ඎ Plug-In Chainer (or press Alt + 9 on your computer keyboard) to open the

Plug-In Chainer window. 3. Click the Add Plug-Ins to Chain button. 4. In the Plug-In Chooser dialog box, choose an effect. Not all effects can be automated. For

a list of all the effects on your computer system that can be automated, select the Automatable folder. For this example, choose the effect called Reverb. Click Add and then click OK. Q

NOT ALL AUTOMATABLE EFFECTS LISTED Because many third-party effect plug-ins are not programmed correctly, Sound Forge does not automatically list them in the Automatable folder. They will only show up here after Sound Forge has a chance to scan them, and this is only done after you use the plug-in the first time. So if you are using any thirdparty effect plug-ins that provide automation, you will need to use them at least once before they will show up in the Automatable folder.

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Q Effects Plug-Ins 5. The Plug-In Chainer should automatically display the Parameter Chooser pane, as shown

in Figure 9.32. If the Parameter Chooser doesn’t appear, click the Show Parameter Chooser button. Show Parameter Chooser

Automate All

Automate None

Show Show All None

Enable Enable All None

Figure 9.32 Use the Parameter Chooser to configure the automation parameters for an effect.

6. The Parameter Chooser occupies the right pane of the Plug-In Chainer window. The Param-

eter Chooser displays a list of all the available parameters for the currently selected effect that can be automated. To activate a parameter for automation, put a check mark in the Automate column next to that parameter. You can also activate or deactivate all the available parameters at once by clicking the Automate All or Automate None buttons, respectively. For this example, put check marks next to the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters. 7. For every parameter that you activate, an envelope is added to the Data Window of the

current audio file. We will talk about how to work with these envelopes in the next section. In the meantime, you can control whether or not each parameter envelope is displayed by adding or removing a check mark in the Show column. This can be useful when multiple envelopes are displayed and you need to clear the Data Window temporarily to edit some of the envelopes that may have overlapped. In addition, you can display all the parameter envelopes or hide all the parameter envelopes at once by clicking the Show All or Show None buttons, respectively. Be aware that even if you hide an envelope, that parameter is still automated during playback.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects 8. On the other hand, if you would like to temporarily disable a parameter from being

automated, you can remove the check mark in the Enable column next to that parameter. The envelope for that parameter will remain displayed (unless you hide it), but the parameter will not be automated during playback. You would think that removing the parameter’s Automate check mark would disable it and that would be true, but this also resets the parameter’s envelope, and you will lose any edits that you made. So be sure to use the Enable column for temporary disablement of a parameter. In addition, you can enable or disable all the parameters at once by clicking the Enable All or Enable None buttons, respectively. 9. After you’ve set up all the parameters you would like to automate, move the Plug-In Chainer

window aside so you can have access to the Data Window to begin editing the parameter envelopes. I like to dock the Plug-In Chainer to the bottom of the Sound Forge workspace so I can continue to have access to the automation settings while I work with the envelopes (see Figure 9.33).

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SHOW OR HIDE DOCKED WINDOWS You can show or hide docked windows using a variety of keyboard shortcuts. Press F11 to toggle any windows that are docked to the bottom of the workspace. Press Shift + F11 to toggle any windows that are docked to the side of the workspace. Press Ctrl + F11 to toggle all docked windows.

Figure 9.33 Dock the Plug-In Chainer for continued access to the automation settings while editing envelopes.

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Q Effects Plug-Ins Automation Envelopes Once you’ve set up the effect parameters for automation, you will see an envelope for each parameter in the current Data Window. To edit the parameter envelopes, do the following: 1. Choose Edit ඎ Tool ඎ Envelope to activate the Envelope tool. While you can use the use

the Edit tool to manipulate envelopes, it’s better to use the Envelope tool because you can be sure you won’t accidentally edit your audio data instead. 2. Initially, the envelope for each parameter is shown as a straight line that runs from left to right in the Data Window. The vertical position of the envelope indicates the current value for its associated parameter. The closer the envelope is to the bottom of the Data Window, the lower its value will be. The closer the envelope is to the top of the Data Window, the higher its value will be. Of course, the value varies depending on the type of parameter represented by the envelope. Hover your mouse over the envelope to see which parameter it represents. 3. At the beginning of the envelope is a small square (called a node). To change the value of

the envelope, click and drag the node up or down. As you drag the node, you will see the value of the parameter represented by the envelope displayed alongside your mouse cursor. For this example, set the Reverb Out envelope to about –27 dB and the Dry Out parameter to 0 db (see Figure 9.34). Figure 9.34 The vertical position of the envelope determines the value of its associated parameter.

4. To make things more interesting, you can add more nodes to the envelope either by

double-clicking anywhere on the envelope or by right-clicking the envelope and selecting Add Point from the pop-up menu. You can add as many nodes as you need, which enables you to create some very complex parameter value changes. In addition to dragging them up or down, you can also drag nodes left or right (to change their time/location within the Data Window), so you can create any envelope shape you want. You can also change the value of a node more precisely by right-clicking it, choosing Set To from the pop-up menu, entering the new value, and then pressing Enter on your computer keyboard. For this

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects example, add a new node to the end of the Dry Out envelope and give that node a value of about –39 dB (see Figure 9.35). Figure 9.35 Add more nodes and drag them with your mouse to change their values.

5. If you move a node and then want to set it back to its default value, double-click it. 6. To quickly set a node to its minimum or maximum value, right-click it and choose one of the

Set To options. 7. To set the value of a node to a specific value, right-click it and choose Set To. Then type in

a value and press the Enter key on your computer keyboard. 8. To delete a node, right-click it and choose Delete. 9. You can also change the shape of the envelope between nodes (these sections are called

segments). Right-click the envelope between any two nodes and choose one of the fade options from the menu. This controls the rate (speed) of the envelope changes applied to your audio. Choosing Linear Fade means that no rate change is made to that segment. Choosing Fast Fade means that the envelope rate is fast at the beginning of the segment and very slow at the end of the segment. Choosing Slow Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment and very fast at the end of the segment. Choosing Smooth Fade means that the envelope rate is very slow at the beginning of the segment, speeds up at the middle of the segment, and slows down again at the end of the segment. Choosing Sharp Fade means that the envelope rate is very fast at the beginning of the segment, slows down at the middle of the segment, and speeds up again at the end of the segment. Choosing Hold means that there is no transition at all from one node to the next. The envelope moves instantly from the first node of the segment to the last node of the segment. 10. To set the envelope back to its default status (including removing any added nodes), right-click the envelope and choose Reset All.

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Q Effects Plug-Ins 11. To create an envelope that is the exact opposite of the current one, right-click the envelope

and choose Flip All Points. 12. To listen to the effects automation you’ve applied to the current Data Window, click the Play Plug-In Chainer button in the Play Bar of the Data Window or click the Preview button in the Plug-In Chainer window. For this example, you should hear the audio moving farther away as it plays. 13. To apply the automation, click the Process Selection button in the Plug-In Chainer window. 14. When you’re finished, close the Plug-In Chainer window.

Automation Applications In addition to the example provided in the last section, here are some more ways you can use the automation features provided by Sound Forge. For each of the following examples, I’m assuming you already have an audio file and the Plug-In Chainer window open. Gradual Distortion 1. In the Plug-In Chainer, click the Add Plug-Ins to Chain button. 2. In the Plug-In Chooser, select the Automatable folder. 3. Select the Distortion effect plug-in and click the Add button. Then click OK. 4. In the Plug-In Chainer, choose the Fuzz 1 preset for the Distortion effect. 5. Put a check mark in the Automate column of the effect’s Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. 6. In the Data Window, drag the first node of the Dry Out envelope to the top of the Window. 7. Drag the first node of the Wet Out envelope to the bottom of the Data Window. 8. Double-click the Wet Out envelope to add a new node. Position the node so that it resides

at the end of the audio file. Then right-click the node and choose Set To. Type in a value of –1.5 dB for the node. The Dry Out and Wet Out envelopes should look similar to the ones shown in Figure 9.36. 9. Click the Preview button or Play Plug-In Chainer button to hear the effect. Your audio should

sound like it is gradually getting more and more distorted. Adjust the last node of the Wet Out envelope to control the final amount of distortion. 10. To apply the automation to audio, click the Process Selection button in the Plug-In Chainer window. 11. When you’re finished, click the Automate None button in the Plug-In Chainer window and then close the window.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects Figure 9.36 Create a gradual distortion effect easily with only two envelopes.

Panorama 1. In the Plug-In Chainer, click the Add Plug-Ins to Chain button. 2. In the Plug-In Chooser, select the Automatable folder. 3. Select the Pan effect plug-in and click the Add button.

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STEREO NEEDED When applying the Pan effect, be sure to use a stereo audio file. The effect doesn’t work with mono files.

4. Select the Reverb effect plug-in and click the Add button. Then click OK. 5. In the Plug-In Chainer, select the Pan effect and then put a check mark in the Automate column

of the effect’s Pan parameter. 6. In the Data Window, right-click the Pan envelope and choose Reset All. 7. Double-click the envelope to add three new nodes. Position the nodes so that they are

somewhat evenly spaced from the beginning to the end of the audio file. Now keep the first node centered in the Data Window, move the second node to the bottom of the Data Window, move the first node to the top, and the last node to the bottom so your envelope looks similar to the one shown in Figure 9.37. 8. In the Plug-In Chainer, select the Reverb effect and then put a check mark in the Automate column of the effect’s Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters. 9. In the Data Window, right-click the first node of the Reverb Out envelope and choose Set

To. Type in a value of –34 dB. 10. Double-click the Dry Out envelope to add three new nodes. Position the nodes so that they

are somewhat evenly spaced from the beginning to end of the audio file, just like the Pan

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Q Effects Plug-Ins Figure 9.37 Create a Pan envelope with multiple nodes.

envelope nodes. Now move the first Dry Out node to the top of the Data Window. Set the second node to a value of –45 dB. Move the third node to the top of the Data Window (a value of 0 dB). Then set the last node to a value of –60 dB. Your audio file should now look similar to the one shown in Figure 9.38. Figure 9.38 Create two Reverb envelopes to complete the Panorama effect.

11. Click the Preview button or Play Plug-In Chainer button to hear the effect. Your audio should

sound like it is moving closer and farther away, as well as left and right throughout the sound field. By manipulating the Pan and Dry Out envelopes, you can create any kind of movement you would like. 12. To apply the automation to audio, click the Process Selection button in the Plug-In

Chainer window. 13. When you’re finished, click the Automate None button in the Plug-In Chainer window and

then close the window. The automation features provided by Sound Forge are extremely powerful and with a little experimentation, you can find some completely new ways of manipulating your audio data.

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CHAPTER 9 } Exploring Effects

Quiz 1. The Simple Delay function applies basic echo effects to your audio data. True or False? 2. What three functions in Sound Forge alter the pitch of your audio data? 3. The Amplitude Modulation function applies AM radio effects to your audio data.

True or False? 4. What function would you use to apply de-essing to your audio data? 5. By adding or cutting pieces of data to or from your audio, the Gapper/Snipper function

produces tremolo, warble, and stuttering effects. True or False? 6. What effects provided by Sound Forge make it sound like your audio is being played in a different environment, such as a large concert hall? 7. The Acoustic Mirror effect simulations are based on actual real-life environments.

True or False? 8. What two functions are provided by the Wave Hammer effect? 9. What is a plug-in? 10. The Plug-In Chainer allows you to daisy-chain some of Sound Forge’s functions together

(as well as any effects plug-ins you have installed) so that you can process your audio data with multiple functions (complete with specific parameter settings) in one fell swoop. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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10

Additional Audio Tools

Sound Forge provides so many tools and functions that it’s difficult to categorize them all. Some are used for editing. Some are used for processing. And others are used to add effects. There are also a few other tools that don’t fit in any of those categories. They give you the ability to fix, analyze, and synthesize audio data. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Repair your audio data with the Repair functions. Q Analyze your audio data using spectrum analysis. Q Create new sounds with simple synthesis. Q Create new sounds with FM synthesis.

In Need of Repair In Chapter 7, I talked about the Pencil tool and how you can use it to fix glitches (such as pops and clicks) in your audio data. Sound Forge provides a few functions that make fixing glitches even easier.

Repair Stereo Audio If you ever run across a situation in which one channel of your stereo audio file has a glitch but the other channel doesn’t, you can use the Repair Channel function to fix the problem quickly and easily. Here is how it works: 1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I described in Chapter 5.

Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform. 2. If the glitch is small (within 10 milliseconds in length), position the Current Position cursor at a point that is approximately at the center of the glitch. If you used the Find function, this is

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools done automatically. Make sure only the channel containing the glitch has the Current Position cursor showing in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard (see Figure 10.1). Figure 10.1 Press the Tab key on your computer keyboard so that only the glitched channel is processed.

3. If the glitch is large, make a selection containing the glitched data. Make sure only the

channel containing the glitch has the selection in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard (see Figure 10.2). Figure 10.2 If the glitch is large, make a selection instead of just placing the Current Position cursor.

4. Choose Tools ඎ Repair ඎ Copy Other Channel. If you placed the Current Position cursor in

the center of the glitch, Sound Forge copies 10 milliseconds of data (five milliseconds before and five milliseconds after the Current Position cursor) from the clean channel to the glitched channel. If you made a selection, Sound Forge copies the same amount of data as the selection (up to 0.5 seconds) from the clean channel to the glitched channel. Q

BEST COPY SITUATION The Repair ඎ Copy Other Channel function works best when the data in both channels is similar. If the data is very different, the function may not work. In this case, you may want to try one of the other Repair functions.

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Repair with Replacement If the data in the channels of your stereo audio is not similar at the point where a glitch occurs, you can try replacing it with data from the same channel using the Repair Replace function. This function also works if you have a mono audio file. The Repair Replace function works almost exactly the same as the Repair ඎ Copy Other Channel function, except that the clean data is taken from the audio immediately preceding the glitch in the waveform. Follow these steps to utilize the Repair Replace function: 1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I described in Chapter 5.

Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform. 2. If the glitch is small (within 15 milliseconds in length), position the Current Position cursor at a point that is approximately at the center of the glitch. If you used the Find function, this is done automatically. If you’re working on a stereo file, make sure only the channel containing the glitch has the Current Position cursor showing in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard. 3. If the glitch is large, make a selection containing the glitched data. If you’re working on a

stereo file, make sure only the channel containing the glitch has the selection in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard. 4. Choose Tools ඎ Repair ඎ Replace. If you placed the Current Position cursor in the center of

the glitch, Sound Forge replaces 15 milliseconds of data surrounding the cursor with the 15 milliseconds of data that immediately preceded the glitch. If you made a selection, Sound Forge copies the same amount of data as the selection (up to 0.5 seconds) from the data that immediately preceded the glitch. Q

BEST REPLACE SITUATION The Repair Replace function works best on large clicks or glitches. If too many replacements are made, you can get a strange echo effect sometimes. If that happens, try using the Repair Interpolate function instead.

Repair with Interpolation The Repair Interpolate function eliminates glitches by first making a logical guess at what the audio waveform is supposed to look like without the glitch and then replacing the glitched data with the estimated data. Here is how the function works:

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools 1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I described in Chapter 5.

Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform. 2. The Repair Interpolate function works best on small glitches (5 milliseconds or less). For very small glitches, position the Current Position cursor at a point that is approximately at the center of the glitch. If you used the Find function, this is done automatically. For slightly larger glitches, make a selection containing the glitched data. If you’re working on a stereo file, make sure only the channel containing the glitch has the Current Position cursor or selection showing in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard. 3. Choose Tools ඎ Repair ඎ Interpolate.

Sound Forge analyzes the audio data and replaces the glitch with an estimate of what it thinks it should be. In some cases, this won’t work and just introduces another glitch. If that happens, try using one of the other Repair functions. You’ll need to test each one to see which works best on your damaged audio data.

Audio Restoration In addition to the Repair functions, Sound Forge provides an Audio Restoration tool. Instead of fixing individual glitches, the Audio Restoration tool is best used for removing a large number of errors from your audio data. Two of the most common uses of the Audio Restoration tool are for cleaning up audio from old vinyl records and tape recordings. Here is how the Audio Restoration tool works: 1. With an audio file already open in Sound Forge and a data selection made (or no selection,

if you want to process the entire file), choose Tools ඎ Audio Restoration to open the Audio Restoration dialog box (see Figure 10.3). Figure 10.3 Use the Audio Restoration tool to clean up old vinyl or tape recordings.

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Q In Need of Repair 2. If your audio contains clicks or pops, set the Click Removal Amount parameter by dragging

its slider left (for less click removal) or right (for more click removal). The default value for this parameter is 10, which usually works quite well. When increasing this parameter, be sure that none of your audio gets cut off. This can happen with fast transients like drum hits. In a case like that, try reducing the Click Removal Amount parameter. If your audio doesn’t need click removal, set the Click Removal Amount parameter to 1, which essentially disables the parameter. 3. The next five parameters remove noise from your audio. The noise removal features of the

Audio Restoration tool work best with high frequency noise like tape hiss. If you have this type of noise in your audio, set the Reduce Noise By parameter by dragging its slider left (for less noise removal) or right (for more noise removal). Even though the default setting for this parameter is 10 dB, I usually like to use a setting of 20 dB, but I always listen to make sure that only the noise and not the audio material is affected. If you hear the audio material being affected, try lowering the Reduce Noise By parameter by small increments until you find a setting that only removes the noise. 4. Set the Affect Frequencies Above parameter. This parameter determines what part of the audio spectrum is processed by the noise removal features of the Audio Restoration tool. Any frequencies above the parameter setting are processed and any frequencies below the setting are not. When reducing noise like tape hiss, the default setting of 5,000 Hz works well. If you have some lower frequency noise, you can try reducing the parameter setting, but be careful you don’t affect the audio material. If you hear some of the audio material being reduced or “muffled,” then raise the parameter setting to a more appropriate value. 5. The Audio Restoration tool uses a digital noise gate to determine what parts of the audio

material to process. The Attack Speed parameter determines how quickly the gate opens to let desired audio material through. The Release Speed parameter determines how quickly the gate closes after the desired audio is finished playing. A value of 7 usually works well for these parameters. If you find that fast transients (like drum hits) are getting cut off, try raising the Attack Speed parameter. If you find that slow fades (like reverb tails) are getting cut off, try raising the Release Speed parameter. 6. Set the Noise Floor parameter. This parameter determines the amplitude (loudness) level

below which audio material will be removed. Most tape hiss is quiet compared to the regular audio material on the tape, and I’ve found that a value of about –70 dB works well for the Noise Floor parameter. However, if you have some quiet desired material that is getting removed from the audio, try raising this parameter.

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools 7. Click the Preview button to listen to the processed audio. If you hear some desired material

getting removed or not enough of the noise is being reduced, go back through the previous steps and make adjustments until you find just the right settings. 8. Click OK when you’re finished. Q

FREE NOISE REDUCTION TIPS Noise reduction and repairing audio data is a complicated topic. It can take a lot of time and patience to get good results. The more you know about the subject, the better your chances of success. To find out more, be sure to read my feature article in issue 12 of DigiFreq titled, “Nix the Noise from Your Recordings.” You can get the issue for free at: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/issues.asp.

Spectrum Analysis In Chapter 8, I talked about frequencies, the audio spectrum, and how different sounds are created via multiple, simultaneous vibrations at different frequencies. I also talked about how you can alter the tonal characteristics (or timbre) of a sound by using equalization. But in order to know what frequencies should be boosted or cut to get the changes you want, you have to know which frequencies (and their amplitudes) are present within a sound. That’s where spectrum analysis comes in. If you happen to have a boom box or a stereo component that has an animated graph feature, which changes as music is played, then you’ve had some experience with spectrum analysis. That animated graph shows the amplitudes of different frequencies within the music as it is played. It can tell you if there is too much bass or too much treble and make the appropriate adjustments so that the music sounds better. Sound Forge’s Spectrum Analysis function lets you do this, too, but with a much higher degree of accuracy. You can use the Spectrum Analysis function to analyze the frequency content in your audio files and determine which frequencies are loud or soft. You can also use the function to find the fundamental pitch of a sound or to track down strange noises in your audio (such as buzzes or hums). Then you can use the equalization or pitch adjustment functions to make changes. Here is how the Spectrum Analysis function works: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want to analyze. If you want to analyze the

entire file, select all the data by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard). 2. Choose View ඎ Spectrum Analysis to open the Spectrum Analysis window (see Figure 10.4).

The window displays a graph showing frequency values along the bottom and amplitude values along the left side. This lets you look at the graph, pick out a frequency, and find the

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Auto Refresh Settings

Real Time Monitoring

Refresh

Sync

Normal Display

Snapshots #1 to 4 Print Clear All Snapshots

Figure 10.4 Use the Spectrum Analysis function to analyze the frequency content in your audio files.

Set Snapshots Hide Active Plot Sonogram

amplitude of that frequency within your audio data. If you are analyzing a mono file, you’ll see one graph. If you are analyzing a stereo file, you’ll see two graphs (one for the left channel and one for the right channel). 3. When you first open the window, the graph will be zoomed all the way out, making it difficult

to pick out specific frequencies. To zoom in on a particular frequency or group of frequencies, click and drag your mouse within the graph to draw a box around the frequencies you want to view in more detail (see Figure 10.5). Q

CHANGE WINDOW SIZE Just like any other window, you can also change its size by clicking and dragging its corners (the window, not the graph). This gives you a larger graph (with more values displayed) to work with.

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SHOW POSITION AND NOTES As you move your mouse within the graph, you’ll see the mouse cursor display amplitude (in dB) and frequency (in Hz) values. By aligning the cursor to the top of a frequency bar in the graph, you can get a reading of the amplitude of that frequency. Also, by right-clicking within the graph and choosing Show Position, you can turn this feature on or off. And by right-clicking within the graph and choosing Show Notes, you can have the cursor display note values (instead of Hz) for the frequencies you are inspecting.

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools Figure 10.5 Click and drag within the graph to zoom in on specific frequencies.

4. When you zoom in on the graph, notice that the scroll bars on the left and bottom of the

graph become active. These work like any other scroll bars in a window, and allow you to scroll through the different parts of the graph while zoomed in. You can also right-click within the graph and choose Grab/Pan to turn the mouse into a scroll tool. In this mode, when you click and drag within the graph, the position of the graph moves. To go back to zoom mode, just right-click and choose Grab/Pan again. 5. To zoom out all the way horizontally, right-click and choose Zoom Out Full. To zoom out all the way vertically, right-click and choose Normalize dB. Q

ZOOM TO SPECIFIC RANGE You can also zoom the graph to a specific range. To set the range, click the Settings button to open the Spectrum Settings dialog box. In the Display Range section, set minimum and maximum values for the frequency (horizontal) range for the graph. Then set maximum and minimum values for the amplitude (vertical) range of the graph using the Ceiling and Floor parameters, respectively.

6. To display the frequencies in the graph logarithmically rather than linearly, right-click and

choose Logarithmic. Basically, what this means is that the graph displays a wider range of low frequencies in this mode. So, if you are working with audio data with a lot of low frequency content (like a bass guitar part), you might want to display the graph logarithmically. 7. You can change the appearance of the graph in other ways, too. Initially, you will see the

Bar Graph mode. This is my favorite because it shows individual bars for the frequencies displayed. But there are also Line Graph and Filled Graph modes. To use them, just click the

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Q Spectrum Analysis arrow next to the Normal Display button and choose Line Graph or Filled Graph from the menu. 8. Because the Spectrum Analysis function uses a window instead of a dialog box, you can keep it open as you edit your audio data. If you go back to the Data Window and select a different section of audio, you can switch to the already open Spectrum Analysis window to analyze the new data. The graph isn’t updated automatically, though, so to update the graph, click the Refresh button. Q

AUTOMATIC REFRESH If you want the graph to update automatically with any data selections or edits that you make, click the Auto Refresh button.

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MULTIPART GRAPHING You can also have the Spectrum Analysis function show graphs for different parts of your audio data simultaneously. Click the Settings button to open the Spectrum Settings dialog box. For the Slices Displayed parameter, choose how many graphs you want displayed (up to 64) and then choose whether you want them Forward or Backward according to the data in your file. Click OK. Depending on the number of graphs you choose, the Spectrum Analysis function splits your audio file into that many sections and shows a graph for each section. The graphs are shown beginning at the front of the file or at the back of the file, depending on if you choose the Forward or Backward options, respectively.

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COMPARISON GRAPHING In addition to displaying multiple graphs for a single audio file, you can also create and store graphs for multiple audio files and then compare them using the Spectrum Analysis Snapshot features. To save a snapshot of the current graph, click the Set button and then click one of the Snapshot buttons–there are four Snapshot buttons available. Doing this will also overwrite any saved snapshots. To show or hide a snapshot, just click its button. By having multiple snapshots shown at once, you can compare them to each other. In addition, you can compare snapshots to the current active graph. To show or hide the active graph, click the Hide Active Plot button. Finally, to delete all saved snapshots, click the Clear All Snapshots button.

9. The Spectrum Analysis function can also be used in real time. If you click the down arrow

next to the Real Time Monitoring button and choose Monitor: Output, the graph changes as your data is played. You must also click the Real Time Monitoring button to activate real time monitoring. Go ahead and try it. The display looks very cool. In addition to this, you

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools can also use the function to analyze the audio that is coming into your sound card in real time. This means you can hook up a microphone to your sound card, speak or play something into it, and watch the graph show the frequency content of the audio. To activate this feature, click the down arrow next to the Real Time Monitoring button and choose Monitor: Input. 10. To set the accuracy of the Spectrum Analysis function, click the Settings button to open the

Spectrum Settings dialog box (see Figure 10.6). Figure 10.6 Adjust the accuracy of the Spectrum Analysis function with the Spectrum Settings dialog box.

11. The Spectrum Analysis function uses an imaginary window as it analyzes your selected data,

section by section. The size of this window (in samples) is determined by the FFT Size parameter. The bigger the window, the more accurate the analysis will be, but the slower the processing. A good number that provides a balance between accuracy and processing speed is 2,048. 12. The FFT Overlap parameter determines how much overlap there is from the window’s last

analysis position to its next position. Again, the more overlap, the more accurate the analysis, but the slower the processing. Usually, 75 percent is a good setting. 13. The Smoothing Window parameter determines what algorithm is used when analyzing your

data. You can experiment with these to find the one that best fits the material you’re analyzing, but most often, you’ll probably want to use the Blackman-Harris setting, which is the most accurate. 14. There are also a number of presets available that set the graph parameters for you

according to the type of data you want to analyze. Be sure to try them out. And after you’ve made your settings, click OK.

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Q Spectrum Analysis 15. In addition to the Bar Graph, Line Graph, and Filled Graph modes, the Spectrum Analysis

function provides a Sonogram mode. To activate it, click the Sonogram button. To choose whether it is displayed in color or black-and-white, click the down arrow next to the Sonogram button and make a selection. You’ll see a very colorful graph, as shown in Figure 10.7. Instead of frequency and amplitude, this graph shows frequencies (on the left side of the graph) over time (on the bottom of the graph). This means that by reading the graph, you can see all the frequencies at a specific time in your selected data. Not only that, but the different colors represent the amplitudes of the frequencies. At the bottom of the window, you’ll see a scale showing what colors represent what amplitudes in dB. Figure 10.7 In addition to the Bar, Line, and Filled Graph modes, there is the Sonogram mode.

16. As in the other modes, you can move the mouse over the graph and read the amplitudes of

specific frequencies in numerical values. The Sonogram doesn’t allow you to zoom in or move around. And while using the Real Time Monitor: Output function, you’ll see the Current Position cursor scroll within the graph rather than the graph itself changing. 17. If you want to change the intensity of the colors in the graph so you can get a better reading,

just move the slider located just beneath the graph. Move it right for more intense colors, and move it left for less intense colors. Double-click the slider to move it back to its default position. 18. To adjust the accuracy of the Sonogram, click the Settings button to open the Spectrum

Settings dialog box. Then adjust the Set Sonogram Resolution parameter. The higher the setting, the more accurate the Sonogram but the more processing time it takes to create it. The default value of 200 usually works well. Click OK.

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PRINT IT OUT If you want a printout of your graph or Sonogram, just click the Print button.

19. When you’re finished with the Spectrum Analysis function, simply close the window.

Spectrum Analysis Applications Of course, knowing how to use the Spectrum Analysis function doesn’t really give you any idea of why you might want to use it. So, let me take you through a couple of examples. Prominent Pitch Suppose that you have a recording of an instrumental performance and you want to know what note the instrument is playing at a particular point in your audio file. This is how you can find out: 1. Select the data in your audio file that contains only the note being played for which you

want to find the pitch. 2. Choose View ඎ Spectrum Analysis. 3. If it isn’t already normal, change the display mode to normal by clicking the Normal

Display button. 4. Now, look at the bottom right area of the Spectrum Analysis window. There you will see a

bunch of text showing the various settings for the current graph. In addition, you’ll see the text “Prominent Frequency.” Next to that is shown the most prominent frequency in your selected data and the note (or pitch) represented by that frequency. Find Glitches Manually I talked about how to repair your audio data earlier in this chapter using the Repair functions. I also talked about how to use the Find function to locate glitches in your data, but sometimes even the Find function doesn’t work and you need to look for the glitches manually. Most of the time, you can hear them easily enough, but you might not be able to quite zoom in on the exact spot at which they are located. The Spectrum Analysis function can help here. 1. Find the general area in your audio file where the glitch is located and select that data. 2. Choose View ඎ Spectrum Analysis. 3. Click the Sonogram button and choose the Color mode. 4. Look at the graph for spikes of color (see Figure 10.8). Those are glitches or clicks in your

audio data. 5. Make a note of the time at which the glitch occurs by reading the time values at the bottom

of the graph.

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Q Synthesis Figure 10.8 Use the Sonogram mode to find glitches in your audio data.

6. Zoom in on that time in the Data Window to find the glitch in the audio waveform. 7. Refer to the earlier sections of this chapter for step-by-step instructions on how to fix

the glitch.

Synthesis In addition to all of the editing, processing, and effects functions I described in the previous chapters, Sound Forge creates sounds from scratch with its trio of synthesis functions. These functions allow you to experiment with a number of different types of synthesis, all from within Sound Forge. No other software or hardware components are required. You can do things like simulate telephone tones, try your hand at simple additive and subtractive synthesis, and create some really complex sounds with FM synthesis. Q

FREE SYNTHESIS INFORMATION I will not go into detail about the aspects of additive, subtractive, FM, or sound synthesis in general. This subject matter would fill many books in and of itself. However, you can find some good introductory information on the following Web site: http://www.ezy.net/~genoside/midiwarez/synthfaq.html.

DTMF/MF Tones The DTMF/MF function generates telephone tones. Why would you ever want or need to do this? I have no idea. But there have been some songs on the market that use telephone tones for effects, so maybe you’ll get some use out of this function after all. Sony tells me this function was added for the people who work in the telephone business so they can add special signals to their audio

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools files to trigger events in the automated telephone systems. For whatever reason, you may want to use it, so here is how the function works: 1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your

computer keyboard) and setting the appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box or open an existing audio file. (I talked how to do this in Chapter 4.) If you open an existing audio file, position the Current Position cursor at the location in the file where you want to insert the telephone tones. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ DTMF/MF Tones to open the DTMF/MF Tones dialog box (see

Figure 10.9). Figure 10.9 Generate telephone tones with the DTMF/MF function.

3. Set the Dial String parameter. This is where you enter the telephone number that you want

to simulate. Just like on your touch-tone phone, you can enter numbers, letters, and even the asterisk or pound sign. 4. Choose an option for the Tone Style to Generate parameter. DTMF stands for Dual Tone

Multi- Frequency. This is the name for the type of sound signals that are generated by standard touch-tone phones. MF stands for Multi-Frequency. This is the name for the type of sound signals that are used internally by the telephone companies to control the operation of the telephone networks. 5. Set the Single Tone Length parameter. This parameter determines the length (in seconds) of each individual tone that is generated. To create an average length tone, use a setting of about 0.200. 6. Set the Break Length parameter. This parameter determines the amount of silence (in seconds) that occurs between each individual tone. To simulate normal dialing speed, use a setting of about 0.100.

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Q Synthesis 7. In addition to the Break Length, you can also insert specific pauses between dialing tones.

To do this, choose a setting for the Pause Character parameter (the default setting of a comma works well). Add commas to the Dial String parameter where you want the pauses to occur. Then set the Pause Length parameter (in seconds) to specify how long of a pause there will be when the Pause Character is encountered in the Dial String when the tones are being generated. 8. Activate the Fade the Edges of Each Tone option. This prevents glitching, so you almost always want to keep this option activated. 9. If you are inserting the tones into an existing audio file and you want them to be inserted at

the Current Position cursor, choose the Cursor option for the Insert New Tone Sequence At parameter. You can also choose to insert the tones at the start or end of the file. If you are creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter. 10. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the tones to be. 11. Click the Preview button to hear how your tones will sound before you have Sound Forge

make any actual changes to the data. 12. Click OK.

Sound Forge generates the telephone tones according to your parameter settings.

Simple Synthesis The Simple Synthesis function generates very basic audio waves like the kind you might find on a synthesizer. You can use this function to experiment with different types of synthesis and create your own unique synth sounds. Like its name implies, the Simple Synthesis function is very easy to use. Here is how it works: 1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your

computer keyboard) and setting the appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box, or open an existing audio file. (I described how to do this in Chapter 4.) If you open an existing audio file, position the Current Position cursor at the location in the file where you want to insert the synth tone. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ Simple to open the Simple Synthesis dialog box (see

Figure 10.10). 3. Choose an option for the Waveform Shape parameter. This parameter determines the type

of basic waveform that you want to generate. You can choose from Sine, Absolute Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle, Filtered Noise, White Noise, Pink Noise, and Brown Noise. Try out each one to get an idea of what they sound like.

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools Figure 10.10 Generate basic audio waves with the Simple Synthesis function.

4. Set the Length parameter. This parameter determines the length (in seconds) of the audio

wave that is generated. 5. Set the Start Frequency parameter. This parameter determines the frequency (or pitch) of

the sound that is generated. 6. If you want to create sound that changes smoothly from one frequency to another, activate

and set the End Frequency parameter. When the sound is created, it will start at the Start Frequency and gradually change until it reaches the End Frequency. 7. If you are inserting the sound into an existing audio file and you want to insert it at the Current Position cursor, choose the Cursor option for the Insert New Waveform At parameter. You can also choose to insert the sound at the start or end of the file. If you are creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter. 8. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the sound to be. 9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 10. Click OK.

Sound Forge generates the audio waveform according to your parameter settings. Simple Synthesis Example But what can you really do with the Simple Synthesis function other than just create basic synth tones? Well, by combining the Simple Synthesis function with some of the other functions available from within Sound Forge, you can create synthesized sounds from scratch. Here’s an example: 1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File ඎ New and setting the appropriate param-

eters in the New Window dialog box. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ Simple to open the Simple Synthesis dialog box. 3. Set the Waveform Shape parameter to Square.

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Q Synthesis 4. Set the Length parameter to 3. 5. Set the Start Frequency parameter to 261.6, which is the frequency of Middle C on the

musical scale. Deactivate the End Frequency parameter. 6. Set the Amplitude parameter to –12 dB. 7. Click OK. This gives us our first basic synth tone. 8. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File ඎ New and setting the appropriate param-

eters in the New Window dialog box. 9. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ Simple to open the Simple Synthesis dialog box. 10. Set the Waveform Shape parameter to Saw. 11. Set the Length parameter to 3. 12. Set the Start Frequency parameter to 466.2, which is the frequency of Bb above Middle C

on the musical scale. Deactivate the End Frequency parameter. 13. Set the Amplitude parameter to –12 dB. 14. Click OK. This gives us our second basic synth tone. 15. Select and copy all the data from the second synth tone. 16. Select all the data in the first synth tone. 17. Choose Edit ඎ Paste Special ඎ Mix (or press Ctrl + M on your computer keyboard) to open

the Mix dialog box. 18. Choose the 50/50 Mix Preset and click OK. This gives us our mixed complex synth tone. 19. Choose Process ඎ Fade ඎ Graphic to open the Graphic Fade dialog box. 20. Choose the –6 dB Exponential Fade Out Preset and click OK. 21. Choose Effects ඎ Flange/Wah-Wah to open the Flange/Wah-Wah dialog box. 22. Choose the Fast Flange Preset and click OK. 23. Choose Effects ඎ Reverb to open the Reverb dialog box. 24. Choose the Metal Tank Preset and click OK. 25. Play the audio file.

Isn’t that cool? You just created a synthesizer sound from scratch, and this example only demonstrates a few of the Sound Forge functions that you can use when developing your own sounds. Feel free to experiment with all of the other processing and effects functions. You may stumble upon some really wild sounds. And if you find something you really like, save it as a WAV file

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools and then import it into your digital audio sequencing application so you can use it in your next tune.

FM Synthesis The FM Synthesis function allows you to create more complex synth sounds through the use of frequency modulation synthesis techniques. Many of the older Yamaha brand of synthesizers (such as the TX81Z) used this form of synthesis. By combining multiple simple waveforms in various configurations, frequency modulation synthesis allows you to create some very realistic and some not so realistic synth sounds. Here is how the FM Synthesis function works: 1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File ඎ New (or pressing Ctrl + N on your

computer keyboard) and setting the appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box or open an existing audio file. (I described how to do this in Chapter 4.) If you open an existing audio file, position the Current Position cursor at the location in the file where you want to insert the synth tone. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box (see Figure 10.11). Figure 10.11 Generate complex audio waves with the FM Synthesis function.

3. Set the Total Output Waveform Length parameter. This parameter determines the length (in

seconds) of the audio wave that is generated. 4. Choose an option for the Configuration parameter. This parameter determines how many Operators you want to use to generate your sound and how they will be connected. You need to experiment to see how each option produces different types of sounds.

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WHAT IS AN OPERATOR? In frequency modulation synthesis, an Operator is a basic waveform generator. You can think of an Operator as a single Simple Synthesis function with a couple of extra parameters. The FM Synthesis function uses up to four Operators, so it’s like having four Simple Synthesis functions combined into one. In addition, the Operators can be connected to one another in different ways. For example, for some options of the Configuration parameter, you’ll notice that the output from one Operator is fed into another Operator. This means that the first Operator is being used to modulate the frequency of the second Operator, thus the phrase “frequency modulation synthesis.” This technique can produce some very complex sounds.

5. The Current parameter lets you choose which Operator you are going to work with. Each

Operator has the same number and types of parameters, so I will just go through the parameters for Operator 1. 6. Define an Amplitude Envelope for the current Operator using the Amplitude Graph. This

graph works exactly the same as the graph in the Envelope function, which I talked about in Chapter 9. The Amplitude Envelope controls the volume of the Operator over time. 7. Choose an option for the Operator Shape parameter. This parameter determines the type of basic waveform to use for the current Operator. You can choose from Sine, Absolute Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle, Filtered Noise, White Noise, Pink Noise, and Brown Noise, just like with the Simple Synthesis function. 8. Set the Frequency parameter. This parameter determines the frequency (or pitch) used for

the current Operator. 9. Set the Feedback parameter. This parameter sends the output from the current Operator

back into itself, meaning you can have an Operator modulate (vibrate) its own frequency in addition to being modulated by another Operator. Experiment with this parameter to see how it affects the sound you’re trying to create. 10. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the final output of the current

Operator to be. 11. If you are using more than one Operator, go through Steps 5 through 10 for each

additional Operator. 12. If you are inserting the sound into an existing audio file and you want it to be inserted at the Current Position cursor, choose the Cursor option for the Insert Waveform At parameter. You can also choose to insert the sound at the start or end of the file. If you are creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter.

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CHAPTER 10 } Additional Audio Tools 13. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you have Sound Forge make

any actual changes to the data. 14. Click OK. Sound Forge generates the audio waveform according to your parameter settings. For some examples of the sounds you can produce with the FM Synthesis function, be sure to check out the supplied presets. Q

STRANGE ENVIRONMENTAL SIMULATIONS Try saving some of the sounds that you create as WAV files and then use them as Impulses for the Acoustic Mirror function (see Chapter 9). The only limit you have to abide by is to keep the length of the files at 12 seconds or less. You can get some very weird environmental simulations using this technique.

Quiz 1. If you are ever in a situation in which one channel of your stereo audio file has a glitch but

the other channel doesn’t, which Sound Forge Repair function should you use to fix the problem? 2. The Repair Interpolate function eliminates glitches by first making a logical guess as to what

the audio waveform is supposed to look like without the glitch, and then replacing the glitched data with the estimated data. True or False? 3. What are the two most common uses for the Audio Restoration tool? 4. You can use the Spectrum Analysis function to analyze the frequency content in your audio

files and determine which frequencies are loud or soft. True or False? 5. The Spectrum Analysis function can only be used offline, not in real time. True or False? 6. What four graph modes are provided by the Spectrum Analysis function? 7. What three synthesis functions are provided by Sound Forge? 8. What kind of audio material does the DTMF/MF function generate? 9. What are the nine basic waveform shapes you can create with Sound Forge? 10. When talking about the synthesis functions provided by Sound Forge, what do the letters

FM stand for? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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Producing for Multimedia and the Web

In addition to regular audio production, Sound Forge includes a number of features to help you create and edit audio for multimedia and the Internet. You can open a video file in Sound Forge and then add audio or edit existing audio. You can also save video files along with your edited audio, as well as attach video from another file to your edited audio files. All of the editing and processing functions provided by Sound Forge make it easy for you to prepare your audio for distribution over the Web, including saving files as RealAudio, MP3, or Windows Media. Sound Forge even reads and writes your audio data to and from CD. By providing these tools, Sound Forge gives you everything you need to deliver your audio to all available venues. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Work with video files. Q Prepare your audio for Internet distribution. Q Write audio to a CD. Q Read audio from a CD.

Work with Video Files In Chapter 4, I covered all the steps needed for opening and saving video files in Sound Forge, but I didn’t cover how to actually work with the data after you load it into the program. The procedure is really not much different than working with audio files, except that video files contain both audio and video data.

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The Video Strip When you open a video file in Sound Forge, the first thing you’ll notice is that the Data Window has a new section added to it (see Figure 11.1). This section is called the Video Strip. The Video Strip displays small frames of video data from the file. These frames show what is happening in the video at different points in time. They also allow you to see how the video and audio data are synchronized. Figure 11.1 The Video Strip in the Data Window lets you view your video data.

If you play the file, you’ll notice that the Video Strip becomes animated and plays the video data along with the audio data as the Current Position cursor moves within the Data Window. Give it a try, and you’ll see what I mean. If you do not want the Video Strip animated, you can turn the option off by right-clicking within the Video Strip and choosing Animate from the shortcut menu to remove the check mark (see Figure 11.2). Figure 11.2 Turn the Video Strip animation on or off with the Animate option.

The Video Strip also provides a few other options that might be helpful to you. Number Frames By right-clicking in the Video Strip and choosing the Number Frames option from the shortcut menu, you can specify whether Sound Forge displays video frame numbers inside the Video Strip

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Q Work with Video Files (see Figure 11.3). Using frame numbers can help when you’re trying to specify when a sound or other piece of audio should occur at a certain place within the video. Figure 11.3 Use the Number Frames option to show frame numbers in the Video Strip.

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SET THE NUMBERING SCHEME By choosing Options ඎ Preferences ඎ Video and using the Frame Numbering on Thumbnails drop-down list, you can choose whether frames are numbered using frame numbers or media timecode.

Go To You can also use the Video Strip to navigate through your file. Just right-click within one of the sections shown in the Video Strip and choose Go To from the shortcut menu. The Current Position cursor jumps to the beginning of that section within the file. This gives you a quick way to audition different sections in your video file. Copy By right-clicking in the Video Strip and choosing the Copy option from the shortcut menu, Sound Forge copies the current video frame to the Windows clipboard. Because you can’t edit video data within Sound Forge, however, I don’t know why you would ever need this option.

Video Editing? Sound Forge doesn’t let you alter the video of your file in any way. For that, you need a dedicated video editing application. However, you can edit the audio data in a video file just like you do in a plain audio file, and as such, change the length of the file. Cutting If you cut some audio data from your video file, this removes the audio data but leaves the video data intact. As shown in Figure 11.4, notice that the audio data is cut short while the video data remains. When you play a file like this, the video data at the end of the file plays, but there is no sound.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web Figure 11.4 Cutting audio data from a video file doesn’t affect the video data.

Pasting By pasting data to a video file, you can actually lengthen the file. What happens here is if you have more audio data than video data in the file, the end of the file is padded with blank video (see Figure 11.5). This means that when you play the file, you hear the audio data at the end, but no video is displayed. So, in a sense, you can add video data to a file, although it is just blank. Figure 11.5 Pasting audio data to a video file adds blank video data to the end of the file.

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TIP If you find working with the Video Strip difficult because of its size, just position your mouse over the small gray bar underneath the Video Strip. Then click and drag downward to change the size of the Video Strip (see Figure 11.6).

The Video Preview Window In addition to the Video Strip, Sound Forge lets you view your video data in a more conventional way via the Video Preview Window (see Figure 11.7). To open the Video Preview Window, choose View ඎ Video Preview (or press Alt + 4 on your computer keyboard).

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Q Work with Video Files Figure 11.6 Change the size of the Video Strip by clicking and dragging the gray bar beneath it.

Figure 11.7 Use the Video Preview Window for a more convenient way to view your video data.

The main difference between the Video Strip and the Video Preview Window is that the Video Preview Window provides a dedicated viewing area for video data only. In addition, it lets you view the video at any size (within the limitations of your computer monitor). Just as with any other window in Windows, you can change the size of the Video Preview Window by clicking and dragging on its corners and sides. Depending on the mode of operation, this also changes the viewing size of your video. Initially, the Video Preview Window displays video in the Integral Stretch mode (see Figure 11.8). In this mode, the size of the video only changes when the size of the Video Preview Window is big enough to display the video at the larger size without distorting it vertically or horizontally (i.e., keeping its aspect ratio).

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web Figure 11.8 Initially, the Video Preview Window displays video in the Integral Stretch mode.

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CHANGE THE BACKGROUND COLOR When using the Integral Stretch mode, notice that the background of the Video Preview Window may not match the video background. To change the color of the window background, right-click in the window and choose White Background, Black Background, or Default Background from the shortcut menu.

If you want the video to fill the entire Video Preview Window, right-click in the window and choose Integral Stretch from the shortcut menu. This disables the Integral Stretch mode and stretches the viewing size of the video to match the size and shape of the window, but by doing so, it can also distort the video, making it more difficult to view (see Figure 11.9). Q

COMPENSATE FOR A SLOW CPU If you have a slow computer system, stretching the video in the Video Preview Window can often bog down your system. If this happens, right-click in the window and choose Passive Update from the shortcut menu. This tells Sound Forge to update the video data only when your computer processor is idle.

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Q Work with Video Files Figure 11.9 Disable the Integral Stretch mode to stretch the viewing size of video.

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QUICK RESIZE You can also save computer processing power while using the Video Preview Window by making the window smaller. First, double-click the title bar of the window to automatically resize the window to fit the size of the video. Double-click the title bar again to display the video at half of its original size.

External Monitor If you have an additional external monitor hooked up to your computer system, you can tell Sound Forge to send the video display from the Video Preview Window to that external monitor. First, you need to set up the monitor by doing the following: 1. Choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ Video to open the Preferences ඎ Video dialog box (see

Figure 11.10). 2. Use the External Monitor Device drop-down list to choose the monitor you want to use. 3. Click OK.

After you’ve set up your monitor, right-click in the Video Preview Window and choose External Monitor from the shortcut menu. You’ll now see your video on the External Monitor and the Video Preview Window in Sound Forge will be blank.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web Figure 11.10 Use the Preferences ඎ Video dialog box to set up an external monitor.

Prepare Audio for the Internet In addition to video files, I also talked about how to save audio files in the RealAudio, MP3, and Window Media formats in Chapter 4. But I didn’t talk about how to actually process your files before saving them to these formats. Because the RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media formats all use compression to reduce the size of audio data so that it’s easier to download over the Internet, they can affect the sound of your audio. You can compensate for these unwanted changes in quality by following a few simple processing procedures before you convert your files.

Remove DC Offset As I mentioned in Chapter 8, it’s always a good idea to remove any DC offset that may be present in your audio data before doing any processing. Otherwise, you can add unwanted anomalies. To remove DC offset: 1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on

your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ DC Offset to open the DC Offset dialog box. 3. Choose the Remove DC Offset (Scan Entire Sound File) Preset. 4. Click OK.

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Apply Equalization Equalize your file while keeping in mind that most of the high-end and extreme low-end content might be lost when you save the file to one of the compressed file formats. It may take some experimentation, but cutting the low frequencies (below 60 Hz) and the high frequencies (above 10 kHz) is a good place to start. This helps in reducing any of the anomalies that can occur during the file format compression. To compensate for the frequencies being cut, you can boost some of the low frequencies that are still intact around 200 Hz. You can also boost the mid-range frequencies around 2.5 kHz. This emphasizes the more important content in your audio, such as vocals, if there are any. What’s great about Sound Forge is that it accomplishes all of this equalization with one process. Here’s how it’s done: 1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on

your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ EQ ඎ Paragraphic to open the Paragraphic EQ dialog box. 3. Activate the Enable Low-Shelf option. Set its frequency to 60 Hz. Then set its gain to –Inf.

Doing this cuts out any frequencies below 60 Hz, as I mentioned earlier. 4. Activate the Enable High-Shelf option. Set its frequency to 10,000 Hz. Then set its gain to –Inf. Doing this cuts out any frequencies above 10 kHz, as I mentioned earlier. 5. Set the gain on the first parametric band to +3.0 dB. Then set its Center Frequency to 200 Hz. This boosts the low frequencies around 200 Hz. You can experiment with how much the frequencies are boosted, but I wouldn’t go any higher than +6.0 dB. Also, set the Width to 1.0. 6. Set the gain on the second parametric band to +3.0 dB. Then set its Center Frequency to

2,500 Hz. This boosts the mid-range frequencies around 2,500 Hz. You can experiment with how much the frequencies are boosted, but I wouldn’t go any higher than +6.0 dB. Also, set the Width to 1.0. 7. Leave all the other parameters set to their defaults. When you’re finished, the Paragraphic EQ dialog box should look similar to Figure 11.11. 8. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any changes. If you hear any

clipping or distortion, try lowering the gain on one or both of the parametric bands. 9. Click OK.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web

Figure 11.11 Use the Paragraphic EQ function to equalize your file in a single process.

Apply Dynamic Processing In addition to altering the frequency content of your audio, converting to RealAudio, MP3, or Windows Media can reduce the dynamic (amplitude) range, making your audio sound flat or dull. Adding a bit of dynamic processing before conversion gives you some control over your final signal levels, rather than leaving them to chance. To accomplish this, you need to use Sound Forge’s Graphic Dynamics function: 1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on

your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Effects ඎ Dynamics ඎ Graphic to open the Graphic Dynamics dialog box. 3. Choose the 2:1 Compression Starting At –18 dB Preset. You can experiment with the Ratio

parameter if you want. A good ratio range is between 2:1 and 4:1, but it may vary with some audio material, so you have to use your own judgment. But be careful, because too much dynamic processing can add unwanted artifacts and make your audio sound dull and lifeless. 4. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any changes. If you hear any

clipping or distortion, try lowering the Output Gain parameter. 5. Click OK.

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Normalize The last step is to normalize your audio. As I talked about in Chapter 8, normalization raises the amplitude of an audio signal as high as it can go without causing clipping or distortion. This guarantees that your file uses the maximum amount of digital resolution and amplitude available. It also ensures that you use the highest possible volume when converting your file for the Internet, which helps in masking low-level noise and possible compression artifacts. To accomplish this, use Sound Forge’s Normalize function: 1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit ඎ Select All (or pressing Ctrl + A on

your computer keyboard). 2. Choose Process ඎ Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box. 3. Choose the Maximize Peak Value Preset. 4. Click the Scan Levels button to find the highest amplitude level in your audio data. 5. Set the Normalize To parameter to anywhere between –0.50 dB and –1 dB. In this case,

you don’t want to normalize to 0 dB (or 100 percent) because the RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media conversion processes don’t always handle 0 dB signals very well. They can sometimes “choke” on such a high amplitude signal, so it’s best to leave a small amount of dynamic room for the conversion process to work its magic. 6. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any changes. If you hear any

clipping or distortion, try lowering the Normalize To parameter. 7. Click OK.

Now, your file is ready to be converted to RealAudio, MP3, or Windows Media (see Chapter 4 for more information).

Sound Forge CD Functions Of course, the Internet is not the only way you’ll want to distribute your audio. You’ll probably need to burn your audio to CD just as often, if not more. Sound Forge provides a number of CD functions that will write and read your audio to and from CD.

Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD The Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD function lets you burn (write) your audio files to CD one track at a time. It is a very simple function and doesn’t provide any elaborate features like many other CD burning applications. Here is how the function works: 1. Make sure that your audio file is using a 16-bit bit depth and a 44.1 kHz sampling rate. This

is the standard rate for audio data on an audio CD. If your file is not using these settings, use the Dither and Resample functions, as explained in Chapter 8.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web 2. Place a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc into your computer’s CD burner. 3. Choose Tools ඎ Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD to open the Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD

dialog box (see Figure 11.12). In the dialog box, Sound Forge shows you how much space is needed on the disc for your audio data and how much time is left available on the disc. Figure 11.12 Use the Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD function to burn an audio file to CD.

4. Choose an option from the Action drop-down list. To simply burn the audio to CD, choose

the Burn Audio option. To test your disc for possible errors and then burn the audio to CD, choose the Test, Then Burn Audio option. To only test your disc, choose the Test Only option. If you are using a CD-RW disc, you can erase the disc first by choosing the Erase RW disc option. I’ll talk about the Close Disc option later. 5. Instead of using the Action parameter to erase your CD-RW disc, you can simply activate the Erase RW Disc Before Burning option. 6. You can also have the disc closed automatically after burning is complete by activating the Close Disc When Done Burning option. I will go into more detail about closing a disc in the last step. 7. To have the disc automatically ejected after burning is complete, activate the Eject Disc When Done option. 8. Instead of burning an entire audio file, you can also just burn the currently selected data.

To do this, activate the Burn Selection Only option. This option will only be available when some data is selected. 9. Choose your CD burner from the Drive drop-down list. The drive will be selected

automatically if only one CD burner is installed on your PC. 10. Set the burning speed by choosing an option from the Speed drop-down list. If you choose the Max option, Sound Forge will use the fastest speed that your CD burner supports. 11. Click Start to burn the audio to disc.

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Q Sound Forge CD Functions 12. If you want to burn another file to the disc, open another audio file and then follow Steps 1

through 11 again. 13. When you are finished burning all your files to the disc, choose the Close Disc option from

the Action drop-down list (or you could activate the Close Disc When Done Burning option when burning your last audio file to disc). This permanently “seals” the disc and allows it to be played in any audio CD player. Q

CLOSING THE DISC If you want to burn files to your disc in the future, you don’t have to close it right away. Just leave the disc open and come back to it during another CD-burning session. As long as the disc is open, it cannot be played in a standard audio CD player. You must close the disc before it can be played in an audio CD player. When you close the disc, however, you can no longer add files to it.

Extract Audio from CD In addition to burning audio to a CD, Sound Forge rips (reads) audio from an existing audio CD. This can come in handy if you have an old disc with some of your original material that you might like to remaster, or if you have a disc full of sound effects in audio format that you want to use in a project. To rip audio from a CD, use the Extract Audio from CD function: 1. Place an audio CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. 2. Choose File ඎ Extract Audio from CD to open the Extract Audio From CD dialog box (see

Figure 11.13). Figure 11.13 Use the Extract Audio from CD function to rip audio from an existing audio CD.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web 3. The Drive parameter drop-down list shows all the CD drives connected to your computer

system. Choose a drive from the list. 4. If you want to extract specific tracks from the audio CD, choose the Read by Track option

from the Action drop-down list. You will see a list of tracks that are on the disc along with their start/end times and lengths. Select the tracks (by highlighting them) in the list that you want to extract from the disc. 5. If you want to extract all the audio from the CD, choose the Read Entire Disc option from

the Action drop-down list. 6. If you want to extract a certain time range from the CD, choose the Read by Range option from the Action drop-down list. Then set the Range Start and Range End times for the range of audio you want to extract. You can adjust the length of the range by setting the Range Length parameter. 7. If you want Sound Forge to create Regions automatically (see Chapter 5 for more information about Regions) for each track on the disc, activate the Create Regions for Each Track option. 8. If you want Sound Forge to automatically create Markers (see Chapter 5 for more infor-

mation about Markers) to indicate the beginning of each track on the disc, activate the Create Markers for Each Index Change option. 9. Set the Speed parameter to specify the speed at which you want your CD drive to read the disc. You should usually leave this set to Max. 10. Click the Play button to audition the audio you chose to extract from the disc. 11. Click OK.

If you choose the Read by Track option, Sound Forge extracts the tracks you selected and puts them each in a separate Data Window. If you choose the Read Entire Disc option, Sound Forge extracts all the audio from the disc and puts it into a single Data Window. If you choose the Read by Range option, Sound Forge extracts only that specific range of audio from the disc and puts it into a single Data Window. Q

EXTRACTION OPTIMIZATION If you have trouble extracting audio from a disc, you can try adjusting the Audio Extract Optimization parameter. Click the Configure button in the Extract Audio from CD dialog box to open the Configure dialog box. If you have occasional glitches in the extracted audio, move the slider left one position. If you have a lot of glitches in your audio, move the slider left two positions. To get the most accurate extraction, move the slider all the way over to the left. Click OK.

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DRAG-AND-DROP EXTRACTION In addition to using the Extract Audio from CD function to rip audio from a disc, you can use the Explorer window. I talked about how to use the Explorer window in Chapter 4. To use the Explorer window to extract audio, simply insert the disc into your CD-ROM drive. Select the drive in the Folders pane to display a list of the available CD audio (CDA) files in the File pane. Then drag-and-drop a CD audio file from the Explorer window into the Sound Forge Workspace. To extract multiple files at once, just select multiple files by holding down the CTRL key on your computer keyboard. Then drag-and-drop the selected files as a group. When you use this drag-and-drop method, Sound Forge always opens each file in a separate Data Window.

CD Architect For quick and easy CD burning, the Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD function works nicely, but if you ever want to send your CD to a disc manufacturer for professional duplication, you’ll need to burn your discs using a method called Disk-at-Once (DAO). Unfortunately, the Burn Track-atOnce Audio CD function only provides Track-at-Once (TAO) burning, however, Sony has been kind enough to include (with Sound Forge) the full version of their professional CD burning software called CD Architect. Q

TAO VERSUS DAO As I mentioned earlier, if you plan to have your audio CD duplicated professionally, you should have all your audio files gathered together and burned to CD all in one session using Disk-at-Once (DAO) burning. This method of burning writes and closes a CD in one operation without turning the CD burning laser on and off between CD tracks. If you use Track-at-Once (TAO) burning, the CD burning laser is turned on and off between tracks to create “links” between them. These “links” will show up as errors when the disc manufacturer tries to create a master disc from your CD-R disc. For more detailed information about this topic, read page 14 in the CD Architect Quick Start Manual.

In addition to the CD Architect software, Sound Forge includes some built-in features that quickly and easily transfer your audio files to CD Architect for CD project creation and burning. Exporting to CD Architect Depending on the number of files you have to burn, Sound Forge includes two different functions that allow you to transfer your files directly from the Workspace to CD Architect. If you have a single file to transfer, click on the Data Window for that file to make sure it is the active file and then choose File ඎ Export To CD Architect. If CD Architect is already running, the file is simply added to the current CD Architect project. If CD Architect is not running, it is automatically launched and a new CD project will be created with your file added as the first CD track (see Figure 11.14).

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web Figure 11.14 Use the Export to CD Architect function to export a single audio file from Sound Forge to CD Architect.

If you have more than one audio file open in Sound Forge that you would like to transfer to CD Architect, choose File ඎ Export All to CD Architect. In this case, the files are only added to the Media Pool in CD Architect (see Figure 11.15). They are not added to the Track List for burning to disc. So when transferring multiple files, you have to manually build your CD project in CD Architect after the transfer. Project Creation and Burning Once you’ve transferred your audio files to CD Architect, you need to build a project using the Media Pool and Track List before burning to disc. To create a project and burn an audio CD in CD Architect, do the following: 1. If you haven’t already, click the Media Pool tab located at the bottom of the CD Architect

window to reveal a list of all your available audio files, as is shown in Figure 11.15. 2. In the Media Pool, select the audio files you want to burn to disc. To select multiple files,

hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard as you click on the files with your mouse. 3. Right-click the selected files and choose Add to Track List to add the files to the current project

(see Figure 11.16).

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Q Sound Forge CD Functions Figure 11.15 Exporting multiple audio files adds them to the CD Architect Media Pool, but not the Track List.

Figure 11.16 Choose the files you want to burn to CD by adding them to the Track List.

4. Click the Track List tab at the bottom of the CD Architect window to reveal a list of all the

files that will be burned to disc. From top to bottom, the list shows the order in which the files will be burned to disc. The file at the top of the list will be the first track on the disc, and the file at the bottom of the list will be the last track on the disc. From left to right, the list shows all of the parameters that you can edit for each track on the disc. 5. To edit the start time, end time, and length of a track, double-click the appropriate field and enter a new value.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web 6. If your CD burner supports CD Text, you can add Title and Artist information for each track.

This text is displayed by your CD player as each track is played. Just double-click the Title and Artist fields and type in new values. 7. When you listen to a CD, there’s usually a slight pause between each track. You can edit

the length of this pause by double-clicking the Pause field and entering a new value. The default value is 2 seconds. 8. If you want to protect your tracks from being digitally copied, put a check mark in the

Prot field. 9. The Emph field stands for Emphasis, which is a basic noise reduction process that is applied by your CD player if you put a check mark here. By default, this field is not activated. 10. The last field allows you to enter an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) for each

track. For more detailed information about this topic, read page 89 in the CD Architect Quick Start Manual. 11. To move a track to a new location in the project, click and drag the number of the track up

or down in the list (see Figure 11.17). Figure 11.17 Click and drag a track to move it to a different location in the Track List.

12. To remove an audio file from the track list, right-click the appropriate track number and

choose Delete from the pop-up menu. 13. Place a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc into your computer’s CD burner. 14. Choose Disc ඎ Burn CD to open the Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD dialog box (see

Figure 11.18). 15. Choose your CD burner from the Drive drop-down list. The drive will be selected automati-

cally if only one CD burner is installed on your PC. 16. Set the burning speed by choosing an option from the Speed drop-down list. If you choose

the Max option, Sound Forge will use the fastest speed that your CD burner supports.

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Q Sound Forge CD Functions Figure 11.18 Use the Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD function to burn your audio files to CD.

17. Set the Buffer Underrun Protection option. This option allows your CD burner (if the burner

supports this feature) to temporarily stop and start writing if your computer is slow in keeping up with the burning process. However, this can introduce errors in the disc. While the disc will most likely play fine in consumer CD players, there may be problems if you send the disc to a manufacturer for professional duplication. So, if possible, it’s best to keep this option deactivated. 18. Set the Burn Mode. To simply burn the audio to CD, choose the Burn CDs option. To test your disc for possible errors and then burn the audio to CD, choose the Test First, Then Burn CDs option. To only test your disc, choose the Test Only (Do Not Burn CDs) option. 19. Set the Render Temporary Image Before Burning option. CD Architect applies volume envelopes, crossfades, effects, and mixes to your tracks (read more about these features in the CD Architect Quick Start Manual). It applies these functions in real time during burning. This can put a strain on your computer and cause possible glitches in the burning process. To avoid this problem, you can activate the Render Temporary Image Before Burning option so that CD Architect will create a temporary audio file with all these functions applied. This temporary audio file will then be burned to disc straight from your PC’s hard drive without problems. You’ll probably want to keep this option activated most of the time. 20. If you are burning to a CD-RW disc, you can activate the Automatically Erase Rewritable

Discs option to erase the disc before burning. 21. To have the disc automatically ejected after burning is complete, activate the Eject When

Done option. 22. If you added information to the Title and Artist fields of the Track List and your burner supports it, you can activate the Write CD Text option. 23. Click OK to burn the audio to disc.

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CHAPTER 11 } Producing for Multimedia and the Web In this section I have only touched on the basic functionality of CD Architect. This software provides many more advanced features that allow you to create just about any kind of CD audio project you can imagine. Be sure to read the CD Architect Quick Start Manual and the Help file for more information about these features.

Quiz 1. When you open a video file in Sound Forge, a new section is added to the Data Window.

What is this section called? 2. You can edit both the video and audio data of your file with Sound Forge. True or False? 3. In addition to the Data Window section mentioned in Question 1, what other feature allows

you to view the video data in your file? 4. If you have an additional external monitor hooked up to your computer system, you can tell

Sound Forge to send the video display to that external monitor. True or False? 5. What four kinds of audio processing can be used to prepare your audio for the Internet? 6. When discussing CD burning, what do TAO and DAO stand for? 7. Sound Forge provides both built-in TAO and DAO burning. True or False? 8. When using TAO burning, you must close the disc before it can be played with an audio CD

player. True or False? 9. What function allows Sound Forge to read audio from an existing audio CD? 10. What two functions automatically transfer your audio data from Sound Forge to CD

Architect? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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Using Sound Forge with MIDI

Although Sound Forge is a digital audio editing application, the program provides some MIDI features that can come in handy in certain situations. For example, you can synchronize your MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge for synchronized audio and MIDI data playback while both programs are running on the same computer system. You can also set up Sound Forge to act as a digital audio playback device, which plays your audio data when triggered via MIDI notes from a keyboard or sequencer. These additional features expand Sound Forge’s usefulness beyond digital audio editing. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard. Q Use the Virtual MIDI Router. Q Sync your MIDI sequencer to Sound Forge. Q Trigger Sound Forge from your MIDI sequencer.

The Virtual MIDI Keyboard If you don’t have a real MIDI instrument, or you just need a quick way to play MIDI sounds, you can use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard. The Keyboard is a utility that lets you use your computer mouse to send MIDI Note On messages. Some convenient uses include being able to test your MIDI interface or audition the sounds on your computer sound card. You can also use it to trigger sounds on your sample playback device after creating the sample loops in Sound Forge (see Chapter 13). The Keyboard works just like a real MIDI keyboard, except that it is a software program rather than a piece of hardware. To access the Keyboard, choose View ĺ Keyboard or press Ctrl + Alt + 1 on your computer keyboard (see Figure 12.1).

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI Figure 12.1 Use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard to play MIDI sounds with your computer mouse.

Configure the Keyboard Before you can use it, you need to adjust a number of parameters, just like a real MIDI keyboard. These include the MIDI output port, MIDI channel, and MIDI velocity (volume) that you want the Keyboard to use when you play it. Set the Output Port First, you need to set the MIDI output port to specify where the Keyboard should send MIDI data. To do this, click the MIDI Out button and select a MIDI output port from the drop-down list (see Figure 12.2). Figure 12.2 Click the MIDI Out button to set the MIDI output port.

Set the MIDI Channel You also need to specify the MIDI channel you want to use. The Keyboard only sends MIDI data to the MIDI channel that you choose. Initially, the Keyboard is set to MIDI channel 1. If you want to change the channel, click the up/down arrows next to the MIDI Channel Display (see Figure 12.3). Click the up arrow to increase the MIDI channel and click the down arrow to decrease the MIDI channel.

Figure 12.3 Change the MIDI channel by using the up/down arrows next to the MIDI Channel Display.

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Q The Virtual MIDI Keyboard Set the Volume The Volume parameter controls the MIDI velocity of each note that is sent from the Keyboard. Initially, the Volume parameter is set to 127 (the highest value). You probably won’t need to adjust it, but if you do, simply drag the Volume parameter slider up or down (see Figure 12.4). Drag the slider up to increase the volume; drag the slider down to decrease the volume. Figure 12.4 Change the volume using the Volume parameter slider.

Turn on the Keyboard Finally, you need to turn on the Keyboard by using the On/Off button (see Figure 12.5). This parameter might seem strange, because the Keyboard is a software program, but the On/Off button is useful for disabling the Keyboard during those times when you don’t want any MIDI data to be sent accidentally. Figure 12.5 Use the On/Off button to turn the Keyboard on or off.

Play the Keyboard To play the Keyboard, click any of the piano keys (see Figure 12.6) with your mouse. When you click a key, the Keyboard sends a MIDI Note On message to the MIDI port and channel that you chose earlier using the volume that you set. To keep the note sounding, hold down your mouse button rather than letting it go immediately when you click. Q

AUTOMATIC PLAY If you want to play a succession of notes on the Keyboard, hold down your left mouse button and move your mouse along the keys. The Keyboard automatically plays each note as you move your mouse and continue to hold down your mouse button.

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI Figure 12.6 Click the piano keys to play the Keyboard.

Resize the Keyboard If you find the keys on the Keyboard to be a bit small, you can easily make them larger. To change the size of the Keyboard, just click and drag the corners or sides of its window, just like any other window in Windows (see Figure 12.7). Figure 12.7 Resize the Keyboard by clicking and dragging the sides or corners of its window.

Change the Keyboard Position As you play the Keyboard, you’ll notice that only three octaves are shown, rather than the full 88 keys of a real piano keyboard. If you want to play some of the lower or higher octave notes, you can change the position of the keys by clicking the Octave buttons (see Figure 12.8). Click the left arrow Octave button to move the keys down an octave. Click the right arrow Octave button to move the keys up an octave. As you move the keys up or down each octave, notice that the octave numbers are shown on the bottom of each C key on the piano keyboard. Figure 12.8 Change the octave range of the piano keys by clicking on the Octave buttons.

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Q The Virtual MIDI Keyboard Change the Sound In addition to sending MIDI Note On messages, the Keyboard lets you send Program Change messages so that you can change the sound of the synth to which you are sending MIDI data. To do this, first make sure the Keyboard is configured to send program changes by clicking the MIDI Out button and activating the Send Program Changes option shown at the bottom of the pop-up menu (see Figure 12.9). Figure 12.9 Activate the Send Program Changes option using the MIDI Out button.

To change the patch (sound) of your synth, use the Instrument drop-down list (see Figure 12.10). This list is organized to display all 127 General MIDI patch names. If your synth doesn’t support General MIDI, you can simply choose a patch using the standard MIDI program change numbers (0 to 127) shown next to the names. When you choose a patch from the list, the Keyboard sends a program change message to your synth. When you play the keys with your mouse, you should hear that new patch being played. Figure 12.10 Use the Instrument dropdown list to change the sound of your synth.

Play Chords Because the Keyboard can only be played with your computer mouse, normally you can play only one note at a time. The Keyboard, however, provides some special play modes that let you play chords and octaves with your mouse. To activate these special play modes, use the Note drop-down list (see Figure 12.11). From the list, choose the type of chord you want to play. There is also an option to play octaves. After you’ve made your choice, click the piano keys. Now, instead of playing a single note, the Keyboard plays the type of chord you chose from the list. The chord is based upon the key that

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI Figure 12.11 Use the Note drop-down list to use the Keyboard’s special play modes.

you click with your mouse. For instance, if you choose the Major option from the Note drop-down list and then click a C key, the Keyboard plays a C major chord. Isn’t that cool? Try some of the other options and have a little fun with the Keyboard before reading the next section of this chapter.

The Virtual MIDI Router Q

NOTE Beginning with Sound Forge 6, Sony is no longer updating or supporting the Virtual MIDI Router. In addition, the VMR is no longer included on the Sound Forge CD-ROM. This was done because there are now other alternatives on the market, so Sony felt it was no longer necessary for them to continue developing this type of product. The VMR is still available for download from the Sony Web site, so I felt that it was a good idea to include some information about it. You can download the VMR at: http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/ download/step2.asp?DID=317&ms=1.

Normally, when you run a MIDI program on a computer, you run that one program and nothing else. You use the program to compose your music by connecting your computer to a synthesizer via a hardware-based MIDI interface. Your MIDI program sends MIDI data to the MIDI interface, which sends the data to your synth. The synth plays the sounds that you specify. But these days, computers have become so powerful that they can easily run multiple programs at once. Some of those programs can now replace hardware-based synthesizers so that you can have both your MIDI program and MIDI synth residing inside your computer. In this case, there’s no need for a hardware-based MIDI interface. Instead, you need a software-based MIDI interface. That’s where the Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router (VMR) comes in. The VMR acts like a software-based MIDI interface, and it sends MIDI data from one program to another while both programs are running on the same computer system. Why do you need the VMR? Well, I already covered one situation: to drive a software-based synth from your MIDI sequencing application. But with regard to Sound Forge, a couple of useful

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Q The Virtual MIDI Router scenarios come to mind. One is the ability to synchronize your MIDI sequencer to Sound Forge so that you can play an audio file in Sound Forge and play MIDI data in your MIDI sequencer simultaneously in sync with one another. Another scenario is the ability to use Sound Forge as a sample playback device, in which you can use your MIDI sequencer to trigger the playback of audio files in Sound Forge. I’ll explain these scenarios in more detail later. First, let me explain how to install and set up the VMR.

Install and Configure the VMR As mentioned earlier, the VMR is no longer included with Sound Forge. So you need to download and install the VMR manually. To do so, follow these steps: Q

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS The following instructions cover installing the VMR within Windows 98. The VMR also runs within Windows NT and Windows XP, but the installation procedure may be slightly different. Please read the additional instructions included with the VMR download.

1. Download and save the VMR file from the Sony Web site into a new folder on your hard

drive. Double-click the downloaded file to extract the VMR files for installation. 2. In Windows, click the Start button and choose Settings ĺ Control Panel to open the Windows

Control Panel (see Figure 12.12).

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI

Figure 12.12 Open the Windows Control Panel to begin the VMR installation.

3. Double-click the Add New Hardware option in the Control Panel to open the Add New

Hardware Wizard (see Figure 12.13). Figure 12.13 Open the Add New Hardware Wizard.

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Q The Virtual MIDI Router 4. Click Next. 5. Click Next again to show the Devices list (see Figure 12.14). Figure 12.14 Look at the Devices list and choose an option.

6. Choose the No, the Device Isn’t in the List option. 7. Click Next. 8. On the next page, the Wizard asks, “Do you want Windows to search for your new hard-

ware?” Choose the No, I Want to Select the Hardware from a List option. Then click Next to display the Hardware Types list (see Figure 12.15). Figure 12.15 Choose an option from the Hardware Types list.

9. Choose the Sound, Video, and Game Controllers option in the Hardware Types list. Click

Next.

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI 10. On the next page, click the Have Disk button to open the Install from Disk dialog box (see

Figure 12.16). Figure 12.16 Use the Install from Disk dialog box to specify the location of the VMR.

11. In the Copy Manufacturer’s Files From parameter, type the location of the new folder you

created that holds the extracted VMR files. Click OK to open the Select Device dialog box (see Figure 12.17). Figure 12.17 Use the Select Device dialog box to choose the VMR for installation.

12. Choose the Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router option from the Models list. Click OK. 13. On the last page of the Add New Hardware Wizard, click Finish. 14. Windows installs the VMR and displays the Configure Sonic Foundry VMR dialog box (see

Figure 12.18). 15. The VMR allows you to use up to four virtual MIDI ports. Specify how many virtual MIDI

ports you want to use by choosing an option from the Virtual MIDI Routing Ports drop-down list. Click OK.

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Q The Virtual MIDI Router Figure 12.18 Use the Configure Sonic Foundry VMR dialog box to specify a number of virtual MIDI ports.

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TOO MANY MIDI DEVICES Windows 98 or NT may crash on startup if you have more than 11 MIDI devices installed. This can happen if you have a multiport MIDI interface or have multiple MIDI interfaces connected to your computer. If you have system errors after installing the VMR, try reducing the number of ports used by the VMR (see the following section) or remove the VMR from your system.

16. Restart Windows.

After Windows is restarted, the VMR is ready to be used.

Reconfigure the VMR In case you ever need to change the number of virtual MIDI ports provided by the VMR, follow these steps: 1. In Windows, click the Start button and choose Settings ĺ Control Panel to open the Windows

Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Multimedia option in the Control Panel to open the Multimedia Properties

dialog box (see Figure 12.19). 3. Click the Devices tab and click the plus sign next to the MIDI Devices and Instruments option.

Then choose the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option from the list. If there is more than one, choose any one of them (see Figure 12.20). 4. Click the Properties button to open the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box

(see Figure 12.21). 5. Click the Settings button to open the Configure Sonic Foundry VMR dialog box (shown earlier). 6. Choose a new number of virtual MIDI ports using the Virtual MIDI Routing Ports drop-

down list.

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI Figure 12.19 Use the Multimedia Properties dialog box to reconfigure the VMR.

Figure 12.20 Access the VMR under the Devices tab.

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Q Sync Your Sequencer to Sound Forge Figure 12.21 Change the VMR settings in the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box.

7. Click OK. 8. Click OK in the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box. 9. Click OK in the Multimedia Properties dialog box. 10. Restart Windows.

After Windows restarts, the VMR will be configured to use the number of virtual MIDI ports that you specified.

Sync Your Sequencer to Sound Forge Earlier, I mentioned one of the ways in which you might utilize the VMR—synchronizing your MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge. By doing this, you can play an audio file in Sound Forge and have the MIDI data in your sequencer play along in time with the audio. And, simultaneously, both applications can be running on the same computer system. To demonstrate this scenario, I will use the SONAR MIDI sequencing application from Cakewalk Music Software, but you can follow this procedure using any sequencing program that provides synchronization features. I explained synchronization in Chapter 6, so I won’t cover it in detail here. Instead, I’ll just walk you through the steps you need to accomplish this task: 1. Start SONAR (I assume you know how to use your MIDI sequencing software). 2. Open a Project file containing the MIDI data you want to sync to Sound Forge. 3. Choose Options ĺ Project to open the Project Options dialog box and click the Clock tab

(see Figure 12.22).

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI Figure 12.22 Use the Project Options dialog box to set the synchronization options for SONAR.

4. In the Source section, choose the SMPTE/MTC option. 5. In the SMPTE/MTC Format section, choose the 30 Frame Non-Drop option. 6. Click OK. 7. Choose Options ĺ MIDI Devices to open the MIDI Ports dialog box (see Figure 12.23). Figure 12.23 Use the MIDI Ports dialog box to set the MIDI ports that SONAR will use.

8. In the Input Ports list, select the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option. If there is more than one,

choose the option that begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” 9. Click OK. 10. Start Sound Forge. 11. Choose Options ĺ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click the MIDI/Sync

tab (see Figure 12.24).

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Q Sync Your Sequencer to Sound Forge

Figure 12.24 Use the Preferences dialog box to set the synchronization options for Sound Forge.

12. In the Output parameter drop-down list, choose the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option. If

there is more than one, choose the option that begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” 13. Click OK. 14. To change the Time Ruler measurements in the Data Window, choose Options ĺ Status

Format ĺ SMPTE 30 (30 fps, Audio). 16. Turn synchronization output on by choosing Options ĺ MIDI In/Out ĺ Generate MIDI

Timecode (or press F7 on your computer keyboard). 17. Switch to SONAR, and start playback. When you activate playback, SONAR won’t respond right away. Instead, it displays a message saying “Waiting for 30 Frame (Non-Drop).” 18. Switch to Sound Forge and start playback of the audio file. Sound Forge then sends sync

code to SONAR through the VMR, and both Sound Forge and SONAR play their data in sync with one another. 19. To stop playback, don’t use the commands in SONAR; instead, stop playback from

within Sound Forge. Or wait until the end of the audio file and both programs stop playing automatically.

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CHAPTER 12 } Using Sound Forge with MIDI You can use this procedure in many situations. For example, you may be editing a vocal part in Sound Forge, but you want to hear how it sounds along with the music you’ve composed in your MIDI sequencer while you are editing. Experiment with it, and I’m sure you’ll find some good uses for the information.

Trigger Sound Forge from Your MIDI Sequencer Another creative use for the VMR is to trigger the playback of audio data within Sound Forge from your MIDI sequencer. This scenario uses the VMR to link your sequencer and Sound Forge, but not via synchronization. This time, Regions and MIDI Triggers are utilized. As in the previous example, I will use the SONAR MIDI sequencing application from Cakewalk Music Software, but you can follow this procedure using any sequencing program.

Build a Sound File The first thing you need to do is use Sound Forge to create an audio file containing all the sounds that you want to trigger via your MIDI sequencer. This file can contain anything from instrument sounds or sound effects, to vocal phrases or any other kind of short audio recordings. To build a file, follow these steps: 1. Start Sound Forge and choose File ĺ New (or press Ctrl + N on your computer keyboard)

to create a new audio file. Be sure to choose the same format settings (bit depth, sample rate, and number of channels) as the audio data you will be adding to the file. 2. Open the audio file you want to add to your new audio file.

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EXTRACT OR CREATE SOUNDS If you have some audio snippets on a CD, you can use the File ĺ Extract Audio from CD function to rip the audio from the CD into Sound Forge. In addition, you can use the Simple Synthesis and FM Synthesis functions to create your own sound effects for use in your new audio file.

3. Select the data from the opened audio file and paste it into the new audio file.

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REMOVE THE SILENCE When selecting data from the opened audio file, be sure there isn’t any silence at the beginning or end of the selection. This ensures that the audio data will play as soon as you trigger it via MIDI.

4. Select the data you just pasted in the new audio file.

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Q Trigger Sound Forge from Your MIDI Sequencer 5. Choose Special ĺ Regions List ĺ Insert (or press R on your computer keyboard) to open

the Insert Marker/Region dialog box (see Figure 12.25). Figure 12.25 Use the Insert Marker/ Region dialog box to create a Region for the data in your new audio file.

6. All of the parameters (except the Trigger) in the dialog box are set for you automatically

because you selected the data beforehand. But, if you want to change the name of the Region for identification purposes, type a new name into the Name parameter. 7. Assign a MIDI Trigger to the Region by first choosing MIDI: Note On–Play option in the Trigger drop-down list. Then choose a channel and note to use for this Region. Later, you will need to use the same MIDI channel and note to trigger playback of this Region. 8. Click OK. 9. Choose Special ĺ Transport ĺ Go to End (or press Ctrl + End on your computer keyboard)

to move the Current Position cursor to the end of the new audio file. You will paste your next piece of audio here. 10. Close the other opened audio file. 11. Go through Steps 2 to 10 for each new piece of audio you want to add to your new audio

file. When assigning the MIDI channel and note for the MIDI Trigger for each Region, you probably want to use the same channel for each Region, but be sure to use a different MIDI note. 12. Save your new audio file as a WAV file and be sure to activate the Save Metadata with File

option in the Save As dialog box. Now, you’re ready to start triggering sounds in Sound Forge via MIDI through the VMR.

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Trigger Your Sounds After you have created a sound file complete with Regions that have MIDI Triggers assigned to them, you can set up Sound Forge and your MIDI sequencer (in this case, SONAR) to start triggering the sounds. Here’s how: 1. Start SONAR (I assume you know how to use your MIDI sequencing software). 2. Create a new project or open an existing one, and create a new MIDI track containing the

notes to trigger the Regions in the Sound Forge audio file. Be sure to use the same MIDI notes that you assigned to the Regions in your audio file. Also, assign the same MIDI channel to this track that you assigned to the Regions in your audio file. 3. Choose Options ĺ MIDI Devices to open the MIDI Ports dialog box. 4. In the Output Ports list, select the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option. If there is more than

one, choose the option that begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” 5. Click OK. 6. Start Sound Forge. 7. Open the audio file containing the sounds to be triggered. 8. Choose Options ĺ Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click the MIDI/

Sync tab. 9. In the Input parameter drop-down list, choose the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option. If there is more than one, choose the option that begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” 10. Click OK. 11. Choose Options ĺ MIDI In/Out ĺ Trigger from MIDI Timecode (or press Ctrl + F7 on your

computer keyboard) to activate MIDI Triggers in Sound Forge. 12. Switch to SONAR and start the playback of your project. SONAR will now send MIDI note data on the MIDI channel you chose through the VMR into Sound Forge and trigger the Regions in the opened audio file. Q

TRIGGER WITH THE VIRTUAL MIDI KEYBOARD You can also use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard to trigger Regions. Just assign the output of the Keyboard to the VMR port you are using in Sound Forge. In the example above, it would be “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” When you click the appropriate keys corresponding to the MIDI Trigger notes of the Regions in your audio file, the Regions are played.

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Q Quiz

Quiz 1. What is the Virtual MIDI Keyboard? 2. What MIDI channel is the Keyboard initially set to when first opened? 3. How do you play the Keyboard? 4. If you want to play a succession of notes on the Keyboard, you can hold down your left

mouse button and then move your mouse along the keys. True or False? 5. Unfortunately, the Keyboard is limited to only three octaves. True or False? 6. The Virtual MIDI Router acts like a software-based MIDI interface, and sends MIDI data

from one program to another while both programs are running on the same computer system. True or False? 7. One way you can utilize the Virtual MIDI Router is to use Sound Forge as a sample playback

device, in which you can use your MIDI sequencer to trigger the playback of audio files in Sound Forge. True or False? 8. You can also use the Virtual MIDI Router to send MIDI data from one computer to another to create a virtual MIDI network. True or False? 9. How do you activate synchronization output in Sound Forge? 10. How do you activate MIDI Triggers in Sound Forge?

You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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13

Sound Forge and Sampling

In addition to recording, editing, processing, and even sharing audio files, Sound Forge provides some unique functions and tools that create, edit, and utilize your own samples—a special type of audio file. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to: Q Define samples. Q Create and edit samples. Q Use the Loop Tuner. Q Save and transmit samples.

What Are Samples? As you’ve seen with the Simple Synthesis and FM Synthesis functions (which I talked about in Chapter 10), creating sounds via basic synthesis methods involves using basic audio waveforms. These methods don’t allow you to create very realistic sounds, though. Because of this, many modern MIDI instruments and sound cards use sample-playback to produce sounds. Sampleplayback can produce some very realistic sounds. The reason for this realism lies in the fact that a sample-playback device plays samples, which are actually audio recordings of real-life instruments and sounds. When the sample-playback device receives a MIDI Note On message, instead of creating a sound electronically from scratch, it plays a digital sample, which can be anything from the sound of a piano note to the sound of a coyote howling. What makes samples different from regular audio recordings is that they are usually short in length (though not always), and they are usually looped (played over and over again). In addition, there are actually three kinds of samples: One-Shot samples (which are usually used for sound effects or single percussion sounds because they are only played once from beginning to end, rather than being looped), Loop samples (also called sample loops, which are used to replicate entire instrumental performances, such as a four-bar drum kit performance), and

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CHAPTER 13 } Sound Forge and Sampling Sustaining samples (which are usually used to replicate real acoustic instrument sounds meant to be performed using MIDI Note messages).

Create and Edit Samples Samples can be used in many different ways, and Sound Forge gives you the tools to create and manipulate your own samples. To show you how to utilize these tools, I’ll walk you through a number of examples that explain how to create/edit all of the different types of samples mentioned earlier.

One-Shot Samples The One-Shot is the easiest type of sample to create, basically because it is just an audio recording with a few sample-specific parameters. There isn’t any looping involved. To create a One-Shot sample, follow this example: 1. Choose File ඎ New (or press Ctrl + N on your computer keyboard) to open the New Window

dialog box. For this example, set the Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Channels parameters to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then click OK to create a new audio file. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box. Choose the Another

One preset and click OK (see Figure 13.1). For this example, we are using the FM Synthesis function to provide the audio data for our sample, but you can use anything you want: percussion instrument sound, vocal phrase, sound effect, or anything that is only played once rather than looped when triggered. Figure 13.1 Use the FM Synthesis function to create a sound effect One-Shot sample.

3. Choose Edit ඎ Select All (or press Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard) to select all the

data in your audio file. 4. Choose Special ඎ Insert Sample Loop (or press Alt + L on your computer keyboard) to open

the Edit Sample dialog box (see Figure 13.2).

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Q Create and Edit Samples Figure 13.2 Use the Edit Sample dialog box to turn your audio file into a sample.

5. To create a One-Shot sample, choose the One-Shot option for the Sample Type parameter. 6. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note of Sample parameter. This MIDI unity

note is the original pitch at which your sample was recorded. This means that if you play the sample via your sample-playback device using the MIDI unity note, the sample sounds the same as it does now inside of Sound Forge. But if you use a different note, the pitch of the sample is changed, making it sound higher or lower depending on if you use notes that are higher or lower than the MIDI unity note. For One-Shot samples, you can set the MIDI unity note to anything you want. 7. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter. You don’t really need to use this parameter. It is just an informational parameter telling your sample-playback device to adjust the pitch of your sample during playback. If you need to fine-tune your sample, however, you have the option. 8. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters. Again, you do not really

need to use these parameters. But some sample-playback devices allow you to set an SMPTE offset for SMPTE synchronization purposes; so again, if you need it, the option is available. 9. Click OK.

That’s all there is to creating a One-Shot sample. From here, you either save the file for use in sample-playback software or transfer the file electronically to your external sample-playback device. I’ll talk more about these topics later.

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Loop Samples Loop samples (or sample loops) are the second easiest type of samples to create. They are also the most popular type of samples in use today because of the prevalence of sample-playback software, such as ACID® by Sony. Sample-playback applications allow you to create entire musical performances by piecing together sample loops, with nothing else needed. You can even buy sample loops on CD, which have been recorded in a professional studio. A number of companies sell these types of discs. Just open a current issue of Electronic Musician magazine or Keyboard magazine, and you’ll find tons of ads for sample loop discs. Of course, buying sample loops isn’t as much fun as creating your own. To create a Loop sample, follow this example: 1. Choose File ඎ New (or press Ctrl + N on your computer keyboard) to open the New Window

dialog box. For this example, set the Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Channels parameters to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then click OK to create a new audio file. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box. Choose the Something

Else preset and click OK (see Figure 13.3). For this example, we are using the FM Synthesis function to provide the audio data for our sample, but you can use anything you want: drum kit performance, guitar riff, keyboard riff, or anything that can be used to loop over and over when triggered. Figure 13.3 Use the FM Synthesis function to create the data for a Loop sample.

3. Choose Edit ඎ Select All (or press Ctrl + A on your computer keyboard) to select all the

data in your audio file. 4. Choose Special ඎ Insert Sample Loop (or press Alt + L on your computer keyboard) to open

the Edit Sample dialog box (see Figure 13.4). 5. To create a Loop sample, choose the Sustaining option for the Sample Type parameter. 6. If you want the sample to loop forever (which is usually the case), choose the Infinite Loop

option. If you only want the sample to loop a specified number of times, choose the Loop Count option and enter a number for the amount of loops to be performed. This option

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Q Create and Edit Samples Figure 13.4 Use the Edit Sample dialog box to turn your audio file into a Loop sample.

may or may not work with your sample-playback device. Most often, looping is controlled via MIDI. However long the MIDI trigger note for the sample is held is how long the sample loops. 7. You can adjust the loop start and end points within the sample by choosing an option for

the Input Format and then adjusting the Start, End, and Length parameters. Because you made a selection of data beforehand, you shouldn’t need to touch these parameters. 8. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note of Sample parameter. 9. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter, if needed. 10. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters, if needed. 11. Click OK. Your audio file now has loop points inserted at the beginning and end of the file

(see Figure 13.5). These points tell your sample-playback device how to loop the sample. In this case, the sample is played and then loops from the end back to the beginning, and so on. Figure 13.5 Start and end loop points are inserted into your audio file, turning it into a sample loop.

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Sustaining Samples Similar to Loop samples, Sustaining samples can also be looped infinitely, but instead of the entire sample being looped, only a portion of the sample is looped. Creating this loop within the sample is what makes Sustaining samples the most difficult to create. Not to worry, though. The procedure isn’t really that difficult. It sometimes just takes a lot of trial and error. To create a Sustaining sample, follow this example: 1. Choose File ඎ New (or press Ctrl + N on your computer keyboard) to open the New Window

dialog box. For this example, set the Sample Rate, Bit Depth, and Channels parameters to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then click OK to create a new audio file. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Synthesis ඎ FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box. Choose the FM Horn

preset, set the Configuration parameter so that only one Operator is used (move the slider all the way to the left), and click OK (see Figure 13.6). For this example, we are using the FM Synthesis function to provide the audio data for our sample, but you can use anything you want: the note played on a piano, guitar, synth pad, or anything that can be used to replicate the sound of a playable instrument that can be sustained. Figure 13.6 Use the FM Synthesis function to create the data for a Sustaining sample.

3. This time, instead of selecting all the data in the file, select only a section of data that will be

used as the sustaining loop. This is the part of the sample that will be looped over and over again as you hold a note on your MIDI keyboard. Because of this, you want to find a part of the file that doesn’t change, so that the loop sounds seamless. It takes a little trial and error, but if you listen to the file, you should be able to pick out a good section to select. For this example, just click and drag your mouse to make a selection that looks similar to the one shown in Figure 13.7. 4. Press Q on your computer keyboard to activate looped playback and then press the spacebar on your computer keyboard to hear how your data selection will sound when looped.

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Q Create and Edit Samples Figure 13.7 Click and drag your mouse to make a quick data selection.

Press the spacebar again to stop playback. The data selection sounds good, but not quite perfect, right? We’ll fix that in a minute. 5. Choose Special ඎ Insert Sample Loop (or press Alt + L on your computer keyboard) to open

the Edit Sample dialog box (see Figure 13.8). Figure 13.8 Use the Edit Sample dialog box to turn your data selection into a loop.

6. For the Sample Type parameter, choose the Sustaining option. 7. Choose the Infinite Loop option. Because we previously made a data selection, the Start,

End, and Length parameters are already set. 8. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note of Sample parameter. 9. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter, if needed. 10. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters, if needed.

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CHAPTER 13 } Sound Forge and Sampling 11. Click OK. There are now loop points at the beginning and end of your data selection (see

Figure 13.9). Figure 13.9 Close the Edit Sample dialog box to create loop points around your data selection.

If you created a perfect data selection, you wouldn’t need to take any more steps to create a Sustaining sample. Most of the time, however, you won’t get the loop settings right on the first try. When listening to the data selection in the previous example, you probably noticed a “clicking” or “thumping” sound every time the data was looped. This is because the data selection wasn’t fine-tuned. Sound Forge provides a special tool for fine-tuning samples called the Loop Tuner.

The Loop Tuner When you create a loop, you want to make it sound as seamless as possible—you want the audio waveform at the end of the loop to line up just about perfectly with the beginning of the loop so that you can’t actually hear that the data is being looped. Doing this via simple data selection is nearly impossible, but the Loop Tuner makes the process much easier. To use the Loop Tuner to fix the sample from the previous example, do the following: 1. Assuming you have the sample from the previous example already open, choose View ඎ

Loop Tuner (or press Ctrl + Alt + L on your computer keyboard) to open the Loop Tuner (see Figure 13.10). You’ll notice a new section open beneath the audio in the Data Window. This is the Loop Tuner, which is actually a part of the Data Window. This means that you can have a separate Loop Tuner open for each Data Window that you have open. 2. Take a look at the Loop Tuner. Like the Data Window, it also displays the waveform of your

audio, but in a special way. The vertical line in the center of the Loop Tuner marks the point at which the end (left side of the vertical line) and beginning (right side of the vertical line) loop points meet when the data is looped. At this point, the audio waveform should be connected smoothly to avoid “clicks” when looping. In this example, you can see that both

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Q Create and Edit Samples loop points are not at the zero axis, which is why you can hear “clicking” when the data is looped (see Figure 13.11). Figure 13.10 The Loop Tuner is actually a part of the Data Window.

Figure 13.11 If the audio waveform isn’t smoothly connected, “clicking” can occur.

3. To fix this, you need to adjust the end and beginning loop points. To adjust the points with

precision, the Loop Tuner provides controls at the bottom of its window that let you move the end loop point left or right to the next zero crossing in the audio waveform. You can also move the end loop point one point at a time along the audio waveform with the Tune Position controls. You can also manipulate the start loop point in this manner

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CHAPTER 13 } Sound Forge and Sampling (see Figure 13.12). You can also click and drag the ruler at the top of the Loop Tuner on either side of the center line to make larger adjustments. Figure 13.12 Use the Tune Position controls to fine-tune the start and end loop points.

Zero Crossing Left Zero Crossing Right Loop End Position

Zero Crossing Right Zero Crossing Left Loop Start Position

4. Use the playback controls at the bottom of the Loop Tuner window to test your new settings.

Click the Play Pre-Loop button to play the section of the sample before the loop. Click the Play Post-Loop button to play the section of the sample after the loop. Click the Play Loop button to play the loop section of the sample. Click the Play Loop button again to stop playback (see Figure 13.13). 5. The loop should now sound seamless. To lock the distance between the loop points in place,

click the Lock Loop Length button. Now, you have a Sustaining sample with a great sounding loop.

Sustaining with Release Samples Earlier, I mentioned that there are three different types of samples. Although that’s true, there is also a special type of Sustaining sample. This sample sets up two different loops inside of it: a sustaining loop and a release loop. The procedure for creating this type of loop is basically the same as a standard Sustaining sample, but with a few extra steps: 1. Open an existing audio file or create a new one. 2. Select the section of data that you want to loop within the file.

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Q Create and Edit Samples Figure 13.13 Use the playback controls to test your adjusted loop points.

Play Loop Play Pre-Loop Play Post-Loop

Lock Loop Length

3. Choose Special ඎ Insert Sample Loop (or press Alt + L on your computer keyboard) to open

the Edit Sample dialog box (see Figure 13.14). Figure 13.14 Use the Edit Sample dialog box to create a special Sustaining with Release sample.

4. For the Sample Type parameter, choose the Sustaining with Release option. 5. For the Loop to Edit parameter, choose the Sustaining option. 6. Choose the Loop Count option and enter the number of times you want the first selection

to loop.

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CHAPTER 13 } Sound Forge and Sampling 7. Set the MIDI Unity Note of Sample, Fine Tune, and SMPTE Format/Offset parameters

accordingly. 8. Click OK. 9. Select another section of data that occurs in the audio file after the first selection

(see Figure 13.15). Figure 13.15 Make another data selection to define the second loop.

10. Choose Special ඎ Edit Sample to open the Edit Sample dialog box. 11. For the Loop to Edit parameter, choose the Release option. 12. Choose the Loop Count option and enter the number of times you want the second selection

to loop. 13. Click the Selection button to open the Set Selection dialog box. Then choose the Current

Selection preset and click OK. 14. Click OK in the Edit Sample dialog box.

Now, you have a sample containing two loops. When the sample is played, the data before the first loop plays. Then the first loop repeats itself the number of times you specified. After that, the data between the first and second loops plays; then the second loop repeats itself the number of times that you specified. And finally, the last part of the sample plays.

Save and Transmit Samples When you’re finished creating and editing your sample, you should save it. Be sure to activate the Save Metadata with File option in the Save As dialog box. If you don’t do this, your loop points will be lost. In addition, you should probably use the WAV file format since not all file formats support saving metadata.

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Q Save and Transmit Samples

Send Your Sample In addition, if you have an external sample-playback device, you can send your new sample to the device for playback using Sound Forge’s Sampler function. To send your sample to the device, follow these steps: 1. Make sure your sample audio file is open; then choose Tools ඎ Sampler to open the Sampler

dialog box (see Figure 13.16). Figure 13.16 Use the Sampler function to send your sample to an external sample-playback device.

2. Set the Logical Send/Receive Sample Number parameter. This is the number your sample-

playback device uses as its location reference for samples. Refer to the documentation that came with your device for more information. 3. Click the Configure button to open the Sampler Configuration dialog box (see Figure 13.17). Figure 13.17 Use the Sampler Configuration dialog box to tell Sound Forge the type of sample-playback device you are using.

4. Choose an option from the Sampler Model drop-down list. If your device is shown in the list,

choose it and skip to Step 13. Otherwise, choose the SMDI or SDS Capable Sampler option from the list.

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CHAPTER 13 } Sound Forge and Sampling 5. If your device is connected to your computer via MIDI, choose the MIDI option. Otherwise,

skip to Step 11. 6. In the MIDI Out list, choose the MIDI output port to which your device is connected. 7. In the MIDI In list, choose the MIDI input port to which your device is connected. 8. Set the MIDI Channel parameter to the channel at which your device is set. 9. Activate the Open Loop option if your device does not use “handshaking.” Refer to the

documentation that came with your device for more information. 10. If your device sends a request before samples can be sent to it, activate the Wait for Request When Sending Samples option. Refer to the documentation that came with your device for more information. 11. If your device is connected to your computer via SCSI, choose the SCSI option. 12. Choose the SCSI connection to which your device is connected in the Sampler list. 13. Click OK. 14. Click Send Sample. 15. Click Close.

Retrieve a Sample In addition to sending samples to an external device, you can also retrieve samples from an external device. The procedure is pretty much the same as when sending a sample, except for a couple things. If you choose the MIDI option in the Sampler Configuration dialog box, and your device needs to receive a request when you want to retrieve a sample from it, be sure to activate the Send Request When Retrieving Samples option. And in the Sampler dialog box, click Get Sample rather than Send Sample. After the sample is retrieved, it overwrites any data in the currently active Data Window. Q

SAMPLES FOR ACID For more information about creating samples and how to create samples specifically for ACID software by Sonic Foundry, read Appendix A.

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Q Quiz

Quiz 1. What are the three types of samples called? 2. What Sound Forge function can you use to create a sample loop? 3. Which type of sample is the easiest to create? 4. The MIDI unity note is the original pitch at which your sample was recorded. True or False? 5. Sample-playback applications (such as ACID by Sony) allow you to create entire musical

performances by piecing together sample loops. True or False? 6. To create a Loop sample, what option must you choose for the Sample Type parameter in

the Edit Sample dialog box? 7. If you want a sample to loop forever, what option do you choose in the Edit Sample dialog

box? 8. Similar to Loop samples, Sustaining samples can also be looped infinitely, but instead of the

entire sample being looped, only a portion of the sample is looped. True or False? 9. The Loop Tuner adjusts the pitch of your sample loops. True or False? 10. What Sound Forge function do you use to transmit and receive samples from an external

sample-playback device? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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14

Scripting and Batch Processing

One advantage that Sound Forge has over many other audio editing applications I’ve worked with is that it enables you to extend its functionality. For example, if you find yourself applying a similar group of processing functions to your audio data on a regular basis, you can create a new editing function to take care of the task with a single click by using scripting. In addition, Sound Forge provides batch-processing functionality so that you can apply changes to many audio files that are already saved to disk. What are scripting and batch processing, and how do you use them? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this chapter. This chapter covers the following: Q The definition of scripting. Q How to run an existing script. Q The Scripting toolbar and menu. Q Creating, viewing, and editing scripts. Q Using the prewritten scripts included with Sound Forge. Q Batch processing your audio files.

What Is Scripting? Scripting extends the functionality of Sound Forge by creating your own custom audio data editing commands via scripts. A script is a set of instructions written in a computer programming language that tells Sound Forge how to perform a certain task. For example, if you want to automatically convert all Markers in your audio into Regions and then extract those Regions into separate files, you can write a script to do just that. And for future use (or sharing with other Sound Forge users), you can save scripts to disk as files.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Q

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE DEFINITION A programming language is a set of commands, symbols, and rules that are used to “teach” a computer how to perform tasks. By combining these language elements in different ways, you can “teach” a computer to perform any number of tasks, such as record and play music. The combination of elements for a certain task or set of tasks is called a computer program. For example, Sound Forge is a computer program, albeit a very complex one. A number of different kinds of programming languages are in use, each with its own unique characteristics. To create scripts for use in Sound Forge, you need to use one of the following programming languages: C#, JScript, or Visual Basic.NET. I’ll talk more about these languages later on in this chapter.

You might be saying to yourself, “Um, well, that’s nice, but I know nothing about computer programming, so what good is scripting going to me?” Not to worry. Yes, scripting is a very complex feature of Sound Forge. If you really want to take full advantage of it, you have to learn how to use one of the supported programming languages (C#, JScript, or Visual Basic.NET), but that doesn’t mean scripting isn’t accessible if you’re a beginning or intermediate user. Sound Forge ships with a number of useful scripts that you can modify for your own needs. Before we look at those scripts and how to use them, however, we need to cover the basics of how to run, view, and edit scripts.

Running a Script Because scripts can be programmed to operate in a variety of ways, I can’t explain how to use them in one all-encompassing way. When you run a script, it may ask you for some kind of input, or it may assume you have some audio data selected, etc. It depends on what the script is supposed to do and how it is supposed to manipulate your data. But you can still follow this basic procedure to run a script: 1. Select the data in your audio file that you want the script to process. This first step is not

always necessary. It depends on the task that the script is supposed to perform. It also depends on whether the script was written to process only selected data or even only one audio file at a time. The only way to determine the exact function of a script is to view it with the Script Editor, which you’ll learn about later in this chapter. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Scripting ඎ Run Script to open the Run Script dialog box (see Figure 14.1). 3. Choose the script that you want to run and click Open.

That’s all there is to it. Some scripts immediately carry out their tasks, whereas others first display additional dialog boxes if you need to input any values.

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Q Running a Script Figure 14.1 Use the Run Script dialog box to choose the script you want to run.

The Scripting Menu When you start Sound Forge, the software scans a special folder on your hard drive called Script Menu. Any scripts that you have in this folder are automatically listed on the Scripting menu. This menu provides you quick and easy access to your scripts. To run a script from the menu (see Figure 14.2), simply choose Tools ඎ Scripting ඎ (name of the script you want to run). Figure 14.2 Use the Scripting menu for quick access to your Sound Forge scripts.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing You can also customize the Scripting menu by storing the scripts you want to appear on the menu in the Script Menu folder. By default, this folder is located at C:\Program Files\Sony\Sound Forge 8.0\Script Menu on your hard drive. To have a script appear on the menu, simply save the script in the Script Menu folder. The name that you give to the script file is the name that is displayed in the Scripting menu. In addition, to remove a script from the menu, simply delete (or move) the script file from the Script Menu folder. I will talk about how to load and save scripts later in this chapter. Q

SCAN THE SCRIPTING MENU If you are currently running Sound Forge when you save or delete a script to or from the Script Menu folder, the Scripting menu will not automatically display the script until the next time you run Sound Forge. To remedy this problem, you can tell Sound Forge to scan the Script Menu folder and update the Scripting menu by choosing Tools ඎ Scripting ඎ Rescan Script Menu Folder.

The Scripting Toolbar Yet another way to run Sound Forge scripts quickly and easily is by using the Scripting toolbar (see Figure 14.3). Figure 14.3 You can also run Sound Forge scripts using the Scripting toolbar.

You access the Scripting toolbar like any other toolbar. Simply choose View ඎ Toolbars. Then in the Preferences ඎ Toolbars dialog box, put a check mark next to the Scripting option and click OK. To run a script, just click one of the icons on the toolbar. Q

TOOLBAR TIPS Unfortunately, the Scripting toolbar only displays small icons to represent scripts, so it is hard to know which icon to click in order to run a specific script. To see the name of the script represented by each icon, hover your mouse over the icon for a few seconds.

When you first access the Scripting toolbar, it is empty except for icons representing the Script Editor and Batch Converter (both of which I will talk about shortly). You can add script icons

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Q The Script Editor to the Scripting toolbar by customizing the toolbar. I talked about how to customize toolbars in Chapter 3, but let me show you the specific steps with regards to the Scripting toolbar: 1. Choose View ඎ Toolbars to open the Preferences ඎ Toolbars dialog box. 2. In the Toolbars list, put a check mark next to the Scripting option. 3. Select the Scripting option so that it is highlighted. 4. Click the Customize button to open the Customize Toolbar dialog box (see Figure 14.4). Figure 14.4 Use the Customize Toolbar dialog box to add script icons to the Scripting toolbar.

5. In the Available Tools list, select the script you would like to add to the toolbar. 6. Click the Add button. 7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each script you would like to add. 8. Click OK.

You can also position the toolbar within the Sound Forge Workspace just like any other toolbar. Refer to Chapter 3 for detailed information about using toolbars.

The Script Editor Unless a script comes with some written instructions, you won’t know what it is designed to do to your audio (except for the brief description provided by the name of the script). This is especially true if you download scripts created by other users from the Internet. Some may come with documentation, but some may not. Most scripts, however, usually provide a brief description (as well as instructions on use) within their source code.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Q

SOURCE CODE DEFINITION Source code (or program code) is the text of the programming language commands used for a particular program. You create a program by first writing its source code. A computer can then run the program by reading the source code and executing the commands in the appropriate manner, thus carrying out the intended task.

To read the source code of a script, you need to use the Script Editor (see Figure 14.5). You can access the Script Editor by choosing View ඎ Script Editor or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard. New Script Template

Figure 14.5 Use the Script Editor to access the source code of a script.

Run Script

Compile Script

Save As Open Save

Source code pane

Output pane

Viewing Scripts As an example, let’s take a look at the source code for the Add Markers script included with Sound Forge: 1. In the Script Editor, click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard)

to open the Open Script dialog box. 2. Select the Add Markers.cs file and click Open to load the source code for the Add Markers

script into the Script Editor (see Figure 14.6). As you can see in Figure 14.6, the Script Editor shows you the source code of the Add Markers script and also enables you to read the brief description and instructions shown in the top portion

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Q The Script Editor Figure 14.6 The Add Markers source code shows what tasks are performed by the Add Markers script.

of the script. I’m referring to the lines that are preceded by the two slash marks (//). Whenever a line is preceded by these marks in a script, it means that line is not part of the script’s programming code. The line is simply a comment left there by the programmer to provide information about the script. You can use the Script Editor to open any other script in order to find out how to use that script and what task it’s supposed to perform. I’ll explain more about the specific use of the Add Markers script later on in this chapter.

Editing Scripts By using the Script Editor, you can also edit the source code for a script. The Script Editor works in basically the same way as the Notepad program in Windows. You can use the same text-editing techniques. In addition, you can select portions of the text and then right-click on your selection to access the editing menu for easy copy, cut, and paste actions. Here are the basic steps for editing a script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open

the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard) to open the Open Script dialog box. 3. Select the script you want to edit and click Open. 4. Edit the text of the script just like you would any other text file. 5. If you would like to copy or cut and then paste some text, first make a selection. Then right-

click on the text and choose the appropriate action from the pop-up menu (see Figure 14.7).

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.7 Right-click to cut or copy and then paste portions of the source code.

6. To delete a selection of text, select the text and then right-click on it and choose Delete. 7. To take back your last edit, right-click and choose Undo.

Q

FINDING TEXT If you are working with a long script, you may need to find a specific section of the source code. The Script Editor provides a simple Find feature that you can access by pressing Ctrl + F on your computer keyboard.

8. When you are finished editing, click the Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R) to

test the script for errors. If there are any errors in the script, they will be displayed in the Output pane. Otherwise, you’ll just see the message “Compile OK,” which means there are no errors. 9. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so you that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 10. From here you can close the Script Editor or run the script directly from the Editor by clicking

the Run Script button (or pressing Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard).

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Q The Script Editor If you saved the edited script in the Script Menu folder, it will now appear in the Scripting menu.

Creating New Scripts You can also use the Script Editor to create entirely new scripts from scratch. In order to create new scripts for Sound Forge, you will need to have a working knowledge of one of the following computer programming languages: C#, JScript, or Visual Basic.NET. Q

PROGRAMMING INFO As you can imagine, teaching how to create scripts in these languages (C#, JScript, or Visual Basic.NET) is well beyond the scope of this book. However, you can find information and plenty of resources on the following Web sites. JScript: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/jscript7/html/jsoriJScript.asp Visual Basic.NET: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vbcn7/html/ vaconProgrammingWithVB.asp C#: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cscon/html/vcoriCStartPage.asp You will also need information about the Sound Forge scripting API (Application Programming Interface), which you can find on the Sony Web site at: http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/download/step1.asp?catid=15

Here are the basic steps for creating a new script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2 on your computer keyboard) to open

the Script Editor. 2. Click the down arrow next to the New Script Template button and choose the programming language to use for your new script. The template is displayed in the Source Code pane (see Figure 14.8). 3. Enter your programming code at the point in the template that says /*begin here*/. 4. Edit the text of the script just like you would any other text file. 5. If you would like to copy or cut and then paste some text, first make a selection. Then right-

click on the text and choose the appropriate action from the pop-up menu. 6. To delete a selection of text, select the text and then right-click it and choose Delete. 7. To take back your last edit, right-click and choose Undo.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.8 Start by selecting a template for your new script.

8. When you are finished entering programming code, click the Compile Script button

(or press Ctrl + Shift + R) to test the script for errors. If there are any errors in the script, they will be displayed in the Output pane. Otherwise, you’ll just see the message “Compile OK,” which means there are no errors. 9. Click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script

file and be sure to use the appropriate file extension: CS for C#, JS for JScript, and VB for Visual Basic.Net. Then click Save. 10. From here you can close the Script Editor or run the script directly from the Editor by clicking

the Run Script button (or pressing Ctrl + R on your computer keyboard). If you saved the edited script in the Script Menu folder, it will now appear in the Scripting menu.

The Script Files Of course, for a musician who has no computer programming knowledge, it will be impossible to create new scripts from scratch without investing a lot of time in learning one of the supported programming languages. Luckily, Sony has included a number of prewritten scripts that anyone can use. The scripts simply require a bit of editing in order to make them useful for your particular needs. So, in this section, I’ll give you a brief description about what each of the included scripts does and how to use it.

Add Markers The Add Markers script automatically creates new Markers in your audio file. It places each Marker at a set interval measured in seconds. For example, if you need to place Markers at

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Q The Script Files two-second intervals in your file, this script can do it for you automatically. It will also give each Marker a name using the chosen time interval, as well as a prefix and suffix. Here are specific instructions for editing and running the Add Markers script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Add Markers script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can define the interval for Marker placement, as well as the prefix and suffix used to name each Marker (see Figure 14.9). Figure 14.9 Edit the Add Markers script to define the Marker interval and the name prefix/suffix.

4. The first line of code in this section reads double step = GETARG("Step",

1.3), and it sets the interval (in seconds) at which Markers will be placed in your audio file. The default value is 1.3, which means a Marker will be placed every 1.3 seconds in your audio file. To use a different interval, change the number 1.3 to a different number. For example, to use a two-second interval, change the line of code to the following: double step = GETARG("Step", 2.0). 5. The next line of code reads string szPre = GETARG("Prefix", ""), and

sets the prefix to add to each Marker name. To set a prefix, change the line of code as follows: string szPre = GETARG("Prefix", "New Prefix"). You can put any text you would like between the second set of quotes. If you don’t put anything there, then no prefix will be added.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing 6. The next line of code reads string szPost = GETARG("Suffix", ""), and it

sets the suffix to add to each Marker name. To set a suffix, change the line of code as follows: string szPost = GETARG("Suffix", "New Suffix"). You can put any text you would like between the second set of quotes. If you don’t put anything there, then no suffix is added. 7. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 8. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press

Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so you that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 9. Open an audio file and run the script. When you run the Add Markers script, it will automatically add Markers to your audio file, according to the interval, prefix, and suffix changes you made in the source code, as shown in Figure 14.10. Figure 14.10 Use the Add Markers script to automatically add Markers to your audio file.

Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files The Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script applies two effects (or functions) to all open audio files automatically. It even takes into account any data selections you may have in each of the audio files. For example, if you need to change the sampling rate and bit depth for a number of different audio files you are currently working on, you can do that automatically to all the files by running this one script. Of course, with a little editing, you can use the script to apply any two functions you would like. Here are specific instructions for editing and running the Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script and click Open.

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Q The Script Files 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can define the two audio effects you would like to have automatically applied to your file(s). 4. The first line of code in this section reads string szPlug1 = GETARG("fx", "Resample"), and it sets the first function that will be applied to your audio file(s). The default setting is the Resample function, which you normally access by choosing the Process ඎ Resample menu in Sound Forge. If you would like to use a different function, change the name of the function. For example, to use the Chorus function (found in the Effects ඎ Chorus menu), change the line of code to the following: string szPlug1 = GETARG("fx", "Chorus"). 5. The next line of code reads string szPlug2 = GETARG("fx2", "Bit-Depth

Converter"), and it sets the second function that will be applied to your audio file(s). The default setting is the Bit-Depth Converter function. As with the first function, you can change the name of this second function to anything you would like. In addition, if you don’t want a second function applied to your files, simply put nothing between the second set of quotes in the second line of code as follows: string szPlug2 = GETARG ("fx2", ""). 6. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 7. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so you that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 8. Open one or more audio files and run the script. 9. When you run the Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script, it will display the dialog box

for the first function so that you can choose a preset to apply. If you run the script with the default settings, it will show the dialog box for the Resample function first, as shown in Figure 14.11. Select a preset and click OK. 10. Using the default settings, the second dialog box displayed is for the Bit-Depth Converter function, as shown in Figure 14.12. Select a preset and click OK. 11. The script then displays a message box asking whether you would like to process all the currently open audio files (see Figure 14.13). Click Yes to process all open audio files. Click No to process only the selected audio file (the one with the Data Window currently displayed on top of all the others). Click Cancel to stop the script and not apply processing to any of the files.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.11 By default, the Resample dialog box is displayed first when running the Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script.

Figure 14.12 By default, the Bit-Depth Converter dialog box is displayed second when running the Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script.

Figure 14.13 Choose the files to process with the Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script.

Convert Markers to Regions and Extract The Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script takes any audio file(s) that you have open and automatically converts the Markers contained in the file(s) to Regions. It then displays the Extract Regions dialog box so that you can extract the Regions to separate files. Of course, you could easily go through this process manually by simply accessing the Special ඎ Regions List ඎ Convert Markers to Regions function and then accessing the Tools ඎ Extract Regions function. The advantage to this script, however, is that you can process multiple files at once. Here are specific instructions for editing and running the Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script and click Open.

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Q The Script Files 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can specify whether you want the script to be able to process multiple files or not. 4. The line of code in this section reads bool fAllFiles = GETARG("All", false), and it sets whether the script can process multiple files. The default setting is false, which means the script can only process one audio file. If you would like the script to process all open audio files, change the word false to true so that the line of code reads as follows: bool fAllFiles = GETARG("All", true). 5. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 6. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press

Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 7. Open one or more audio files that contain Markers and run the script. 8. When you run the Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, it will cycle through each

open audio file (if you set the process value to true) and automatically convert all Markers in each file into Regions. It will then open the dialog box for the Extract Regions function so that you can extract the Regions as you see fit (see Figure 14.14). Set the parameters for the Extract Region parameters and click Extract. For more information about how to use the Extract Regions function, see Chapter 5. Figure 14.14 The Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script automatically launches the Extract Regions function for each file you want to process.

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Create 3 Simple Waveforms The Create 3 Simple Waveforms script creates three new audio files containing sounds from Sound Forge’s Simply Synthesis function quickly and easily. Actually, you can edit the script to create any number of new files and use the DTMF/MF Tones and FM Synthesis functions as well. This script can be useful when you need to create multiple test files when experimenting with audio effects or when trying to create new sound effects. Here are specific instructions for editing and running the Create 3 Simple Waveforms script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Create 3 Simple Waveforms script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can define how many files will be created and what function will be used to create the audio content of those files. 4. The first line of code in this section reads int cFilesToMake = GETARG("Files",

3), and it sets how many new audio files will be created. The default setting is 3, which means three new files will be created. If you would like to create a different number of files, just change the default value of 3 to a different number. 5. The next line of code reads string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "Simple Synthesis"), and it sets the function that will be used to create the audio content for the new audio files. The default setting is the Simple Synthesis function. In addition, you can use the DTMF/MF Tones function by changing the line of code to read as follows: string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "DTMF/MF Tones"). You can also use the FM Synthesis function by changing the line of code to: string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "FM Synthesis"). 6. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 7. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 8. Run the script. 9. When you run the Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, it will display the dialog box for the

function you defined in the second line of code so that you can choose a preset (or set the

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Q The Script Files parameter values) to apply. If you run the script with the default settings, it will show the dialog box for the Simple Synthesis function. Select a preset and click OK. You end up with three new data windows all containing the same audio content generated from the function, as shown in Figure 14.15. Figure 14.15 By default, the Create 3 Simple Waveforms script creates three new audio files.

Crop and Fade The Crop and Fade script takes any selected audio data in a file and crops it (meaning it removes any data before and after the selection and keeps only the selected data). The script then applies a fade-in and a fade-out to the beginning and end of the selection, respectively. This script can be very useful when working with raw recordings where you have undesirable audio at the beginning and end of the file and you want to remove that audio quickly. Here are the specific instructions for editing and running the Crop and Fade script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Crop and Fade script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can set the size of the fade to apply to the beginning and end of the selected audio.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing 4. The line of code in this section reads double dFadeSize = GETARG("FadeSize",

0.25), and it sets the size of the fade in seconds. The default setting is 0.25 seconds (one quarter of a second). If you would like to change the size of the fade (the same size is used for both the fade-in and fade-out), change the number 0.25 to a different number. For example, to use a fade size of one second, change the number so the line of code reads as follows: double dFadeSize = GETARG("FadeSize", 1.0). 5. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 6. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press

Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 7. Open an audio file and make a data selection. Then run the script. 8. As an example, open the audio file called Saxriff.pca (one of the sample files included with

Sound Forge 8) and then make a data selection, as shown in Figure 14.16. Figure 14.16 Test the Crop and Fade script using the Saxriff.pca sample audio file.

Figure 14.17 This is the Saxriff.pca sample audio file after the Crop and Fade script has been applied.

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Q The Script Files 9. Run the Crop and Fade script. You are now left with only the selected data with a 0.25

second fade-in and fade-out applied to the beginning and end of the data (see Figure 14.17).

Extract CD The Extract CD script will automatically extract all the songs from an audio CD and create Regions for each song. There is no editing needed for this script. And using it is a simple matter of putting an audio CD in your CD-ROM drive and then running the script. What you end up with is a single audio file containing all of the songs from the CD. Each song is contained in its own Region, as shown in Figure 14.18. Figure 14.18 Use the Extract CD script to extract all the songs from an audio CD quickly and easily.

From here you can save the file or even use the Tools ඎ Extract Regions function to create a new audio file for each song.

Extract CD and Encode Similar to the Extract CD script, the Extract CD and Encode script automatically extracts the songs from an audio CD, but this script goes a bit further. In addition to extracting the songs, the script saves the songs in a file format and hard drive folder that you specify. Like the Extract CD script, the Extract CD and Encode script requires no editing, but it does require a bit more of a detailed explanation. Here are the steps needed to run the Extract CD and Encode script: 1. Place an audio CD into your CD-ROM drive. 2. Choose Tools ඎ Scripting ඎ Extract CD and Encode to run the Extract CD and Encode

script. When you run the script, the Extract & Encode dialog box is displayed (see Figure 14.19). 3. For the CD Drive parameter, choose the drive that contains your audio CD. 4. In the Tracks list, select each track that you want to extract and encode.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.19 Running the Extract CD and Encode script opens the Extract & Encode dialog box.

5. For the Format parameter, choose the file format to which you want each track to be

encoded. These are the same file formats available when saving a file. For more information about file formats, refer to Chapter 4. 6. Choose a file format template. Click the Change button next to the Template parameter to

display the Custom Template dialog box for the file format that you chose. As explained in Chapter 4, you can either choose a preset here or define the individual parameters for the file format. Click OK when you are finished. 7. Choose a hard disk folder into which to save the track files. Click the Change button next to

the Output Dir parameter to open the Browse for Folder dialog box. Here, you can choose any existing folder on your hard drive(s) or create a new folder. Click OK when you are finished. 8. Set the Filename Prefix parameter. This parameter is not required, but it adds a prefix to the beginning of the file name for each track. For example, you could enter the artist’s name. 9. When you’ve set all the parameters, the Extract & Encode dialog box should look similar to Figure 14.20. Click the Encode button to extract and encode the selected tracks from the audio CD. Figure 14.20 The Extract & Encode dialog box specifies how the audio CD tracks will be extracted and encoded.

10. Close the Extract & Encode dialog box when you are finished.

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Q The Script Files

Modify Summary Information By choosing File ඎ Properties ඎ Summary, Sound Forge adds descriptive information to an audio file, such as Title, Subject, Engineer, etc. I described this feature in detail in Chapter 4. The Modify Summary Information script quickly changes the summary information for a file. This can come in handy when you are working on a project that involves many different audio files and you want to add the same summary information to each file that you work on for that particular project. Here are the specific instructions for editing and running the Modify Summary Information script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Crop and Fade script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can set each of the summary parameters to a specific value. 4. There are 14 lines of code in the modify section that you can edit to change the behavior of the script, as shown in Figure 14.21. The first 13 lines each correspond to one of the summary parameters that can be changed. For example, the first line of code (sumy. Title = "Title") sets the Title parameter. Just change the text in quotes to change the parameter value. You’ll also notice that some of the lines of code have two slashes (//) in front of them. Remember earlier when I mentioned that putting this in front of any line of code changes that line into a comment? This means that in order for a summary parameter to be changed by the script, you need to remove the slashes. And if you don’t want a certain parameter changed, add the slashes to the corresponding line of code. 5. The last line of code in the modify section reads bool fClearExisting = GETARG

("ClearExisting", false). This line determines whether the summary parameters that you do not set with the script are kept or removed. Keep the word false in the code in order to preserve any unspecified parameters. Change the word to true if you want all parameters to be removed, except for the ones you specified in the previous lines of code. 6. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 7. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.21 Change the first 13 lines of code in order to change the corresponding summary parameters.

8. Open an audio file. Then run the script. 9. By choosing File ඎ Properties ඎ Summary, you can see the changes made by the script.

Normalize and Graphic Fade By default, the Normalize and Graphic Fade script prompts you to open a file, accesses the Process ඎ Normalize function, accesses the Process ඎ Fade ඎ Graphic function, and then prompts you to save the file. This really isn’t anything special since you can easily do those things manually. The special thing about this script is it shows you how to easily create your own menu access code. This means that you can create scripts that will automatically access any menu function in Sound Forge just as if you were manually clicking on the menus with your mouse. This can come in handy when you are trying to automate different functions. Here are the specific instructions for editing and running the Normalize and Graphic Fade script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Crop and Fade script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the lines of the code labeled // MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can either change the existing DO commands or create new ones (see Figure 14.22). A DO command mimics menu access in Sound Forge. For example, the first line of code in this section reads Do("File.Open"). This code tells Sound Forge that you want to access the File ඎ Open menu. When this line of code is run, Sound Forge accesses the File ඎ Open menu, and it displays the Open dialog box.

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Q The Script Files Figure 14.22 Use DO commands to mimic menu access in Sound Forge.

4. The next line of code reads Do("Process.Normalize", false), and it tells Sound

Forge to access the Process ඎ Normalize function. You can change this to any other menu function by editing the text between quotes. In addition, if the function provides presets, you can put a comma and the word true or false after the text in quotes. Put true to tell Sound Forge to automatically use the last preset accessed. Put false to tell Sound Forge to display the dialog box for the specified function. For example, if you want Sound Forge to access the DC Offset function and open the DC Offset dialog box, the code would be Do ("Process.DCOffset", false). You can add as many of these lines of code as you would like, but just be sure to put a semicolon (;) at the end of each line in order to separate each function. Q

MENU FUNCTIONS When specifying menu functions in the quote section of the DO command, you can usually follow the same menu syntax as you would when using your mouse. For example, to access the Normalize function in Sound Forge, you first click Process menu and then the Normalize submenu. To specify this in the DO command, you would enter the text Process.Normalize in quotes. Notice that the menu items are separated by a period. However, not all commands follow this same syntax. For example, to access the Special ඎ Insert Region function using the DO command, you need to enter the text RegionList. InsertItem in quotes. To find out how to specify each function in the DO command, you need to download the Sound Forge 8 API (as I talked about earlier in the “Creating New Scripts” section of this chapter). Download the information at: http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/download/ step1.asp?catid=15.

5. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 6. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press

Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 7. Run the script.

This script will function differently depending on what DO commands you specify in the code.

Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats The Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats script normalizes an open audio file and automatically saves it to multiple file formats. Or course, with some editing, you can have it use any function and preset on your file, and you can specify which (and how many) different file formats will be use to save the file. Here are specific instructions for editing and running the Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats script: 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can define the file formats and function to use to process your file. 4. The first lines of code in this section read as follows: string[] outputs = new string[] { ".pca|Default Template", ".wma|64 Kbps Stereo Music", // ".mp3|192 Kbps, CD Transparent Audio", };

These lines of code specify the file formats where the audio file will be saved. To specify a file format, you simply change the code in quotes by first entering a file extension (such as .PCA) and then adding a separator ( | ). Then you can specify the save template to use to save the file. If you want to use the default template for that format, type Default Template. You can specify as many different file types as you like by putting each one on a different line and separating each one with a comma. You’ll also notice that the MP3 format in this example has two slashes in front of it. That means that code is commented out and will not be used when the script is run. For more information about the different file formats available in Sound Forge, see Chapter 4. 5. The next line of code reads string szDir = GETARG("Dir", @""), and it

specifies a folder into which to save the normalized file(s). Just enter a file path (such as

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Q The Script Files C:\media) into the second set of quotes. If you leave the quotes blank, then Sound Forge will prompt you to choose a folder when you run the script. 6. The next line of code reads string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "Normalize"),

and sets what function to apply to the audio file. By default, the script is set to use the Normalize function. If you would like to change the function, put a different function name inside the second set of quotes so the code reads as follows: string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "Bit-Depth Converter"). 7. The next line of code reads string szPreset = GETARG("preset", "Maxi-

mize peak value"), and it sets what preset to apply to the audio file. By default, the script is set to use the Maximize Peak Value preset. If you would like to change the preset, put a different function name inside the second set of quotes so the code reads as follows: string szPlug = GETARG("fx", "Normalize RMS to -10dB (speech)"). Just be sure to match the preset with the function that you specified in the previous line of code. 8. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 9. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press

Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 10. Open an audio file and run the script. 11. When you run the Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats script with the default code,

it will open the Browse for Folder dialog box so that you can choose a folder in which to save the file(s). Choose a folder and click OK. The script will then automatically normalize the current audio file and save it to both the PCA and WMA file formats in the folder that you specified.

Save Regions as Files The Save Regions as Files scripts extracts the Regions from the currently open audio file and saves each Region as a separate file. You may think that this script mimics the Extract Regions function, and it does, but with one very important difference. While the Extract Regions function can only extract Regions to the WAV file format, the Save Regions as Files script can be used to extract Regions to any file format. Following are specific instructions for editing and running the Save Regions as Files script.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing 1. Choose View ඎ Script Editor (or press Ctrl + Alt + 2) to open the Script Editor. 2. Click the Open button (or press Ctrl + O) to open the Open Script dialog box. Select the

Add Markers script and click Open. 3. Scroll down in the Source Code pane until you get to the line of the code labeled //start

MODIFY HERE. In this section, you can define the file format, the file format preset, and the folder in which to save the extracted Regions. 4. The first line of code in this section reads string szType = GETARG("type", ".pca"), and it sets the file format to use to save the extracted Regions. The default format is PCA. If you would like to use a different format, change the text in the second set of quotes to a different file extension. For example, to use the WAV format, change the line of code to the following: string szType = GETARG("type", ".wav"). For more information about the different file formats available in Sound Forge, see Chapter 4. 5. The next line of code reads object vPreset = GETARG("preset", ""), and it

sets the file format template to use to save the extracted Regions. To set a template, change the line of code as follows: object vPreset = GETARG("preset", "Template"). Be sure to put the name of an existing template for that file format. If you don’t put anything there, then Sound Forge will ask you to specify a template when the script is run. 6. The next line of code reads string szDir = GETARG("dir", ""), and it sets the

disk directory (folder) into which to save the extracted Regions. To set a directory, change the line of code as follows: string szDir = GETARG("dir", "C:\media"). You can put any existing file path you would like between the second set of quotes. If you don’t put anything there, then Sound Forge will ask you to specify a folder when the script is run. 7. If you’d like to test the script to make sure you haven’t made any editing errors, click the

Compile Script button (or press Ctrl + Shift + R). 8. Save the script. If you want to replace the original script file, click the Save button (or press Ctrl + S on your computer keyboard). If you want to save the script as a different file (so that you don’t overwrite the original file), click the Save As button to open the Save Script dialog box. Type a new name for the script file and be sure to use the same file extension as the original file. Then click Save. 9. Open an audio file and run the script. When you run the Save Regions as Files script with

the default settings, it will ask you to specify a file format template first. The script will then

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Q Batch Processing ask you to specify a folder. Then the Regions from your audio will be saved as separate files in the PCA file format. Of course, the file format, template, and folder could be different if you apply any edits to the script. Q

SCRIPTING TIPS In future issues of my DigiFreq music technology newsletter, I’ll be covering the Sound Forge scripting functions in the form of articles, tips, and tutorials. You can get the newsletter for free by going to: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/.

Batch Processing After using Sound Forge on a regular basis, you’ll more than likely build up a large collection of audio files, including sound effects, sample loops, and more. What happens when you come upon a particular project that requires you to process a number of files using identical procedures? For example, you may want to remove the DC offset, add effects, or convert the format of a large group of files. Normally, you have to do this all manually, one file at a time. However, Sound Forge provides a special (and extremely useful) script called the Batch Converter, which can handle these types of chores with ease. Even though the Batch Converter is a script, you can access it just like the other functions in the Sound Forge Tools menu. To show you how the Batch Converter works and how you can use it for your own audio processing tasks, I will walk you through a step-by-step example in the following sections. For this example, I’ll walk you through how to set up the Batch Converter so that it will automatically process your files and convert them to the Ogg Vorbis format, making them ready for posting on the Internet.

Create a Batch Converter Job With Sound Forge running, simply choose Tools ඎ Batch Converter to open the Batch Converter window (see Figure 14.23). The Batch Converter provides a tabbed interface. You need to use this interface to set up how your files will be processed. First, you need to start a new job and assign the effects (or functions) you want to apply to the files in the Process section.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.23 The Batch Converter provides a tabbed interface for you to access its different sections.

Audio Processing To start a new job and set up the effects in the Process section for this example, do the following: 1. Click the New Batch Job button located in the toolbar at the top of the window to start a

new job (see Figure 14.24). Figure 14.24 Click the New Batch Job button to start a new job.

2. Click the Process tab to access the Process section of the Batch Converter window. 3. In the Process section, use the Select drop-down list to choose the effect or function you want

to add to the process list. For this example, choose the DC Offset function. Then click the Add Effect button. The DC Offset dialog box will open. Either choose a preset (for this example, choose the Remove DC Offset – Scan Entire Sound File preset) or set the parameters manually and then click OK to add the DC Offset function to the Process list. 4. If you ever want to remove an effect from the Process list, just select the effect and click the

Remove button. 5. Using the Select drop-down list, choose the Sony Paragraphic EQ function and click the Add

Effect button to open the Sony Paragraphic EQ dialog box (see Figure 14.25). 6. Activate the Enable Low-Shelf and Enable High-Shelf options. Set the low-shelf frequency to 60 Hz and the high-shelf frequency to 10,000 Hz. Set the gain for both to -Inf.

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Q Batch Processing Figure 14.25 Use this dialog box to set the parameters for the Sony Paragraphic EQ function.

7. Set the gain for both the first and second parametric bands to +3.0 dB. Set the Center

Frequency for the first band to 200 Hz and the Center Frequency for the second band to 2,500 Hz. Then click OK. For more information about the Paragraphic EQ function, see Chapter 8. 8. Using the Select drop-down list, choose the Normalize function and click the Add Effect

button to open the Normalize dialog box (see Figure 14.26). Figure 14.26 Use this dialog box to set the parameters for the Normalize function.

9. Activate the Peak Level option and set the Normalize To parameter to –1.00 dB. Click OK. 10. Using the Select drop-down list, choose the Sony Graphic Dynamics function and click the

Add Effect button to open the Sony Graphic Dynamics dialog box (see Figure 14.27).

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.27 Use this dialog box to set the parameters for the Sony Graphic Dynamics function.

11. Choose the 2:1 Compression Starting At –18 dB preset from the Preset drop-down list and

click OK. 12. You should now have four functions listed in the Process section of the job, as shown in Figure

14.28. We need to change the order of the last two functions because the functions are applied in the same order as they are listed, and we want the files to be normalized last. To change the order of the functions, use the Move Up and Move Down buttons. For this example, select the Normalize function and click the Move Down button. Figure 14.28 All effects and functions added to the Process section are shown as a list and processed in the same order.

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Q Batch Processing Output File Settings Now that we have set up how each file will be processed, we need to set up how each file will be saved, named, and converted. For these tasks, we need to set some parameters in the Save section as follows: 1. Click the Save tab to access the Save section. Then click the Add Save Options button to

open the Save Options dialog box. 2. In the File Format area, you can choose whether to change the converted files to a different file format. If you choose the Same as Source option, the converted files will use the same file format as the original files. The Convert To option lets you specify the format to which you want to change the converted files using the Type and Template drop-down lists. For more information about file formats, see Chapter 4. For this example, choose the Convert To option. Then choose OggVorbis in the Type drop-down list and choose 128 Kbps, CD Quality in the Template drop-down list as shown in Figure 14.29. Figure 14.29 The File Format area lets you choose whether the converted files will be changed to a different file format.

3. In the Files Names area, you can specify how to name the converted files. If you choose the

Same as Source option, the converted files will have the same names as the original files except with a different file extension. The Append to Name option lets you add additional text to the original file name. For this example, choose the Append to Name option and type “-BatchConverted” without the quotes into the text box (see Figure 14.30). 4. In the File Folder area, you can choose where to store the converted files. If you choose the

Same as Source option, the converted files will be saved in the same location as the original files. The Save Files To option lets you choose the specific disk location using the Browse button. For this example, choose the Same as Source option (see Figure 14.31).

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing Figure 14.30 The File Names area lets you specify how to name the converted files.

If you choose the Save Files To option, you can also activate the Preserve Source Subfolders option, which lets you store the converted files in the same folder structure as the original files. Figure 14.31 The File Folder area lets you choose where to store the converted files.

5. Click OK to close the Save Options dialog box. 6. If you want to convert the original files to more than one format, follow the previous steps

again to define another save options listing. 7. To edit a save options listing, choose the listing and click the Change Save Options button.

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Q Batch Processing Metadata Depending on the format(s) you defined in the Save section, you can save text information inside the converted files using the Metadata section. Click the Metadata tab to access the Metadata section. You will see a number of different text fields that you can edit, as shown in Figure 14.32. Simply enter the text for each field and put a check mark in the field’s Overwrite checkbox. Figure 14.32 You can use the Metadata section to add textual information to the converted files.

For this example, we’re going to leave the Metadata section blank, except for the Overwrite options. Leave all the text fields blank, but put a check mark in each of the Overwrite options. This ensures that if any of the files have existing text information, it will be erased. Save the Job With all the parameters set for the job, all that’s left to do is save the job in case you want to use the same job settings in the future. To save a job, do the following: 1. Click the Save As button to open the Save As dialog box (see Figure 14.33). Figure 14.33 Click the Save As button to save a Batch Converter job.

2. In the Save As dialog box, use the Save In drop-down list to choose a folder location in

which to save the job file. 3. Type a name for the job file in the File Name field. For this example, type Internet Audio. 4. Click Save.

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing 5. To open the job later, click the Open button to display the Open dialog box (see

Figure 14.34). Select the file you want to open. It will have a .BJ file extension. Then click Open. Figure 14.34 Click the Open button to open a previously saved job file.

Define Files to Convert After you’ve created and saved a job, the only thing left to do is specify what files are to be converted. To do so, follow these steps: 1. Click the Files to Convert tab. Shown is a blank list. 2. To add a file to the list, click the Add File button to open the Open dialog box. To add an

entire folder of files to the list, click the Add Folder button to open the Browse for Folder dialog box. 3. If you clicked the Add Folder button, simply select a folder and click OK in the Browse for

Folder dialog box. 4. If you clicked the Add File button, use the Look In drop-down list to choose a folder location in which to find your files. 5. Select a file to be added.

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SELECTING MULTIPLE FILES You can select more than one file to add at once. To do so, just hold down the Ctrl key on your computer keyboard while selecting files with your mouse.

6. Click Open. The file is added to the list in the Files to Convert section (see Figure 14.35). 7. If you need to delete a file or folder from the list, select the file or folder and click the

Remove button. Q

DRAG AND DROP FILES For an even quicker way to add files to the list, you can drag files or folder from Windows Explorer into the Files to Convert section. All selected files and files inside of folders are added to the list automatically.

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Q Quiz Figure 14.35 Closing the Open dialog box or Browse for Folder dialog box adds the selected file(s) or folder to the list.

Convert the Files With the job ready and files listed, simply click the Run Job button (located in the lower-right corner of the Batch Converter window) to start the conversion process. The Batch Converter goes through the Files to Convert list one file at a time and runs each file through the job that you created. During the conversion process, the Batch Converter automatically displays the Status section, which shows you what is being done and when the job is completed (see Figure 14.36). Figure 14.36 You know your files have been processed when the Status section displays the words Job Complete in the Step column of the Status list.

Quiz 1. What three programming languages can you use to create scripts in Sound Forge? 2. What is the name of the special folder on your hard drive that Sound Forge scans in order

to know what script names to list on the Scripting menu? 3. There are four different ways to run a script in Sound Forge. What are they?

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CHAPTER 14 } Scripting and Batch Processing 4. You can see the name of the script represented by each icon on the Scripting toolbar by

hovering your mouse over the icon. True or False? 5. To read the source code of a script, you need to use the Script Editor. True or False? 6. Whenever a line is preceded by these marks in a script, it means that line is a comment rather

than programming code. What are the marks? 7. After creating or editing a script, why should you click the Compile Script button in the

Script Editor? 8. While the Extract Regions function can only extract Regions to the WAV file format, you can

use the Save Regions as Files script to extract Regions to any file format. True or False? 9. What section of the Batch Converter is used to define what effects or functions you want applied to your files? 10. If you want to convert your files to more than one format, you need to run the Batch Converter

multiple times. True or False? You can find the answers to these questions in Appendix C.

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Appendix A Using Sound Forge with ACID® In Chapter 13, I explained how you can create and edit your own sample loops, as well as transfer them to an external hardware-sampling device. I also mentioned how you can use sample loops within software applications for the purposes of composing music. One such software application is ACID by Sony. ACID is a loop-based composing tool that arranges individual sample loops into complete compositions. What is so special about ACID is that it automatically takes care of the often tedious chore of matching the playback tempo and pitch of each loop you use in a song. Although ACID is perfectly capable of working with any sample loops in the WAV file format (see Chapter 4 for more information about WAV files), the program provides better results if you prepare your loops beforehand using a special process. Preparing a sample loop for use with ACID involves adding extra information to the audio file that lets ACID know the basic tempo, pitch, and playback properties of the file. ACID can then more accurately shift the tempo and pitch of the loop. If you already own ACID, you can easily prepare your files from within the program itself. Just in case, however, Sound Forge provides a number of special tools so that you can prepare your files even if you don’t have the ACID application on hand. Plus, it can be more convenient to prepare your files within Sound Forge if you are creating a lot of original loops.

ACID Looping Tools The first set of special tools that Sound Forge provides is called the ACID Looping tools, although this is a bit of a misnomer, because these tools really don’t have anything to do with preparing

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Appendix A } Using Sound Forge with ACID your files for ACID. You can use these tools to create any kind of sample loops, not just loops for ACID. The tools are especially useful when working with loops that contain many beat or measure divisions.

The Halve Selection Tool The Halve Selection tool reduces your current data selection to half its size. This means that if you select two seconds of audio (see Figure A.1), you can use the Halve Selection tool to reduce the selection to one second of audio data (see Figure A.2). Figure A.1 Shown here are two seconds of selected audio data before the Halve Selection tool is used.

Figure A.2 Shown here is one second of selected audio data after the Halve Selection tool was used on the example from Figure A.1.

This procedure doesn’t do anything to the audio data itself; it simply changes the amount of data that is currently selected. This tool can be very useful, for example, if you have a two-measure bass riff selected but you want to quickly and easily apply an effect to only one measure of the data. To use the Halve Selection tool, simply choose Special ඎ ACID Looping Tools ඎ Halve Selection (or press ; on your computer keyboard). If you don’t have any data currently selected, activating the tool doesn’t do anything.

The Double Selection Tool The Double Selection tool is the exact opposite of the Halve Selection tool. Instead of reducing the current selection to half its size, it doubles the current selection. This means that if you select

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Q ACID Looping Tools two seconds of audio data (see Figure A.3), you can increase the selection to four seconds of audio data using the Double Selection tool (see Figure A.4). Figure A.3 Shown here are two seconds of selected audio data before the Double Selection tool is used.

Figure A.4 Shown here are four seconds of selected audio data after the Double Selection tool was used on the example from Figure A.3.

Again, this procedure doesn’t do anything to the audio data itself; it simply changes the amount of data that is currently selected. This tool can be very useful, for example, if you have one beat of a percussion riff selected, but you need to quickly and easily select and cut out two of the beats from the loop. To use the Double Selection tool, simply choose Special ඎ ACID Looping Tools ඎ Double Selection (or press ‘ on your computer keyboard). If you don’t have any data currently selected, activating the tool doesn’t do anything.

Shift Selection Left and Right Instead of reducing or increasing the amount of currently selected data, the Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools simply move the current selection to the left or right within the file by the same amount of the current selection. In other words, if you have a sample that is three measures long and you select the second measure in the loop (see Figure A.5), choosing the Shift Selection Left Tool deselects the second measure and selects the first measure (see Figure A.6), because the selection is moved one measure to the left. If you choose the Shift Selection Right Tool, again, the second measure is deselected, but this time the third measure is selected because the selection is moved one measure to the right (see Figure A.7). To use the Shift Selection Left

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Appendix A } Using Sound Forge with ACID or Shift Selection Right tools, simply choose Special ඎ ACID Looping Tools ඎ Shift Selection Left (or press Shift + , on your computer keyboard) or Special ඎ ACID Looping Tools ඎ Shift Selection Right (or press Shift + . on your computer keyboard), respectively. Figure A.5 Shown here is a threemeasure sample loop with the second measure selected.

Figure A.6 Shown here is the same three-measure sample loop with the first measure selected after the Shift Selection Left Tool is applied.

Figure A.7 Shown here is the same three-measure sample loop with the third measure selected after the Shift Selection Right Tool is applied.

Rotate Audio The last of the ACID Looping tools is called the Rotate Audio tool. Unlike the previously mentioned tools, this tool actually alters the audio data in your file. The Rotate Audio tool “rotates” audio

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Q ACID Looping Tools data from one end of your file to the other, depending on your current data selection. For an example, see Figure A.8 and the small selected portion of the beginning of an audio file. Figure A.8 Shown here is a small data selection at the beginning of an audio file.

If you choose Special ඎ ACID Looping Tools ඎ Rotate Audio (or press Shift + ; on your computer keyboard), the currently selected data is cut and then pasted to the end of the file (see Figure A.9). Figure A.9 Shown here is the same small data selection moved to the end of the audio file after the Rotate Audio Tool is used.

Now, if you had initially selected a portion of data at the end of the file, the Rotate Audio tool would cut and paste that data from the end of the file to the beginning of the file instead. See how it works? This tool is very useful if you want to quickly and easily move the first or last beat or measure of a loop to the opposite end or vice versa. Q

ROTATE AUDIO EXCEPTIONS There are also two exceptions to using the Rotate Audio tool. One is that if you don’t select any data, the first quarter of the file is cut from the beginning and then pasted on to the end. The other exception is that if you have selected some data in the middle of the file, the Rotate Audio Tool simply does nothing.

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Appendix A } Using Sound Forge with ACID

Editing ACID Loop Properties As I mentioned earlier, to prepare your sample loop for use within ACID, you need to use a special process. This process involves adding extra information to the audio file. To do this, you must use the Edit ACID Properties dialog box (see Figure A.10) by choosing Special ඎ Edit ACID Properties. Figure A.10 The Edit ACID Properties dialog box allows you to ACIDize your sample loops.

In the dialog box, you’ll notice a number of different options and parameters. By choosing the appropriate settings, ACID can determine the correct way to handle your sample loop when you load your loop into an ACID project.

One-Shot The first available option in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box is called One-Shot. If you want your sample loop to play once rather than looping over and over again, this is the option to choose. A One-Shot sample does not get time-stretched along with the tempo changes of an ACID project, and the sample’s pitch does not change along with key changes in an ACID project. A good example of a One-Shot sample is a drum set cymbal crash.

Loop The second available option in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box is called Loop. This is the option to use if you want your sample loop to play over and over again, such as a looping bass guitar riff. Sample loops that are designated as Loops in ACID are time-stretched and their pitch changes along with the tempo and key changes of an ACID project. In order for ACID to change the loop appropriately, it needs to know the initial tempo and pitch of the loop. Number of Beats To specify the tempo of your loop, simply enter the number of musical beats the loop contains into the Number of Beats parameter. You can figure out how many beats are in your loop by

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Q Editing ACID Loop Properties counting off while you listen to it play. I’ll give you an example later in this appendix. One thing to note is that if you enter the wrong number of beats, ACID does not play your loop at the proper speed. For instance, if your loop contains 16 beats but you enter 8 for the Number of Beats, ACID plays back your loop twice as fast as the loop should play. Root Note for Transposing To specify the pitch of your loop, simply enter a note value into the Root Note for Transposing parameter. This root note is the original pitch at which your sample loop was recorded. You need to know this beforehand, or you’ll have to figure it out manually by using a tuner. Q

FIND THE ROOT NOTE By using the Spectrum Analysis feature (described in Chapter 10), you can find the root note of a sample loop. Just select all the data in your loop and choose View ඎ Spectrum Analysis to analyze the data. At the bottom of the Spectrum Analysis window, Sound Forge shows the most prominent frequency (pitch) within the data. More often than not, that is the root note.

One other thing to consider is that if you want your sample loop to be time-stretched but not transposed (such as would probably be the case with most percussion-based loops), you can choose the Don’t Transpose option for the Root Note for Transposing parameter.

ACID 2.0 Disk-based Most of the sample loops that are used in an ACID project are played from your computer’s memory, but if you have some really long samples (such as an entire vocal track), you might not have enough memory in your computer to use those samples. In this case, you can specify that ACID play your sample by reading it directly off your hard disk drive. To do that, simply select the ACID 2.0 Disk-based option in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box. Disk-based samples cannot have their pitch transposed, but if you specify a tempo, you can make it so that ACID timestretches the samples. To do so, just enter a tempo (in beats per minute) for the sample into the Tempo parameter. You need to know the tempo at which the sample was originally recorded.

ACID Beatmapped If you are using ACID 3.0 or later, then you have an additional option at your disposal. The ACID Beatmapped option is similar to the ACID 2.0 Disk-based option, meaning it is used mainly with really long samples. The difference is that in addition to time-stretching, you can have ACID Beatmapped samples transposed according to the ACID project pitch. Simply set the Root Note for Transposing option (as explained earlier for the Loop option). And, of course, set the Tempo option for time-stretching. One additional option lets you specify where the downbeat (or first beat in the first measure) for the sample occurs. Most often, you’ll probably leave this set to zero.

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Appendix A } Using Sound Forge with ACID

Preparing an ACID File—A Step-by-Step Example Now that you know about all of the special ACID tools that Sound Forge provides, let’s go through a step-by-step example on how to actually use them to prepare a file. 1. Choose File ඎ Open (or press Ctrl + O on your computer keyboard) to display the Open

dialog box. Select your file. For this example, let’s use one of the files that is included with Sound Forge. Select the file called Fill.pca. Click Open. 2. Press the spacebar on your computer keyboard to play the file. It’s a drum fill sample loop.

Because it’s not a single instrument sample that might just play once, we can rule it out as being a One-Shot sample. And because it’s easily small enough to be played from within your computer’s memory, we can rule out that it is an ACID 2.0 Disk-based or ACID Beatmapped sample. That means we’ll be designating this file as a Loop for ACID. Before we edit the ACID properties for the loop, we need to figure out how many beats it contains. Play the file a few more times and see if you can count out the beats. 3. Select Special ඎ Edit ACID Properties to open the Edit ACID Properties dialog box. 4. Choose the Loop option. 5. For the Number of Beats parameter, type in 4. Did you guess it correctly? 6. Because this is a percussion loop, there’s really no pitch involved, and we don’t want ACID

to transpose the loop by mistake. So, for the Root Note for Transposing parameter, select Don’t Transpose. 7. Click OK. 8. Save your file in the WAV file format.

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SAVE THE METADATA When you save your newly ACID-compatible file, be sure to activate the Save Metadata with File option in the Save As dialog box. If you don’t do this, the special ACID information that you entered in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box is not saved along with the file. In addition, not all file formats support saving metadata, so it is best to use the WAV file format when creating files for ACID.

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Appendix B Sound Forge Resources on the Web Although I’ve made every effort to include as much information as possible about Sound Forge within this book, someone always has that one question that goes unanswered. However, I’m not going to leave you out in the cold with nowhere to turn. I spent some time searching the Internet and found that it provides a number of resources you can use to locate any additional information you might need. I’ve tried to list all the quality sites that are available, but I may have missed a few. If you know of a great Sound Forge-related Web site that’s not on this list, please drop me a note at www.garrigus.com so that I can be sure to include the site in the next edition of this book.

DigiFreq http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/ This is one of the first sites you should visit. I created a site called DigiFreq that provides free news, reviews, tips, and techniques for music technology users. There is a Discussion area, where you can post your questions and get them answered directly by me. You can also get a free subscription to the DigiFreq monthly music technology newsletter, which includes articles, tips, and all kinds of information about music technology, including Sound Forge. Plus, as a subscriber, you are eligible to win free music products each month, and you also have access to all the newsletter back issues. Be sure to stop by to sign up for the free newsletter and to meet all of the other Sound Forge 8 Power! readers out there.

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Appendix B } Sound Forge Resources on the Web

Sony Support Homepage http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/support/ The Sony Support Homepage is also one of the first places you should look for answers. Sony provides a large selection of materials, including product updates, a knowledge base, and more. You can also find tutorials and helpful publications and resources. And, of course, you can get in touch with Sony’s Tech Support people if you need to.

Official Sony Forums http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ Another place you can look for help is the Official Sony Forums. The Sony Forums not only provide you with direct access to Sony Technical Support, but also to other users. You can find specific topics geared toward many of the different products available from Sony, including Sound Forge.

Sound Forge Users Mailing List http://www.viagram.no/privat/sfusers/ This site provides an e-mail-based discussion list specifically for Sound Forge users.

Synth Zone http://www.synthzone.com/ Although not a dedicated Sound Forge site, the Synth Zone is an excellent MIDI, synthesizer, and electronic music production resource guide. You can find links to a ton of information, such as patches and associated software, for just about any synthesizer product from just about any manufacturer. You can also find links to discussion groups, classifieds ads and auctions, music and audio software downloads, and more.

Harmony Central http://www.harmony-central.com/ Another excellent nondedicated Sound Forge site, Harmony Central is one of the best Internet resources for musicians. Updated on a daily basis, the site provides industry news and separate “departments” for Guitar, Bass, Effects, Software, Recording, MIDI, Keyboard and Synths, Drums and Percussion, Computers and Music, and a Bands Page. Sifting through all the information on this site takes awhile, but it’s definitely worth the time and effort.

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Q Sound Forge Resources on the Web

ProRec http://www.prorec.com/ An additional nondedicated Sound Forge site, ProRec is one of the best audio recording resources for musicians. Updated regularly, the site provides industry news, articles, and reviews. Like Harmony Central, sifting through all the information on this site takes a while, but it’s definitely worth the time and effort.

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Appendix C Quiz Answers Here you will find all of the answers from each of the end-of-chapter quizzes.

Chapter 1 Quiz Answers 1. Musical Instrument Digital Interface 2. True 3. True 4. No 5. Digital audio is the representation of sound as numbers 6. Yes 7. A sampling rate of 44,100 samples per second and a bit depth of 16 bits 8. False 9. True 10. True

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Appendix C } Quiz Answers

Chapter 2 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. True 3. True 4. True 5. Line level, microphone level, and speaker 6. A USB-based MIDI interface 7. A Neumann U87 microphone 8. False 9. True 10. DigiFreq

Chapter 3 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. False 3. True 4. Yes 5. Choose Options ඎ Preferences ඎ Keyboard to open the Preferences ඎ Keyboard dialog

box. 6. True 7. Notes, Key Aftertouch, Channel Aftertouch, Controllers, Program Changes, Pitch Bend, and

System Exclusive 8. Yes 9. False 10. To quickly change the sound card output that Sound Forge uses for audio playback

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Q Quiz Answers

Chapter 4 Quiz Answers 1. Because you may want to use your audio data for different tasks, such as playback on a

CD, music or sound effects in a video game, a film or video soundtrack, or even for downloading over the Internet. Each task may require that you save your audio data in a different way. 2. Perfect Clarity Audio is known as a lossless audio file format, which means there is no loss of quality when audio is saved to this format, even though the file size is smaller than if you had saved the same audio data to the WAV file format. 3. True 4. True 5. The Explorer window lets you examine and preview any audio/video files you have stored

on your computer system, as well as open the files by dragging and dropping them into Sound Forge. 6. False 7. True 8. The Save All command 9. True 10. True

Chapter 5 Quiz Answers 1. The Current Position is essentially a pointer that indicates your current time location within

an audio file. 2. Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers 3. Right-click the Time Ruler (or choose Options ඎ Status Format) and select the type of format

you want to use. 4. Markers assign a name to any exact point in time within an audio file. 5. True 6. The only difference between Markers and Regions is that Markers specify a single point

within a file, whereas Regions specify an entire area. 7. True

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Appendix C } Quiz Answers 8. The Auto Region function automatically creates Regions for you by scanning the data in

your audio file for certain characteristics that you specify. 9. The Extract Regions function breaks up your audio file into smaller files that are based on

the Regions in your original file. 10. False

Chapter 6 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. Bit depth, sampling rate, and number of channels 3. The zero axis represents the point in a waveform at which there are no vibrations or there

is no sound, so the value of the audio data at the zero axis is the number zero (also known as zero amplitude). 4. False 5. True 6. False 7. The spacebar 8. True 9. Play Normal Mode, Play Plug-In Chainer Mode, Play as Sample Mode, and Play

as CutlistMode 10. True

Chapter 7 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. False 3. The most common way to select audio data is by simply dragging your mouse within the

waveform display of the Data Window. 4. Any point in an audio waveform that lands on the zero axis is called a zero crossing. It’s called that because, as the waveform moves up and down, it crosses over the zero axis. 5. True 6. Overwrite, Replicate, Paste to New, Mix, and Crossfade

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Q Quiz Answers 7. The J key, K key, and L key 8. False 9. True 10. True

Chapter 8 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. False 3. True 4. The Mute function simply erases any selected data, thus turning it into silence. 5. The Graphic Fade function 6. True 7. The Channel Converter function 8. True 9. Graphic, Paragraphic, and Parametric 10. The Time Stretch function

Chapter 9 Quiz Answers 1. True 2. The Pitch Bend, Pitch Shift, and Vibrato functions 3. False 4. The Multi-Band Dynamics function 5. True 6. The Reverb and Acoustic Mirror effects 7. True 8. The Wave Hammer provides compression and volume maximizer functions.

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Appendix C } Quiz Answers 9. A plug-in is a small computer program that by itself does nothing, but when used together

with a larger application provides added functionality to the larger program. 10. True

Chapter 10 Quiz Answers 1. The Repair Channel Function 2. True 3. Two of the most common uses of the Audio Restoration tool are for cleaning up audio from

old vinyl records and tape recordings. 4. True 5. False. The Spectrum Analysis function can be used in real-time to analyze your audio during

playback, as well as the audio from your sound card input. 6. Bar Graph, Line Graph, Filled Graph, and Sonogram 7. The DTMF/MF, Simple Synthesis, and FM Synthesis functions 8. Telephone tones 9. Sine, Absolute Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle, Filtered Noise, White Noise, Pink Noise, and

Brown Noise 10. Frequency Modulation

Chapter 11 Quiz Answers 1. The Video Strip 2. False. You can only edit the audio data in a video file. 3. The Video Preview window 4. True 5. DC Offset, Equalization, Dynamic Processing, and Normalization 6. Track-at-Once and Disc-at-Once. 7. False. Sound Forge only includes built-in TAO burning. However, CD Architect is included

in the Sound Forge package and provides DAO burning. 8. True

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Q Quiz Answers 9. The Extract Audio from CD function 10. Export to CD Architect and Export All to CD Architect

Chapter 12 Quiz Answers 1. The Keyboard is a utility that lets you use your computer mouse to send MIDI Note On

messages. 2. MIDI channel 1 3. By clicking on the piano keys with your mouse 4. True 5. False. If you want to play some of the lower or higher octave notes, you can change the

position of the keys by clicking the Octave buttons. 6. True 7. True 8. False. The Virtual MIDI Router is for routing data from one application to another running

on the same computer. 9. By choosing Options ඎ MIDI In/Out ඎ Generate MIDI Timecode (or pressing F7 on your

computer keyboard) 10. Choose Options ඎ MIDI In/Out ඎ Trigger from MIDI Timecode (or press Ctrl + F7 on your

computer keyboard) to activate MIDI Triggers in Sound Forge.

Chapter 13 Quiz Answers 1. One-Shot samples, Loop samples, and Sustaining samples 2. The Special ඎ Insert Sample Loop function 3. The One-Shot sample 4. True 5. True 6. The Sustaining option 7. The Infinite Loop option 8. True

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Appendix C } Quiz Answers 9. False. The Loop Tuner creates small adjustments in the sample loop waveform so that the

beginning and end of the loop align perfectly to prevent “clicking” or “thumping” noises. 10. The Tools ඎ Sampler function

Chapter 14 Quiz Answers 1. JScript, Visual Basic.NET, and C# 2. The Script Menu folder 3. You can run a script in Sound Forge using the Run Script function, the Scripting menu, the

Scripting toolbar, or the Script Editor. 4. True 5. True 6. Two slash marks (//) 7. To test the script for errors 8. True 9. The Process section 10. False. In the Save section of the Batch Converter window, you can define more than one

save option listing in order to convert your original files into more than one file format at the same time.

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Index A-Law compression, 54–55 Aberdeen, Inc., 15 Accuracy parameter with graphic EQ, 210 for interpolation, 188 with parametric EQ, 212 with pitch shift, 232 ACID, 342 additional information on, 352 Beatmapped option, 397 Double Selection tool, 392–393 editing loop properties, 396–397 example for preparing ACID file, 398 Halve Selection tool, 392 Loop editing option, 396–397 looping tools, 391–395 Number of Beats parameter for loops, 396–397 Root Note for Transposing parameter for loops, 397 Rotate Audio tool, 394–395 saving ACID metadata, 398 Shift Selection Left and Right tools, 393–394 2.0 Disk-based option, 397 using Sound Forge with, 391–398 ACM files, 10 Acoustic Mirror dialog box, 251–254 Acoustic Mirror function, 251–254 Add Markers script, 360–361, 364–366 adjusting selections, 157 ADPCM (Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation), 54 Advanced Audio Configuration dialog box, 48 aftertouch, 39 AIF files, 9–10, 23, 55 templates, creating, 70–71 Amiga computers, 54 Amount parameter with multi-band dynamics, 241 amplitude. See volume amplitude meters, turning off, 51 amplitude modulation, 234–236 noise, eliminating, 235 Amplitude Modulation dialog box, 234–236 Amplitude parameter for FM synthesis, 297 animated Video Strip, 300 anti-aliasing with pitch shift, 232 resampling and, 189 Apply Envelope parameter of Acoustic Mirror, 253

Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script, 366–368 artifacts with pitch shifting, 231 ASIO drivers, 14, 45 buffer size for, 47 Attack parameter with graphic dynamics, 240 Attack Sensitivity setting for Regions, 101–102 Attack Speed parameter with Audio Restoration tool, 283 Attack Time parameter with multi-band dynamics, 242 with noise gate, 247 with RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing, 199 for Wave Hammer, 255 Attenuate High Frequencies parameter for chorus, 225 attenuation with chorus, 225 with reverb, 250–251 Audio Extract Optimization parameter, 312 Audio FAQ (Speakers), 19 Audio File Format FAQ Web site, 58 audio files, 9–10. See also CD functions; recording; repairs; samples; Spectrum Analysis; stereo files; summary information; specific types Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script, 366–368 associations, setting, 23–24 backing up, 151 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 copying data, 60 equalizing files before compression, 307 existing files, opening, 59–60 Explorer window, opening files with, 61–63 Extract Regions function, 108–109 Find function, 109–111 information on file, 60 Modify Summary Information script, 375–376 multiple files, opening, 59 new audio files, creating, 66 opening, 58–65 picture identification for, 69 previewing, 62–63 project files, 85–86 Save Regions as Files scripts, 379–381 saving, 67–84, 124 templates, saving as, 70–84

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INDEX } types of formats, 53–58 VMR (virtual MIDI router) triggering playback, 334–336 Audio Interchange File Format. See AIF files audio meter options, 121 audio quality bit depth and, 186 sampling rate and, 188 Audio Restoration tool, 282–284 audio settings, 43–51 amplitude meters, turning off, 51 playback position counter, turning off, 50–51 record and playback settings, 45–50 record counter, turning off, 50–51 temporary storage files/folders, 43–45 audio spectrum, 207 audio waveforms Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 DC offset and, 118–119 defined, 118 distortion and, 238 Loop Tuner with, 346–348 auditioning plug-in chain, 268–269 Auto Gain Compensation option with graphic dynamics, 240 for Wave Hammer, 255 Auto Play function, 60 Auto Region function, 101–104 Auto Trim/Crop function, 189–192 automatable effects, 270–277 envelopes for, 273–275 for gradual distortion, 275–276 for panning, 276–277 setting up for, 270–272 automatic Marker labels, 96 Automatic MIDI Timecode recording, 129 automatic recording, 129–136 threshold recording, 133–136 time recording, 130–133 Automatic Retake recording, 120 automatic snaps, 159 Automatic Threshold recording method, 133–136 Automatic Time recording method, 130–133 automation features, 13. See also automatable effects for panning, 276–277 Available Tools list, 29 AVI files, 57 compression scheme, setting, 79–80 frame rate, setting, 79 interleave parameters, setting, 80 templates, creating, 78–80

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background recording, 133 backgrounds textured backgrounds, 23 of Video Preview Window, 304 backing up audio files, 151 backward-playing audio, 216 Band-Notch filters Boost filter style, 212 with multi-band dynamics, 243 for sibilance, 242 Band-Pass filter style, 212 bands, 208 with multi-band dynamics, 241 Bar Graph mode for Spectrum Analysis, 286–287 Basic MIDI Web site, 39 batch conversion, 13–14 Batch Converter, 381–389 audio processing in, 382–384 conversion process, running, 389 creating jobs in, 381–388 defining files to convert, 388–389 drag and drop files in, 388 Metadata section, 387 multiple files to convert, selecting, 388 output file settings in, 385–386 saving job, 387–388 output files, formats for, 385–386 Beatmapped option, ACID, 397 beats ACID editing parameters, 396–397 Minimum Beat Duration setting for, 102 Regions based on, 102–104 bias settings, 49–50 binary numbers, 3 Bit-Depth Converter dialog box, 185–187 with Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script, 368 Bit-Depth Converter feature, 117 bit depths, 3 allowable bit depths, 12 audio file formats and, 53–54 audio quality and, 186 new bit depth, converting to, 185–187 quantization noise, 186–187 recording, setting for, 116–117 Bitmap files, 69 bits, 3. See also bit depths sound cards, resolution for, 17 Blackman-Harris setting for Spectrum Analysis, 288 Blend Graph Edges option with amplitude modulation, 235

Q INDEX with vibrato noise, 233 BMP files for identifying files, 69 Browse for Folder dialog box, 44 Buffer Underrun Protection option on CD burner, 317 buffers. See also pre-record buffer ASIO buffers, 47 MME buffers, 48–49 bugs, reporting, 9 Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD function, 309–311 buzzing, equalization (EQ) reducing, 214–215 C# language, 356 creating scripts in, 363–364 Cakewalk Music Software and SONAR MIDI sequencing application, 331–334 Calibrate button, Record dialog box, 119 Capture Threshold option with multi-band dynamics, 242 CBR (Constant Bit Rate) for WMV files, 83 CD Architect, 13, 313–318 Quick Start Manual, 317 CD functions Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD function, 309–311 CD Architect, 313–318 Disk-at-Once (DAO) function, 313–318 extract audio from CD function, 311–313 Extract CD scripts, 373–374 Media Pool function, 314–318 sampling rates for recording CDs, 117 Track List function, 314–318 VMR (virtual MIDI router) triggering playback, 334 Center/Above/Below parameter with multi-band dynamics, 242–243 Center Frequency parameter with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 227 with paragraphic EQ, 213 with parametric EQ, 212 Channel Aftertouch messages, 39 Channel Converter function, 200–202 lead vocals, removing, 202 channels. See also stereo files virtual MIDI keyboard, setting MIDI channel for, 320 chords on virtual MIDI keyboard, 323–324 Chorus function, 224–226 Chorus Out Delay parameter, 224–225 clip detection, 13 Clip Length parameter with Detect Clip function, 112 Clipboard copying data to, 159–160 viewing contents of, 160

clipping avoiding, 193–194 defined, 110 Detect Clip function, 111–112 graphic EQ and, 209 RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing and, 199–200 close confirmation, programming, 22–23 colors customizing, 25–26 in Spectrum Analysis graph, 289 of Video Preview Window, 304 commands, 356 DO command, 377 save commands, 67–70 comparison graphing, 287 Compile Script button, 362 complex fading, 194–197 compression A-Law compression, 54–55 ADPCM (Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation), 54 audio file formats and, 54 AVI file template, setting for, 79–80 equalizing files before, 307 graphic dynamics function with, 239 with multi-band dynamics, 241 of stereo audio, 205–206 U-Law compression, 54–55 WMA files, setting for, 82 WMV files, setting for, 83 computers audio file formats for, 54 optimizing for audio, 16 slow computers, viewing video on, 304 for studio setup, 14–16 Configuration parameter for FM synthesis, 296–297 Controllers messages, 39 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 Convert to New function, 147–148 Copy Other Channel function, Repairs, 280 Copy to File button for presets, 180–181 copying. See also pasting audio file data, 60 Markers, 97 Regions, 105 selected data, 159–160 video frames, 301 Coustics.com speaker articles, 19 Crash Recovery dialog box, 65–66

413

QQQ

INDEX } crashes MIDI interface and, 329 recovery from, 65–66 Create a New Window for Each Take recording mode, 127 Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 crescendo, 194 Crop and Fade script, 371–373 Crossfade dialog box, 164–165 crossfades Paste Crossfade function, 164–165 quick functions, 165–166 Current Position, 87–93. See also Markers cursor, working with, 89–90 displaying, 88–90 Go to End function, 93 Forward function, 93 Go to Start function, 93 graphically setting, 91–92 keyboard shortcuts for changing, 94 numerically setting, 90–91 Overview Bar, setting with, 92–93 Rewind function, 93 scrubbing with, 167–168 setting, 90–93 size of display, changing, 88–90 Transport menu for changing, 93–94 with Video Strip, 301 Custom Settings dialog box, 70 Custom Zoom function, 155 Customize Toolbar dialog box, 28–30 customizing colors, 25–26 FX Favorites menu, 258–260 keyboard shortcuts, 37–38 Script menu, 358 Scripting toolbar, 359 toolbars, 28–30 Workspace, 24–41 Cutlist deleting entries in, 173 nondestructive editing with, 172–173 Play As Cutlist Mode, 142 saving, 173 cutting selected data, 159 video files, audio data in, 301–302 DAT (Digital Audio Tape) decks, 17, 136 data compression. See compression

414

QQQ

Data Window, 10–11. See also Overview Bar; Playbar; Ruler Tag area docking, 32–36 editing with, 151–152 layouts, 30–32 loading Workspace files in, 31–32 Loop Tuner in, 346–347 saving information on, 31–32 scrolling audio files in, 152 Selection Status Bar, 156 stacking, 34–36 Time Ruler, 90–92 Undo/Redo History log, 170–171 Video Strip, 300–301 zooming functions, 152–155 DC offset, 118–119 Batch Converter example, 382–384 first 5 seconds, computing DC offset from, 184–185 manually finding, 185 removing, 184–185, 306 de-essing, 241 Decay Time parameter with reverb, 250 for simple delay, 221 decibels, 111, 121 Level Ruler showing, 153 decrescendo, 194 delay, 219 Multi-Tap Delay function, 222–223 simple delay, 220–222 Delay Out parameter for simple delay, 221 Delay Time parameter calculating, 221 for simple delay, 220–221 deleting. See also presets automatic time recording sessions, 132 Cutlist entries, 173 DC offset, 184–185, 306 fade nodes, 196 FX Favorites folder, plug-ins from, 259 offline processing, 266 with Pencil tool, 174 Regions, 106 script text, 362 selected data, 156 Spectrum Analysis snapshots, 287 Depth parameter with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 227 Desktop Music Handbook, 1

Q INDEX destructive processing, 266 Detect Clip function, 111–112 Dialogic VOX (.VOX) format, 54 DigiFreq appendix information, 399 Channel Converter function, removing vocals with, 202 discussion area, 19 equalization (EQ) applications in, 214 noise reduction tips, 284 on optimizing audio PC, 51 scripting tips, 381 subscriptions to, 20 digital audio, defined, 2–4 DirectX plug-ins, 258 folder, 259 disabling. See enabling/disabling Disk-at-Once (DAO) function, 313–318 distortion, 237–239 automation features for, 275–276 Distortion dialog box, 237–239 dithering and quantization noise, 187 DO command, 377 docking Data Windows, 32–36 disabling docking, 33 Plug-In Chainer, 272 showing/hiding docked windows, 272 toolbars, 26–27 Double Selection tool, ACID, 392–393 drag and drop audio files, opening, 61 extracting audio from CDs with, 313 with Normal Rate Indicator, 169–170 pasting functions with, 165–166 Playlist, Regions into, 143 plug-ins, 264 Scrub control, 168 Dry Out parameter with Acoustic Mirror function, 252 for chorus, 225 with distortion, 238 with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 226 for multi-tap delay, 222 for reverb, 249 for simple delay, 221 DTMF/MF tones, 291–293 Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 ducking, 163 dull audio, compensating for, 189

DXi (DirectX Instruments), 258 dynamic processing, 308 Early Out parameter with reverb, 250 Early Reflection Style parameter with reverb, 250 early reflections, 250 Echo Audio Mona sound cards, 17–18 echo effects, 219–227 Echogram, 223 Edit ACID Properties dialog box, 396–397 Edit Playlist dialog box, 146 Edit Sample dialog box for One-Shot samples, 340–341 for Sustain with Release sample, 349 for Sustaining samples, 345 Edit tool with Magnify tool, 154–155 selecting with, 155–159 editing. See also Script Editor ACID loop properties, 396–397 backing up before, 151 bit depth, converting to new, 185–187 in Data Window, 152 errors, dealing with, 170–172 Markers, 96–98 maximum editing time, 66 nondestructive editing, 172–173 with Pencil tool, 174–175 Playlist, 144–145 preparing audio data for, 184–189 Regions, 104–106 scrubbing, 166–170 Undo function, 170–172 Undo/Redo History log, 170–171 video files, audio data in, 301–302 effect tails, 269 effects. See also automatable effects; delay; plug-ins Acoustic Mirror function, 251–254 amplitude modulation, 234–236 chorus, 224–226 Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 distortion, 237–239 echo effects, 219–227 Envelope function, 243–246 Flange/Wah-Wah function, 226–227 Gapper/Snipper function, 246–247 graphic dynamics, 239–241 multi-band dynamics, 241–243 noise gates, 247–248 pitch bend, 228–230

415

QQQ

INDEX } pitch effects, 227–234 pitch shift, 231–232 reverberation effects, 248–254 vibrato, 232–234 volume effects, 234–248 Wave Hammer, 254–257 Effects menu, 11 Electronic Musician magazine, 342 Enable Meters option with multi-band dynamics, 243 enabling/disabling docking, 33 MIDI triggers, 41 End of Silent Region option, 110 End parameter, setting, 127–128 Envelope dialog box, 244 Envelope function, 243–246 envelopes. See also nodes; segments amplitude envelope, 235–236 automation envelopes, 273–275 for distortion, 237–239 graphic EQ in Envelope mode, 210 with Graphic Fade function, 195–196 for panning, 203–205 with pitch bend, 228–230 for vibrato, 232–233 environmental simulations, 298 equalization (EQ), 207–215 applications for, 213–215 audio spectrum and, 207 compressed file format, equalizing files before saving to, 307 fullness, adding, 214 graphic EQ, 208–211 with multi-band dynamics, 242 noise reduction and, 214 paragraphic EQ, 212–213 parametric EQ, 211–212 punch, adding, 214–215 existing files, opening, 59–60 Explorer window, 13, 32 audio files, opening, 61–63 Batch Converter, drag and drop files in, 388 customizing, 62–63 extracting audio from CDs in, 313 mixing audio files in, 63 Export to CD Architect function, 313–314 Extract and Encode dialog box, 374 Extract CD scripts, 373–374 Extract Regions function, 108–109

416

QQQ

in Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 extracting audio from CDs, 311–313 fades applying fades, 194 complex fading, 194–197 definitions, 194 Graphic Fade function, 194–197 new features, 13 node values and, 195–196 with Paste Mix function, 163 quantization noise in, 187 Show Wave option, 195 Fast Fade, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229 Feedback parameter for chorus, 225 for FM synthesis, 297 for multi-tap delay, 223 in simple delay, 221 FFT Overlap parameter of Spectrum Analysis, 288 File menu, opening files with, 58–59 File Types dialog box, 23–24 files. See also audio files; temporary files Preset Package files, 182 project files, 13, 85–86 Sound Forge Project Files (.FRG), 58 temporary storage files/folders, 43–45 Filled Graph mode for Spectrum Analysis, 286–287 Find function, 109–111 in Script Editor, 362 VST plug-ins, searching for, 261–262 Fine Tune parameter for loop samples, 343 for One-Shot samples, 341 FireWire-based sound cards, 16 Flange/Wah-Wah function, 226–227 Flip All Points of fade envelope, 196 floating windows, docking, 27 FM synthesis, 13, 296–298 Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 for loop samples, 342–343 for Sustaining samples, 344–346 FM Synthesis dialog box, 296–297 folders

Q INDEX FX Plug-Ins folder, 179 plug-in folders, 259 forwarding Current Position, 93 frame rate for AVI files, 79 frequencies. See also equalization (EQ); Spectrum Analysis and audio spectrum, 208 mouse for reading, 285 Frequency parameter for FM synthesis, 297 frequency response, 17 FRG files, 58 fullness with equalization (EQ), 214 FX Favorites menu, 11, 258–261 customizing, 258–260 with Plug-In Manager, 262–265 FX Plug-Ins folder, 179 Gain parameter with multi-band dynamics, 241 with paragraphic EQ, 213 Gapper/Snipper dialog box, 246–247 Gapper/Snipper function, 246–247 General MIDI patch names, 323 glitches. See also repairs in extracted audio, 312 Sensitivity parameter for, 111 Spectrum Analysis and finding, 290–291 Threshold Slope parameter for, 110 Go To dialog box, 92 Go To functions Markers, navigating to, 98 Regions, navigating, 106–107 Graph Polarity Edit Mode with distortion, 238 graphic dynamics, 239–241 converting files, applying before, 308 graphic EQ, 208–211 in Envelope mode, 210 Graphic Fade dialog box, 195–196 Graphic Fade function, 194–197 Normalize and Graphic Fade script, 376–378 Graphics Dynamics dialog box, 239–241 graphs. See Spectrum Analysis Halve Selection tool, ACID, 392 hard drives, temporary storage files/folders on, 43–45 Harmony Central, 400 Microphone Manufacturers List, 18 Speakers Manufacturer List, 19 help

on Impulse files, 254 keyboard shortcuts, list of, 36 resources, 19–20 Hertz (Hz), 207 hiding. See showing/hiding High-Frequency Shelf filter style, 212 High-Shelf filters, 242 hiss, equalization (EQ) reducing, 214–215 Hold, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229 home studio recording, 124 HowStuffWorks Web site, 55 humming, equalization (EQ) reducing, 214–215 Impulse files, 251–252 additional information on, 254 Impulse parameter with Acoustic Mirror function, 251 with WAV files, 252 Input Gain parameter for chorus, 225 for multi-tap delay, 222 inputs and outputs for sound cards, 16–17 for virtual MIDI keyboard, 320 Insert Marker/Region dialog box Markers, creating, 94–95 Regions, creating, 99–101 Insert Silence function, 192 installing Preset Manager, 179 VMR (virtual MIDI router), 325–329 Integral Stretch mode, previewing video in, 303–305 interleave parameters for AVI files, 80 internal synchronization, 136 International Multimedia Association (IMA), 54 Internet. See also DigiFreq; Web sites audio files for Internet, preparing, 306–309 DC offset, removing, 306 dynamic processing files for, 308 equalizing files for, 307–308 MP3 files, 55 normalizing files for, 309 Interpolate Bias setting, MME drivers, 49–50 interpolation Accuracy parameter, 188 repairs with, 281–282 Intervoice files. See IVC files

417

QQQ

INDEX } Invert/Flip function, 216 Invert the Chorus Phase parameter, 225 Invert the Feedback Phase parameter, 225 inverting audio file data, 216 IVC files, 54–55 templates, creating, 71 JKL keyboard shortcuts, 170 JScript language, 356 creating scripts in, 363–364 Katz, Bob, 257 Key Aftertouch messages, 39 Keyboard dialog box, 37–38 Keyboard magazine, 342 keyboard shortcuts, 14, 36–41 customizing, 37–38 for Find function, 111 JKL keyboard shortcuts, 170 MIDI triggers, assigning, 38–41 for playback, 141 selecting with, 157 for Transport menu, 94 Undo function, 170 Keyboard window, 32 keyboards. See also MIDI interface; virtual MIDI keyboard Current Position cursor, moving, 91 Region data, selecting, 100 scrubbing with JKL keys, 170 KRK Systems V4 monitors, 19 KSM27 microphones, Shure, 18 labels for Markers, 96 Largest Peak option, 110 length of audio data, changing, 216–217 Level Equal to or Above option, 110 Level Ruler, changing readings, 153 Level Zoom options, 153 Limit Decay To parameter of Acoustic Mirror, 253 Limit Non-Realtime Previews To option for previews, 187 limiting graphic dynamics function with, 239 with multi-band dynamics, 241 Line Graph mode for Spectrum Analysis, 286–287 Linear Fade, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229

418

QQQ

loading Data Windows, Workspace files in, 31–32 presets, 178 Region data, 107–108 logo splash-screen, 21–22 Loop Playback function, 141 loop samples, 339–340, 342–343 Loop Time parameter for scrubbing, 167 Loop Tuner, 346–348 looping. See also ACID; scrubbing Loop Tuner, 346–348 of samples, 339 Sustaining with Release samples, 346–348 lossless, PCA files as, 58 loudness, RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing and, 198–200 Low-Frequency Shelf filter style, 212 Low-Pass Start Freq parameter with amplitude modulation, 236 with distortion, 238 for multi-tap delay, 223 Low-Shelf filters, 242 M-Audio, 18 Midisport 2È2 USB interface, 18 Revolution, 47 Mac-Binary headers, 55 Macintosh computers, 54. See also AIF files Mac-Binary headers, 55 Magnify tool, 154–155 Mark In/Mark Out functions, 156 Markers, 94–99 Add Markers script, 360–361 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 copying, 98 creating markers, 94–96 deleting, 98 editing, 96–98 Go To function, navigating with, 97 MIDI Triggers for, 95–96 names, 95 editing names, 96–97 temporary names, setting, 96 navigating with, 98–99 recording, dropping Markers while, 123 Regions, converting to, 104 Regions List window, navigating with, 97 time value, changing, 97 mastering, 257

Q INDEX Wave Hammer for, 254 Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science (Katz), 257 maximum editing time, 66 measures, Regions based on, 103–104 Media Pool function, 314–318 menus, 11. See also specific types merging mono files, 61 metadata ACID metadata, saving, 398 Batch Converter section, 387 The Microphone FAQ, 18 Microphone University, 18 microphones Impulse files with, 252 Mid-size recording, 206–207 recording with, 124 requirements for, 18 sound cards and, 16 Microsoft, 54. See also WAV files; WMA files; WMV files Windows Media files, 9–10 Windows Registry, 263–264 Windows XP themes, 23 Mid-size recording, 206–207 MIDI Automatic MIDI Timecode recording, 129 defined, 1–2 settings, 41–43 velocity, 2 MIDI for the Technophobe Web site, 39 MIDI interface, 2, 42. See also virtual MIDI keyboard crashes involving, 329 requirements for, 18 shortcuts, assigning, 38–41 virtual MIDI keyboard, 319–324 MIDI messages. See also virtual MIDI keyboard sample-playback device receiving, 339 types of, 39 MIDI ports, 42 samples, transmitting, 352 setting up, 42–43 for VMR (virtual MIDI router), 329–331 MIDI Ports dialog box, 332 MIDI Power! Web site, 39 MIDI Triggers, 38–41. See also Regions enabling/disabling, 41 for Markers, 95–96 microphones, eliminating noises from, 124 with Playlist, 145–146 saving configurations, 41 MIDI Triggers dialog box, 40–41

Midisport 2È2 USB interface, M-Audio, 18 Minimum Beat Duration setting for Regions, 102 Mix dialog box, 165–166 presets, accessing, 178–179 mixing Explorer window, mixing in, 63 Paste Mix function, 216 pasting and, 162–163 quick paste, mix and crossfade procedures, 165–166 MME drivers, 45 advanced buffers, 48–49 Interpolate and Position Bias settings, 49–50 Modify Summary Information script, 375–376 Modulation Depth parameter for chorus, 225 for multi-tap delay, 222–223 Modulation Freq parameter with amplitude modulation, 236 with vibrato, 233 Modulation Rate parameter for chorus, 225 for multi-tap delay, 222–223 Mona sound cards, Echo Audio, 17–18 monitors. See also speakers video to external monitors, sending, 305–306 mono files, merging, 61 mouse with Spectrum Analysis, 285 virtual MIDI keyboard, playing, 321–324 zoom values, changing, 154 MOV files, 57 moving Playlist entries, 144 MPG files, 57 MP3 files, 9–10, 23, 55. See also Internet audio files, saving, 306–309 dynamic processing before converting files to, 308 Quality slider settings, 72 stereo encoding options, 73 templates, creating, 71–73 VBR Quality option, 72 MTC (MIDI Time Code), 137 multi-band dynamics, 241–243 automatic threshold detection feature, 242 Multi-Tap Delay function, 222–223 Multimedia Properties dialog box, 329–330 Multiple Delays option for simple delay, 221 multiple takes new window for each take, creating, 127 no Regions, recording with, 127 Regions, multiple takes creating, 125–127 Mute function, 192

419

QQQ

INDEX } names. See also Markers; Regions for plug-in chains, 270 for plug-ins, 260 for Workspace files, 32 navigating with Markers, 98–99 with Regions, 106–107 with Video Strip, 301 nearfield monitors, 19 Neuman U87 microphones, 18 ಮThe New DigiFreq Audio PCಯ (DigiFreq), 16 new features, 12–14 New Marker Prefix option, 96 New Region Prefix option, 101 NeXT computers, 54 NeXT/Sun (.AU/.SND) files, 56 nodes with automation envelopes, 273–274 with Envelope function, 245 of fade envelope, 195–196 with pitch bend, 228–230 noise. See also DC offset; glitches with amplitude modulation, 235 Audio Restoration tool for eliminating, 283 equalization (EQ) for reducing, 214 microphone noise, eliminating, 124 Pencil tool, deleting noise with, 174 quantization noise, 186–187 tips on reducing, 284 with vibrato, 233 Noise Floor parameter with Audio Restoration tool, 283 Noise Gate dialog box, 247–248 noise gates, 247–248 with Audio Restoration tool, 283 Auto Trim/Crop function using, 189–192 with RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing, 198–199 Noise Shaping parameter, 186–187 nondestructive editing, 172–173 nondestructive processing, 266 Normal Rate Indicator, 169–170 Normal Zoom Ratio drop-down list, 153 Normalize function, 197–200 Graphic Fade and Normalize script, 376–378 Internet, converting files for, 309 Render to Multiple Formats and Normalize script, 378–379 RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing, 198–200 Notes messages, 2, 39

420

QQQ

Number Frames option, Video Strip, 300–301 Number of Taps parameter for multi-tap delay, 223 octave range on virtual MIDI keyboard, 322 Official Sony Forums, 400 offline processing with Plug-In Chainer, 266 OGG files, 56 templates, creating, 73–74 One-Shot samples, 339, 340–341 ACID loops and, 396 Open dialog box, 59–60 Open Preset Package dialog box, 182–183 opening audio files, 58–65 multiple files, 59 Playlist, 146–147 RAW files, 64–65 Operators, 297 optimizing audio PC, 16, 50–51 Organize Favorites dialog box, 258–260 Output Gain parameter, 205 with graphic dynamics, 241 with multi-band dynamics, 243 with vibrato, 234 Output Level parameter with Wave Hammer, 256–257 outputs. See inputs and outputs Overview Bar Current Position, setting, 92–93 scrolling with, 93 for scrubbing, 166–167 overwriting with Paste Overwrite function, 160 Packaged Chains folder, 264 Pan/Expand function, 202–207 compressing or expanding stereo field, 205–206 Mid-size recording, converting, 206–207 vocals, extracting, 207 panning, 202–207 with Acoustic Mirror function, 253 automation features for, 276–277 envelopes, 203–205 paragraphic EQ, 212–213 compression, equalizing files before, 306–307 Parameter Chooser pane for automatable effects, 271 parametric EQ, 211–212 Passive Update option, 304 Paste Mix function, 216 Paste to New function, 161–162 pasting

Q INDEX crossfades with, 164–165 mixing and, 162–163, 216 overwrite function, 160 Paste to New function, 161–162 quick paste, mix and crossfade procedures, 165–166 replicate function, 161 selected data, 159–160 video files, data into, 302 Patch Changes messages, 39 paths, saving, 14 PCA files, 58 saxriff.pca sample audio file, 372 templates, creating, 77–78 PCI-based sound cards, 16 PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), 54 Pencil tool, 174–175 perceived loudness, 198 Perfect Clarity Audio files. See PCA files phase cancellation, 216 with chorus function, 225 Paste Mix function and, 162–163 picture identification for audio files, 69 pitch length of audio data, changing, 216–217 Spectrum Analysis for determining, 290 pitch bend, 228–230 messages, 39 original length, preserving, 230 Pitch Bend dialog box, 228–230 pitch effects, 227–234 pitch shift, 231–232 Pitch Shift dialog box, 231–232 Pitch Wheel messages, 39 Play All function, 141 Play As Cutlist Mode, 142 Play As Sample Mode, 142 Play Device toolbar, 46 Play Meters window, 32 Play Normal mode, 142 Play Plug-In Chainer mode, 142 playback, 124, 140–148. See also Playlist advanced playback, 46–50, 142–148 Current Position in, 88 keyboard shortcuts for, 141 looping, 141 modes for, 142 Play All function, 141 position counter, turning off, 50–51 settings, 45–50 SMPTE synchronization, 139–140 VMR (virtual MIDI router) audio playback, 334–336

Playback Buffering parameter, 45 Playbar Normal Rate Indicator, 169–170 Scrub control, 168 Playlist, 32 creating, 142–144 editing, 144–145 MIDI Triggers with, 145–146 moving entries on, 144 new audio file, converting to, 147–148 opening, 146–147 saving, 68, 146–147 Stop Point feature, 145–146 upgrades, 14 Plug-In Chainer, 32, 265–270 applying plug-in chain, 269–270 auditioning plug-in chain, 268–269 for automatable effects, 270–272 creating plug-in chain with, 266–268 docking, 272 effect tails, dealing with, 269 naming plug-in chains, 270 offline processing with, 266 real-time processing with, 266 saving plug-in chain, 269–270 Plug-In Chooser dialog box, 267–268 Plug-In Manager, 32, 262–265 applying plug-ins with, 264–265 hiding plug-ins, 263–264 plug-ins, 257–277. See also DirectX plug-ins; VST plugins automatable effects, 270–277 defined, 257–258 deleting, 259 dragging and dropping, 264 folders for, 259 FX Favorites menu for accessing, 258–261 hiding plug-ins, 263–264 naming, 260 Position Bias setting, MME drivers, 49–50 Pre-Delay parameter with reverb, 250 pre-record buffer, 13, 123 for automatic threshold recording, 134 Preferences dialog box, 22. See also toolbars close confirmation, setting, 22–23 colors, customizing, 25–26 MIDI ports, setting up, 42–43 textured background setting, 23 themes, support for, 23 Preserve Original Duration option with pitch bend, 230

421

QQQ

INDEX } with pitch shift, 232 Preset Manager, 179–183 installing, 179 Preset Package files, opening, 182–183 Preset Packages, 180, 182–183 presets, 177–183. See also Preset Manager accessing, 178–179 deleting, 179 system presets, 181 loading, 178 opening Preset Package files, 182–183 Plug-In Chainer for, 265–270 Preset Package files, 182–183 saving, 178–179 list of presets, 180–182 Preset Packages, 182 for Spectrum Analysis, 288 previewing adjusting Preview feature, 187 audio/video files, 62–63 effect tails, 269 plug-in chain, 268–269 for scrubbing, 167 simple delay, 221 stereo file changes, 201 Video Preview Window, 302–306 printing Spectrum Analysis graphs, 290 Process menu, 11 Process Mode parameter for panning, 203 product updates, 7–9 Program Changes messages, 39 program code. See source code programming languages, 356 source code, 360 project files, 13, 85–86 Project Options dialog box, 332 ProRec, 400–401 pseudo-multitrack recording, 118 Punch-In recording mode, 127–129 punching audio with equalization (EQ), 214–215 quantization noise, 186–187 QuickTime files, 57 quiz answers, 403–410 Ratio parameter with graphic dynamics, 239 for Wave Hammer, 255 Raw File Type dialog box, 64–65 RAW files, 57–58

422

QQQ

opening, 64–65 templates, creating, 74–75 real-time processing with Plug-In Chainer, 266 Spectrum Analysis in real-time, 287–288 RealAudio files, 9–10 audio files, saving, 306–309 dynamic processing before converting files to, 308 RealMedia files, 56. See also Internet templates, creating, 75–77 2-pass encoding, enabling, 76 record counter, turning off, 50–51 Record dialog box, 12, 115 Calibrate button, 119 Prerecord Buffer option, 123 Recording Attributes section, 116 Remote button, 129 Review Pre/Post- Roll option, 128 recording. See also MIDI; sound cards; synchronization advanced settings, 46–50 attributes, 116–119 automatic recording, 129–136 background recording, 133 basic recording, 119–124 bit depths, setting, 116–117 channels, setting number of, 117 Create a New Window for Each Take recording mode, 127 Current Position in, 88 DC offset, 118–119 digital audio, 2–4 home studio recording, 124 Markers, dropping, 123 Mid-size recording, 206–207 multiple take recording, 125–127 parameter settings, 115–116 pseudo-multitrack recording, 118 Punch-In recording mode, 127–129 Remote Recording mode, 129 sampling rate, setting, 116–117 settings, 45–50 stopping, 123–124 Recover tab, Acoustic Mirror, 254 Regions, 99–109. See also Playlist Auto Region function, creating with, 101–104 beats as basis for, 103–104 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 copying, 105 creating, 99–104

Q INDEX deleting, 106 Extract Regions function, 108–109 graphically changing time values, 105 loading Region data, 107–108 Markers converted to, 104 measures as basis for, 103–104 MIDI Triggers editing, 104 setting up, 100 multiple Region sets, creating, 108 multiple take recording and, 125–127 names, 100 editing, 104 navigating with, 106–107 numerically changing time values, 105 quick method for creating, 101 Save Regions as Files scripts, 379–381 saving Region data, 107 splitting, 105–106 tempo as basis for, 103–104 time values, editing, 105 virtual MIDI keyboard triggering, 336 Regions List window, 32 Markers, navigating to, 98 navigating Regions with, 106 upgrading Region lists, 14 Release parameter for automatic threshold recording, 135 with graphic dynamics, 240 Release Sensitivity setting for Regions, 102 Release Speed parameter with Audio Restoration tool, 283 Release Time parameter with multi-band dynamics, 242 with noise gates, 248 RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing and, 199 for Wave Hammer, 255 Remote Recording mode, 129 Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, 190 Remove Data from Start and Limit File Length option, 190 Remove Edges Outside of the Selection option, 190 Render As dialog box, 85–86 rendering project files, 85–86 Repair Channel function, 279–280 Repair Interpolation function, 281–282 Repair Replace function, 281 repairs, 112 with Audio Restoration tool, 282–284 Copy Other Channel function, 280 with interpolation, 281–282

one channel errors, repairing, 279–280 with replacement, 281 replicating with Paste Replicate function, 161 resampling, 117 to new sampling rate, 187–189 Resonance parameter with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 227 Response Delay parameter with Acoustic Mirror, 252 Response Width parameter with Acoustic Mirror, 252 reverb, 249–251 effect tails with, 269 quantization noise in, 187 reverberation effects, 248–254 reverse-playing audio, 216 Review Pre/Post- Roll option, 128 rewinding Current Position, 93 RFI (Radio Frequency Interface), 17 ripping audio from CDs, 311–313 RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing, 198–200 Root Note for Transposing parameter for loops, ACID, 397 Rotate Audio tool, ACID, 394–395 Ruler Tag area, 95 Markers in, 96 Regions added to, 101 time value of Markers, changing, 97 rules, 356 Run Script dialog box, 356–357 sample loops, 339–340, 342–343 Sampler Configuration dialog box, 351–352 Sampler function, 351–352 samples, 3. See also One-Shot samples; resampling; Sustaining samples defined, 339–340 loop samples, 339–340, 342–343 Loop Tuner, 346–348 retrieving samples, 352 saving, 350–352 transmitting samples, 351–352 sampling rates, 3 audio file formats and, 53–54 audio quality and, 188 for CD recording, 117 new sampling rate, resampling to, 187–189 Noise Shaping parameter and, 187 recording, setting for, 116–117 Save All command, 67 Save As command, 67–70 Custom button, 70 samples, saving, 350

423

QQQ

INDEX } Save Metadata with File option in, 350 Save command, 67 Save Options dialog box for Batch Converter output files, 385–386 Save Plug-In Package dialog box, 269–270 Save Preset Package dialog box, 182 Save Regions as Files scripts, 379–381 Save Workspace dialog box, 31–32 saving. See also Batch Converter; presets; scripts ACID metadata, 398 audio/video files, 67–84, 124 on closing program, 22–23 Cutlist, 173 Data Window information, 31–32 locating save commands, 38 MIDI trigger configurations, 41 Playlist, 68, 146–147 plug-in chain, 269–270 in RealMedia format, 56 Region data, 107 samples, 350–352 templates, files as, 68, 70–84 Undo/Redo History log, 171 Workspace layout, 10 saxriff.pca sample audio file, 372 Scan Mode parameter for Wave Hammer, 255 scanning Script menu, 358 Script Editor, 32, 359–364 deleting text with, 362 Find feature, 362 new scripts, creating, 363–364 saving script, 362 source code, editing, 361–363 viewing scripts with, 360–361 Script menu, 357–358 Scripting toolbar, 358–359 customizing, 359 scripts, 13–14. See also Batch Converter Add Markers script, 364–366 Apply Multiple Effects to Open Files script, 366–368 Convert Markers to Regions and Extract script, 368–369 Create 3 Simple Waveforms script, 370–371 Crop and Fade script, 371–373 defined, 355–356 Extract and Encode script, 373–374 Extract CD scripts, 373–374 Modify Summary Information script, 375–376 Normalize and Graphic Fade script, 376–378 Normalize and Render to Multiple Formats script, 378–379

424

QQQ

prewritten scripts, 364–366 running scripts, 356–359 Save Regions as Files scripts, 379–381 saving, 356 to disk as files, 355 with Script Editor, 362 Script menu, 357–358 tips on, 381 toolbars, 358–359 scrolling Data Window, audio files in, 152 with Overview Bar, 93 Scrub control, 168 scrubbing, 166–170 with Current Position, 167–168 with JKL keys, 170 new features, 14 Normal Rate Indicator, 169–170 with Overview Bar, 166–167 with Scrub control, 168 segments with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 of fade envelope, 196 of panning envelopes, 203–205 with pitch bend, 228–230 selecting adjusting selections, 157 all data, 156 copying selected data, 159–160 with Edit tool, 155–159 with keyboard shortcuts, 157 Set Selection dialog box, 156–157 snapping selections, 157–158 stereo files, data in, 155–156 Selection Status Bar, 156 semitones for pitch shift, 231 with vibrato, 232 Sensitivity parameter for glitches, 111 Separators to toolbar, adding, 29 Set Selection dialog box, 128, 156–157 Sharp Fade, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229 Shift Selection Left and Right tools, ACID, 393–394 shortcuts. See keyboard shortcuts shortening audio data, 216–217 Show Wave option, 195 with Envelope function, 244

Q INDEX for panning, 203 with pitch bend, 229 showing/hiding docked windows, 272 plug-ins, 263–264 Spectrum Analysis graph, 287 Shure KSM27 microphones, 18 Performance and Recording Microphone Selection Guide, 18 shuttle controls, JKL keys as, 170 Shuttle PC, 15–16 sibilance, 241 signal-to-noise ratio, 17 silence Auto Trim/Crop function, removing with, 189–192 inserting, 192 noise gates for, 247–248 removing, 189–192 VMR (virtual MIDI router) playback and, 334 Simple Delay function, 220–222 Simple synthesis, 13, 293–296 example for using, 294–296 Sine Preset with amplitude modulation, 236 sine waves, Envelope function and, 243–246 singing. See vocals size of Current Position display, 88–90 virtual MIDI keyboard, resizing, 322 window size, changing, 285 Slew Rate parameter with distortion, 238 Slow Fade, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229 Smart Release parameter for Wave Hammer, 255 Smooth/Enhance function, 190 Smooth Fade, 196, 204 with automation envelopes, 274 with Envelope function, 245 with pitch bend, 229 Smooth Saturation option with Wave Hammer, 256 Smoothing Window parameter of Spectrum Analysis, 288 SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) converter, 137 for Current Position, 90 defined, 91 for loop samples, 343 for One-Shot samples, 341

playback synchronization, 139–140 recording synchronization, 137–139 synchronization with, 136–140 volume, adjusting, 138 snapping selections, 157–158 automatic snaps, 159 to zero crossings, 158–159 Snipper function, 246–247 Solo option with multi-band dynamics, 243 SONAR MIDI sequencing application, 331–334 Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router (MVR), 324–325 Sonogram mode with Spectrum Analysis, 289 Sony. See also ACID Official Sony Forums, 400 Support Homepage, 400 Technical Support, 19–20 Sound Blaster, 118 sound cards, 3 ASIO buffers, setting, 47 audio input levels, setting, 121–122 considerations for, 16–18 DC offset, 118–119 individual channels, selecting, 120 multiple audio connections, 17 Sound Designer 1 (.DIG/.SD) files, 56 Sound Forge 8 API, 377 help resources, 19–20 Users Mailing List, 400 versions of, 7 Sound Forge Project Files (.FRG), 58 source code, 360 editing, 361–363 speakers requirements for, 18–19 sound cards and, 16 Special menu, 11 Spectrum Analysis, 11, 12, 32, 284–291 appearance of graphs, changing, 286–287 comparison graphing, 287 glitches, manually finding, 290–291 new features, 13 printouts of graphs, 290 prominent pitch, determining, 290 in real-time, 287–288 refreshing graph, 287 root note, finding, 397 snapshot features, 287 Sonogram mode, 289 zooming on graph, 286 Spectrum Settings dialog box, 286

425

QQQ

INDEX } accuracy settings, 288 splash-screen, 21–22 splitting Regions, 105–106 stacking windows, 34–36 Start parameter, setting, 127–128 Steinberg. See VST plug-ins stereo files. See also repairs changing channels, 200–202 compression or expanding stereo field, 205–206 fades with, 195 merging mono files to, 61 MP3 file encoding options, 73 Output Channels parameter, 200–201 panning, 202–207 pseudo-multitrack recording, 118 selecting data in stereo files, 155–156 Stereo Pan parameter with amplitude modulation, 236 Stop Point feature, Playlist, 145–146 stopping recording, 123–124 striping, 137 studio setup, 14–19 tips on, 19 stuttering, Gapper/Snipper function for, 246 Subtle Tremolo preset, 236 summary information Acoustic Mirror, 254 Modify Summary Information script, 375–376 saving, 69 Sun Sparc station computer systems, 56 Sustaining samples, 344–346 with release samples, 348–350 symbols, 356 synchronization, 41–42, 136–140 delay and, 220 SMPTE synchronization, 136–140 SyncStereo Channels option with multi-band dynamics, 243 SyncStereo Gain option with graphic dynamics, 240 Synth Zone, 400 synthesis, 291–298. See also FM synthesis; Simple synthesis additional information on, 291 DTMF/MF tones, generating, 291–293 Operators, 297 synthesizers. See virtual MIDI keyboard System Exclusive messages, 39 System Presets pane, 179 deleting presets in, 181 system requirements, 15

426

QQQ

technical support, 19–20 telephone tones, generating, 291–293 telephony applications Dialogic VOX (.VOX) format, 54 Intervoice (.IVC) format, 54–55 templates for AIF files, 70–71 for AVI files, 78–80 for IVC files, 71 for MP3 files, 71–73 for OGG files, 73–74 for PCA files, 77–78 for RAW files, 74–75 for RealMedia files, 75–77 saving files as, 68, 70–84 for WAV files, 80–81 for WMA files, 81–82 for WMV files, 82–84 tempo, Regions based on, 103–104 Tempo Sync option, 221 with amplitude modulation, 236 for chorus, 225 with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 227 temporary files for crash recovery, 65–66 storage files/folders, 43–45 10 Band mode, 209 Ten Powered Nearfields Reviewed, 19 textured background, setting, 23 themes, support for, 23 third-party plug-ins. See plug-ins Threshold parameter with Detect Clip function, 112 with graphic dynamics, 239 with multi-band dynamics, 241 with noise gate, 247 for Wave Hammer, 255–256 Threshold Slope parameter, 110 decibels and, 111 timbre, 207, 284 Time Display window, 32 Time Ruler Current Position, setting, 90–92 format, changing, 92 Ruler Tag area, 95 scrolling and, 152 Selection Status Bar and, 156 snapping selections on, 157–158 Time Stretch function, 216–217 Time Zoom options, 152–153

Q INDEX Time Zoom Resolution display, 153 timing. See also Current Position; Markers; synchronization automatic recording, 130–133 Regions, editing time values of, 105 toolbars configuration, changing, 27–28 customizing, 28–30 docking, 26–27 Play Device toolbar, 46 position, changing, 26–27 Scripting toolbar, 358–359 Separators, adding, 29 visibility, changing, 27 working with, 26–30 Tools menu, 11 Track-at-Once (TAO) function, 313 Track List function, 314–318 Transition Width parameter, 212 Transport menu Current Position, changing, 93–94 shortcuts, 94 tremolo Gapper/Snipper function for, 246 Subtle Tremolo preset, 236 Tune Position controls for Loop Tuner, 347 turning on/off amplitude meters, 51 logo splash-screen, 21–22 playback position counter, 50–51 record counter, 50–51 Video Strip animation, 300 virtual MIDI keyboard, 321 2.0 Disk-based option, ACID, 397 20 Band mode, 209–210 TX81Z synthesizer, 296 Type parameter with multi-band dynamics, 242 U-Law compression, 54–55 Undo feature, 170–172 for offline processor, 266 Undo/Redo History log, 170–171 Undo/Redo History window, 32 USB-based sound cards, 16 Use Longer Look-Ahead option with Wave Hammer, 256–257 VBR Quality option for MP3 files, 72 for OGG files, 73–74

versions of Sound Forge, 7 new features in, 12–14 V4 monitors, KRK Systems, 19 vibrato, 232–234 noise, eliminating, 233 Vibrato dialog box, 232–234 video files. See also audio files; synchronization copying video frames, 301 cutting audio data in, 301–302 editing audio data in, 301–302 external monitors, sending video to, 305–306 Integral Stretch mode, previewing in, 303–305 narration, synchronizing, 137 opening, 299–300 Passive Update option, 304 pasting data in, 302 saving, 67–84 Video Preview Window, 302–306 Video Strip, 300–301 working with, 299–306 Video for Windows. See AVI files Video Preview window, 32, 302–306 external monitors, sending video to, 305–306 Video Strip, 300–301 editing with, 301–302 Number Frames option, 300–301 View menu, docking windows in, 32 viewing Clipboard contents, 160 scripts, 360–361 virtual MIDI keyboard chords on, 323–324 configuring, 320–321 MIDI channel, setting, 320 output port, setting, 320 playing, 321–324 position, changing, 322 resizing, 322 sound, changing, 323 triggering Regions with, 336 virtual MIDI router (VMR). See VMR (virtual MIDI router) Visual Basic.NET, 356 creating scripts in, 363–364 VMR (virtual MIDI router), 324–325 installing, 325–329 playback of audio, triggering, 334–336 reconfiguring, 329–331 sounds, triggering, 336 synchronizing, 331–334

427

QQQ

INDEX } vocals Channel Converter function, removing lead vocals with, 202 graphic dynamics function with, 239–241 multi-band dynamics and, 241–243 noise gates with, 247–248 Pan/Expand function, extracting lead vocals with, 207 volume, 193–194. See also clipping; equalization (EQ); noise; silence adjusting audio volume, 192–200 effects, 234–248 increasing or decreasing volume, 193–194 mouse for reading, 285 Normalize function, 197–200 panning, 202–207 Paste Mix function and, 163 RMS (Root Mean Square) level processing, 198–200 for SMPTE syncing, 138 for virtual MIDI keyboard, 321 Volume Maximizer with Wave Hammer, 256 VST plug-ins, 13, 258, 261–262 folder, 259 searching for, 261–262 warble effect, 222–223 with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 226–227 Gapper/Snipper function for, 246 WAV files, 9–10, 23, 57. See also ACID FM synthesis saved as, 298 with Impulse parameter, 252 templates, creating, 80–81 Wave Hammer, 254–257 Wave Hammer dialog box, 254–256 Waveform Display for Current Position, 91–92 Waveform Shape parameter for Simple synthesis, 293–294 Web sites. See also DigiFreq Aberdeen, Inc., 15 appendix resource list, 399–401 Audio File Format FAQ, 58 bugs, reporting, 9 on C# language, 363 for Desktop Music Handbook, 1 DO command information, 377 Echo Audio, 18 help resources, 19–20 HowStuffWorks Web site, 55 JScript language, 363 KRK Systems, 19

428

QQQ

M-Audio, 18 mastering information, 257 microphones, resources for, 18 on MIDI messages, 39 MP3 format information, 55 for product updates, 7–9 Sony Technical Support, 19–20 speaker resources, 19 synthesis, information on, 291 on Visual Basic.NET, 363 VMR (virtual MIDI router), downloading, 324 Wet Out parameter with Acoustic Mirror function, 252 with distortion, 238 with Flange/Wah-Wah function, 226 for multi-tap delay, 222 for reverb, 249 windows. See also Data Window docking, 32–36 multiple takes, creating new windows for, 127 size, changing, 285 stacking, 34–36 Windows Media Audio/Video files. See WMA files; WMV files WMA files, 57 audio files, saving, 306–309 templates, creating, 81–82 WMV files, 57. See also Internet dynamic processing before converting files to, 308 templates, creating, 82–84 Workspace, 10. See also Data Window; toolbars background, setting, 23 colors, customizing, 25–26 customizing, 24–41 naming files, 32 Yamaha synthesizers, 296 zero crossings, 158–159 zooming Custom Zoom function, 155 in Data Window, 152–155 default zoom ratio, 153 with Magnify tool, 154–155 menus, 153 mouse, changing values with, 154 Pencil tool zoom ratio, 174 on Spectrum Analysis graph, 286