Software User’s Guide Version 2.6 Berkley Integrated Audio Software, Inc. 1370 Industrial Ave., Suite A Petaluma, CA 94952 707.782.1866 http://www.bias-inc.com BIAS Technical Support 707.782.1866 Monday-Friday 9AM–5PM PST or support@bias-inc.
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ASIO and VST are trademarks of Steinberg Software und Hardware GmbH. CD-related data through the Internet from the CDDB™ Music CD Database. Copyright 1999, 2000 CDDB Inc. CDDB Client Software. Copyright 1999, 2000 CDDB Inc. CDDB-Enabled, CDDB, CDDB2 and the CDDB Logo are trademarks of CDDB, Inc. Disc Recognition Service and DRS are service marks of CDDB, Inc. IDR dithering and noise-shaping technology licensed from K.S. Waves Ltd.
Contents Chapter 1: Introducing Peak 3 Welcome! ............................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Peak Features: ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Who Is Peak Designed For? ....................................................
Chapter 4: Playback and Recording 39 Recording and Playback using the Apple Sound Manager ................................................................................................. 39 Preparing Peak for Recording ............................................................................................................................................... 39 Proper Levels for Recording ...................................................................................................................
Silencing a Selection ................................................................................................................................................................................ 66 Inserting Silence into a Document ......................................................................................................................................................... 67 Show Edits ...........................................................................................................
Modulate ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 106 Normalize ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 106 Panner ........................................................................................
Working with Ensoniq EPS16+ and ASR-10 Samplers ....................................................................................................... 141 How Samples are stored in Ensoniq Samplers ...................................................................................................................................... 141 Ensoniq Sampler Dialog Basics ................................................................................................................................................
Zoom at Sample Level ............................................................................................................................................................................. 158 Zoom at Sample Level (End) ................................................................................................................................................................... 158 Snap Selection to Zeros ..............................................................................................
Threshold ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 173 Sampler Menu ........................................................................................................................................................................ 174 Send to Sampler .....................................................................................................
Appendix 1: Keyboard Shortcuts and Actions 187 Keyboard Shortcuts ............................................................................................................................................................... 187 File ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 187 Edit ............................................................
Chapter 1 Introducing Peak
2 Peak User’s Guide
1 Chapter 1: Introducing Peak Welcome! BIAS Peak™ is an advanced audio application that provides superior tools for editing and processing digital audio on the Macintosh computer. Peak was specifically designed to meet the needs and demands of audio professionals.
• Automatic truncatation of file names for audio documents created by Export Regions and Import CD if they are longer than 31 characters. Who Is Peak Designed For? • And more! Peak is designed for a wide variety of users, ranging from composers and multimedia producers to sound designers and remix editors. Peak’s comprehensive recording, editing, looping, and processing capabilities make it a powerhouse tool for virtually any aspect of digital audio production.
• QuickTime version 3.0.2 or later • QuickTime PowerPlug™ installed in the Extensions folder • A hard drive with 18ms or faster average seek time • A 13-inch or larger monitor (color is recommended) The optimal system for use with Peak software is a Power Macintosh with AV (Audio Visual) features and 32MB or more of RAM available to run Peak. The Peak application runs in native mode on Power Macintosh and G4 computers.
The Chapters in your Peak User’s Guide are arranged in the order in which you would typically perform tasks when embarking on an audio production project: • Appendix 2 provides a troubleshooting guide for commonly encountered problems • Appendix 3 describes how to use Peak’s RealAudio™, Shockwave™ Audio Encoder, and MP3 encoding to prepare audio for streaming over the internet • Chapter 1 introduces you to Peak and explains some of the requirements for using Peak software • Chapter 2 explains how to insta
• Export Regions • Sampler Support • Convolve • Modulate • Add • Amplitude Fit • Change Duration • Crossfade Loop • Dither • Find Peak • Mono To Stereo • Stereo To Mono • Phase Vocoder • Rappify 1 Using Online Help Peak provides two types of online help. The first type, Balloon Help, can be activated by selecting Show Balloons from the Macintosh’s Balloon Help menu in the Finder. Balloon Help will show you the functions of each menu item as you move the mouse across different menu items.
Conclusion Now that you know a little about Peak, proceed to the next chapter to learn how to install your software and get started using it.
Chapter 2 Installing and Configuring Peak
10 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Peak 2 double-click the Install Peak icon. Installing Peak 3. When the Installer dialog appears, read the Read Me for late-breaking information concerning the Installer, then click Continue to proceed. Peak’s auto-installer software makes installation very easy. 4. Select where you would like to install Peak, using the Switch Disk pop-up menu. Your complete Peak system consists of: 5. Click Install at the bottom right of this dialog.
Serial number, and Product Authorization Code. The Peak Authorization dialog 8. When the installation is complete, a message will appear indicating that the installation was successful. Click Quit to quit the Installer, or click Continue to install copies additional copies (don't forget to turn back on any virus-protection software that you may be using the next time you restart the computer).
inputs and outputs for recording and playback, do the following: 1. Turn down the volume on your playback system. Peak can be used with a variety of playback systems, including: 2 • a stereo receiver or amplifier and speakers • a mixer, amplifier, and a pair of speakers • a mixer and a pair of amplified (self-powered) speakers • or simply a pair of amplified (self-powered) speakers, smaller versions of which are often called “multimedia” speakers.
inputs on your mixer and to have the auxiliary or bus sends from the mixer go to the inputs of the computer. Instruments you want to record you patch into other channel inputs on the mixer and you can then route them out the auxiliary or bus sends on the mixer to be recorded by the computer. The mixer’s main outputs go to the amplifier/speakers. Pocket) installed in your computer and wish to use its input and output capabilities instead of your Macintosh’s built-in capabilities, do the following: 1.
pop-up menu. 2. Select audio card (Digigram’s VX Pocket is shown in this example) as the sound output device. interfaces such as the Tascam US-428. Peak also supports compatible Firewire audio interfaces, such as the MOTU-828. 2 Conclusion Now that you have installed Peak and configured the Macintosh Sound Manager for recording and playback, proceed to the next chapter to learn several basic concepts and functions essential to using Peak. The Apple Sound Control Panel 3.
16 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 3 Peak Basics
18 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 3: Peak Basics analog-to-digital (A/D) converter uses a technique called digital sampling to convert analog electrical signals into numbers. Introduction This chapter explains several key Peak concepts and functions, including how to open, close, and save audio documents. A Brief Explanation of Digital Audio If you are new to digital hard-disk-based recording, you may wish to acquaint yourself with a few of the principles behind digital audio before you dive into using Peak software.
distinct steps you have to describe a sound’s level, from quiet to loud. For instance, an 8-bit recording has 256 (28) levels available, which is the equivalent of 48 decibels (dB) of dynamic range. On the other hand, a 16-bit recording has 65,536 (216) levels available, equivalent to 96dB dynamic range. (The rule of thumb for dynamic range is to take the bit rate and multiply it by 6.
In general, you should keep your hard disk below 10% fragmentation. Most hard drive maintenance software packages let you monitor the degree of fragmentation on your drive and defragment it by rewriting files into contiguous blocks of data. In addition to defragmenting your drive regularly, you should also back up your files and reformat your drive on a regular basis to keep your system in top operating condition.
into a new audio window, displaying an overview of the entire sound. You can open multiple files before proceeding to step 4. 4. When you are finished opening audio documents, click the Done button.
2. In the dialog that appears, locate the desired files. 3. Select either half of the dual mono file and click Open. Peak imports the first file and then prompts you for the second. 4. Select the second audio file and click Open. When Peak has finished creating the new stereo audio document you can begin editing. For simpler importing of Dual Mono files, turn on the Auto Import Dual Mono feature in the Preference menu.
• • WAVE: This is Microsoft’s Windows Audio File Format. It is supported by many Window’s software applications and some Macintosh applications. The WAVE format is best if you plan to use an audio document in an application that supports or requires WAVE format files. QuickTime: This is Apple’s audio file format for QuickTime-based multimedia. It is supported by all Macintosh software applications that support QuickTime.
2. Select the desired file format from the File Type pop-up menu. AIFF is Peak’s default audio file format. 3. If you wish to save the audio document in a different bit depth resolution, click the bit depth pop-up. If not, leave this item unchecked. (Peak does not use dithering when saving this way; you will want to use the Dither function under the DSP menu before saving for higher-fidelity conversion.
Peak Audio Document Window Peak Audio Document windows contain a Waveform Display, an Audio File Info Bar (lower left corner) and a Max Level Indicator (upper left corner). The Waveform Display is a graphic representation of the audio file, the Audio File Info Bar shows the sample rate, bit resolution, file format and file size of the audio file, and the Max Level Indicator shows the highest amplitude level in the audio file.
3 The Zoom Amount dialog The Peak Contents Palette Pencil Tool The Pencil Tool lets you draw directly on the waveform at the sample level. This is very useful for drawing out clicks in the waveform. Double-click on the Pencil Tool icon in the Cursor Palette for the Drawing Tool Smoothing Settings. Setting Preferences You can customize a number of Peak’s parameters so you can work with the program in a way that best suits you. Most of these parameters are found in the Preference menu.
Peak Playback Preferences dialog Playback Master Volume The Preference menu Setting Peak’s Playback Parameters Peak’s Playback Preferences dialog allows you to control the master output volume, Spacebar operation, hard disk playback buffer size, and window buffer size. Peak provides a master volume control for audio playback. In the Playback Preferences dialog, set Peak’s output volume to the level that you desire by adjusting the slider or entering a number value from 0 (silent) to 7 (loudest).
Dynamic Scrub Time Peak provides a unique audio auditioning technique called dynamic scrubbing. This feature is very useful for precisely pinpointing and selecting a desired location in an audio document. Dynamic scrubbing allows you to drag the mouse forward or backward over a waveform while Peak plays a short loop (between 10 and 600 milliseconds) at the scrub location.
preceding or following it. The Auditioning dialog allows you to select a desired amount of pre-roll or postroll when you play the selection. To play a selection with the selected amount of pre- and postroll, press Control-Space bar. To configure Auditioning: • Select Auditioning from the Preference menu. Enter the desired amount of Pre-roll and Postroll into the dialog boxes. Click OK to exit the dialog. The Auditioning dialog 2. To edit the Blending Envelope, click on the Edit Blending Envelope button.
select either a preset color combination, or individual colors for each element in the audio document window, as well as picking your own custom colors from a color palette. You can also choose to have the waveform display shading for a 3-D look, as well as select the amount of shading. Changes made using the Colors dialog affect both the current audio document’s colors, and any subsequent new audio document’s colors. window is now set to the colors and look you’ve selected.
Audio File Meter, Tempo, and Timestamp Settings If your audio document is using bars and beats as its units, you will want to tell Peak what the tempo of the audio document is. Use the Audio Info command from the Preference menu, or click on the gray Audio Info Area on the lower left of any audio waveform display, to set the tempo of the audio document. You can also enter the meter of an audio document using the Audio Info dialog.
Keyboard Shortcuts Peak allows you to customize any Peak menu item with a keyboard shortcut. To change your keyboard shortcuts, go to the Preference menu and select the Shortcuts and Toolbar item. Keyboard shortcuts are stored in a Preference file in the System Folder’s Preferences Folder, called “Peak 2.5 Shortcuts.” Peak’s default Keyboard Shortcuts are listed in Appendix 1 at the end of this manual. To add a new Keyboard Shortcut 1. Choose Shortcuts & Toolbar under the Preference menu. 2.
menu allows you to group together the functions you use most often, so that you can simply click a button instead of going to the menus. For example, if you frequently use Normalize and Pitch Change, you can choose to have the icons for these functions in the Toolbar, so that all you have to do to use one of them is to make an audio selection and click a button. The Toolbar is an easy way to make your work in Peak faster and more efficient, allowing you to customize the program to suit the way you work.
Conclusion You now know how to create, open, import audio files, export, close, and save Peak documents. You also know how to set the preferences for operating Peak. The next chapter explains how to use your Peak software to record audio to disk.
36 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 4 Playback and Recording
38 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 4: Playback and Recording In this chapter you’ll learn how to record and playback audio with Peak. Peak allows you to capture sound from external sources through your Macintosh’s builtin audio input or by using a third-party audio card. If your Macintosh is equipped with a CD-ROM drive, you can also import audio directly from an audio CD. Peak will also let you record and playback via DAE and ASIO.
File Format Record Settings When you select Record Settings from the Audio menu (Option-R) or Toolbar, the Record Settings dialog appears. This dialog is used to configure your settings for recording with Peak. Please note that the settings you choose here override any previously set with the Apple Sound Control Panel. The File Format pop-up menu allows you to select the file format for the incoming audio. You can choose from AIFF or Sound Designer II.
to replace the current audio with newly recorded audio from the beginning of the selection through the end of the document or wherever you stop the recording. Record timer... checkbox The Record timer... checkbox allows you to designate a specific duration for recording. Peak will stop recording after this set time and bring up the Save dialog for your audio recording. Checking the Record timer... checkbox will bring up the Recording Time dialog.
and PC-compatible computers with 16-bit playback capability. Most sound engineers working in music production— or anything that may be distributed on a CD—work at “forty-four one.” 22.050kHz & 11.025kHz These sample rates are often used for lower-fidelity audio playback on Macintosh and PC compatible computers that have 16-bit playback capability. Many games and other multimedia productions utilize 22.050kHz 16-bit or 8-bit audio, since it uses one-quarter of the disc space of CD-quality audio. 22.
To configure Peak to record through VST Plug-Ins: 1. Go to the Plug-Ins menu and open and configure the VST Plug-In(s) you wish to record through. 2. Select Record Settings... from the Audio menu. The Record Settings dialog will appear. 3. Check the Record through VST Plug-Ins checkbox and click OK. 4. Select Record from the Audio menu ( -R) or Toolbar. You are now ready to record audio through the VST Plug-In(s). 4 VX Control dialog 5.
Recording To record audio to disk, do the following. To start recording: 1. Turn down the volume of your instrument or audio source. 2. Connect the instrument or audio source to the audio input jack on the rear of your Macintosh. If you are using a plug-in audio card, use the connectors on this card. (Some audio cards have an external interface box which contains the input and output connectors. If this is the case, use these.
8. To stop recording, click Stop. To pause, press Pause. 9. The Save dialog appears, prompting you to name the audio document. You must save the audio document to the same hard drive you selected in the Record Settings dialog. Enter a name and click Save. Peak automatically saves the document in the audio file format you selected in the Record Settings dialog.. If you wish to later save the document in a different audio file format, use the Save As command. To play back the recording: 1.
4. To Name a selected CD track, click on Name... button, or, if you are online, you can use the online CD Data Base by checking the Get CD Info from CDDB checkbox. You must be online and have the CDDBLib installed in your Extensions folder in order to use CDDB in Peak’s Import CD dialog. To learn more about the CDDB, click the About CDDB... button. 5. To select only a portion of the track, click on Set Import Times button or double-click on the track in the list.
ASIO Peak supports ASIO 1.0 for recording and playback of audio through your ASIO support sound card. ASIO is a standard technology for routing audio between sound cards and software application developed by Steinberg Software und Hardware, GmBH. ASIO, unlike the Apple Sound Manager, supports bit depths beyond 16-bits and sample rates beyond 65kHz. Most audio cards currently available have ASIO drivers and many of these cards support higher bit-depths and sample rates.
The ASIO dialog appears. Driver Setup Clicking on Driver Setup in the ASIO dialog will launch the control for certain ASIO supported cards, such as Digidesign Direct IO. However, some cards’ drivers will either not have driver control panels or they will have driver setup utilities that need to be configured prior to launching Peak and cannot be accessed from within Peak.
Monitor with Sound Manager Enable the Monitor with Sound Manager checkbox to monitor recording through the Apple Sound Manager while recording through ASIO. This feature is especially useful if you want to monitor your Digigram VX Pocket through headphones plugged into your Powerbook. After you have configured the ASIO Recording Settings, click OK and you can begin recording in Peak via ASIO. Be sure to set the Clock Source in the ASIO dialog to digital if you plan to record via ASIO from a digital source.
Scrubbing. There are two work-arounds to this limitation: 1. You can still use Premiere plug-ins and preview their settings by using the appropriate Digidesign Sound Manager output driver, selected for Sound Out in the Apple Sound Control Panel. 2. Switch to the Digidesign Sound Manager driver under Peak’s Sound Out submenu under the Audio menu when working with playlists or when you need to use Premiere plug-ins in real-time. DAE only works with mono files.
I/O). All recordings made with Peak using DAE will be in the Sound Designer II file format. Stereo files must be recorded in the Dual Mono file format. Playing Audio with Peak To configure recording under DAE: 1. Choose Record Settings from the Audio menu. The Record Settings dialog appears. 2. If you are using Digidesign hardware that has its own SCSI bus, you must choose to record to an audio hard drive attached to your Digidesign SCSI bus to record to.
2. Alternatively, double-click the mouse at the desired location in the audio document. Playback begins from the location that you double-clicked and continues to the end of the document. 3. You can also click anywhere in the Audio Waveform Overview to begin playback from that point. 4. To stop playback, press the Spacebar. Triggering Playback of Multiple Audio Documents Conclusion You have now learned how to record and playback audio to and from hard disk using the Apple Sound Manager, ASIO, and DAE.
Chapter 5 Editing
54 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 5: Editing This chapter introduces you to the concept of digital audio editing. You will learn how to do digital audio editing with Peak’s many powerful digital editing tools. Editing Audio with Peak Peak provides you with a powerful interactive, nondestructive environment for editing and manipulating audio. In this environment, not only are virtually all editing actions completely “undo-able” and “redoable,” but they can be performed interactively while audio playback is engaged.
editing and viewing a document with very quiet audio material. To increase the vertical scaling magnification: • Hold the Control key down and press the Up Arrow key. To decrease the vertical scaling magnification: • Hold the Control key down and press the Down Arrow key. The audio document window Audio Waveform Overview Peak provides an Overview display of the entire audio waveform along the top of the screen under the menu bar.
with the mouse. Your selection will be shortened or lengthened accordingly. Channel Independent Processing A waveform with selected audio A Selection To select only the Left channel, move the cursor over it. The cursor will show a small “L” at the insertion point. To select only the Right channel, move the cursor over it. The cursor will show a small “R” at the insertion point. You can process one channel of an audio document using Peak’s native DSP or third-party plug-ins.
Audio Info Area Audio Info dialog A waveform with loop markers A Loop A loop refers to a section of audio that is bounded on either side by loop markers. In the illustration above, the area that falls between the loop markers “beg loop” and “end loop” is looped. Loops are used to sustain or repeat a section of audio. They can be used for material that you intend to transfer to a sampler, or simply for playback within Peak itself. Peak allows you to create one loop per audio file.
playback, and the relative volume of the audio signal as it plays. Each area also shows additional information during different Peak actions, as described below. The Info Strip Cursor Location Display Time Display The Time Display is like a counter. It shows elapsed time and tracks the “playback head” as audio plays. Clicking on the waveform when playback is stopped will cause the current cursor location to appear in the Time Display.
Selecting Audio In order to perform any type of editing action on an audio document, first you must select the portion of the document that you wish to modify. Peak has several techniques for making and modifying selections. To make a selection with the mouse: • Click the cursor at the desired location in the audio document and drag to select the desired range. To extend or shorten a selection: 1. Make a selection with the mouse as explained previously.
To select audio between two markers with the Tab key: 1. Create markers at several locations in the document with one of the techniques explained in the next section. 2. Press the Tab key on your computer keyboard. Peak selects the portion of the waveform that lies between the first two markers in the document. 3. Press the Tab key again to select the portion of audio between the next two markers.
To use dynamic “Shuttle-type” scrubbing: 1. Hold down the Control key and click and drag the mouse across an area of the audio document in the audio document window. As you drag the mouse, Peak plays a short loop of the audio at the insertion point. You can control the tempo and direction (forward or backward) of playback by dragging the mouse slower or faster, forwards, or backwards. 2. Release the mouse button to stop scrubbing. The insertion point will be exactly where you left off scrubbing. 3.
four times (-4.0x) to four times (+4.0x) original playback speed. Using Unlimited Undo and Redo Peak maintains an internal list of the edits that you perform during the course of an editing session. These changes are not permanently applied to the file until you save it. This gives Peak unlimited undo and redo capability.
have a very fast server connection). Any available servers will then appear in the Scratch Disks pop-up menu. This is recommended only if you have access to a high-speed Ethernet, Media Net, or other fast server. The Edits dialog Essential Editing Functions Peak supports all of the Macintosh’s essential editing functions such as cut, copy, and paste and provides several more specifically designed for audio editing. This section explains how to use each of these functions.
To cut a selection: 1.Click the cursor at the desired location in the audio document and drag to select the desired range. 2. Choose Cut from the Edit menu ( -X) or Toolbar. 3. The selected range is removed from the audio document(s) and held on the Clipboard. Audio occurring after the cut slides over to fill in the gap. audio document and drag to select the desired range. 2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu ( -C) or Toolbar. 3. The selection is copied to the Clipboard.
Replacing Audio The Replace command allows you to paste audio data over existing audio–to paste audio into an audio document without pushing all data to the right of the insertion point farther to the right (later in time) to accommodate the newly pasted audio. The Replace command is useful for “laying over” a portion of audio while maintaining the timing of the original document. except the selection.
2. Choose Silence from the Edit menu ( -E) or Toolbar. The selected audio is replaced with silence. Show Edits Inserting Silence into a Document The Insert Silence command allows you to insert a specific amount of silence into an audio document at the current insertion point. This feature is very useful for inserting pauses of a desired duration into a recording, and can be particularly useful in adjusting the timing or rhythm of spoken material such as dialog or narration.
linearly, check the Linear Blend Calculations checkbox. 6. Click OK when you have finished. The Cursor Bar’s Blending Enable/Disable button The Blending Envelope Editor The Blending dialog To select and edit the blending envelope: Be aware that Blending can interfere with certain DSP processes available under Peak’s DSP menu, such as Fade In/Out and Normalize. You will typically only want to enable Blending only when you intend to make an edit which Blending may be desirable.
later use, click on the Save button before exiting the envelope editor. Your custom envelopes will be stored in the Peak Envelopes folder, and will appear in the pop-up at the top of the envelope editor. 7. When you are satisfied with your new envelope shape, click Change to confirm your edits and close the envelope editor. Peak will use this envelope until you change it again. Note that the Blending Envelope will only be applied to an edit if it is configured prior to making the edit.
To edit and save a Fade In/Fade Out envelope: 7. When you are satisfied with your new envelope shape, click Change to confirm your edits and close the envelope editor. Peak will use this envelope every time you apply a Fade In (or Fade Out) until you change it again. 1. Choose Fade In Envelope (or Fade Out Envelope) from the Preference menu. The Fade Envelope Editor appears.
A marker in the Waveform Display Creating Markers As we’ll describe in detail on the next few pages, there are two ways to create markers: by dropping them “on the fly” during playback, or by defining them with the mouse when playback is stopped. Of the two, the mouse method is perhaps the more precise. However, since it is possible to fine tune the location of a marker at any time by dragging it (or by using the Edit Marker dialog, explained later). Both methods work equally well.
To create a marker when playback is stopped: Marker, Loop Start, and Loop End 1. Click the mouse at the desired location in the audio document. A dotted vertical line appears, indicating the insertion point. These three radio-style buttons allow you to define whether the marker is a regular marker or a loop marker. If you choose to designate the marker as loop marker, you can define it as either the loop start or the loop end by clicking on the corresponding radio button.
To move a marker to a new location: To delete a marker: 1. Click on the triangular base of the marker and drag it to the desired location. 1. Double-click the triangular base of the marker. The Edit Marker dialog appears. 2. To make a marker’s position snap to a zerocrossing (the point at which a waveform crosses the center phase line) as you drag it, hold down the Shift key while you drag. 2. Click the Delete button. The marker is deleted from the audio document.
The Edit Region dialog An audio Region (named “the bridge”) To change the name of a Region: 1. Double-click on either the start or end marker of the Region in the audio document window. The Edit Region dialog will appear. To define a new Region: 1. Make a selection in an opened audio document. 2. Choose New Region from the Action menu ( Shift-R) or Toolbar. 3. Type the name of the Region and click OK. The new Region will appear in the audio document. 2.
Loops are useful in material that you plan to transfer to a sampler. Loop markers created with Peak are recognized by samplers as sustain loops. Peak allows you to create only one loop per audio document. To play a loop in Peak, select Use Loop in Playback command ( -L) from the Preference menu or click the loop button on the Cursor Palette, begin playback, and when Peak reaches the loop, it will continue to repeat until you stop playback.
3. Choose Crossfade Loop... from the DSP menu or the Toolbar. 4. The Crossfade Loop dialog appears. 5. Choose where you want crossfades to be applied using the check boxes along the top of the Crossfade Loop dialog. Typically, the default for this works well. 6. Enter the Duration for the crossfade(s) in milliseconds. 7. Check whether or not you want the crossfade calculated logarithmically or not (i.e., linearly). The Bending Envelope Editor 2.
Using Loop Surfer™ Peak’s Loop Surfer feature automates some of the steps for setting up loop points. Loop Surfer allows you to “Loop Surf” (adjust your loops during playback) quickly, easily and in a musically intuitive manner. create the music, you might wish to refer back to its settings determine the time signature and tempo.
e) turn on (if it hasn’t already been turned on) the Use Loop In Playback option under the Preference menu. f) At this point, you must start playback manually using the Spacebar or the Toolbar if you wish to begin Loop Surfing. While you’re Loop Surfing (adjusting your loop during playback), you’re free to perform all of the standard looping functions as described in the previous section, including adjusting the Loop Start and End points during playback.
Guess Tempo is not available in Peak LE. Exporting Regions Using the Loop Tuner Peak’s Loop Tuner provides a way to visually line up the start and end points of your loop to get a smooth transition at the loop points. Loop Tuner also allows you listen to the effects of these adjustments as you make them. If you wish to “tune” a loop you’ve made, simply select Loop Tuner from the DSP menu or Toolbar, and a dialog will appear.
to a new folder, use the Set Path button. 9. To export the regions, click Begin. Peak exports each of the regions into its own audio document. Sample rate in kHz for the resulting files in the Rate field (please note that this will not do sample rate conversions). You can also designate whether the resulting audio documents contain Regions or Markers or not. Output Directory area Resulting audio documents can either be output to new open audio document windows or saved to the hard drive.
Export Regions is not available in Peak LE. Editing QuickTime Soundtracks in Peak Peak allows you to edit QuickTime movie soundtracks. While you cannot edit QuickTime video in Peak, you can use Peak as a full-featured audio post-production tool for QuickTime movies. This makes Peak an ideal tool for editing and cleaning up soundtracks, as well as adding sound effects or music to QuickTime movies. next to this item indicates it is enabled. 4.
Conclusion You have now learned how to manipulate audio with Peak’s various editing tools, including how to work with Markers, Loops, and Regions. In the next chapter you will learn more about the use of Regions in Playlists.
Chapter 6 Playlists and Audio CD Burning
84 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 6: Playlists and CD Burning Introduction This chapter explains how to use Peak’s Playlist feature to sequence audio events. A Playlist is a list of Regions strung together in a specific order. The Peak Playlist is merely a set of instructions that tell the hard disk which playlist regions to “read” in what order. Playlist editing does not permanently alter the original audio data on your hard disk. No matter how many changes you make, your original recordings remain intact.
Show Loops Show Regions Show Markers Button Button Button Region Start Region Audio Time Name Document Name Tab To move the start and end points of the region together: • Option-drag on the start or end marker of the Region. To change the name of a Playlist Region: 1. Double-click on either the start or end marker of the Region in the audio document window, or Option-double-click on the Region name in the Contents Palette. The Edit Regions dialog will appear.
Time Display the Playlist Region will become the current selection in the audio document. Crossfade In Start Time Playlist Event Gap Time DSP effect boxes Crossfade Out Gain Creating a Playlist To create a new Playlist: • Select Playlist Document from the New... submenu under the File menu ( -Shift-P). An empty playlist document will appear. The top of the playlist has category titles for each column of information. The bottom of the playlist shows total duration of the playlist.
Crossfades between Playlist Events fade out the first region while fading in the next region. Each Playlist Event has separate controls for crossfade in, crossfade out, crossfade-in time, and crossfade-out time. The curve stored in crossfade in is used to fade in the current region. The curve stored in crossfade out is used to fade out into the next region. Crossfades are stored on disk and are computed before playback. When a crossfade is being calculated, the watch cursor may appear.
under the Preference menu will be used to audition from the end of the previous playlist event through the transition into the selected playlist event. event will be removed from the playlist, and the audio events below the event will move up. This operation will, of course, decrease the length of the Playlist. To edit a crossfade in or out: To scrub in the Playlist window: • While playing audio in a Playlist, hold down the control key and press the forward or reverse buttons in the playlist.
The Nudge Regions Dialog The Nudge Regions function is useful for fine-tuning the start and end times of Regions in the Playlist as well as adjusting the crossfade times. Access the Nudge Regions dialog by clicking on the icon in the Playlist window. In this dialog you can dynamically adjust start and end times of selected regions by scrolling in the windows, and listen to the changes as you make them by clicking on the Play button.
2. Press the Delete key on your keyboard. Peak will turn off the LED lights for the selected DSP effect boxes indicating that they are disabled. To change the settings of a DSP effect on a playlist event: 1. Double-click on the DSP effect box in the playlist event that you wish to re-configure. 2. Configure the plug-in settings and click OK or Process, depending on the particular plug-in. Plug-In DSP effects not available in Peak LE Playlists .
with Roxio for any specific questions regarding compatible CD Burners. Saving and Opening Playlists Peak’s Playlist and Toast To save a playlist: 1. Choose Save from the File menu. If the playlist has not yet been saved, it will prompt you to save it and name it when you close the Playlist. 2. Alternatively, you can save a copy of the playlist with the Save As... command.
CD tracks to burn, a dialog appears instructing you to insert a blank CD into your CD Burner. 5. Insert a blank CD and click OK. Toast will burn your Peak Playlist as an audio CD. Playlists burned from Peak using versions of Toast prior to 5.0 should not use crossfades between playlist events since Toast burns audio CD tracks one-at-a-time with a predefined 2 second gap between tracks. If you need seamless transitions between tracks, use the instructions below for burning playlists with JAM.
94 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 7 DSP
96 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 7: DSP Introduction Peak’s Audio Processing Tools Peak allows you to transform your audio with a variety of powerful Digital Signal Processing (DSP) tools. You can apply these tools at any time by first making a selection in an audio document and then choosing the desired menu command from the DSP menu. Peak’s DSP capabilities provide composers and professional sound designers with many interesting audio effects and processing tools.
To apply the Amplitude Envelope to an audio selection: 1. Select the audio material you wish to process. 2. Choose Amplitude Envelope... from the DSP menu. 3. Draw the amplitude envelope you wish to apply to the audio selection in the envelope editor. Points above and below the 0% line will normalize the selected audio using the grain-by-grain normalization technique. Amplitude Fit is not available in Peak LE. The Add dialog Change Duration 5. Click OK. Peak mixes the two signals together. 6.
2. Choose Change Duration from DSP menu. The Change Duration dialog appears. 3. Click the radio button for one of the following fields, and enter the value that you wish for the change in duration: preferences to your liking, click OK to exit the DSP Preferences dialog. 5. Click OK when you have finished. Peak changes the duration of the selection according to the settings that you chose. Change Duration is not available in Peak LE. • In the Seconds field, type the new duration in seconds.
clipping, enable Clipguard by checking the Clipguard checkbox. 5. Click OK when you have finished. Peak will change the gain of the signal by the amount you specified. Change Pitch Peak’s Change Pitch function allows you to alter the pitch of an audio selection by as much as an octave. The Change Pitch dialog uses a pitch slider that allows you to choose a new pitch by musical interval, and “fine tune” the pitch change by smaller increments called “cents.
To change the sample rate of a document: 1. Choose Convert Sample Rate from the DSP menu or Toolbar. The Convert Sample Rate dialog appears. 2. Type in the sample rate that you wish to convert the audio document to, or click the down arrow to select from a pop-up of commonly used sample rates. 3. Click OK. Peak converts the entire audio document to the selected sample rate. use the Convolve DSP command, you must first copy a selection of audio.
To dither down the bit-depth of an audio file: explained earlier in this chapter. 1. Choose Select All under the Edit menu ( -A). 2. Choose Crossfade Loop from the DSP menu. 2. Choose Dither from the DSP menu. 3. In the Crossfade Loop dialog that appears, enter a duration for the crossfade-in milliseconds and click OK. 4.
2. Choose Fade In Envelope from the Preference menu. 3. In the Fade Envelope Editor dialog that appears, you can use the default envelope, edit the envelope, or load any envelopes included with Peak or that you have created yourself. 4. Choose Fade In from the DSP menu. Peak applies the Fade In to the selection you have made in the audio document. 2. Choose Find Peak from the DSP menu. 3. A dialog will appear telling you what the peak value is, and where it is located.
The Loop Tuner dialog with a good, smooth transition The Gain Envelope dialog Loop Tuner Peak’s Loop Tuner provides a way to visually line up the start and end points of your loop and listen to the effects of these adjustments as you make them. If you wish to “tune” a loop you’ve made, simply select Loop Tuner from the DSP menu or Toolbar, and a dialog will appear.
Mix The Mix command allows you to mix material that you have copied to the clipboard with a target selection. This function can be used as a kind of “sound-onsound” capability for mixing audio tracks together, or for blending sound elements. The Mix command is similar to the Add command, but it does not have the potential to clip because the target and clipboard contents are attenuated before mixing. To use the Mix command, you must first copy a selection of audio.
Modulate Normalize This Modulate command functions as a “ring modulator” which multiplies two audio signals together (e.g., the material copied to the clipboard and the currently selected audio). The resulting audio includes the sum and difference tones of the frequency components of the modulated audio and the modulating audio. These are generally very complex timbres that often have a “metallic” (i.e., inharmonic) character to them.
Panner Phase Vocoder dialog appears. The Panner allows you to adjust the panning, or leftto-right movement, of a stereo document by drawing an envelope in the Panner dialog. Left is at the top of the graph, and right is a the bottom. To adjust the panning of a selection: 1. Select the stereo document that you wish to adjust. If you wish to select the entire document, choose Select All from the Edit menu ( -A). 2. Choose Panner from the DSP menu. 3.
give undesirable results. Due to the nature of the Phase Vocoder’s algorithm, optimum results are achieved when it is used with solo instruments and steady state sounds (such as a voice or solo flute line) rather than complex tones (such as an orchestra playing). 6. Click OK. Peak processes the audio. To hear the results, initiate playback. 4. Click OK. Peak processes the audio. To hear the results, initiate playback. Rappify is not available in Peak LE.
Tool. Clicks such as those of a scratching and popping vinyl record loose their detectability once they are sampled using Analog to Digital converters. using the Audition button. The Audition button plays the click using the Pre-roll and Post-roll settings from the Auditioning... dialog under the Preference menu. • If you repair a click and are unsatisfied with the results, simply click on the Undo button.
2. Choose Repair Clicks from the DSP menu or use Repair Click and skip step 3. effects. To use Reverse Boomerang: 3. Click the Repair button. Then click the Audition button to make sure the click was adequately repaired. If it was not adequately repaired, use the Undo button, modify the smoothing factor or repair size and click the Repair button again. 1. Select the audio that you wish to process. If you wish to select the entire document, choose Select All from the Edit menu ( -A). 2.
Swap Channels The Swap Channels command reverses the the left and right channels in a stereo selection. To swap channels for a stereo selection: 1. Select the audio that you wish to reverse. If you wish to select the entire document, choose Select All from the Edit menu ( -A), or place the insertion point at the beginning of the stereo audio document. 2. Choose Swap Channels from the DSP menu. Peak swaps the left channel for the right channel and the right channel for the left channel.
right to left, press the Page Down key. User Tip: Use the Threshold command to create several looping points. To convert a marker to a Loop Start or Loop End point, double-click on the marker and change it to “Loop Start” or “Loop End” in the Edit Marker dialog. Also, try rearranging the regions generated by the Threshold function in the Playlist or by using Cut and Paste to create new interesting compositional and rhythmic ideas! Threshold is not available in Peak LE.
Chapter 8 Plug-Ins
114 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 8: Plug-Ins Introduction Adobe Premiere Format Plug-Ins Peak supports a number of plug-in formats for thirdparty DSP plug-ins. Peak supports Premiere, AudioSuite, TDM, and VST format plug-ins. Peak, like many host audio software applications, relies on thirdparty plug-ins for noise reduction, equalization, reverberation, etc. Adobe Premiere is one of the most popular digital video and multimedia authoring programs.
To install an Adobe Premiere format plug-in, simply drag it into the Peak Plug-Ins folder (located at the same hard disk directory level as the Peak application), restart Peak, and the plug-in will appear in the Plug-Ins menu. As with all editing functions, audio processing with plug-ins is applied non-destructively until you save a document. section). Generally, for the best results, this preference should be set between 512k and 2038k (the default is 1024k).
RealTime Premiere Plug-In Processing plug-in effects gradually according to a specified envelope. This is useful for applying affects gradually over time. To apply a Premiere Plug-In variably over time: 1. Make a selection of the audio material you wish to process with the plug-in. Peak allows you to use any Premiere format audio plug-ins in real-time. This allows you to apply any Premiere format plug-in to an audio selection skipping the processing step.
Record Through Premiere Plug-In If you have Premiere-format audio plug-ins installed in your Peak Plug-Ins folder, you can record through them in real-time. This is useful if you want to use a noise reduction, equalizing, or dynamics plug-in during recording. DAE Folder in your System Folder. TDM Plug-ins are not installed in the Peak Plug-Ins folder. To install a TDM plug-in, consult the documentation that came with your TDM plug-in. To insert a TDM plug-in: 1. Be sure that Peak is using DAE 3.
audio will be processed by the first plug-in in step (1), then by the new plug-in you assigned in (3). Repeat this process to assign additional plug-ins. Note: If you try to assign more plug-ins than your TDM hardware allows (based on the plugin DSP requirements and the number of DSP chips available in your Digidesign equipment), Peak will not be able to assign additional TDM plug-ins. Note: The TDM plug-ins you enable will be applied to all the playlists or audio documents you play with Peak.
9. Peak will batch process these files and save them to the designated directory folder. Peak LE does not support Batch File Processing. AudioSuite Plug-Ins If you are using DAE 3.4.x, Peak provides you with access to AudioSuite plug-ins, providing a range of exciting effects such as EQ, reverberation, compression, etc. AudioSuite plug-ins are installed in the Plug-Ins folder in the DAE Folder in your System Folder. AudioSuite Plug-ins are not installed in the Peak Plug-Ins folder.
assigned, change the menu option to None. The VST plug-in on that insert will no longer be active. To insert multiple VST plug-ins to a Peak audio document: 1. Select a VST plug-in under Peak’s VST Insert menu, under the Plug-Ins menu. The VST plug-in will appear. 2. Press space or the play button on the Toolbar to hear the audio processed and played with the VST plug-in. 3. Select another VST plug-in under the next VST Insert menu, under the Plug-Ins menu.
8. Peak will batch process these files and save them to the designated directory folder. processing audio. To record through VST plug-ins: Peak LE does not support Batch File Processing. 1. Open an Audio Document. 2. Open and configure the VST plug-ins you want to record through. 3. Choose the Record Settings from under the Audio menu. 4. Enable Record Through VST Plug-in in addition to any other Record Settings you want. Click OK. 5. Go to the Record dialog and begin recording.
Chapter 9 Batch File Processor and Apple Events
124 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 9: Batch File Processor and Apple Events Introduction Peak allows you to process any number of audio files at once with any number of possible process using the Batch File Processor. Peak also supports Apple Events, which allows you to manage whole libraries of audio files quickly and easily with database applications such as FileMaker Pro™. Batch File Processor Peak’s Batch File Processor is one of the most powerful, versatile, and useful features in Peak.
Open command from the File menu will not be batch processed. mbohntoprocseothow onodinseciscorect elFiBchathet nuigs eslif niputeortsand .rossecoPr You can also have the Batch File Processor run in the background while you continue work in Peak or any other application. An icon will flash in the upper left corner of your screen to let you know that the batch processing is enabled.
In process and only wish to apply it to just the first If you want the output audio files of your Batch three seconds of the audio document, click the Fade Process to be appended with a suffix, such as .WAV, In process from the Selected Processes for Batch list simply enter the suffix you want appended in the File and then type a “3” into the Apply Just to First x Name Suffix field. All resulting audio file names will be Seconds edit text field.
5. You will be back in the Batch File Processing dialog. Click Log... and choose the output folder to save the log file into. 6. Click the On button in the Input Area of the Batch File Processor. The Batch File Processor is now turned on. 7. Click OK to close the Batch File Processor dialog. 8. Switch to the Finder, and drag and drop a folder full of audio documents onto the Peak application’s icon. 9. Peak will process all audio files in the folder that was dropped onto the Peak application icon. 10.
File operation). Once it is found, it is opened up and ready for playback. window. If the document is not found, Peak will beep once. “Savvy” Core Suite of Apple Events ( event class = ‘aevt’ ) stop Stop any currently playing audio The “stop” event takes no additional data and instructs Peak to stop playing any audio that is currently playing. odoc Open Document The “odoc” event instructs Peak to open an audio document with the document path provided in the data following the event.
3. Pass the FindFile Volume name to Peak from some Filemaker Pro field (SFFV). 4. Pass the FindFile File name to Peak from some Filemaker Pro field (SFFF). 5. Tell Peak to find and open the document described by steps 3 and 4, above (OFFF). 6. Tell Peak to Play the front-most audio document (PLAY) (most likely opened in step 5). - Sample Script Definition from Filemaker Pro Apple Events are not supported in Peak LE.
Chapter 10 Samplers
132 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 10: Samplers Introduction Peak allows you to import samples directly from compatible samplers, edit or process the audio using all of Peak’s powerful editing and processing functions, and then send the modified sample back to the sampler, all in the digital domain. This capability allows you to use Peak as a powerful sample editing and sound design tool, giving you access to audio processing capabilities far more advanced than those typically found on sample playback instruments.
having trouble transmitting samples to a SMDI or Roland device, or if your Macintosh does not support Asynchronous SCSI transfers. Ultra-Wide SCSI cards may need to have the SMDI use new SCSI manager option enabled in the Sampler dialog under the Preference menu. To use the SMDI Sampler dialog: 1. Choose SMDI Sampler or the name of your sampler from the Sampler menu. The SMDI Sampler Transfer dialog appears. Update The Update button rebuilds the list of samples shown in the SMDI Sampler Transfer dialog.
documents will be sent to the selected destinations in the order that they appear under Peak’s Windows menu. Receive To receive a sample from the SMDI sampler, click on the sample in the list of samples that you wish to receive and press the Receive button. To receive multiple samples from your SMDI Sampler, shift-click or -click multiple destinations in the list of samples and click the Receive button. To send an audio document to your SMDI sampler: 1.
• You may need to turn on your SCSI devices in the correct order. Turn all of the SCSI devices connected to your Macintosh on first, then turn on the Macintosh and launch the Peak application. The Sampler Preferences dialog Working with the Roland S-760 Sampler A note about the Yamaha A3000 Peak supports the Yamaha A3000 digital sampler. You can access the A3000 sampler using either the Yamaha A3000 or SMDI menu selection under Peak’s Sampler menu.
for you to transfer samples back and forth between Peak and your S-760 sampler. Peak will also transfer loop information along with sample data. To set up a SCSI connection between your computer and the S-760: 1. Turn off all devices, including your Macintosh, before connecting SCSI cables. 2. Connect the sampler to your SCSI chain, being sure to use high-quality SCSI cables no more than 6 feet in length. 3.
Choose the SCSI ID number that your sampler is set to using the pop-up, and click Update. Peak will display a list of samples stored in your S-760’s RAM. 3. If you are replacing sample(s) with the same name, click on the list items you wish to replace. If you wish to send sample(s) to empty locations within the sampler, click on list items titled “(Empty)” 4. Press the Send button. Peak will transfer the audio document(s) to the specified location(s) in your Roland S-760 sampler.
AKAI samplers require that samples be numbered in successive order, with no empty samples occurring between existing samples. Therefore, the sampler may automatically renumber any samples you transfer to it in order to conform to its own numbering system. AKAI samplers also require that each sample have a unique name. When sending an audio file to a new empty location in the sampler, Peak may append the name of the new sample with a numeral (e.g.
Once a sample is sent to the sampler, it may need to be assigned to a patch, preset, layer, or voice before you can play back the sample. Refer to your MIDI sampler instrument’s Owner’s Guide for information on how to display and set the instrument’s Sysex ID. Because different samplers store samples differently, you should refer to the Owner’s Guide of your particular sampler to understand how samples are numbered and stored in your sampler.
expected. This error can be caused by a break in the MIDI connection during the transfer. OMS, you can download it from the Opcode World Wide Web site at http://www.opcode.com or by contacting Opcode directly. “The MIDI device returned an error.” • This error message can occur when the sample transfer is aborted from the front panel of the MIDI sampler. “The MIDI device did not respond.” • This error message can occur when Peak sends a message and no response is sent back.
create wavesample 3 if wavesamples 1 and 2 have not been created. You must first create wavesamples 1 and 2. The Ensoniq Sampler dialog maintains a list of instructions to execute with your Ensoniq Sampler, according to your directions. For instance, you may wish for the Ensoniq Sampler dialog to send a wavesample, create new layers on an instrument, rename instruments, and then receive a wavesample to your Macintosh.
The Ensoniq Sampler dialog will display the information in the area below the Ensoniq Sampler dialog list. above to change the keyrange of samples marked for transfer to the Ensoniq Sampler. Auditioning Wavesamples already in the Ensoniq Sampler Ensoniq List Menu To hear a wavesample stored on the Ensoniq Sampler, double-click on the list item in the Ensoniq Sampler dialog list that represents that wavesample. The Ensoniq Sampler dialog will play back the sample using MIDI.
2. Select Send Sample from the List menu. 3. The standard Get File Macintosh file dialog will appear allowing you to select a sample for transfer into the selected instrument, layer, and wavesample. Select the sample to send and click Open. The Ensoniq Sampler dialog will change the name of the wavesample you have chosen to the name of the file you picked to send to the Ensoniq Sampler. appropriate amount of RAM and close the Get Info dialog box.
until you click the Begin button. To remove one of the instructions, such as a sample transfer or a rename, click on the item with the instruction and choose Remove From List from the List menu. Save Set Once you have created a list of instructions for Ensoniq Sampler dialog to carry out, you can save this list of items as a Macintosh document that can be recalled later. you may periodically need to update its link to your Ensoniq Sampler.
dialog software current with any editing you might have done since your last Update. Remember, the Ensoniq Sampler dialog cannot constantly automatically update itself. It needs your help. To do this, select the instrument or layer item that you wish to update by clicking on it and choose Update from the List menu. Peak itself by clicking Exit To Finder. The warning dialog usually appears if your MIDI connection to the Ensoniq Sampler is not properly configured.
Chapter 11 Peak Menus
148 Peak User’s Guide
Chapter 11: Peak Menus New This chapter explains each of the commands found in Peak’s menus. For step-by-step instructions on implementing these commands, refer to the index, and go to the appropriate chapter where use of the command is covered. There you will learn how to apply the functions described here. This command allows you to create a new Peak audio document.
System 7 Sounds files by selecting the file in the dialog and clicking the Play button in the QuickTime-style movie controller on the center left of the open dialog. Peak allows you to have as many documents open at the same time as RAM permits. The more free memory that you can allocate to Peak, the more documents you will be able to open and work with simultaneously. • Sound Designer II: This is Digidesign’s audio file format for its digital audio products.
• MP3: Saves audio as MP3 encoded audio. (Requires the SWA Export Extra.) Different formats allow different information to be stored with the file. If you open a file created in a format other than Peak’s default AIFF format, Peak will preserve any format-specific information unless you save the file into a different file format. Saving a file in a different format than its original format, however, may cause some information stored in the file to be discarded.
button, or, if you are online, you can use the online CD Data Base by checking the Get CD Info from CDDB checkbox. 5. To select only a portion of the track, click on Set Import Times button or double-click on the track in the list. The Audio CD Import Options dialog will appear. Import Dual Mono The Import Dual Mono command lets you import two mono files and create an interleaved stereo file.
document, Peak’s Export Regions command allows you to save each of these regions as a separate audio document. This feature is very convenient if you wish to divide a larger file into regions and transfer them as samples into a sample playback instrument, or divide a live concert record into regions and export those regions as separate files.
To use Batch File Processing, go to the File menu and select Batch Processing. The Batch File Processor dialog appears. Batch File Processor is not available in Peak LE. Recently Opened Documents Peak automatically remembers the last several audio documents or playlists that you have opened and keeps a list of these at the bottom of the File dialog. This allows you to easily select a document’s name and reopen it without having to search for it on your hard drive.
Edit Menu This menu contains all of the standard Macintosh commands for cutting copying and pasting as well several additional commands specific to Peak. appear grayed out. The only limitation in using the Redo command is that if you insert a new action when a redo action is available, you will no longer be able to redo. In other words, as soon as you perform an editing action other than Undo, Redo is no longer available Edits...
Peak's Clipboard. Once you have copied a portion of an audio document, you can paste it or insert it at another location the same document or a different document. Paste The Paste command ( -V) allows you to paste the contents of the Clipboard into a location that you choose by placing an insertion point. Pasting audio deletes any selected audio and inserts the clipboard audio at the insertion point.
Insertion Point at Selection Start/End The Insertion Point at Selection Start command (Up Arrow) places the insertion point at the beginning of a selection. The Insertion Point at Selection End command (Down Arrow) places the insertion point at the end of a selection. Set Selection The Set Selection command allows you to precisely edit the length, start and end times of an audio selection by entering numerical values ion the Set Selection dialog.
your computer keyboard. Holding down the Option key while you make a selection will zoom the waveform view in so that your selection fills the audio document window after you release the mouse button. beginning and end of the current selection to move to the nearest zero-crossings. Loop This Selection The Increase Vertical Zoom command (Control-Up Arrow) makes the waveform “taller,” or increases the vertical zoom.
Three Markers named “Foo” The Edit Marker dialog New Region The New Region command (Shift- -R) defines a selection as a new region and adds it to the Regions menu. Locate a region by double-clicking the name of a Region in the Contents Palette. The audio document will automatically scroll to display the selected region, and the region will become the current selection in the audio document. For more detail on using Regions in Peak, see Chapter 6: Playlists & CD Burning.
Go To The Go To command ( -G) allows you to quickly and precisely navigate to a the start or end of a selection, the start or end of a loop, a specific marker, or a specific time location in an audio document. This command is essential for speedily locating any of these important locations in an audio document. Choosing the Go To Time command allows you to enter the exact time location that you wish to navigate to. In addition, the Location submenu lists all markers, regions and loops. length of time.
Stop Audio Menu The Audio menu contains commands for playing back and recording audio, as well as configuring your audio hardware, SMPTE settings, and Peak’s audio Meters. The Stop command stops playback. The Spacebar or the Return key can both be used to stop playback. Stop & Extend Selection The Stop & Extend Selection command (ShiftSpacebar) stops playback and extends any selection from the point at which playback was initiated.
for recording with Peak. Please note that the settings you choose here override any previously set with the Apple Sound Control Panel. The Record Settings dialog The Record dialog The Notepad feature in the Record Dialog allows you to type in text descriptions, transcribe a recording, or type in comments called Notepad Cues at specific points during the recording of an audio document. The Notepad feature is available from the Record dialog and may be used once a recording starts.
Auto Gain Control checkbox The Auto Gain Control checkbox allows you to disable the Automatic Gain Control feature used by the Sound Manager with some Macintosh microphone inputs. Auto Gain Control adjusts input gain automatically to get maximum recording levels. If the recording device you are using supports this feature, you can check the Auto Gain Control checkbox if you want to turn this feature on. recording after this set time and bring up the Save dialog for your audio recording.
The Sound dialog: Source The Sound dialog: Sample Source Sample Selecting Sample from the Sound dialog pop-up menu allows you to choose the sample rate and bit rate, as well as whether the incoming audio will be recorded as a Stereo or Mono file. To some degree, the choices that appear here will depend on your audio hardware. Possible sample rates are as follows: 48.
For complete instructions on recording audio in Peak, please see Chapter 4. choose Hardware Settings. The actual third-party dialog will differ depending on the type of audio card you have. SMPTE Sync Meters The SMPTE Sync... command is used to Synchronize playback with an external SMPTE/EBU device, use the SMPTE Sync... dialog under the Audio menu. Enter the SMPTE/EBU time for the audio to begin playback in the time field.
DSP Menu This menu contains Peak’s DSP-based audio processing and advanced editing tools. A complete description of Peak’s DSP functions and instructions on how to use them are given in Chapter 6 of this User’s Guide. The Add dialog Add is not available in Peak LE. Amplitude Fit Amplitude Fit provides granular normalization of an audio selection on a grain-by-grain basis. Grains are small groups of samples, often around 30ms.
Change Duration The Change Duration command allows you to slow down or speed up the selected material by a specified amount without changing its pitch. You can specify the change in duration by a value in seconds, a percentage of the original, or, for rhythmicallyoriented material, beats per minute. A change in duration by a reasonable amount, about 85% to 115%, can be very convincing. Exaggerated time stretching, 200% or more, can result in some very interesting granular textures.
Convert Sample Rate The Convert Sample Rate command allows you to change the sample rate of a sound without changing its pitch. This feature is very useful for converting audio material into lower or higher sample rates as required by other applications. Please note that sample rate conversion is applied to an entire document. It cannot be applied to just a selection within a document. Refer to Chapters 3 and 4 for an explanation of commonly used sample rates.
The Fade In and Fade Out DSP commands, and the Fade Envelope Editor dialog are described at length in Chapter 5. Find Peak The Find Peak operation will place the insertion point at the sample with the maximum amplitude value that it locates in the audio selection. upper left of the Loop Tuner dialog allow you to adjust the vertical zoom up of the waveform.
Modulate This Modulate command functions as a “ring modulator” which multiplies two audio signals together (e.g., the material copied to the clipboard and the currently selected audio). The resulting audio includes the sum and difference tones of the frequency components of the modulated audio and the modulating audio. These are generally very complex timbres that often have a “metallic” (i.e., inharmonic) character to them.
The Normalize dialog Panner The Panner allows you to adjust the panning, or leftto-right movement, of a stereo document by drawing an envelope in the Panner dialog. Left is at the top of the graph, and right is a the bottom. The Phase Vocoder dialog Phase Vocoder is not available in Peak LE. Rappify The Rappify command applies extreme dynamic filtering to a selection.
Repair Click The Repair Click command will eliminate a selected click or “spike” in the waveform using the setting designated in the Repair Clicks dialog (explained next). Repair Click is not available in Peak LE. Repair Clicks The Repair Clicks command allows you to find and repair pops or clicks in an audio document.
detection setting dramatically — lower it gradually for the best results. Repair Clicks is not available in Peak LE. Remove DC Offset This function allows you to remove any DC Offset in your audio file. Peak scans the audio for DC offset and then removes it. Peak will scan the left and right channels of a stereo file independently. DC Offset is usually caused by problems in the analog to digital conversion process.
were previously received from the sampler. Revert All from Sampler Sampler Menu This menu allows you to import samples directly from compatible samplers, edit or process the audio using all of Peak’s functions, and send the modified sample back to the sampler. Peak supports SMDI, Ensoniq, Roland and AKAI samplers. A complete description of how to use this feature is given in Chapter 11 of this User’s Guide.
Ensoniq Sampler. The Ensoniq Sampler dialog provides several operations beyond wavesample transfer, including instrument, layer and wavesample renaming, creation, and deletion. See Chapter 10 for a full description of this dialog. Chapter 10: Samplers for more information. E-mu, Ensoniq ASR-X, Kurzweil, Peavey, Yamaha Sampler A large number of samplers support SMDI sample transfer. Choosing the name of your SMDI sampler from the Sampler menu will open the SMDI Sampler dialog.
Peak sends and receives all MIDI Sample Dumps as 16bit resolution samples. Depending on your particular sampler, the 16 bit resolution may be reduced to a lower resolution to match the sampler’s capabilities. MIDI Sample Dump does not support stereo audio documents, so you may need to separate your stereo audio documents into left and right mono documents using the Export Dual Mono... command under the File menu. You can then send the mono documents separately to the sampler.
well as picking your own custom colors from a color palette. You can also choose to have the waveform display shading for a 3-D look, as well as select the amount of shading. Changes made using the Colors dialog affect both the current audio document’s colors, and any subsequent new audio document’s colors. See Chapter 3 for more information on this feature.
documents that have been cut or copied, as well as for temporary or “scratch” files for undo purposes. If your hard disk is short on space, you may not be able to cut, copy, or modify large selections. If you have more than one hard drive attached to your Macintosh, the Scratch Disks command in the Preference menu allows you to choose the hard drives (or “scratch disks”) that you wish to use for these temporary files.
Dynamic Scrub Time Peak provides a unique audio auditioning technique called dynamic scrubbing. This feature is very useful for precisely pinpointing a desired location in an audio document. Dynamic scrubbing allows you to drag the mouse forward or backward over a waveform while Peak plays a short loop (between 10 and 600 milliseconds) at the scrub location. You can control the tempo and direction (forward or backward) of playback by dragging the mouse slower or faster, forwards or backwards.
The Fade Out Envelope dialog allows you to control the exact shape of a fade out by providing you with user-definable envelope controls. For detailed instructions on how to create fade out and edit their envelopes, see Chapter 5: Editing. Premiere Envelope This command allows you to apply third-party Adobe Premiere Plug-in effects gradually according to the envelope you create in the Envelope Editor dialog. This is very useful for applying effects over time. Sampler... The Sampler...
Peak also allows you to control the amount of RAM the program uses to keep audio documents buffered in RAM. Use larger values if you are working with a few large files, and smaller values if you are working with many smaller files. Experiment to find the best settings for your system and working style. Plug-In Memory Peak Playback Preferences dialog When using third party Premiere plug-ins, you may need to set aside some RAM for the plug-in.
default Keyboard Shortcuts are listed in Appendix 1 at the end of this manual. open audio documents. You may also customize the Peak Toolbar using the Shortcuts and Toolbar dialog. Just scroll to a function in the dialog list, and use the checkbox to toggle the icon on and off. This allows you to group only the items you use most frequently on the Toolbar for easy access. The Toolbar You may assign almost any Peak command as an icon in the Toolbar.
The Peak Cursor Palette Peak has a floating Cursor Palette that contains several useful functions. On the right side of the palette are four different icons representing different cursor modes. The default cursor is a standard Arrow Cursor. You can also use the cursor palette to select a Hand Cursor for moving a waveform within its window, a Pencil Tool for drawing directly on the waveform at the sample level, and a Magnifying Glass Tool for zooming the waveform view in and out.
the current Playlist window. See Chapter 6: Playlists & CD Burning, for more on Playlists. window. Alternatively, you can press the -number key corresponding to the open document and the document will become the active window. (Click the Windows menu to see the -numbers that correspond to each open audio document.) Links Menu The Playlist Window Crossfades, DSP Inserts, and Nudge Regions are not available for the Playlist in Peak LE.
Appendices
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Appendix 1: Keyboard Shortcuts and Actions Keyboard Shortcuts This section lists the default keyboard shortcuts for Peak. As you learned in Chapter 3: Peak Basics, these keyboard shortcuts may be reassigned to any desired key or combination of keys, as well as to icons in the Toolbar.
Menu -A Up Arrow Down Arrow - -Left Arrow -Right Arrow Keyboard Shortcut Command Comments Select All Insertion Point at Selection Start Insertion Point at Selection End Select Loop Previous Selection Next Selection Selects all audio and events Places Insertion Point at beginning of selection Places Insertion Point at end of selection Selects loop Selects previous view or selection Selects next view or selection Action -] or + Zoom In -[ or Zoom Out Control-Up Arrow Increase Vertical Zoom Control
Menu Option-1, -2, -3.... Keyboard Shortcut Command Comments VST Windows Brings VST windows to front by number, in the order they were opened.
Toolbar, or double-click mouse at desired location in the track. Peak Actions Scrubbing To begin dynamic “shuttle” scrubbing: This section lists common Peak Actions not found in Peak’s menus. It is organized by Peak windows and functions. Useful Peak Actions, General To stop lengthy processes, Saves and recalculations: • Press -Period • Hold down the Control key and drag the mouse across the desired area. To begin dynamic “jog” scrubbing: • Hold down the Control and Option keys, and drag the mouse.
To find a Marker by name: • Type in the first few letters of the marker name To edit a Marker: • Double-click on the triangular base of the Marker to open the Edit dialog To name a Marker: • Double-click the triangular base of the marker, and enter a name. To paste just markers, loops and/or regions, leaving audio intact: • hold down option while selecting paste from the edit menu ( -Option-V).
To bring up the Smoothing dialog for the Pencil tool: • Double-click on the Pencil tool in the Cursor Palette. The Contents Palette To edit a region, marker or loop in the Contents Palette: • Option-double-click on it’s name in the Contents Palette. The Movie Window To make the Movie window smaller: • Option-click on the QuickTime movie’s “grow box” (at the upper right corner of the Movie window.
Appendix 2: Troubleshooting (Sound manager 3.3 or later is recommended.) This Appendix contains solutions to common problems that you may encounter when using Peak. • Is QuickTime™ 3.0.2 or later installed on your Macintosh? Before Calling For Help • Is the QuickTime™ PowerPlug installed on your Macintosh? Before you call BIAS Technical Support for help, please take a moment to examine the Read Me file installed with Peak.
System, if the OS runs out of RAM the Application and/or the System may report a type 1, 2, or 3 error. Control Panel. • Check the Volumes in the Sound Control Panel and make sure the Volume for your selected sound card is turned up. I am having trouble with my Waves Premiere plug-ins: • BIAS recommends that you use the new Waves Waveshell-P 2.6 or later. • Try trashing the Waves preferences folder from the Preferences folder in the System folder.
Peak reports a -2821 error: • If Peak reports an error result code -2821 you will need to be sure that the Shared Library Manager and Shared Library Manager PPC extensions are installed and enabled in your extensions set. Peak reports a “QuickTime Lib not found” error: • Make sure you have both the QuickTime and QuickTime PowerPlug version 3.0.2 or later extensions in your Extensions folder (in your System Folder). • Make sure that the Sound Manager version 3.
The items in the DSP menu are grayed out: document window.) • Do the Sound Control Panel’s Sound Out sample rate and resolution settings match the ones set in Peak? To check, select a portion of audio in Peak, choose the Audio Info command from Peak’s Preferences menu, and note the settings. Then, open the Sound Control Panel from the Apple menu, and choose Sound Out from the pop-up menu. If the settings don’t match, correct them here.
1. Use the recommended Digidesign extensions. 2. Rebuild your Desktop. This is a good thing to do every now and then. It is done by holding down the Option and Command keys while you restart the Macintosh. 3. If your hard drive is highly fragmented, you should defragment and optimize it. 4. Zap your PRAM. The PRAM is a programmable RAM chip that remembers things like Control Panel settings after you turn off your Mac. Sometimes the PRAM can get corrupted, causing a variety of problems.
• Either use the Modem serial port, or turn off AppleTalk using the Chooser (under the Apple menu). Problems using Peak with a SMDI sampler (via SCSI): • Use high-quality, tested SCSI cables that are as short as possible. • Check for SCSI ID conflicts. Make sure every SCSI device in the SCSI chain has a unique ID. • Check for problems with SCSI termination. For more information, consult the manuals of your SCSI devices.
Appendix 3: Encoding RealAudio, Shockwave and MP3 Files RealAudio Peak is an indispensable tool for preparing audio files for the internet. Peak supports the RealNetworks™ RealAudio 5.0, 3.0, and 2.0 Encoders, allowing you to prepare audio for streaming over the internet. This chapter discusses how to use the RealAudio Encoder dialog in Peak, and how to optimize your results. You must have the RealAudio Encoder extensions installed in your System Folder.
the RealAudio clip it contains events for and it is stored in the same directory on the RealAudio Server. This file is created using markers in your Peak audio document. To save a file in the RealAudio format, choose Save As... from the File menu in Peak. In the file type popup menu that appears in the Save As... dialog, choose “RealAudio.” The RealAudio dialog will appear with several options.
file name in the Title field instead of providing a custom Title, check this box. Author Use this text field to enter the author or group on the recording. Copyright Use this text field to enter copyright information for the recording. Copy Protect Click on the Copy Protect button to create a RealAudio document that can only be played, but not recorded. Embed Markers as URLs Click this button to create an “.rae” Synchronized Multimedia file along with the encoded “.ra” file.
enables you to remove low frequency noise. Peak has a Remove DC Offset feature available in the DSP menu, which will remove DC offset for you. Use Peak Sample Rate Converter To use Peak’s high quality sample rate conversion in place of the Progressive Network’s sample rate converter, click on this box. Filename “.ra” suffix RealAudio documents on non-Macintosh systems typically have a “.ra” at the end of the document’s name. Click this box to create a RealAudio document with “.ra” on the end.
http://download.macromedia.com/pub/updates/ SE16SWA.hqx Drop the “Shockwave Export XTRA” into the Peak Plug-Ins folder, then launch Peak. You do not need to install the Shockwave Settings XTRA into the Peak Plug-Ins folder. The Shockwave option will now appear. You can listen to your encoded files using MacAmp, SoundApp, or other shareware programs. Encoding MP3 files To encode MP3 files from Peak, follow the directions above for installing the SWA Export XTRA in the Peak Plug-Ins folder.
and take up more bandwidth. Info Type in the Song Name, Artist, Album, Comment, and Year information in the appropriate fields. Use the pop-up menu to choose the Genre.
Glossary Glossary 205
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Glossary Apple’s Audio Interchange File Format used for recording and storing digital audio. It is also Peak’s default file format and is supported by many Macintosh software applications. sound, whereas the sample rate defines the frequency range. 16-bit audio is the professional Compact Disc standard; 8-bit audio is suitable for less demanding applications, such as multimedia presentations. More bits result in better quality, but also require more hard drive storage space.
higher the audio signal. Within Peak, the record and playback meters show a signal’s relative level in terms of dB. There are many different kinds of decibel scales, but for the purposes of using Peak, “dB” can be used to describe the relative gain of different passages of audio, or to describe the available headroom during recording. Also refer to gain and headroom. DSP DSP stands for digital signal processing.
loop Loops are used to sustain or repeat a section of audio. They can be used for material that you intend to transfer to a sampler, or simply for playback within Peak itself. Peak allows you to create one loop per audio file. You can do this either by making a selection and choosing the Loop this Selection command ( -L) from the Actions menu or Toolbar, or by placing markers at the desired start and end point of a region, and defining the markers as loop markers.
sample rate Sample rate describes how frequently an analog audio signal is been “sampled” or analyzed as it is recorded and converted to a digital medium. Sample rate directly affects audio fidelity in terms of upper frequency response: the higher the sample rate, the higher the available frequency response. A fundamental principle of sampling states that to accurately capture a sound, the sample rate must be at least twice the highest frequency in the sound.
best if you plan to use an audio document in an application that supports or requires WAVE format files. zero-crossing The zero-crossing is the point where the waveform meets the zero crossing line or the center line through the waveform. It is the point of zero amplitude in the waveform.
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Index Index 213
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Index Symbols .au 23, 150, 207 .paf 24, 150 .WAV 21 µLaw 25 16-bit 50 24-bit 49 44.
Auto-Balloon Help 182 Auto-Import Dual Mono 30, 178 B Balloon Help 7 Batch File Processor 125, 153 Available Processes 126 File Name Suffix 127 Input Area 126 Process Area 126 Save Changes Area 127 with TDM Plug-ins 119 BIAS Deck 22, 30, 40, 152, 163 Bit Depth 41 Bit Resolution 19, 207 Blend Enable/Disable 179 Blending 30, 67, 179, 207 Envelope Editor 68 parameters 68 Blending Envelope 68 Blending Enveope custom saving 69, 76 Burn Audio CD 92 Bypass 118 C CD recording from 45 CD-ROM drives 45 CDDB 46, 152
TDM 118 DAE 5.
File Menu 149 File menu 22 File Sharing 5 Filemaker Pro 129, 130 FileMaker Pro template 33 Find Peak 105, 169, 170 Firewire Audio Interfaces 15 Fit Selection 158 Fragmentation 20 Frequency 208 G Gain 208 Gain Envelope 103, 169 Go To command 160 Guess Tempo 78, 160 H Hard Disk Maintenance 20 Hard Drive recording to 40, 162 requirements 5 Hardware Options 42, 164 Hardware Settings 165 Headroom 39, 208 Help 7 Help Menu 184 Hertz 19, 208 Hz (Hertz) 208 I IMA 25 Import CD Track 45, 151 Import Dual Mono 22, 15
Marker 209 Show Marker Time 29 Markers 57, 70, 190 Audio between adjacent markers 58 Delete 73 dynamic scrubbing 72 Nudge 73 Markers to Regions 159 Master Output Volume 180 Memory Control Panel 5, 203 Meters 59, 165 MIDI Man 207 MIDI Meters 59, 60, 165 MIDI Sample Dump 140, 175 MIDI Sample Dump Standard 139, 175 MIDI Time Code 165 Minimum Size field 5 Mix 105, 170 Mixer 13 Modulate 106, 170 Monitor 40, 163 Mono 149 Mono to Stereo 104, 169 Mono-to-Mono 119 Mono/Stereo 119 Move Waveform During Play 29 Move Wa
Playlist 183, 191, 209 about 85 auditioning 88 post-roll 90 pre-roll 90 Bounce 87, 91 Burn CD 87 creating 87 crossfade 87 DSP inserts Premiere plug-ins 90 DSP plug-ins 87, 195 gain 87 gap time 87, 89 modifying events 89 Nudge Regions 90 opening 92 saving 92 scrubbing 89, 191 VST plug-ins 90 Playlist Document 87, 149 Playlist Event 87 Playlist Regions 86 Plug-In Memory 116, 181 Plug-In Preview Time 116 Plug-Ins 49, 209 AudioSuite 115, 176 install 120 installing 115 Premiere 115, 176 install 115 RealTime 117
RealNetworks 199 RealTime Premiere Plug-Ins 117 Recently Opened Documents 22, 154 Record 40, 43, 161, 162 Record Dialog 43 Record Settings 51 ASIO 48 Record Timer 41, 163 Recording 50 ASIO 48 initiating 44 through Premiere plug-ins 43, 118, 164 Recording levels 39, 40 Recording Options 40, 162 Red-Book 85 Redo 63, 155 Reference Point 72 Region 209 Regions 73, 85, 190, 209 creating 86 editing 86 exporting 79 while recording 44 Remove DC Offset 110, 173, 202 Replace 66, 156 Reverb 115, 120 Reverse 110, 173 Re
Select Loop 157 Selecting a region 60 Selecting Audio 60 Selections 57, 190 Set Selection 157 SFX Machine 202 Shockwave 24, 150, 202 Shortcuts 181 Show Edits 67, 177 Show Marker Time 29 Show Overview 177 Shuttle Scrubbing 62 Silence 66, 156 insert 67 SMDI 175, 210 SMDI Sampler 134, 175 SMDI Samplers 133 SMPTE 165 SMPTE/EBU 165 Snap Selection to Zeros 158 Sonic Solutions 24, 150 Sound Control Panel 14 Sound Designer II 23, 73, 85, 86, 91, 210 Sound Designer II format 150 Sound Dialog 41, 163 Sound frequency
Window Buffer settings 28, 181 size 180 Windows 25 Windows Audio File Format Windows Menu 182 24, 150 X XPose Visual Sampler 60 Y Yamaha 175 DSP Factory 47 Z Zero-Crossing 158, 211 Zoom All the Way Out 158 Zoom at Sample Level 158 Zoom at Sample Level (End) 158 Zoom In 157 Zoom Out 157 Zoom Tool 26 Index 223
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