After the Sound Forge software is installed and you start it for the first time, the registration wizard appears. This wizard offers easy steps that allow you to register the software online with Sony Pictures Digital Media Software and Services. Alternatively, you may register online at www.sony.com/mediasoftware at any time.
Sony Pictures Digital Inc. Media Software and Services 1617 Sherman Avenue Madison, WI 53704 USA The information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a guarantee or commitment on behalf of Sony Pictures Digital Inc. in any way. All updates or additional information relating to the contents of this manual will be posted on the Sony Pictures Digital Media Software web site, located at www.sony.com/mediasoftware.
1 Table of Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Introducing Sound Forge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sample files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Full version of Sound Forge versus Screenblast Sound Forge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . .
2 The main screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Main screen components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Floating and docking windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 The data window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Creating a project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Getting media files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Using the Open dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Using the Explorer window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Navigating, Zooming, and Selecting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Setting the cursor position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Previewing audio with pre-roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Using the overview bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Understanding the overview bar . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Changing the bit depth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Increasing bit depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Decreasing bit depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Understanding dither and noise shaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Using regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Inserting regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Inserting regions automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Editing regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Extracting audio from CDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Previewing CD tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Refreshing the Extract Audio from CD dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Burning CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Sound Forge processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Auto Trim/Crop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Using Auto Trim/Crop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Auto Trim/Crop controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 Swap Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Time Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 Increasing the volume of a selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 What is Acoustic Mirror? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 The acoustic signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Adding an acoustic signature to an audio file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Adjusting the acoustic signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 MIDI triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Playback versus triggered playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201 Triggering file playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 Triggering region playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Sustaining and release loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Creating a sustaining loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 Creating a sustaining loop with a release loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 Working in the frequency domain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 Fast Fourier Transform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Using a spectrum graph. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Displaying a spectrum graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 Audio data compression and decompression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Transparent playback and recording of non-hardware supported audio files . 267 SMPTE Timecode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 SMPTE 25 EBU (25 fps, Video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 SMPTE Drop Frame (29.97 fps, Video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 CHAPTER Introduction 1 Introducing Sound Forge Thank you for purchasing Sound Forge® and for your continued support of the Sony Pictures Digital family of products. Sound Forge provides you with the powerful features you have come to expect, as well as a number of new features designed to make digital audio editing quick and easy. Sample files Throughout the manual, you will find references to six sample audio files.
16 System requirements The following lists the minimum system requirements for using Sound Forge and Screenblast Sound Forge: • • • • • • • • • 400 MHz processor 64 MB RAM, 128 MB recommended 60 MB hard-disk space for program installation Microsoft Windows® 2000 or Windows® XP Microsoft Windows®-compatible sound card CD-ROM drive (for installation from a CD only) Supported CD-Recordable drive (for CD burning only) DirectX® Media 8.0 Runtime (included on CD-ROM) Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.
17 Toolbar Tabs Information pane The Contents tab provides a list of available help topics. Double-click a closed book ( ) to open the pages, and then click on a topic page ( ). The Index tab provides a complete listing of the help topics available. Scroll through the list of available topics or type a word in the Type in the keyword to find box to quickly locate topics related to that word. Select the topic and click the button.
18 About Your Privacy Sony Pictures Digital respects your privacy and are committed to protecting personal information. Your use of the software is governed by the Software Privacy Policy. A copy of this policy is incorporated into the registration process and you are asked to agree to its terms prior to accepting the terms of the End User License Agreement. Please review its contents carefully as its terms and conditions affect your rights with respect to the information that is collected by the software.
19 CHAPTER 2 Optimizing for Sound Forge This chapter contains information on configuring your system to optimize the performance of Sound Forge. Defragmenting your hard drive Sound Forge is a disk-based digital audio editor that allows editing operations to be performed on the system’s hard drive rather than in memory. Because of this, Sound Forge is able to edit large files as well as retain extensive undo/redo information and clipboard data.
20 Increasing preload size The preload size value determines how much sound data Sound Forge prepares and loads into the sound card driver prior to starting playback. Preloading occurs between the time you click the Play button ( ) and the first sound of playback. Increasing preload size may eliminate the dropouts evident at the beginning of playback that are characteristic of slow and/or fragmented hard drives. The trade-off for increasing the preload size is a delay prior to the start of playback.
21 Turning on passive updating for video displays From the Options menu, choose Video, and choose Passive Update from the submenu. A check mark appears next to the command to indicate that this option is turned on. CHP.
22 OPTIMIZING FOR SOUND FORGE CHP.
23 CHAPTER 3 Learning the Sound Forge Workspace This chapter provides a detailed overview of Sound Forge toolbars and controls. Using the mouse The following table defines the mouse-related terms used throughout this manual. Pointing Clicking Right-clicking Double-clicking Triple-clicking Toggle-clicking Shift-clicking Ctrl-clicking Dragging Slow-dragging Moving the mouse pointer over an item. Pointing to an item and quickly pressing and releasing the left mouse button.
24 Using the mouse wheel Sound Forge allows you to use your mouse wheel to navigate audio files. The following table briefly describes the available mouse wheel functionality.
25 Floating and docking windows With the many features in Sound Forge, it is easy for the workspace to become cluttered. Docking windows allows you to keep more windows open while maintaining a greater degree of organization. You can choose to float or dock the windows listed in the View menu, including the Regions List, Playlist (available only in the full version of Sound Forge), and Time Display (available only in the full version of Sound Forge) windows. You can dock windows individually or in a stack.
26 Floating a window Drag the handle on the left side of a docked window away from the edge of the workspace. Close window Expand window Drag the handle away from the edge of the workspace to float the window. Hiding the window docking area You can double-click the separator between the workspace and window docking area to hide the docking area. You can also use shortcut keys to manage the workspace.
27 The data window Data windows contain audio data (as a waveform) as well as a number of controls and commands used to edit and process audio. Title bar Time ruler Overview bar Edit Tool Selector Ruler tags Level ruler Waveform display Time zoom resolution Time zoom in/out Maximize width Level zoom in/out Playbar Selection status boxes Component Description Title bar Displays the file name. If title information is included in the summary of a file, it appears here instead of the file name.
28 Displaying data window components Sound Forge allows you to customize the appearance of individual data windows. 1. From the File menu, choose Properties or press Alt + Enter . The current file’s Properties dialog appears. 2. Click the Display tab. 3. Display/hide specific components by selecting/clearing the corresponding check boxes. 4. Select the Save as the default for all new windows check box if you want to set the new configuration as the default data window display. 5. Click OK.
29 Toolbars Sound Forge’s toolbars contain buttons used to quickly execute many of the program’s commands and functions. Toolbars can be dragged throughout the workspace, docked, resized, hidden, and customized. Docking a toolbar When you drag a floating toolbar to any edge of the main screen, the toolbar docks on that edge. Floating a toolbar When you drag a docked toolbar away from an edge, the toolbar becomes a floating toolbar. Displaying a toolbar 1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars.
30 Standard toolbar The Standard toolbar displays by default when you start Sound Forge. The buttons on this toolbar provide quick access to many common commands. New: creates a new data window. Play Clipboard: plays the audio on the clipboard. Open: displays the Open dialog. Trim/Crop: removes all data from the file that is not currently selected. This command has no effect if there is no selected data. This command does not copy data to the clipboard. Save: saves the current audio data.
31 Navigation toolbar The Navigation toolbar contains buttons used to navigate within the current data window. Zoom In Full: magnifies the selected area to a 24:1 ratio. Go To: displays the Go To dialog and allows you to quickly move the cursor to a specific point in a file. Zoom Normal: resets the audio data to its original magnification. Cursor Center: centers the display with the cursor displayed in the center of the data window. Zoom Selection: maximizes the selection vertically and horizontally.
32 Status/Selection toolbar The Status/Selection toolbar contains buttons used to specify a file’s status format and control snapping functions.. Samples: changes the status format to Samples. SMPTE EBU: changes the status format to SMPTE EBU (25 fps). Available only in the full version of Sound Forge. Time: changes the status format to Time. SMPTE Non-Drop: changes the status format to SMPTE Non-Drop (29.97 fps, Video). Available only in the full version of Sound Forge.
33 Process toolbar The Process toolbar contains buttons corresponding to all commands located in the Process menu. CHP. 3 Auto Trim/Crop: removes silence and automatically fades in/out the end-points of each phrase. Insert Silence: inserts user-configurable silence into audio files. Bit-Depth Converter: converts a file to a different bit depth. Invert/Flip: inverts (or flips) the polarity of the current selection. Channel Converter: converts between mono and stereo formats.
34 Effects toolbar If you are using the full version of Sound Forge, the Effects toolbar contains buttons corresponding to all Sound Forge’s built-in XFX™ plug-ins. Acoustic Mirror: adds environmental coloration to your existing recordings. Flange/Wah-Wah: mixes a modulated delay signal with the original signal. Amplitude Modulation: applies a sinusoidal or square-shaped periodic gain to the input signal. Gapper/Snipper: removes/inserts sections of silence at regular intervals to create unusual effects.
35 Tools toolbar The Tools toolbar contains buttons corresponding to commands in the Tools menu. Burn CD: writes the selected audio track to CD. Replace: replaces selected audio data with previous adjacent data. Extract Audio from CD: extracts audio from CD and opens in Sound Forge for editing. Interpolate: replaces selected audio with interpolated audio data based on the selection’s beginning and end samples.
36 Tempo window The ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar also contains a Tempo window that appears to the right of the toolbar buttons. This window calculates and displays the ACID project’s tempo as if the current selection represents a complete measure. Play Device toolbar The Play Device toolbar allows you to choose a playback device on the fly. Play Device drop-down list Play Device drop-down list Choose a playback device from the drop-down list.
37 Meters Meters display audio levels in a number of different places in Sound Forge: the Play Meters show audio file levels; meters in the Record dialog help you adjust levels for recording; and meters in the Wave Hammer® dialog help you adjust levels when applying this effect. Regardless of where the meters appear, you can control them in much the same way. The full version of Sound Forge provides peak and VU/PPM (peak program) meters that you can use to monitor your audio levels.
38 PPM scales are useful for monitoring peak levels. The meters use a fixed integration time (5 or 10 ms) that is sensitive to increases in volume, but the meters are less sensitive to decreases in volume than the VU scales, which produces less meter activity and decreased eyestrain. Displaying VU/PPM meters Sound Forge provides peak and VU/PPM (peak program) meters that you can use to monitor your audio levels. You can toggle the display of the meter’s VU/PPM scale on and off.
39 Controls A major step in mastering Sound Forge is becoming familiar with the controls used to set and adjust feature parameters, including faders, sliders, and envelope graphs. Faders and sliders Faders and sliders are frequently used to edit effect and process parameters. To use either control, drag the control to the desired position and release. Fader Drag to set value Slider Resetting fader and slider values Double-click to return the control to its default value.
40 Understanding the envelope graph To use the envelope graph, you must first understand what it represents. In the previous example, the horizontal axis represents time, with the leftmost point representing the start of the selection and the rightmost point representing the end of the selection. The vertical axis represents either amplitude or frequency, depending upon the operation. Moving an envelope point 1. Drag an envelope point to a new position. 2. Release the mouse button.
41 Adding an envelope point 1. Hover over the envelope. Place the pointer on the envelope and double-click to add a point. 2. Double-click the mouse. A point is added to the envelope graph and can be positioned as needed. For more information, see Moving an envelope point on page 40. Deleting an envelope point Right-click the point to be deleted and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. The point is deleted and the envelope adjusts.
42 Selecting data in stereo files When editing a stereo file, the waveform display is divided into three sections. The mouse pointer location determines which channel (or channels) is selected. • The upper quarter of the data window selects the left channel. • The lower quarter of the data window selects the right channel. • The middle half of the data window selects both channels. Left channel only Both channels Right channel only 1. Open a stereo file. 2.
43 5. Position the tool near the bottom of the right channel and notice its appearance. The tool displays as . This indicates that only audio data in the right channel will be selected. Cursor selects only the left channel Cursor selects both channels Cursor selects only the right channel Toggling channel selections Once you place the cursor or create a selection in a stereo file, you can cycle through channel options (left, right, both) by pressing Tab .
44 Single-channel editing Stereo files are held together by the nature of their stereo format. Because of this, you cannot perform certain editing operations (such as cut or paste) on a single channel of a stereo file. Channel lengths must remain equal in stereo files. Frequently, this issue can be side-stepped by copying a single channel of a stereo file to the clipboard. Once this mono selection is located on the clipboard, you can do any of the following: • • • • Paste it into a mono file.
45 CHAPTER Getting Started 4 Sound Forge is a state-of-the-art digital audio editing tool for users from all musical backgrounds. It is an extremely deep program, containing features that may only be required by the most advanced or specialized users. Nonetheless, a firm grasp of Sound Forge basics is essential. This chapter is designed to provide you with information on Sound Forge fundamentals.
46 Getting media files Sound Forge can open a variety of audio and video files. There are three main methods for locating, previewing, and opening media files: • From the File menu, choose Open to display the Open dialog. -or• From the View menu, choose Explorer to display the Explorer window. -orThese methods are explained in greater detail in the following sections.
47 2. Locate and select a media file using the Look in drop-down list at the top of the dialog. 3. To preview the file before adding it to your project, click the Play button. Note: If you have the Auto play check box selected, your file will automatically begin previewing when you select it. 4. Click Open. Sound Forge opens the file and displays a data window containing the waveform.
48 Extracting audio from CD The Explorer window allows you to easily extract audio from a CD into a data window. Each audio track on the CD is extracted into a separate data window. 1. Use the Explorer window to browse to and select your CD drive. The CD’s audio tracks display in the right pane of the Explorer window. 2. Select the track(s) you want to extract. 3. Drag the track(s) to the main Sound Forge workspace. Sound Forge begins extracting the selected tracks into individual data windows. 4.
49 Working with video files Sound Forge has the ability to open and save many video file formats. The video files cannot be edited within Sound Forge, but this functionality allows you to attach, detach, and edit audio for the video. Once you’ve edited the audio, you can preview the audio and video together. When you open a media file containing video, the data window displays the video portion in a video strip above the audio. For more information, see Working with Video on page 235. CHP.
50 Playing a file After you open a file, you can play it by clicking the Play All button ( information, see Transport bar on page 30. ) on the transport bar. For more Viewing the current position As a file plays, Sound Forge indicates the current playback position in the data window in three ways: • A cursor travels across the visible portion of the data window. • The current playback position in relation to the entire file appears in the overview bar.
51 Playing in Loop Playback mode You can play an entire file or a selection in Loop Playback mode. In Loop Playback mode, Sound Forge plays the audio in a continuous loop. Click the Loop Playback button ( Press Q ) on the transport bar to turn Loop Playback mode on and off. . Playing a selection You can play specific portions of audio data by creating selections in the waveform display. 1. Drag the mouse within the data window. Notice that the waveform is selected as the mouse is dragged. 2.
52 Viewing selection statistics Choosing Statistics from the Tools menu displays a Statistics dialog showing information about the current selection or, if there is no selection, on the entire file. The following table describes all statistical categories displayed in the Statistics dialog. Cursor position Sample value at cursor Maximum/minimum sample position and sample value RMS power The cursor position (in samples) from the start of the audio file. The actual number stored by a single sample.
53 Active data windows vs. inactive data windows When multiple data windows are displayed on the workspace, only the window currently being edited is active, and all operations affect this window exclusively. Activating a window To activate a data window, click anywhere within it. The title bar changes to the color defined as the active window color and the previously active window is deactivated.
54 Using the Save As dialog The Save As dialog allows you to save an audio file with a new name, in an alternate format, or with new attributes. Select file type Select recent directories Select template Template description Select saving metadata option Select video options Save as type The Save as type drop-down list allows you to choose any format supported by Sound Forge. Recent The Recent drop-down list allows you to access frequently used folders.
55 Fast video resizing This option applies to file types that contain a video stream. Selecting the Fast video resizing check box speeds the process of saving video. When this option is turned off, the time required to save the file can increase dramatically. Clear this check box only when you have critical material where nothing but the highest quality video rendering will do. For more information, see Saving a video file on page 242.
56 Saving files as a workspace To accommodate complex editing scenarios, Sound Forge allows you to save the entire workspace as an alternative to saving individual files. Workspaces are saved as Sound Forge Workspace (SFW) files. When you open a workspace file, Sound Forge restores all files to their previous sizes, positions, and magnification. Sound Forge also restores each file’s current cursor position, custom views, and plug-ins in the Plug-In Chainer.
57 Copying You can copy audio data from a data window to the clipboard without changing the original file. Once audio data is on the clipboard, you can paste it into existing files or use it to create new files. Copying data to the clipboard 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. Note: This file is located in the same folder as the application. 2. Create a selection containing “Wow.” 3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy. The selected data is copied to the clipboard.
58 Pasting Once audio data is on the clipboard, you can paste or mix it into an existing data window or use it to create a new data window. Pasting data in an existing data window 1. Move the cursor to the beginning of the Voiceover.pca file by clicking the Go To Start button ( ) in the playbar. For more information, see Playbar on page 28. 2. From the Edit menu, choose Paste. Sound Forge inserts the clipboard data into the file and the data for “Wow” appears on the left side of the waveform.
59 Create a selection Cut the selection Selection is removed from the data window and placed on the clipboard Previewing a cut Sound Forge allows you to preview cuts prior to performing the edit. This option allows you to determine if you made the selection accurately and if the results are desirable. 1. Create a selection anywhere in Voiceover.pca. 2. From the Edit menu, choose Preview Cut/Cursor.
60 Trimming/Cropping Trimming allows you to retain a selection while deleting all surrounding data. 1. Create a selection containing “Wow, sound editing just gets easier” in Voiceover.pca, but do not select the second “and easier.” 2. From the Edit menu, choose Trim/Crop. Only “Wow, sound editing just gets easier” remains in the data window.
61 Set both faders to 0dB 6. Verify that the Source and Destination volume faders are set to 0 dB and click OK. The drum hit is mixed equally with the spoken passage. Both waveforms are combined Preview the file and notice that, unlike pasting, mixing does not change the length of the file. Using undo and redo Sound Forge encourages experimentation by allowing you to easily undo/redo edit operations, even prior to your last save operation.
62 Using the Undo/Redo History window The Undo/Redo History window may seem confusing at first, but you will find it invaluable once you have mastered it. This window allows the audio file to be auditioned in various versions by undoing/redoing multiple operations. To display the Undo/Redo History window, choose Undo/Redo History from the View menu. Press Alt + 7 . Note: The undo/redo history for an audio file is retained until you close the file or exit Sound Forge.
63 2. In the Undo pane, click the corresponding to the Mix operation. The audio file plays without the drum track. Play the pre-mix file 3. Select the Mix operation and choose Undo from the Edit menu. The drum track is extracted from the Voiceover.pca data window and the Mix operation moves to the Redo pane. Choose Undo from the Edit menu 4. In the Redo pane, click the corresponding to the Mix operation. The audio file plays with the mixed drum track. 5.
64 Clearing the Undo/Redo History for the current file Clearing the current file’s Undo/Redo History frees up disk space by deleting the file’s temporary undo/redo files. However, deleting these temporary files prevents you from undoing changes made to the file since it was last saved (or beyond, if you have the Allow Undo past Save check box enabled on the File tab of the Preferences dialog).
65 Experimenting with status formats You can experiment with the Voiceover.pca file to see how status formats affect values in the status display boxes. 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and choose Samples from the submenu. 3. Select all data in the Voiceover.pca window by choosing Select All from the Edit menu. Notice the selection status boxes. • The first selected sample is sample 0. • The last selected sample is 220,506.
66 To quickly change a file’s status format, right-click any of the data window’s status display boxes and choose a new format from the shortcut menu. Choose a format from the shortcut menu Configuring the Measures & Beats format Choosing the Measures & Beats format allows you to specify the beats per minute and beats per measure values used to calculate measures and beats. Changing a file’s beat values 1. From the Special menu, choose Edit Tempo. The Edit Tempo dialog appears. 2.
67 Rendering files Once you are finished editing a Sound Forge project (.frg) file, you can save it to any type of media file supported by Sound Forge. You can render a file using a standard template, or you can customize the settings to suit your needs. Once you create custom settings, you can save those settings as a template. 1. From the File menu, choose Render As. 2. From the Save as type drop-down list, choose a file format. 3. In the File name box, enter a name for the file. 4.
68 Recovering files after a crash If Sound Forge terminates improperly, you can recover all open and unsaved audio files not opened in readonly mode. When Sound Forge opens a file, it automatically creates temporary files that it uses to save any changes made to the file. The original file remains unchanged until it is saved. If Sound Forge terminates improperly, the temporary files remain on your hard drive and can be used to recover any unsaved changes made prior to the crash.
69 CHAPTER 5 Navigating, Zooming, and Selecting This chapter introduces some of Sound Forge’s navigation and selection features. Setting the cursor position While you can click anywhere in the waveform to position the cursor, there are times when you may need to position the cursor more precisely. You can use the Go To dialog to move the cursor to a specific point in an audio file and center it in the data window. Tip: You can also use a variety of keyboard shortcuts to position the cursor.
70 Previewing audio with pre-roll Many audio editing operations depend upon accurate placement of the cursor in the data window. The Precommand allows you to preview audio data leading up to the current cursor position. This command is extremely useful when recording punch-ins. For more information, see Recording a specific length (punch-in) on page 117. roll to Cursor Sound Forge designates a 1.5 second pre-roll. However, you can change this value if necessary.
71 2. Place the mouse pointer over the word “Wow,” and click. A small vertical marker, representing the cursor, appears in the overview bar. Small marker in the overview bar 3. Create a selection containing the word “Wow.” A shaded block, sized in relation to the size of the selection within the entire audio file, appears in the overview bar. A shaded block in the overview bar 4. Click the Zoom In button ( ) twice.
72 4. Double-click anywhere in the overview bar. The cursor is centered in the data window The cursor position updates and centers in the data window. Playing audio in the overview bar To make navigating a file from the overview bar easier, Sound Forge allows you to start audio playback from the overview bar. 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. Right-click the overview bar. Playback of the file begins from the cursor location. 3. Right-click the overview bar again. Playback pauses. 4.
73 Zooming the time ruler (horizontal) The current time ruler magnification ratio appears in the lower-right corner of the data window above the status boxes. Time ruler zooming controls Zoom ratio Zoom Out Zoom Spinner Zoom In Understanding the zoom ratio The zoom ratio determines the number of samples represented by each horizontal point on the screen. The zoom ratio is a value of X:Y, where X is the number of horizontal points and Y is the number of samples.
74 Changing the zoom ratio To edit the zoom ratio, use the Zoom In/Out spin control located adjacent to the zoom ratio display. • Clicking the magnifying glass buttons increases/decreases the zoom ratio by single-step increments. • Dragging the spin control increments the zoom ratio quickly in the corresponding direction. Right-clicking the waveform display allows you to quickly access time ruler zoom commands from the shortcut menu.
75 Changing the level zoom To edit the level ruler zoom, use the Zoom In/Out spinner control located above the playbar. • Clicking the magnifying glass buttons increases/decreases the level ruler zoom by single-step increments. • Dragging the spin control increments the level ruler zoom quickly in the corresponding direction. At high zoom levels, only low-level samples are visible because the peaks of the waveform move beyond the vertical scope of the data window. Consider the following data windows.
76 Using zooming shortcuts Zooming to a selection 1. Create a selection. If no selection is created, this function is not available. 2. Right-click the waveform and choose Zoom Selection from the shortcut menu. Sound Forge calculates the minimum zoom ratio that allows the full selection to display in the window, then zooms and centers the selection in the data window. To reverse this function, right-click the waveform, choose Zoom, and choose Out Full from the submenu.
77 Zooming the time ruler with the Magnify tool 1. Drag the Magnify tool on the waveform to make a small selection box. 2. Toggle-click the mouse until the selection box is the same height as the data window. 3. Drag the Magnify tool to create a time zoom selection and release the mouse button. The zoom ratio of the selection increases. Selection box spans the height of the window The selection is time zoomed Zooming the level ruler with the Magnify tool 1.
78 Selecting audio using start and end values You can select audio by dragging the mouse or by using keyboard shortcuts (pg. 261). For the sake of accuracy, however, it is often useful to create selections by entering specific start and end point values. The Set Selection dialog allows you to create selections in this way or by choosing a preset selection from the Selection dropdown list. 1.
79 Zero-crossing preference When using a Snap-Zero command, you can configure Sound Forge to snap to positive slope, negative slope, or either slope zero-crossings. 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and click the Editing tab. 2. From the Snap to zero-crossing slope drop-down list, choose the desired slope and click OK. Selecting audio during playback Sound Forge allows you to create selections during playback using the Mark In and Mark Out commands.
80 Restoring a selection If you lose a selection while editing, you can restore it by choosing Toggle Selection from the Special menu or by pressing Backspace . Understanding snapping If, when extending a selection, the end points seem to “jump” to a different position, an auto snap option is turned on. Snapping to time divisions Auto Snap to Time ensures that all start and end points reside on whole time divisions. To turn this option on, choose Auto Snap to Time from the Options menu.
81 Displaying the Views toolbar 1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars. 2. Select the Views check box and click OK. The Views toolbar appears. Views toolbar Creating views 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file and create a selection containing “Wow.” 2. Click the Set button ( ) on the Views toolbar. A view can now be created. Click the Set button 3. Click . The selection is saved as view 1 and is underscored to indicate that a view was created.
82 NAVIGATING, ZOOMING, AND SELECTING CHP.
83 CHAPTER Changing File Attributes and Formats 6 This chapter deals with the file attributes and formats Sound Forge supports. This chapter also discusses file summary information. Editing file attributes When you open or create a file, its attributes display in the first three boxes of the status bar at the bottom of the main screen. The file attributes are sample rate, bit depth, and channels (mono or stereo).
84 Changing the sample rate The sample rate is the number of samples per second, measured in hertz (Hz), used to record audio. When creating a new file in the full version of Sound Forge, you can specify sample rates from 2,000 Hz to 192,000 Hz. When creating a new file in Screenblast Sound Forge, you can specify sample rates from 2,000 Hz to 48,000 Hz. Typical sample rates are stored as presets in the Sample rate drop-down list.
85 Decreasing bit depth To maximize storage space, larger sound files (24- and 16-bit) are frequently converted to smaller (16- and 8bit) files using Sound Forge. However, representing a sound file at a decreased bit depth results in audible distortion referred to as quantization error. Note: The maximum bit-depth allowed for a sound file in Screenblast Sound Forge is 16-bit. 1. Open a 16-bit file. 2. From the Process menu, choose Bit-Depth Converter. The Bit-Depth Converter dialog appears. 3.
86 Noise shaping dangers Noise shaping places quantization noise near the audio’s Nyquist frequency, a value equal to one-half of the file’s sample rate. Consider the following: • A file with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz has a Nyquist frequency of 22.05 kHz (at the high end of human hearing). Applying noise shaping to this file results in audio perceived to be cleaner than it actually is.
87 Normalizing Normalizing a file prior to decreasing its bit depth ensures that the entire dynamic range is used. In addition, normalization lowers the signal-to-noise ratio. 1. From the Process menu, choose Normalize. The Normalize dialog appears. Note: The Normalize dialog pictured here is from the full version of Sound Forge. If you are using Screenblast Sound Forge, not all of the controls pictured here will be available to you. 2. Select the Peak level radio button. 3.
88 Specifying the audio destination The Destination radio buttons in the Mono To Stereo dialog allow you to specify where the mono audio data is placed in a stereo file. The following table describes the available data destinations. Left Channel Right Channel Both Channels The mono data is placed in the left channel. The right channel is set to silence. The mono data is placed in the right channel. The left channel is set to silence. The mono data is copied into both channels.
89 Adding summary information Specific audio file types allow you to store text fields of summary information in addition to the audio and video data. File types offering this feature include WAV, AVI, ASF, and RealMedia™ file formats. You can view and edit these text fields using Sound Forge. Viewing and editing summary information The Summary tab is used to view and edit the summary information stored in the file. 1. From the File menu, choose Properties. The Properties dialog appears. 2.
90 Editing extended summary information 1. Select the field to be edited in the Fields pane. Its contents display in the Contents pane. 2. Enter the new information in the Contents pane and click OK. Turning summary fields on and off Adjacent to each field in the Fields pane is a check box used to turn the corresponding field on and off when saving files in applicable formats. Note: If a field is turned on but contains no information, it is not saved with the file.
91 CHAPTER 7 Using Markers, Regions, and the Playlist/Cutlist This chapter describes the use of markers, command markers, the Regions List, and the playlist/cutlist. These tools allow you to tag and organize audio data and make audio editing more efficient. Sound Forge can save marker, Regions List, and playlist/cutlist information as metadata in most file types. You also have the option of saving the Regions List and playlist/cutlist to an external file.
92 Using markers A marker is a tag placed in an audio file that is used as a reference point. Markers make navigating a file easier and more efficient. Inserting markers 1. Click to position the cursor in the waveform. 2. From the Special menu, choose Insert Marker. Sound Forge places a marker in the waveform at the exact location of the cursor. Press M .
93 Customizing automatic labeling You can customize the way that Sound Forge names new files, markers, or regions. 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. 2. Click the Editing tab. 3. Click the Automatic Labeling button. The Automatic Labeling dialog appears. Automatic Labeling dialog 4. Adjust the labeling controls as desired. For help on the different controls in the dialog, click the What’s This? Help button ( ) and click a control. 5.
94 The marker is labeled in the waveform Changing the marker position You can change a marker’s position by dragging it to a new location or by updating its position to the current cursor location. You can also enter precise values to move a marker to a specific location. Changing the marker position using drag-and-drop 1. Drag the marker to a new position on the data window ruler. Drag the marker to the new position 2. Release the mouse button. The marker is dropped at its new location.
95 Detecting and marking clipping The clip indicators in the play meters help you determine whether clipping occurs in your file, and you can use the Find command to find audio that matches levels you specify. For more control, however, you can use the detect clipping tool. From the Tools menu, choose Detect Clipping to scan a selection of audio for clipping and add markers where clipping occurs. Markers can be quickly selected from the list in the Go To dialog.
96 Using command markers in streaming media files Command markers add interactivity to media streamed over the Internet by inserting metadata into streaming media files. As your file plays, any number of other actions can be programmed to occur. These commands are a part of the Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video, and RealMedia streaming formats. Most frequently, these actions add text or open a related Web site.
97 Command Player type Description Copyright RealMedia Displays the entered copyright information when a user selects About This Presentation from the RealPlayer’s shortcut menu or Properties from the Windows Media Player shortcut menu. Note: When rendering Windows Media files, copyright information is based on the settings on the Summary tab of the Sound Forge Project Properties dialog or the Index/Summary tab of the Custom Template dialog.
98 4. Click OK. The new command marker appears in the data window. Command marker Editing command properties Right-click a command marker and choose Edit from the shortcut menu to open the Command Properties dialog and edit the marker. Saving command properties as a custom template If you plan to use a command more than once, you can save command properties as a template. You can then reuse the command properties by selecting the template from the Template drop-down list. 1.
99 Using regions Regions identify ranges of time and provide a way to subdivide an audio file. A region is defined as the area between two region tags. Regions can function as semi-permanent time selections that can be saved with the file. You can add regions to the playlist and use regions to create new files. Inserting regions Sound Forge offers multiple methods of inserting regions including a menu command, drag-and-drop, a time ruler shortcut, and a keyboard shortcut.
100 Inserting regions using drag-and-drop One of the easiest ways to insert a region is to drag a selection from a data window into the Regions List. 1. Create a selection containing the opening drum roll in Fill.pca. Create a selection 2. Drag the selection from the data window to the Regions List. The Insert Marker/Region dialog appears. 3. Name the region and click OK. Inserting regions using the time ruler shortcut 1. Create another selection in the waveform display. 2.
101 4. Specify a preset from the Preset drop-down list or configure a new setting using the dialog’s active parameters shown in the table below. Parameter Description Attack sensitivity Release sensitivity Minimum level Minimum beat duration Determines the sensitivity of the attack-detection algorithm to rapid volume increases. Determines the minimum decrease in sound level required to create a region end point. Determines the threshold audio level required to create a new region.
102 Inserting regions based on marker positions Sound Forge can automatically insert regions by using all markers in the audio file as region boundaries. Regions created this way are added to the Regions List, but not to the playlist. 1. Open the Fill.pca file. 2. Play the file and drop several markers using the M key. Markers created in data window 3. From the Special menu, choose Regions List, and choose Markers to Regions from the submenu.
103 Editing regions in the Regions List You can also edit regions by double-clicking the region name in the Regions List. For more information, see Using the Regions List on page 104. This displays the Edit Marker/Region dialog, which also allows you to specify triggers. For more information, see MIDI triggers on page 201. Right-clicking anywhere in the Regions List displays a shortcut menu containing many commands previously discussed, as well as Replicate and Copy onto Clipboard.
104 Using the Regions List The Regions List contains information pertaining to all regions in the current data window. Sound Forge can save the Regions List information as metadata in most file types. You also have the option of saving the Regions List to an external playlist file. Displaying the Regions List 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. From the View menu, choose Regions List. The Regions List for Voiceover.pca appears. Press Alt + 2 .
105 Changing region order By default, the Regions List displays regions in alphabetical order by name, but you may also specify an alternate order. 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. 2. Click the Playlist tab. 3. Clear the Sort the Regions List alphabetically check box and click OK. Saving a Regions List file You can save a file's Regions List to an external file. This offers the flexibility of using multiple Regions Lists for the same audio file. 1.
106 Using the playlist Once you create regions, you can arrange them in the playlist. Unlike the Regions List, which displays its contents in alphabetical or chronological order, the playlist displays and plays its regions in a user-specified arrangement. In addition, you can rearrange and audition regions endlessly in the playlist without performing a destructive edit when you save the file. As with the Regions List, Sound Forge can save the playlist information as metadata in most file types.
107 Understanding the playlist display When you add a region to the playlist, its appearance is similar to its appearance in the Regions List, with the exception of the Count (Cnt) column. Located to the left of the Name column, the Count (Cnt) column displays the number of times the corresponding region plays before the playlist proceeds to the next region.
108 Playing from the playlist The playlist displays the sequential order in which regions play. To play a region, click the corresponding Play button ( ). Playback begins with the selected region and continues through the end of the playlist, playing a region multiple times when instructed by the Count value. Note: Playback is interrupted if a stop point is present. For more information, see Using stop points on page 109.
109 Using stop points You can attach stop points to regions in the playlist. When Sound Forge encounters a stop point during playback, it repeats the corresponding region the number of times specified by the Count value and halts playback. Creating a stop point 1. Select a region in the playlist. 2. Right-click the mouse and choose Stop Point from the shortcut menu. A check mark appears adjacent to the command in the shortcut menu and a stop point (indicated by a red circle) appears in the playlist.
110 Configuring the playlist as a cutlist When trimming lengthy recordings, configuring the playlist as a cutlist can sometimes decrease editing time. In Play as Cutlist mode, Sound Forge plays the original file, but ignores all regions placed on the cutlist. Click the Play as Cutlist button ( ) on the playbar to enter Play as Cutlist mode. Treating the playlist as a cutlist 1. From the View menu, choose Playlist. The Playlist window appears. 2.
111 Saving a playlist/cutlist file You can save a file's playlist/cutlist to an external file. This offers the flexibility of using multiple playlists for the same file. 1. From the Special menu, choose Playlist/Cutlist, and choose Save As from the submenu. Right-click the playlist/cutlist and choose Save As from the shortcut menu. 2. Use the Save Regions/Playlist dialog to specify a folder and filename. 3. Click Save.
112 USING MARKERS, REGIONS, AND THE PLAYLIST/CUTLIST CHP.
113 CHAPTER Recording, Extracting, and Burning 8 This chapter describes recording audio in Sound Forge, extracting audio from a CD, and writing audio to a CD. Recording audio Sound Forge has two central methods for recording: manual (normal) and automatic. In normal recording, you choose your settings and control your recording session while you’re sitting at your PC.
114 2. From the Method drop-down list, choose Normal. 3. Choose the destination data window for your recording. By default, Sound Forge records into the active data window. If this is not where you want to record, use one of the following methods to prepare for recording: • To record into a different data window, click the Window button and choose a data window from the Record destination window drop-down list. Click OK to return to the Record dialog.
115 Stop button displays Recording message Time Recorded value increases 11.Click the Stop button ( ) to stop recording. 12.Click the Close button to close the Record dialog. Recording automatically In addition to the normal recording method, Sound Forge also has three automatic recording methods: Time, Threshold, and MIDI Timecode. These recording methods enable you to trigger recording to begin from Sound Forge automatically, using a specified device, with no intervention necessary.
116 8. To end timed recording, click the Stop button ( ). 9. Click the Close button to close the Record dialog. Triggering by a set threshold When you’re using threshold-triggered recording, you can choose to record continuously: set a buffer size, and Sound Forge will record to fill the buffer, discarding the oldest data as new data is recorded. If you want to save data from the buffer, you can save it to disk. 1. From the Special menu, choose Transport, and then choose Record from the submenu.
117 Triggering by MIDI timecode Note: You can specify a MIDI input port in the MIDI/Sync tab in the Preferences dialog (from the Options menu, choose Preferences). For more information, see Synchronizing with other devices on page 124. 1. From the Special menu, choose Transport, and then choose Record from the submenu. Click the Record button ( ) on the transport bar or press Ctrl + R . 2. From the Method drop-down list, choose Automatic: MIDI Timecode. 3.
118 4. Choose the destination data window for your recording. By default, Sound Forge records into the active data window. If this is not where you want to record, use one of the following methods to prepare for recording: • To record into a different data window, click the Window button and choose a data window from the Record destination window drop-down list. Click OK to return to the Record dialog.
119 8. Click the Record button ( 9. Click the Stop button ( ) in the Record dialog. ) to stop recording. 10.Click the Close button to close the Record dialog. Arming to record When you click the Record button ( ) in the Record dialog, recording does not begin immediately. Sound Forge must perform a number of important functions prior to recording the input signal. The Arm button ( ) gives Sound Forge the time to prepare, allowing it to begin recording the instant you click the Record button.
120 Automatic retake (automatically rewind) Automatic retake mode is the easiest method of recording. Recording begins at the position displayed in the box when you click the Record button ( ) and continues until you click the Stop button ( ). When you stop recording, the start position resets to the beginning of the take, allowing for immediate review and retake.
121 Adjusting for DC offset The DC adjust check box instructs Sound Forge to compensate for DC offsets generated by your system’s sound card during recording. A DC offset of approximately 30 dB is not uncommon for sound cards (even with very low noise floors) and this displays in the record meter as -60 dB. This does not mean that the system is losing 30 dB of resolution, but for the meters to accurately display ranges to -90 dB, you must calibrate the DC adjust.
122 Playing back recorded audio Audition your recorded audio by playing it back in the Record dialog. Click the Play button ( ) to begin playback and click the Stop button ( ) to end playback. You can use the other buttons on the minitransport bar in the Record dialog to navigate to different locations in the file.
123 Using remote recording mode Click the Remote button to put Sound Forge into Remote Recording mode. In this mode, the Record Remote dialog replaces the Sound Forge workspace. The Remote Record dialog remains the topmost window regardless of the number of open applications. Remote recording is particularly useful when using an application that controls the input source, such as a mixer, CD audio, or MIDI sequencing.
124 Synchronizing with other devices Click the Sync Out button to configure synchronization options for recording in conjunction with other devices or applications that respond to MIDI/SMPTE timecode. Record Synchronization dialog Verifying the input and output devices Prior to attempting synchronized recording, you must verify that the correct input and output devices are configured in Sound Forge. 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. 2. Click the MIDI/Sync tab.
125 Viewing input levels The input meters on the Record dialog show the level of the incoming signal. For recording purposes, the incoming audio should remain primarily in the yellow, only occasionally entering the red. Right-click the meters and choose Show VU/PPM from the shortcut menu to toggle the display of VU/PPM meters in the Record dialog. Click the Reset button (or press Alt + T ) to reset clip indicators or held peaks or valleys.
126 Configuring gap detection During recording, Sound Forge continually listens for gaps (or drop-outs) that occasionally occur when working with digital audio. Depending upon the gap detection mode, Sound Forge ignores the gap and continues recording, marks the gap and continues recording, or stops recording. To configure gap detection, right-click the Record dialog, choose Gap Detection from the shortcut menu, and choose the desired gap detection mode (Ignore, Mark, or Stop) from the submenu.
127 Extracting audio from CDs Sound Forge allows you to extract 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, stereo data from CD. Tip: Double-click a .cda file in the Explorer window (or drag it to the workspace) to extract a CD track without opening the Extract Audio from CD dialog (available only in the full version of Sound Forge). You can also extract audio from the Open dialog by choosing CD Audio (*.cda) from the Files of type drop-down list in the Open dialog. 1. Insert a CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2.
128 6. Click OK. Sound Forge begins extracting data from the CD and displays a progress meter. Previewing CD tracks In the Extract Audio from CD dialog, select a track and click the Play button to preview a track prior to extracting it from the CD. To end the preview, click Stop. Refreshing the Extract Audio from CD dialog Click the Refresh button after you insert a new CD in the system’s CD-ROM drive.
129 Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD dialog 2. Choose a setting from the Action drop-down list: • Burn audio begins recording audio to your CD when you click the Start button. You will need to close the disc before it can be played in a audio CD player. • Test, then burn audio performs a test to determine whether your files can be written to the CD recorder without encountering buffer underruns. Recording begins after the test if it is successful.
130 Closing a CD Closing the CD allows you to listen to it in an audio CD player. However, you cannot add tracks to a CD once it is closed. 1. From the Tools menu, choose Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD. The Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD dialog appears. 2. From the Action drop-down list, choose Close Disc. 3. If desired, select the Eject disc when done check box to eject the CD automatically when the disc has been closed. 4. Click the Start button.
131 CHAPTER 9 Editing, Repairing, and Synthesizing Audio This chapter introduces some of Sound Forge’s advanced editing, repair, and synthesis features. Crossfading, overwriting, and replicating Earlier in this manual, paste and mix were described as ways of adding clipboard contents to the current data window. As your audio editing projects become more elaborate, you may discover the need for three more sophisticated paste operations: crossfade, overwrite, and replicate.
132 Overwriting a selection 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. Create a selection containing “Wow.” 3. Copy the selection. The data is placed on the clipboard. Copy the selection Create a second selection 4. Create a selection of approximately the same length containing the final “...and easier.” 5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and choose Overwrite from the submenu or right-click the data window and choose Overwrite from the shortcut menu.
133 Replicating a selection 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. Create a selection containing “Wow.” 3. Copy the selection. The data is placed on the clipboard. Copy the selection 4. Create a selection containing “Sound editing just gets easier.” Create a second selection 5. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special and choose Replicate from the submenu. The Replicate dialog appears. 6. Select the Copy partials radio button and click OK.
134 Repeating an operation Once you perform an operation on an audio file, you can quickly repeat it with the same parameters by choosing Repeat from the Edit menu. This allows you to reapply the same effect, process, or function to a different section of audio using the same parameters. Note: In the Edit menu, the Repeat command displays in conjunction with the name of the previous function. Repeat an operation by doing any of the following: •Hold Shift while choosing the command from its menu.
135 Pasting, mixing, and crossfading with drag-and-drop You can drag an audio selection and paste, mix, or crossfade it into another data window. Pasting 1. Open the Voiceover.pca and Drumhit.pca files. 2. Select all audio data in Drumhit.pca. Create a selection in the source window Hold the Alt key and drag the selection into the destination window 3. Hold the Alt key and drag the selection to the Voiceover data window.
136 Mixing 1. Open the Voiceover.pca and Drumhit.pca audio files. 2. Select all audio data in the Drumhit data window. 3. Drag the selection to the Voiceover data window. • A shaded region representing the source selection appears in the destination window. • An “M” appears in the box adjacent to the pointer. Drag-and-drop mix indicator 4. Position the leading edge of the shaded region in the Voiceover data window where the mixing of the selection will begin. 5. Release the mouse button.
137 Creating new windows with drag-and-drop Drag-and-drop also allows you to create a new data window from a selection. 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. Create a selection containing “Wow.” 3. Drag the selection to an empty area of the Sound Forge workspace and drop it. Sound Forge creates a new data window containing the selection data with the attributes of the original file.
138 Repairing audio Sound Forge provides several ways to repair audio glitches. Copying the other channel For glitches in a single channel of a stereo file, Sound Forge can replace the glitched section of damaged channel with the corresponding data from the “good” channel. Damaged data in the right channel is replaced with data from the left channel Note: This method only works if both channels contain similar audio. 1. Open the stereo file containing the glitch. 2.
139 Interpolating new audio This is the most basic method of repairing glitches. Sound Forge simply interpolates new audio data based on the data at the beginning and end of the selection. This method results in a straight line connecting the beginning and end of the selection. Interpolation should only be used to repair small (less than 2 ms) glitches. Interpolated data Data is interpolated within the selection 1. Open the file containing the glitch. 2.
140 2. Create a 5 to 50 ms selection containing the damaged audio. Note: The maximum allowed replace time is 0.5 seconds. 3. From the Tools menu, choose Repair, and choose Replace from the submenu. Sound Forge replaces the selection with the selection of identical length immediately preceding the damaged data. In addition, Sound Forge creates rapid crossfades at the beginning and end of the replacement selection to prevent a new glitch from being created.
141 Synthesizing audio Sound Forge allows you to generate custom tones and waveforms for use in your audio projects. Generating DTMF/MF tones You can use Sound Forge to generate standard dial tones used by telephone companies. 1. From the Tools menu, choose Synthesis, and choose DTMF/MF Tones from the submenu. The DTMF/MF Tones dialog appears. DTMF/MF Tones Dialog 2. Enter the phone number to be generated in the Dial string edit box, including pause characters.
142 Generating audio with frequency modulation Sound Forge’s FM Synthesis feature can be used to create complex sounds from simple waveforms using frequency modulation (FM). In frequency modulation, the frequency of a waveform (carrier) is modulated by the output of another waveform (modulator) to create a new waveform. If the frequency of the modulator is low, the carrier is detuned slowly over time.
143 Specifying the number and arrangement of operators Dragging the Configuration slider changes the graphical representation of the arrangement and number of operators used to generate the waveform. When configuring your waveform, keep the following guidelines in mind: • The outputs of horizontally joined operators are simply mixed. The outputs of the bottom operators are mixed to form the final output. Mixing unique simple waveforms is referred to as additive synthesis.
144 Generating simple waveforms The Simple Synthesis tool is used to generate simple waveforms of a given shape, pitch, and length. Simple Synthesis dialog 1. From the Tools menu, choose Synthesis, and choose Simple from the submenu. The Simple Synthesis dialog appears. 2. From the Waveform shape drop-down list, choose a shape to specify the shape of a single period of the current operator's waveform. 3. In the Length box, specify the length (in seconds) of the generated waveform. 4.
145 CHAPTER Processing Audio 10 This chapter provides descriptions of processing presets and previews as well as an overview of all functions in the Sound Forge Process menu. Applying presets Many Sound Forge dialogs contain drop-down lists of presets used to quickly apply processes and effects. Presets are especially useful when learning Sound Forge, as they allow you to hear the results of processing as well as view the control settings used to produce these results.
146 Creating presets You can also create custom effects and save them as presets. 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and choose Graphic from the submenu. The Graphic Fade dialog appears. 3. From the Preset drop-down list, choose the -3 dB exponential fade out preset. The dialog’s controls change to reflect the preset. 4. Drag any of the graphic fade points to a new position. Edit the graphic fade and click the Save As button 5. Click Save As.
147 Customizing previews for the current process 1. Right-click the dialog and choose Configuration from the shortcut menu. The Preview Configuration dialog appears. 2. Edit the preview parameters as desired. For more information, see Preview parameters on page 147. 3. Click OK. The preview parameters are updated and retained until you close the current dialog. Customizing previews for all processes 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. 2. Click the Previews tab. 3.
148 Reactive previewing Selecting the Reactive previewing check box allows you to update previews in real time by manipulating the dialog’s controls. Tip: You can temporarily suspend reactive previewing by pressing Shift . Bypassing a process while previewing You are also able to A/B test an effect by using the Bypass check box to switch between previewing the processed and unprocessed audio file.
149 Auto Trim/Crop Auto Trim/Crop removes silence from an audio file. In addition, this function automatically fades the endpoints of a phrase. Using Auto Trim/Crop 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 2. From the Process menu, choose Auto Trim/Crop. The Auto Trim/Crop dialog appears. Auto Trim/Crop dialog 3. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Phrase Concatenator 1 and click OK. Sound Forge prompts you to approve the deletion of the current Regions List. 4. Click Yes.
150 Release threshold Determines the threshold level for detection of the trim/crop end point: -Inf. indicates complete silence, and 0 dB indicates maximum amplitude level. Fade in Determines the length (in milliseconds) of the fade applied to a section of audio prior to the detected trim/ crop start point. Fade out Determines the length (in milliseconds) of the fade applied to a section of audio following the detected trim/ crop end point.
151 Converting a file’s bit depth 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file. 2. From the Process menu, choose Bit-Depth Converter. 3. From the Bit depth drop-down list, choose the desired bit depth. 4. If necessary, use the Dither drop-down list to specify the type of dither used to mask the quantization noise the results from lowering a file’s bit depth. For more information, see Dither on page 151. 5. If desired, use the Noise shaping drop-down list to specify any noise shaping to be applied to the file.
152 Noise shaping Determines the aural positioning of quantization noise. Using this control, you can shift the noise into audio registers that are less perceptible to human hearing. This lowers the perceived noise floor and creates the illusion of cleaner audio. • High-pass contour noise shaping attempts to push all quantization noise and error into high frequencies. • Equal loudness contour noise shaping attempts to push the noise under an equal loudness-type of curve.
153 Using the Channel Converter 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file. Notice that this is a mono file. 2. From the Process menu, choose Channel Converter. The Channel Converter dialog appears. 3. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Mono to Stereo-100% and click OK. The mono file converts to stereo with equal levels mixed to the left and right channels. The file is converted to stereo Channel Converter controls The following controls are located in the Channel Converter dialog.
154 DC Offset Audio that is not centered around the zero baseline in the waveform display is said to have a DC offset. DC offsets are typically caused by electrical conflicts between the sound card and input device. The DC Offset function is used to change the baseline of an audio file by adding a constant value to each sample to compensate for offsets. DC Offset dialog Estimating DC Offset You can estimate the DC offset of an audio file by choosing Statistics from the Tools menu.
155 EQ The EQ options available in the Process menu depend upon whether you are using the full version of Sound Forge or the Screenblast version. If you are working with the full version of Sound Forge, three options appear in the EQ submenu: Graphic, and Parametric. Each of these options launch the appropriate XFX effect. For more information on using the XFX EQ effects, refer to the Sound Forge online help (from the Help menu, choose Contents and Index).
156 Creating a custom graphic fade 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file. 2. Select the first half of the audio (approximately 5 seconds). 3. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and choose Graphic from the submenu. The Graphic Fade dialog appears. 4. From the Show wave drop-down list, choose Mono source. The Musicbed.pca waveform displays in the graph. For more information, see Show wave on page 156. 5. Edit the fade envelope using the following controls: • Click the envelope to create a new point.
157 Fade - Fade Out The Fade Out command is used to linearly fade a selection from a volume of 0 dB to a volume of -Inf. The size of the selection determines the length of the fade. 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file and select all audio data. 2. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and choose Out from the submenu. The fade is applied, and the volume decreases over the length of the entire file. Audio file fades out from 0 dB to -Inf.
158 Invert/Flip The Invert/Flip command inverts the audio selection at its baseline, in effect reversing its polarity. Inverting a file, while creating no audible difference, is occasionally useful for matching sample transitions when executing certain pastes, mixes, or loops. 1. Create a selection in the data window. 2. From the Process menu, choose Invert/Flip. Sound Forge inverts the selection. Mute The Mute command forces the selection to a volume of -Inf. dB (silence). Muting an audio selection 1.
159 Normalizing Audio 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file. Pre-normalized file 2. From the Process menu, choose Normalize. The Normalize dialog appears. 3. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Normalize to -16 dB and click OK. The file is normalized and its overall “loudness” increased. Specify Normalize to -16 dB from the Preset drop-down list Normalized file Note: The Normalize dialogs pictured above are from the full version of Sound Forge.
160 Normalize to This fader specifies the level to which the highest peak should be set. • With Peak level, if the peak level is -10 dB and the Normalize to value is -3 dB, a constant boost of 7 dB is applied to the entire file. • With Average RMS power, normalizing to 0 dB means boosting the signal until it has the same apparent loudness as a 0 dB square wave. This results in all the dynamic range of the signal being flattened and all peaks being either clipped or seriously compressed.
161 If values have never been calculated, two dashes display. Click Scan Levels to calculate values. Nonexistent Peak and RMS levels Note: If the RMS level never reaches the Ignore below threshold, a value of -96 dB displays. If this occurs, decrease the Ignore below threshold level and rescan. Use current scan level (do not scan selection) When you select the Use current scan level check box, Sound Forge uses the current scan levels without initiating a new scan.
162 Creating a pan A pan is used to control the apparent position of a sound between the left and right channels of a stereo file. 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file. 2. For users of the full version of Sound Forge: from the Process menu, choose Pan/Expand. The Pan/ Expand dialog appears. For users of Screenblast Sound Forge: from the Process menu, choose Pan, and then choose Graphic. The Graphic Pan dialog appears. 3. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Left to right (linear).
163 Pan/Expand controls The following controls are located in the Pan/Expand dialog if you are using the full version of Sound Forge, or the Graphic Pan dialog if you are using Screenblast Sound Forge. Process mode drop-down list The Process mode drop-down list contains the following options.
164 Downsampling audio 1. Open the Musicbed.pca file. 2. Right-click the data window and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. The Properties dialog appears. Notice that this file has 44,100 Hz sample rate and a file size of 0.48 MB. 3. Click OK. 4. From the Process menu, choose Resample. The Resample dialog appears. 5. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Resample to 8,000 Hz with anti-alias filter and click OK. The audio is resampled at 8,000 Hz. 6. From the File menu, choose Save As.
165 Interpolation accuracy The Interpolation accuracy value determines the complexity of the interpolation method used during resampling. Interpolation accuracy is most apparent in high frequencies, but the audible difference between the values is subtle and often undetectable without the use of test tones. • A value of 1 is suitable for general-purpose audio. • A value of 2 or 3 is good for high-end audio applications.
166 Swap Channels The Swap Channels command allows you to exchange the right and left channels if you are working with a stereo recording. Important: This option is only available in Screenblast Sound Forge. If you're using the full version of Sound Forge, use the Channel Converter. Time Stretch If you are working with the full version of Sound Forge, choosing Time Stretch from the Process menu starts Sony Pictures Digital’s XFX Time Stretch plug-in.
167 Create a selection Audio following volume increase Note: Once audio data is clipped, it cannot be restored by performing a second Volume operation. The initial Volume operation must be undone. Volume control The Volume dialog contains only one control, Gain. Gain Determines the new volume of a selection. Negative decibel values decrease the selection’s volume, while positive decibel values increase the selection’s volume. Note: A value of -Inf. corresponds to mute (0%). CHP.
168 PROCESSING AUDIO CHP.
169 CHAPTER Applying Effects 11 Effects, or plug-ins, can be used to improve the quality of the audio or to create special artistic effects. Additional DirectX plug-in effects, both from Sony Pictures Digital and other third-party vendors, can also be used. Adding an effect You can choose an effect from the Effects menu to apply to a file or just a portion of a file.
170 Saving effect settings as a custom preset Once you have adjusted the parameters in the effect dialog, you may want to save your settings as a custom preset for later use. You can select the preset from the Preset drop-down list to apply the same settings at a later time. 1. Adjust the parameters in the effect dialog to achieve the effect you want. 2. Click Save As. The Save Preset dialog appears. 3. Enter a new preset name and click OK. The new preset is added to the Preset drop-down list.
171 Applying effects using the Plug-In Chainer 1. Select the data you want to process. If no data is selected, Sound Forge applies the effect chain to the entire file. 2. From the View menu, choose Plug-In Chainer. The Plug-In Chainer window appears. Click the Open Plug-In Chainer button ( ) on the data window. 3. To use an existing chain preset, choose the chain from the Chain Preset drop-down list. For more information, see Saving plug-in chains on page 175.
172 Adding plug-ins to a chain You can add plug-ins to a chain in the Plug-In Chainer in several ways. Adding a plug-in to a chain from the Plug-In Chainer 1. Click the Add Plug-Ins to chain button ( ) on the Plug-In Chainer window. The Plug-In Chooser dialog appears, listing all available DirectX plug-ins installed on your system. Press Ctrl + E to open the Plug-In Chooser. Plug-In Chooser dialog 2. Select the desired plug-in(s). 3. Click Add.
173 3. Drag the plug-in(s) from the Plug-In Manager window to the Plug-In Chainer window. The selected plug- in(s) are added to the chain and can be configured and arranged as needed. Tip: You can also drag plug-ins or a plug-in chain from the Plug-In Manager window to a data window. Sound Forge opens the Plug-In Chainer window with the selected effects in a new chain.
174 Arranging plug-ins on a chain You can arrange the order of plug-ins in the chain in either the Plug-In Chainer or the Plug-In Explorer. Note: The order of plug-ins in a chain can have a dramatic effect on the final product of audio signal processing. Arranging plug-in order in the Plug-In Chainer In the Plug-In Chainer window, drag an effect to a new location in the chain. Drag a plug-in in the Plug-In Chainer to a new location in the chain.
175 Removing plug-ins from a chain To remove a specific plug-in from a chain, select it and click the Remove Selected Plug-In button ( Forge removes the plug-in and adjusts the remaining plug-ins. Press press Ctrl + Tab ). Sound to select the next plug-in or Ctrl + Shift + Tab to select the previous plug-in, and then to remove the selected plug-in from the chain. Ctrl + Delete You can also remove a plug in by right clicking a plug-in in the chain and choosing Remove from the shortcut menu.
176 Loading plug-in chains Once you have saved a plug-in chain, you can easily load it into the Plug-In Chainer. Loading a plug-in chain from the Plug-In Chainer Choose a plug-in chain from the Chain Preset drop-down list. The chain loads into the window. Loading a plug-in chain from the Plug-In Manager 1. From the View menu, choose Plug-In Manager. The Plug-In Manager window appears. 2. Click the DirectX Chains folder in the left side of the window.
177 Organizing effects in the DX Favorites menu The DX Favorites menu provides easy access to the plug-ins you use most frequently. You can add and remove plug-ins and folders to organize the menu however you like. You can also allow Sound Forge to add all plug-ins on your system to the menu. For more information, see Automatically adding and organizing plug-ins on page 177. Once you add a plug-in to the DX Favorites menu, you can apply the plug-in to a file by selecting it from the menu.
178 Automating Effect Parameters When you add an effect that supports automation to the Plug-In Chainer, a list of the effect’s automatable parameters is displayed on the right side of the window. You can use these controls to add, show/hide, and enable/bypass automation envelopes. Plug-in parameters can be edited using the automation envelope in the data window. Note: Choosing a new effect chain preset will clear the current effect automation settings. Adding an effect automation envelope 1.
179 Adjusting effect parameters with envelopes An envelope is displayed in the data window for each effect parameter that you've chosen to automate. Envelope points represent plug-in parameter settings at a specific point in time. You can add points, adjust their positions, and change the fade curves between points to modify effect parameters and the transitions between them.
180 Removing effect automation envelopes Click the Automate None button ( selected plug-in. ) in the Plug-In Chainer to remove all automation envelopes for the Choose (Empty Chain) or another preset from the Chain Preset drop-down list at the top-left corner of the Plug-In Chainer to clear the plug-in chain and remove all effect automation envelopes.
181 Setting fade properties You can adjust the fade curve for each envelope segment individually. To change the fade curve, right-click an envelope segment and choose a fade command (such as Linear Fade or Fast Fade, for example) from the shortcut menu. Cutting, copying, and pasting envelope points 1. Select the Envelope tool ( ). 2. Click within a data window to select it. 3. Drag horizontally in a data window to select envelope points. 4. From the Edit menu, choose Cut or Copy. 5.
182 APPLYING EFFECTS CHP.
183 CHAPTER Using Acoustic 12 Mirror and Wave Hammer This chapter is designed to familiarize you with Sound Forge’s Acoustic Mirror™ and Wave Hammer™ effects. Acoustic Mirror is a powerful digital signal processing tool that allows you to add environmental coloration to your existing recordings. Wave Hammer is an audio mastering tool that features a classic compressor and volume maximizer. Note: Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer are only available in the full version of Sound Forge.
184 Acoustic Mirror dialog 3. Click the Browse button located next to the Impulse field and locate the Acoustic Mirror Impulse Files folder on the Sound Forge CD. 4. Double-click the folder. Several impulse subfolders display. 5. Double-click the Large venues folder. Several impulse files display. 6. Double-click Stadium, Camp Randall 50 yrd line.sfi. Sound Forge adds this impulse file’s acoustic signature to the Saxriff.pca file and returns you to the Acoustic Mirror dialog. 7. Click Preview.
185 The Acoustic Mirror dialog The Acoustic Mirror dialog contains four tabs: General, Envelope, Summary, and Recover. Each tab contains controls that allow you to precisely configure the effect as well as recover custom impulses. Notice that the Acoustic Mirror dialog contains the preset and preview controls found in all of the Sound Forge process and effect dialogs. For more information, see Applying presets on page 145 and Previewing processed audio on page 146.
186 Quality/speed The Quality/Speed slider allows you to strike a balance between the quality and speed of the audio processing. Lowering this value immediately affects the frequency response of the impulse. The processed signal sounds dull and high frequencies sound unnatural. At very low values, the length of the impulse is shortened. When this control is set to a high value, the audio quality is excellent, but the processing takes longer.
187 The horizontal axis of the graph represents the time of the impulse file and the vertical axis represents peak amplitude in dB. Specifying an impulse file from the Impulse drop-down list automatically displays its envelope in the graph. Note: If the impulse file is greater than 6 seconds in length, it does not display in the envelope graph. Envelope points Envelope points are used in the envelope graph to specify a fade curve. The fade amount can vary from 0% to 100%.
188 Wet Out This control is identical to the Wet Out fader on the General tab. For more information, see Wet Out on page 185. Quality/speed This control is identical to the Quality/speed check box on the General tab. For more information, see Quality/ speed on page 186. Recover tab controls The Recover tab is used in creating your own impulse files. For more information, see Creating impulse files on page 189. The following section describes all controls located on the Recover tab.
189 Auto-detect timing spikes This option specifies that the timing spikes exist near the start and end of the recorded file and that they should be auto-detected. Timing spikes are used to correct for clock or tape speed mismatches. If you have not trimmed the recorded file so that the timing spikes are at the very beginning and end, select this option for the best results.
190 Recovering an impulse from an electronic device To recover an impulse from an electronic device, you need the following equipment: • A playback device that connects to the device’s inputs • A recording device that connects to the device’s outputs Recording the impulse in an acoustic space Once you have assembled the required equipment, you are ready to begin recording the impulse. The following sections describe the typical impulse recording procedure.
191 Other impulses Any number of methods can be used to create an impulse, including starter pistols, clap boards, or even a sharp hand clap. The drawback of these “impulse generators” is that they add their own coloration to the sound. For best results, we recommend using the test tones included on the CD-ROM. Recovering the impulse Once you have recorded your test tones, they must be processed and converted into impulse responses. The following sections describe the typical impulse recovery procedure.
192 Trimming the impulse file After the impulse file is recovered, it may still require minor trimming. In general, you should try to make the impulse response as short as possible to increase processing speed when using Acoustic Mirror. Impulse files greater than 131,071 samples (about 3 seconds) in length require substantial processing time. When possible, trim the impulse response to less than 65,535 samples (about 1.5 seconds). In addition, we recommend fading the tail of the impulse.
193 Properties dialog with an attached image Using the new impulse file To use your new impulse file, open the Acoustic Mirror dialog and choose it from the Impulse drop-down list as you would any other impulse file. If you performed the previous procedures properly, the custom impulse file should realistically recreate the reverberation characteristics of the electronic device or acoustic space.
194 We have included several short files on the Sound Forge CD-ROM to allow you to experiment with this technique. After some experimentation, you should begin to notice a few general rules regarding this use of Acoustic Mirror: • • • • Impulse files that cover the entire frequency spectrum prevent the output from sounding too filtered. Using a frequency sweep as an impulse creates a frequency-dependent delay effect.
195 Troubleshooting Acoustic Mirror The following sections describe problems that may be encountered when working with Acoustic Mirror. Stuttering during real-time previewing It is not uncommon to experience problems when previewing Acoustic Mirror’s processing in real-time. The following sections contain several suggestions to remedy the situation. Lower the Quality/speed setting Lower the value of the Quality/speed control on the General page.
196 Recovered impulse is too noisy To maximize the impulse’s signal-to-noise ratio, you should verify that the field recording’s noise floor is not too high. When recording in noisy environments, increase the test tone’s amplitude until the test tone is at least 25 dB louder than the noise floor. At least 40 dB of signal-to-noise is recommended for optimal impulses. If you cannot avoid noise when recording in the field, Sony Pictures Digital’s Noise Reduction can salvage a session.
197 What is Wave Hammer? Sony Pictures Digital’s Wave Hammer DirectX plug-in is an audio mastering tool consisting of a classic compressor and a volume maximizer. Wave Hammer can be used in any Microsoft DirectX-compatible host application (for example, Sound Forge and ACID Pro), and the quality and functionality of Wave Hammer is the same in each host application; however, the method of previewing effects is different.
198 Output gain The Output gain fader allows you to determine how much the audio signal is boosted following its compression. Attack time The Attack time slider allows you to determine how soon after rising above the threshold the audio signal is attenuated. Release time The Release time slider allows you to determine how soon after falling below the threshold the audio signal attenuation is interrupted.
199 Input/Output meter This meter allows you to monitor the level of the incoming and outgoing signals. When the Input button appears, the meters display the incoming signal level. Clicking Input toggles the button to an Output button and displays the outgoing signal level. Clicking Output returns you to the incoming signal display. Attenuation meter This meter allows you to monitor the audio signal attenuation derived from the current settings.
200 Input/Output meter This meter allows you to monitor the level of the incoming and outgoing signals. When an Input button appears, the meters are displaying the incoming signal level. Clicking Input toggles the button to an Output button and displays the outgoing signal level. Clicking Output returns you to the incoming signal display. Attenuation meter This meter allows you to monitor the audio signal attenuation derived from the current settings. USING ACOUSTIC MIRROR AND WAVE HAMMER CHP.
201 CHAPTER 13 Working with MIDI/SMPTE This chapter describes using Sound Forge in conjunction with internal and external MIDI devices. Note: MIDI/SMPTE features are only available in the full version of Sound Forge. What is MIDI? The musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) is a set of commands or a language that music software and hardware use to communicate.
202 Triggering file playback Using the MIDI Keyboard or any other MIDI device to trigger audio playback in Sound Forge involves three separate procedures: • Configuring the MIDI device (in this case, the MIDI Keyboard). • Enabling MIDI input synchronization. • Configuring the MIDI trigger. Configuring the MIDI device 1. From the View menu, choose Keyboard. The MIDI Keyboard appears. On/Off Voice Note/Chord Output Channel MIDI Out Octave Output Velocity 2. Open the Voiceover.pca file. 3.
203 Starting playback 1. From the Options menu, choose MIDI In/Out, and choose Trigger from MIDI Timecode from the submenu. A check mark appears adjacent to the command, indicating that it is active and Sound Forge is ready to receive MIDI commands. 2. Click the C4 key on the MIDI Keyboard. Click the C4 key to begin playback The Voiceover.pca file plays in its entirety. Resetting MIDI triggers Once set, MIDI triggers are not permanent. They can be edited or deleted as needed. 1.
204 Double-click the “Wow” region Specify MIDI: Note-On Play 6. Enter 1 in the Channel box and C-4 in the Note box. 7. Click OK. A small musical note appears adjacent to the “Wow” region in the Regions List to indicate that a trigger has been configured. A small musical note indicates a region trigger 8. Repeat steps 4 through 7, providing each region with a unique MIDI trigger. Using region playback triggers 1.
205 Triggering playback from additional internal/external MIDI devices The basic concepts of MIDI routing and triggering from the Sound Forge MIDI Keyboard described in previous sections apply to any hardware or software device capable of generating MIDI commands. Follow the same basic steps to trigger playback: • Install and configure the MIDI controller (refer to the product-specific documentation for installation procedures). • Set up MIDI input synchronization.
206 Sound Forge and MIDI timecode synchronization MIDI timecode (MTC) is a method of using SMPTE timing signals to synchronize multiple devices. Although MIDI timecode is typically used to synchronize audio and video, it can also be used to synchronize playback devices. Sound Forge also has the ability to synchronize to external MTC or generate MTC for other devices to follow. For more information, see SMPTE Timecode on page 269.
207 Turning on MIDI input synchronization 1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. 2. Click the MIDI/Sync tab. 3. Specify the MIDI input that corresponds to the output port of the sequencer and click OK. 4. From the Options menu, choose MIDI Triggers. The MIDI Triggers dialog appears. 5. From the Preset drop-down list, choose Reset all triggers to (none). This prevents other MIDI commands from creating additional triggers. 6. Click OK. 7.
208 Configuring the sequencer 1. Specify the sequencer’s MIDI input port that corresponds to Sound Forge’s MIDI output port. 2. Set the sequencer’s SMPTE offset time value as needed. Note: Sound Forge uses 00:00:00:00 as its output start point, but certain sequencers recommend a SMPTE offset time of at least four seconds to ensure synchronization. 3. Turn on the sequencer’s MTC input. 4. If required by the sequencer, press the Play button.
209 CHAPTER Sampling 14 Used in conjunction with the Sampler Tool, Sound Forge’s powerful editing capabilities allow you to create, edit, and transfer samples between external and internal samplers. This chapter describes the procedures used to transfer (dump) samples between the computer and sampler with the Sampler Tool. Note: The Sampler Tool is available only in the full version of Sound Forge. Samplers Samplers are devices that produce on-demand playback of audio samples at varying pitches.
210 Internal samplers Internal samplers are cards installed in your system that, unlike typical sound cards, actually allow sounds to be downloaded into memory and played at varying pitches to simulate a musical instrument. Using an unsupported internal sampler If you have an internal sampler not directly supported by the Sampler Tool, you have two options: • Use the MIDI SDS transfer protocol. • Use an open loop transfer.
211 Creating a sampler configuration The Sampler Configuration dialog allows you to create new sample configurations that can be saved as presets and accessed from the Sampler dialog. Creating new custom configurations requires you to specify the sampler and sample transfer mode. However, the process of creating a custom sampler configuration differs based on which transfer mode is used. 1. From the Tools menu, choose Sampler. The Sampler dialog appears. 2. Click the Configure button.
212 8. Select the Send request when retrieving samples check box if you want the Sampler Tool to send a request for the sample to the sampler when you click Get Sample. Clearing the Send request check box requires that the sample transfer be initiated from the sampler, even after you click Get Sample. Typically, pressing the appropriate button on the sampler satisfies this request. 9.
213 Saving sampler configurations Once you complete a sampler configuration, you can save it as a preset and quickly access it in the future. 1. From the Sampler Configuration dialog, click Save As. The Save Preset dialog appears. The Save Preset dialog 2. Enter a descriptive name in the New preset name box and click OK. The new configuration is saved and can now be chosen from the Configuration drop-down list in the Sampler dialog.
214 MIDI unity note and Fine tune Once you specify a configuration in the Sampler dialog, the Sampler area near the bottom of the dialog displays all relevant sampler configuration information. The bottom pane of the dialog contains two additional parameters: MIDI unity note and Fine tune. MIDI unity note The MIDI unity note value indicates the pitch to which the sample is tuned. Fine tune The Fine tune value indicates any minor tuning differences (measured in cents) in the sample.
215 Configuring the MIDI Keyboard output port and channel 1. Click the MIDI Out button ( ) and choose an output device from the menu. Specify the output device from the shortcut menu 2. Choose Send Program Changes from the menu if the keyboard will be used to choose instrument voices. A check mark appears adjacent to the command to indicate that this option is turned on. 3. Configure the MIDI input channel of the selected device to correspond to the keyboard’s output channel.
216 Setting up MIDI/SDS hardware To use MIDI/SDS protocol with an external sampler that supports MIDI/SDS, you must install a MIDI card with MIDI input and output ports in the system. 1. Using a MIDI cable, connect the MIDI output port of the sampler to the MIDI input port of the MIDI card. 2. Connect the MIDI input port of the sampler to the MIDI output port of the card. Note: This is the same configuration used to connect a MIDI keyboard to a computer for sequencing.
217 Troubleshooting SCSI/SMDI A brief description of some common problems encountered with SCSI and samplers follows. Conflicting SCSI IDs When connecting devices on a SCSI chain, each device must have a unique device identifier (ID). SCSI allows for up to eight unique ID values, numbered 0 to 7. Typically, device ID 7 is used for the internal SCSI controller card, leaving ID 0 through 6 for other devices. Note: The ID of a bootable SCSI hard drive must be set to 0.
218 Adaptec 1540/1542CF does not recognize a sampler If the Adaptec 1540/1542CF does not recognize the sampler, a change may be required in the configuration of the Adaptec controller. Some samplers do not operate when the Reset SCSI Bus at Power-On option of the Adaptec controller is turned on. This is the default operation for the 1540/1542CF and must be turned off to allow the system to work with the sampler.
219 CHAPTER Looping 15 Sound Forge is an excellent tool for creating loops and provides the perfect compliment to Sony Pictures Digital’s revolutionary ACID™ line of loop-based music creation tools. Creating loop regions in files is useful only when you intend to transfer the files to a hardware sampler that supports the loop regions. Loops A loop is a sample or region in an audio file that is repeated during playback. Samples are finite and frequently very short in length.
220 Creating a sustaining loop 1. Open the Drumhit.pca file and create a selection containing the snare hit at the beginning of the waveform. Create and preview the selection 2. With the Loop Playback button ( ) selected in the transport bar, click the Play Normal button ( ) on the playbar to preview the loop. 3. From the Special menu, choose Insert Sample Loop. The Edit Sample dialog appears. Press L . 4. In the Edit Sample dialog, select the Sustaining radio button.
221 Creating a sustaining loop with a release loop To add a release loop to the sustaining loop created in the previous procedure, you must reconfigure the dialog and rearrange the loop tags in the data window. Configuring the dialog 1. Right-click either of the loop tags and chose Edit from the shortcut menu. The Edit Sample dialog appears. 2. In the Edit Sample dialog, select the Sustaining with Release radio button. 3.
222 Looping techniques Depending upon the source material, creating a natural-sounding loop can be a difficult task. Many factors beyond your control may produce distracting pops and glitches, thereby calling unwanted attention to the loop. Although looping skill is largely the product of practice and experimentation, there are some guidelines to consider.
223 Avoid very short loops If the loop is shorter than ~50 ms (1/20 Hz), the pitch of the loop may not equal the sample pitch. Pitchtuning a loop is accomplished by creating short loops with a length equal to 1/frequency. For example, a sample of pitch 440 Hz corresponds to A5 on the keyboard, meaning the loop can be pitch-tuned 2.27 ms. However, pitched loops do not sound like the original sample. Editing loops The loop you initially create in any situation is rarely perfect.
224 Displaying the Loop Tuner 1. Open the Loop.pca file. A sustaining loop appears in the data window. 2. From the View menu, choose Loop Tuner. The Loop Tuner appears at the bottom of the data window and displays the waveform of the file’s loop.
225 Switching between the sustain and release loops When working with a file that contains sustain and release loops, you can quickly toggle between the loops by clicking the Loop Select button ( ). When working with a file containing two loops, this button indicates which loop is active. • • indicates that the sustaining loop is active. indicates that the release loop is active.
226 Fine-tuning loop points You can use the Loop Tuner to fine-tune loop points in three ways: • To move loop points by small amounts, use the Loop Start Position and Loop End Position arrow spinners. Clicking the up or down arrow increments the loop point by one sample. • To move loop points by larger amounts, use the mouse to drag the spinner up or down. • To move loop points by very large amounts, use the mouse to drag the ruler at the top of the Loop Start or Loop End display.
227 Using the Crossfade Loop tool 1. Open the Loop.pca file. A sustaining loop appears in the data window. 2. From the Tools menu, choose Crossfade Loop. The Crossfade Loop dialog appears. 3. Drag the Loop slider to configure the percentage of the loop to be crossfaded. 30% loop crossfade 80% loop crossfade 4. If desired, select the Post-Loop check box and drag the slider to configure the percentage of the loop to be crossfaded into the post-loop audio.
228 Creating loops for ACID Sound Forge is an excellent tool for creating and editing loops to be imported into any of the ACID family of products. You can use Sound Forge to create four different types of files for ACID: • • • • One-shot file Loop file ACID 2.0 disk-based file ACID 3.0 or later beatmapped file Edit Acid Properties dialog Creating an ACID one-shot file One-shots are files that do not stretch with tempo or change pitch to match the key of the ACID project.
229 4. Select the Loop radio button. The Root note for transposing and Number of beats boxes activate. Select the Loop radio button 5. Choose one of the following options: • If the loop should be transposed when inserted in an ACID project, choose its root note from the Root note for transposing drop-down list. • If the loop should not be transposed in an ACID project, choose Don’t transpose from the drop-down list. 6. In the Number of beats box, specify the length of the loop in beats.
230 Creating an ACID beatmapped file ACID beatmapped files can change tempo and pitch to match an ACID project. You must specify the file’s original tempo and root note for transposing upon configuration. If you do not specify these values, no tempo or key changes occur. Beatmapped files are typically used in ACID 3.0 or later for extended vocal tracks or other long audio files that do not loop. 1. Open the Voiceover.pca file and select the entire waveform. 2.
231 Editing loops for ACID Sound Forge provides a number of tools to prepare audio for use in ACID. Halving or doubling a loop These commands allow you to quickly change the size of a selection. Loop Half loop Double loop Halving a loop From the Special menu, choose ACID Looping Tools, and choose Halve Selection from the submenu. Click the Halve Selection button ( ) on the ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar or press ; .
232 Rotating audio You can move the beginning of a loop to the end, or the end of a loop to the beginning by rotating the audio. From the Special menu, choose ACID Looping Tools, and choose Rotate Audio from the submenu. Click the Rotate Audio button ( ) on the ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar or press : . Note: If the selected audio does not originate from the start or end of a loop, Rotate Audio has no effect. Rotating the audio has different effects, depending on what is selected.
233 Setting loop tempo You can calculate, and if necessary edit, the tempo of your loops. Loop tempo is especially important if the loop will be used for building a project in any ACID product. For more information, see Creating loops for ACID on page 228. Calculating loop tempo 1. Select the loop. 2. From the Special menu, choose Edit Tempo. The Edit Tempo dialog appears. 3. Specify the number of beats the loop represents in the Selection length in beats box. 4.
234 LOOPING CHP.
235 CHAPTER Working with Video 16 Sound Forge supports opening and saving Microsoft® Audio and Video Interleave (AVI), Windows Media® Video (WMV), QuickTime® (MOV), and MPEG video files. Using Sound Forge, you can edit a video file’s audio track with single-frame accuracy. Viewing video You can view the video portion of a file in the data window’s video strip and in the Video Preview window. Sound Forge also supports viewing video on an external monitor.
236 Changing video strip height You can change the video strip height by dragging the thin bar at the bottom of the video strip. To change the default height for all video files you open in Sound Forge, choose Preferences from the Options menu and set a Default video strip height on the Display tab. Drag the bar below the video strip to change the video strip height. Enabling frame animation When playing a video file, you can specify whether frames are animated or displayed as still frames.
237 Animating the video strip During playback of a video file, the video strip can display animated or still frames. This can visually aid in editing and positioning your audio to match the video. From the Options menu, choose Video, and then choose Animate Video Strip. A check mark appears next to this option on the menu when the feature is enabled. When the video strip is animated, the video strip always displays the frame that corresponds to the cursor position.
238 Previewing files with video If you are working with a media file that contains video, you can use the Video Preview window for previewing. You must have the Video Preview window displayed to preview the audio stream. You can hide or display the Video Preview window by choosing Video Preview from the View menu. To begin previewing the current data window, click the Play All button ( ) on the transport bar. To display the Video Preview window, press Alt + 4 .
239 Changing the Video Preview settings The Video Preview window can be configured in a number of ways to make it more useful. The Video Preview window can be used on a separate monitor (if your video hardware supports this feature), docked at the bottom of the workspace, or floated freely on the screen. You can quickly access settings for the Video Preview window using the shortcut menu.
240 3. Click Properties and adjust the following settings as needed: • If your source media does not conform to DV standards, choose a setting from the If project format is invalid for DV output, conform to the following drop-down list. Sound Forge adjusts the video to display properly on your external monitor. • If your audio is not synchronized with your external monitor, you can configure an offset for your hardware. Drag the Sync offset (frames) slider to synchronize audio and video.
241 Detaching video from an audio file You can use Sound Forge to detach the video stream from a media file. 1. Open the media file you want to use. For more information, see Getting media files on page 46. 2. From the File menu, choose Properties. The Properties dialog displays. 3. Click the Video tab. 4. On the Video page, click the Detach button. 5. Click OK. The video stream is removed, and the video strip is hidden.
242 Configuring your video settings You can use the Video tab on the Preferences dialog to choose your video settings. From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and then click the Video tab. The items on this tab are explained below. Items Description Resample source video Select this check box if you want Sound Forge to interpolate video frames when you render to a frame rate that is greater than the source file's frame rate.
243 5. From the Template drop-down list, select a template for rendering and compressing the file. You can click Custom to customize the settings in the Custom Settings dialog. For help on the different settings, click the What’s This Help button ( ) or press Shift + F1 and then click a control. Click OK to close the Custom Settings dialog and return to the Save As dialog. Tip: You can save the custom settings to use again by entering a template name in the Template box and clicking the button ( ).
244 WORKING WITH VIDEO CHP.
245 CHAPTER 17 Using Spectrum Analysis This chapter introduces you to the concept of frequency and describes Sound Forge’s Spectrum Analysis. Spectrum Analysis allows you to examine audio frequencies and overtones using either spectrum graphs or sonograms. Note: Spectrum Analysis is available only in the full version of Sound Forge. Working in the frequency domain Unlike the waveform display, which represents audio in the time domain (amplitude vs.
246 Fast Fourier Transform A Fourier transform is computationally intensive and for this reason it is common to use a technique called a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to perform spectral analysis. The FFT utilizes mathematical shortcuts to reduce the processing time at the expense of putting limitations on the analysis size. The analysis size, also referred to as the FFT size, indicates the number of samples from the audio signal used in analysis and also determines the number of discrete frequency bands.
247 4. Use the toolbar at the top of the window to set your display options. Tip: You can also click the Settings button ( ) in the Spectrum Analysis window to set additional options. The spectrum graph displays the amplitude (in dB) of each frequency component from 0 Hz (DC) to the Nyquist frequency. Tip: You can continue to make selections in the audio file with the Spectrum Analysis window open (just move the cursor or make selections as you normally would in Sound Forge).
248 Right-click the graph and choose Show Position from the shortcut menu to toggle the display of ToolTips. The setting for each graph in a stereo file is independent.
249 Changing the zoom level Zooming can be accomplished in several ways: 1. Drag on the graph to draw a box around the area you want to magnify. You can toggle through mouse selection mode by right-clicking while holding the left mouse button: • The first type is a vertical zoom window. This will allow you to zoom to a frequency range. • The second type is horizontal zoom window. This will allow you to zoom to an amplitude range. • The third type is a combination of vertical and horizontal zoom.
250 6. Click OK. 7. Use the Slice slider to add/remove slice graphs in the Spectrum Analysis dialog. Use the Slice slider to add or remove slice graphs Creating and comparing snapshots of the Spectrum Analysis window You can store up to four snapshots to compare multiple spectrum graphs. You can take snapshots from a single data window or from different data windows.
251 Using a sonogram The sonogram is another way of displaying spectral data variations over time. In a sonogram, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents frequency. Sonogram The amplitude of each frequency component in the sonogram is represented by the color intensity of each point in the graph. This method of displaying spectral information is useful for identifying distinctive spectral patterns created from sounds such as speech, musical instruments, and ambient noise.
252 Right-click the sonogram and choose Show Position from the shortcut menu to toggle the display of ToolTips. The setting for each sonogram in a stereo file is independent.
253 Adjusting color intensity Adjust the sonogram’s color intensity using the Color slider located directly beneath the sonogram. Notice that the bottom pane of the dialog depicts the color scale in dB. Adjust the color intensity Tip: This function may be fairly slow if the system lacks a palletized driver and Video for Windows is not installed. Returning to a spectrum graph To return to the spectrum graph, click the Normal Display button ( ) in the toolbar.
254 Smoothing window Choose a setting from the Smoothing window drop-down list to determine the window function applied to the input data prior to analysis. This option influences the sharpness of peaks in an FFT graph and the leakage into neighboring frequencies. • Choose Rectangle to apply no window. This results in a very sharp peak, but high leakage. • Choose Triangular (also referred to as a Bartlett or Parzen window) to apply a window that results in less leakage than the rectangle window.
255 Maintain last monitored view Selecting this check box “freezes” the appearance of the spectrum graph when playback stops. Clearing this check box results in the graph resetting to the cursor position when playback stops. Saving spectrum graph settings After you configure the controls in the Spectrum Settings dialog, you can save the settings as a custom preset by clicking Save As and entering a name for the new preset. Enter a name for the new preset CHP.
256 USING SPECTRUM ANALYSIS CHP.
257 APPENDIX Shortcuts A Keyboard shortcuts Project file commands Press Result Ctrl + N Create a new data window. Ctrl + O Open a sound file or project. Ctrl + S Save modified sound data back to the file. Alt + Enter Display the Properties dialog for the active data window. Ctrl + W Close the active data window. Alt + F4 Exit Sound Forge. Magnification and view commands Press Result Alt + 0 Set input focus to the waveform display in the active data window.
258 Press Result Ctrl + Shift + F6 Go to the previous data window. Shift + F4 Tile the data windows vertically. Shift + F5 Cascade the data windows. F11 Show/hide windows docked at the bottom of the workspace. Shift + F11 Show/hide windows docked at the sides of the workspace. Ctrl + F11 Show/hide all docked windows. V Insert/show/hide volume envelope. Shift + V Insert/remove volume envelope. P Insert/show/hide pan envelope. Shift + P Insert/remove pan envelope.
259 Press Result L Create a loop from the current selection. Shift + L Create a loop from the current selection without displaying the Edit Sample dialog. Esc Stop or cancel the current action (including playback). F8 Toggle drag-and-drop snapping on and off.
260 Cursor movement Press Cursor moves to / Move one pixel right/left. Ctrl + Alt + Alt + / Ctrl + Alt + / Alt + Move one audio sample right/left. Previous/next video frame (video files). Ctrl + G Display the Go To dialog. Home Go to the first sample visible in the waveform display. End Go to the last sample visible in the waveform display. Ctrl + Home Go to the first sample in the data window. Ctrl + End Go to the last sample in the data window.
261 Selecting data Press To select from cursor to Ctrl + Shift + D Show the Set Selection dialog. Shift + / Shift + Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Select from the cursor to the next/previous screen pixel. / Select from the cursor to the next/previous sample. Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Alt + / Shift + Alt + Select from the cursor to the next/previous video frame. Shift + Home Select from the cursor to the first sample visible in the waveform display.
262 Navigation and playback Press Result Ctrl + Save a view in cell where ranges from 1 to 8. Restore a view using cell where ranges from 1 to 8. Increase time magnification (zoom in). Decrease time magnification (zoom out). Shift + Increase level magnification. Shift + Decrease level magnification. Ctrl + Zoom to selection if a selection exists; otherwise Zoom In Full. Ctrl + Zoom normal (zooms to default zoom ratio set in Preferences).
263 Plug-In Chainer Press Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Ctrl Result +P + Shift + P +B +S +T Preview audio through plug-in chain. +E + Delete + Tab + Shift + Tab +H Open the Plug-In Chooser dialog to add plug-ins to chain. Process selection using the plug-in chain. Bypass the plug-in chain while previewing audio. Save plug-in chain (package). Toggle through audio tail processing modes (Ignore Tail Data, Mix Tail Data, Insert Tail Data). Remove selected plug-in from chain.
264 Mouse wheel shortcuts Mouse wheel action Result Wheel Up Zoom in horizontally. Wheel Down Zoom out horizontally. Ctrl +Wheel Up Zoom in vertically. Ctrl +Wheel Down Zoom out vertically. Shift +Wheel Up Scroll left (in 10ths of screen width). Shift +Wheel Down Scroll right (in 10ths of screen width). Ctrl + Shift +Wheel Up Cursor left or current selection point left (if there is a selection).
265 Go to marker Double-click a marker tag in the ruler to move the cursor to the position of the marker. Set selection to region/loop Double-click a region or loop tag in the ruler to change the current selection to the region or loop end points. Edit region or marker Double-click a region or marker in the Regions List to display the Edit Region/Marker dialog. Edit playlist Double-click a playlist entry to display the Edit Playlist dialog.
266 SHORTCUTS APPENDIX A
267 APPENDIX B Microsoft Audio Compression Manager The Microsoft Audio Compression Manager (ACM) is a standard interface for audio compression in Windows. This interface allows applications such as Sound Forge to use compression algorithms provided by other companies. Sound Forge fully supports audio compression through the ACM. This allows you to use any ACMcompatible compression.
268 The Sound Mapper functions as follows. When faced with a sound file recorded at an unusual sample rate such as 22,257 Hz and a sound card that supports 22,050 Hz, the sound file normally cannot be played. The sample rate of the file must be changed to 22,050 Hz before it can be played back, but changing the sample rate without resampling causes a pitch shift.
269 APPENDIX SMPTE Timecode C The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) timecode may be one of the most misunderstood concepts among individuals within the music industry. The problem with SMPTE timecode formats is that they may mean different things to people in the audio and video fields. What follows is a brief description of each SMPTE timecode format.
270 SMPTE 30 (30 fps, Audio) SMPTE 30 is an audio-only format and runs at exactly 30 fps. SMPTE 30 is commonly used when synchronizing audio applications such as multitrack recorders or MIDI sequencers. This format is not used when working with video. SMPTE Film Sync (24 fps) The SMPTE Film Sync time format runs at 24 fps (frames per second). This frame rate matches the standard crystal-sync 16/33 mm film rate of 24 fps.
271 APPENDIX D Using CSOUND, MTU, IRCAM, BICSF, and EBICSF Files Although Sound Forge supports a large number of sound file formats directly, it does not support the CSOUND, MTU, IRCAM, BICSF or EBICSF file types. However, you can use the Raw File Type capabilities of Sound Forge to extract sound data from these file types. About IRCAM files The IRCAM or IRCAM-Gross format consists of a 1024-byte header prior to the audio data.
272 4. Configure the following parameters: • Specify a sample rate from the Sample rate drop-down list. • In the Sample type area, select the 16-bit PCM radio button. • In the Format area, select the Signed radio button. • Select the appropriate Channels radio button. • Select the appropriate Byte order radio button. • Set the Header value to 1024 bytes. • Set the Trailer value to 0 bytes. 5. Click Save As. The Save Preset dialog appears. 6.
i Index Audio editing, 56–61, 131–133, 134–136 Copying, 57 Crossfading, 131 Cutting, 58 Deleting, 59 Mixing, 60, 136 Overwriting, 131 Pasting, 58, 135 Replicating, 132 Trimming/Cropping, 60 Symbols 122 A ACID Creating loops for, 228–233 Loop Creation Tools toolbar, 35, 230 Acoustic Mirror, 183–196 Adjusting impulse length, 187 Envelope tab, 186 Error messages, 196 General tab, 185 Head-related transfer functions, 194 Impulse, 185 Impulse recovery mode, 188 Limiting length of impulse, 185 Recover tab, 18
ii Bit depth Changing, 84 Converter, 150 For CD burning, 128 Blinking status while recording, 126 Burning CDs, 128 proper use of software, 130 C Calculating loop tempo, 233 Calibrating DC adjustment for recording, 121 CD Adding tracks, 128 Bit depth for burning, 128 Burning, 128 Closing the disc, 130 Extracting audio from, 127 Sample rate for burning, 128 Changing the region order, 105 Channel Converter, 88, 152 Convert to specified output channels only, 153 Invert left channel mix, 153 Invert right channe
iii Cutlist, 110–111 Adding regions to, 110 copying to the clipboard, 111 Creating a new file from, 110 Deleting all cutlist regions, 110 Opening cutlist files, 111 Reverting to playlist, 110 Saving cutlist files, 111 Cutting, 58 Previewing cuts, 59 D Data window, 27 Components, 27 Displaying/hiding elements, 28 Overview bar, 70 DC offset, 121 Automatically detect and remove, 154 Calibrating adjustment for recording, 121 Compensating for, 154 Defragmenting the hard disk, 19 Deleting, 59 Command markers, 98
iv Exporting to CLIÉ devices, 67 to Net MD devices, 67 Getting Media, 46 Glitches Finding, 137 Repairing by copying the other channel, 138 Repairing by interpolating audio, 139 Repairing by replacing with preceding audio, 139 Repairing with the Pencil tool, 140 Extended summary information, 89 External MIDI devices, 205 Monitors, 239 Samplers, 209 Go To, 69 Extract Regions, 103 Graphic fade, 155 Creating a custom fade, 156 Resetting the envelope, 156 Showing the waveform, 156 Extracting audio proper u
v Internal MIDI devices, 205 Samplers, 210 Media files Auto preview setting, 47 Meters, 37 Disabling, 20 Interpolating audio to repair glitches, 139 Introducing Sound Forge, 15 MIDI, 201–208 Conflicting SCSI IDs, 217 Device configuring, 202 Devices, 205 Fine-tune value, 214 Initiating playback, 203 Input synchronization, 202 Keyboard, 214 Open loop versus closed loop, 212 Periodic transfer failures, 217 Playback and triggered playback, 201 Resetting triggers, 203 Sample Dump Standard (SDS), 209, 216 SCSI
vi Navigation toolbar, 31 Net MD devices exporting to, 67 New window Creating, 52 Creating for each recorded take, 120 Creating through drag-and-drop, 137 Noise gate, 86 Noise shaping, 85, 152 Normalize, 87, 158–161 Applying dynamic compression, 87, 161 O Online help, 16 Via the web, 17 What’s This? help, 17 Open dialog, 46 Opening Cutlist files, 111 Files, 46 Playlist files, 111 Regions List files, 105 Workspaces, 56 Opening files Explorer window, 47 Optimization Hard disk defragmentation, 19 Meters, 20 P
vii Presets, 145 Creating, 146 Deleting, 146 Managing, 177 Using, 145 Previewing Cuts, 59 Operations, 146 video, 238 Previewing effect automation, 179 Previews, 146 Bypass, 148 Fade out last 10 milliseconds, 147 Limit previews to, 147 Loop preview continuously, 147 Parameters, 146 Post-roll, 147 Pre-roll, 147 Reactive previewing, 148 Printing sonogram, 253 spectrum graph, 250 Process toolbar, 33 Processes, 145–167 Auto Trim/Crop, 149 Bit-Depth Converter, 150 Channel Converter, 152 DC Offset, 154 EQ, 155 Fad
viii Replicating Audio, 132 Regions in the playlist, 108 Restoring a selection, 80 Selections Auto snap to, 80 Creating on the fly, 79 Fine-tuning, 79 Restoring, 80 Selection status boxes, 51 Set Selection dialog, 78 Statistics, 52 Reverse, 165 Sending samples, 213 Rotating audio, 232 Set Selection dialog, 78 Resampling, 163 Downsampling, 164 Upsampling, 164 Setting record levels, 125 S Sample rate, 84 Editing, 84 For CD burning, 128 Sample size Editing, 85 Sampling, 209–218 Configuring the sampler
ix Spectrum analysis, 245–253 FFT, 246 Sonogram, 251–253 Spectrum graph, 246 Summary information, 89 Editing, 89 Saving, 90 Viewing, 89 Spectrum graph, 246 Ceiling, 254 changing zoom level, 249 Displaying, 246 Displaying frequency and amplitude values, 247 Displaying notes, 247 Displaying statistics, 247 Displaying stereo files, 249 FFT overlap, 253 FFT size, 253 Floor, 254 Hold peaks during monitoring, 254 Maintain last monitored view, 255 Monitoring input/output source, 247, 252 Navigating, 248 printing
x Trimming impulse files for Acoustic Mirror, 192 Troubleshooting Acoustic Mirror, 195 MIDI Keyboard, 215 SCSI/SMDI, 217 System performance, 19–21 Tuning a sonogram, 252 U Undo/Redo, 61 Unity note, 214 Updating Displays, 20 Sonograms, 252 spectrum graphs Refreshing spectrum graphs, 249 V Video, 235–243 Attaching video to audio, 240 detaching from audio file, 241 External monitor, 239 Frame animation, 236 Frame numbering, 236 previewing, 238 Saving, 242 Video preview window, 238 Video strip, 235 Video file