Page 1 Sound Forge Pro 10 ™ User Manual...
Page 3 After Sound Forge software is installed and you start it for the first time, the registration wizard is displayed. This wizard offers easy steps that allow you to register the software online with Sony Creative Software Inc. Alternatively, you can register online at http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/reg/software...
Page 4: Technical Support
Architect, DVD Architect, Jam Trax, Perfect Clarity Audio, Photo Go, Sound Forge, Super Duper Music Looper, Vegas, Vision Series, and Visual Creation Studio are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Creative Software Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and other countries.
Page 5 Gracenote and CDDB are registered trademarks of Gracenote. The Gracenote logo and logotype, MusicID, and the “Powered by Gracenote” logo are trademarks of Gracenote. LPEC “LPEC“ is a trademark of Sony Corporation. Microsoft DirectX programming interface Portions utilize Microsoft® DirectX® technologies. Copyright © 1999 – 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Page 6 Copying or distributing the software except as expressly described in the End User License Agreement is strictly prohibited. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express written consent of Sony Creative Software Inc.
Page 7: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents Introduction............... 17 Introducing Sound Forge Pro software.
Page 8 Metadata windows (continued) Summary Information window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 7) ..........29 Data windows .
Page 9 Multichannel files ..............51 Working with multichannel files .
Page 10 Selecting status formats............. . 79 Experimenting with status formats .
Page 11 Changing File Properties and Formats ..........99 Editing file properties .
Page 12 Using markers (continued) Triggering a marker using MIDI commands ..........116 Using markers to create regions .
Page 13 Recording and Extracting Audio ..........135 Recording audio .
Page 14 Editing events (continued) Pasting events ................163 Mixing events .
Page 15 Sound Forge processes (continued) Fade - Fade Out ................184 Invert/Flip .
Page 16 Adjusting envelopes ..............207 Adding envelope points .
Page 17 Using impulse files in creative ways (continued) Recreating spaces for foley effects and dialog replacement ....... .224 Panning with head-related transfer functions .
Page 18 Sending and receiving samples............244 Sending a sample .
Page 19 Looping ............... . . 261 Loops .
Page 20 Using a spectrum graph............. 280 Displaying a spectrum graph .
Page 21 Turning off the playback cursor and record counter ........307 Turning off the channel (output) meters .
Page 22 Keyboard shortcuts (continued) Navigation and playback shortcuts ............332 Event tool keyboard shortcuts .
Page 23: Introduction
Introducing Sound Forge Pro software Thank you for purchasing Sound Forge® Pro software and for your continued support of the Sony Creative Software Inc. family of products. The software 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.
Page 24: Installing Sound Forge Pro Software
Installing Sound Forge Pro software The install utility, setup.exe, located on the Sound Forge application disc, creates the necessary folders and copies all files required to operate Sound Forge software. Place the Sound Forge application disc in the drive. The setup screen is displayed (if AutoPlay is enabled for your DVD drive). Note: If the drive’s AutoPlay feature is not enabled, click the Start button and choose Run.
Page 25: Interactive Tutorials
Help on the Web Additional Sound Forge information is available on the Sony Creative Software Inc. Web site. From the Help menu, choose Sony on the Web, and choose the desired location from the submenu. The software starts your system’s Web browser and attempts to connect to the appropriate page on the Sony Web site.
Page 26 CHAPTER 1...
Page 27: Learning The Sound Forge Pro Workspace
Chapter 2 Learning the Sound Forge Pro Workspace This chapter provides a detailed overview of Sound Forge® Pro toolbars and controls. Using the mouse The following table defines the mouse-related terms used throughout this manual. Mouse Term Description Pointing Moving the mouse pointer over an item. Clicking Pointing to an item and quickly pressing and releasing the left mouse button.
Page 28: The Main Window
The main window When you start the application, the main window is displayed. The main window’s workspace is where you perform all audio editing. Menu bar Standard toolbar Transport bar Channel Meters (docked) Workspace Status bar Main window components The following table describes the major components of the main window. Component Description Menu bar...
Page 29: Floating And Docking Windows
Floating and docking windows Your workspace can become cluttered quickly if you have several windows and toolbars visible. You can create multiple window docks to organize your Sound Forge windows. These docks can be anchored to the perimeter of the Sound Forge workspace, or they can float over the workspace or on a secondary monitor.
Page 30: Hiding The Window Docking Areas
Hiding the window docking areas You can double-click the separator between the workspace and window docking area to hide the docking area. You can also use the following shortcut keys to manage the workspace: Note: These shortcuts do not apply to floating docks. Shortcut key Description Show/hide windows docked at bottom of workspace.
Page 31: Plug-In Chainer Window (Alt+9)
Plug-In Chainer window (Alt+9) The Plug-In Chainer window allows you to link up to 32 DirectX and VST plug-ins into a single processing chain. From the View menu, choose Plug-In Chainer to show or hide the Plug-In Chainer window. For more information, see Using the Plug-In Chainer on page 196.
Page 32: Regions List Window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 0)
If you want to customize the format for copying metadata to the clipboard, right-click the window and choose Custom Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu. The Copy Metadata dialog is displayed to let you choose whether you want to copy the data as formatted text or delimited text, set a delimiter, and choose whether you want to include a header row.
Page 33: Acid Properties Window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 3)
ACID Properties window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 3) From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose ACID Properties from the submenu to display the ACID Properties window, where you can view and edit ACID-specific information in a sound file. For more information about creating ACID loops, see Creating loops for ACID software on page...
Page 34: Cd Information Window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 5)
CD Information window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 5) From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose CD Information from the submenu to display the CD Information window, where you can view and edit information about a disc-at-once audio CD. Item Description Universal Product Code/Media Universal product codes (UPC) or media catalog numbers (MCN) can be written to a Catalog Number CD as a means of identification.
Page 35: Summary Information Window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 7)
Item Description Sustain end Displays the end of the sustaining loop. You can double-click the value to edit it. Editing the end will automatically update the Sustain length value. Sustain length Displays the length of the sustaining loop. You can double-click the value to edit it. Editing the length will automatically update the Sustain end value.
Page 36 Do not include new-line characters. ICOP Copyright Copyright information for the file. For example, © Copyright 2009 Sony Creative Software Inc. If there are multiple copyrights, separate them with a semicolon followed by a space. ICRD Creation Date The date the subject of the file was created. List dates in year...
Page 37: Data Windows
Data windows 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 Edit Tool Selector Overview bar Lock Channel Selection Marker bar Level ruler Waveform display CD layout bar Position scrollbar...
Page 38 Component Description CD layout bar The CD layout bar displays information about the tracks you’ve created for a disc-at-once CD. Each CD track shows the track’s number and length. A red indicator is drawn at the end of the CD layout bar to represent the end of the disc (if the disc length is known).
Page 39: Displaying Data Window Components
Displaying data window components You can customize the appearance of individual data windows. From the Options menu, choose Data Window, and then choose components from the submenu to display or hide those components. Choose Set as Default to set the current configuration as the default data window appearance. Tip: Right-click the Edit Tool Selector to display or hide components for the selected data window.
Page 40: Playbar
Playbar The playbar is located in the bottom-left corner of a data window. You can use the playbar to navigate and play audio files in a variety of ways. Go to Start Moves the cursor to the start of the file. Go to Next Track Moves the cursor to the next disc-at...
Page 41: Toolbars
Toolbars Sound Forge toolbars contain buttons used to quickly perform many of the program’s commands and functions. Toolbars can be dragged throughout the workspace, docked, resized, hidden, and customized. You can use the Toolbars tab in the Preferences dialog to specify which toolbars you want to display. Perform either of the following actions to display this tab: •...
Page 42: Docking A Toolbar
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. Standard toolbar The Standard toolbar is displayed by default when you start the application.
Page 43: Transport Toolbar
Transport toolbar The Transport toolbar also displays by default and contains basic audio transport buttons. Record Click to display the Record dialog. Go to Start Moves the cursor to the start of the file. Loop Playback Toggles Loop Playback mode on and off. Go to Previous Track Moves the cursor to the previous disc-at-once track or index.
Page 44: Navigation Toolbar
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. Cursor to Selection End Moves the cursor to the end of the selection. Zoom Normal Resets the audio data to its original Center Sustaining Start Moves the cursor to the magnification.
Page 45: Regions/Playlist Toolbar
Regions/Playlist toolbar The Regions/Playlist toolbar contains the Regions List and Playlist buttons as well as buttons corresponding to synchronization commands and status displays. Regions List Displays the Regions List. For more Generate MIDI Timecode Configures the software to send information, see Using the Regions List on page 127.
Page 46: Process Toolbar
Process toolbar The Process toolbar contains buttons corresponding to all commands located in the Process menu. Auto Trim/Crop Removes silence and automatically fades Mute Mutes the current selection. For more information, in/out the end-points of each phrase. For more information, Mute on page 185.
Page 47: Effects Toolbar
Effects toolbar The Effects toolbar contains buttons corresponding to all Sound Forge built-in XFX™ plug-ins. Acoustic Mirror Adds environmental coloration to your Flange/Wah-Wah Mixes a modulated delay signal with the existing recordings. For more information, see What are the original signal. For more information, click the Help button Acoustic Mirror effects? on page 215.
Page 48: Tools Toolbar
Tools toolbar The Tools toolbar contains buttons corresponding to commands in the Tools menu. Extract Audio from CD Extracts audio from CD and opens Noise Reduction Analyzes and removes background noise for editing. For more information, see Extracting audio from such as tape hiss, electrical hum, and machinery rumble.
Page 49: Scripting Toolbar
Scripting toolbar The Scripting toolbar allows you to show, hide, or activate the Script Editor and display the Batch Converter window. You can also add buttons for scripts to the toolbar. For more information, see Using the Scripting toolbar on page 236. Script Editor Allows you to create, edit, or run scripts.
Page 50: Digital Versus Analog Levels
Digital versus analog levels When recording to an analog medium such as magnetic tape, recording engineers typically try to keep VU (volume unit) meters as close to zero as possible. This ensures a high signal-to-noise ratio while preserving adequate headroom to keep the tape from saturating and distorting.
Page 51 Showing or hiding meters You can display a peak meter, VU/PPM, a phase scope, and mono-compatibility meter for each channel. To toggle the display of each meter, right-click the Channel Meters or Hardware Meters window and choose a command from the shortcut menu. A check mark appears to indicate which meters are currently visible.
Page 52: Using The Vu/Ppm Meters
To change the layout of the meters in the Channel Meters window, right click the meters, choose Layout from the shortcut menu, and then choose a command from the submenu. Command Description Horizontal/Vertical/Auto Choose a command to change the orientation of the meters in the Channel Meters window. Stretch to Fit Stretches the meters to fit the window.
Page 53 Choosing a VU or PPM scale To change the scale of the meter, choose Channel Meters from the Options menu, choose VU/PPM Scale, and then choose a setting from the submenu (you can also right-click the meter to set its options). VU and PPM scales are most useful for displaying the average volume of the signal.
Page 54: Using Phase Scopes
Using phase scopes You can display a phase scope in the Channel Meters and Hardware Meters windows to find phase cancellation among the channels in an audio file. For more information on channel meters, see Using the channel meters on page 44. For more information on hardware meters, Using the hardware meters on page 111.
Page 55: Controls
Controls A major step in mastering Sound Forge software 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.
Page 56 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.
Page 57: Displaying The Waveform On An Envelope Graph
Delete all points Delete all envelope points by clicking the Reset Envelope button. Displaying the waveform on an envelope graph Certain envelope graphs (such as in the Graphic Fade dialog) allow you to view the audio waveform on the graph. If the selection is small, the waveform is automatically displayed.
Page 58: Selecting Data In Multichannel Files
Selecting data in multichannel files When editing a multichannel file, you can use the mouse to select data by clicking and dragging in a data window. There are several options for data selection in multichannel files. Open a multichannel file. From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Edit from the submenu to select the Edit tool.
Page 59 Toggling channel selections After you place the cursor or create a selection in a multichannel file, you can cycle through channel options by pressing Tab. Previewing channels The single channel selection option allows you to preview channels in a multichannel file individually. Open a multichannel file and select all data.
Page 60 CHAPTER 2...
Page 61: Getting Started
Chapter 3 Getting Started The Sound Forge® Pro digital audio editing tool is 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.
Page 62: Using The Open Dialog
Using the Open dialog From the File menu, choose Open. The Open dialog appears. Tip: You can also click the Open button ( ) on the Standard toolbar or press Ctrl+O. File information Select to automatically preview files The Open dialog contains several features that allow you to locate and open audio files. These features are detailed below. Feature Description Files of type...
Page 63: Using The Explorer Window
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. Click Open. The file is opened and a data window containing the waveform appears. Using the Explorer window In addition to using the Explorer window for locating, previewing, and opening media, you can drag files or regions from the Explorer window to an open data window to paste or mix the data.
Page 64 Tip: Favorites are saved in the following folders: • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0\ExplorerFavorites.txt • Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0\ExplorerFavorites.txt The file is saved whenever you close the Explorer window or exit the application. You can copy the file to different computers or user accounts to migrate Favorites settings.
Page 65: Peak Files
Choose a method for completing the CD information: • If none of the possible matches is appropriate, click the Submit New button. The Gracenote MusicID Disc Information dialog appears, allowing you to complete information for the CD and submit it for inclusion in the Gracenote Media Database. For help on submitting CD information, click the Help/Guidelines button in this dialog.
Page 66: Working With Video Files
Working with video files The Sound Forge application has the ability to open and save many video file formats. The video files cannot be edited within the software, 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.
Page 67: Playing A File
Playing a file After you open a file, you can play it by clicking the Play All button ( ) on the transport bar. For more information, see Transport toolbar on page 37. Viewing the current position As a file plays, the current playback position is indicated in the data window in three ways: •...
Page 68: Playing A File From A Specified Point
Playing a file from a specified point You can begin playback from any point in a file. Click to position the cursor in the data window. A flashing cursor (spanning the height of the waveform display) is displayed. Click the Play button ( ) on the transport bar.
Page 69: Viewing Selection Status
Viewing selection status When a selection exists, the boxes in the selection status bar in the bottom-right corner of the data window contain values. These values indicate the start, end, and length of the selection. Double-click a box to edit the value. No selection Selection Cursor position...
Page 70: Viewing Selection Statistics
Viewing selection statistics Choosing Statistics from the Tools menu displays a Statistics window 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 window. Statistical Category Description Ruler Format...
Page 71: Creating Data Windows
Creating data windows From the File menu, choose New. The New Window dialog appears. Complete the New Window dialog: From the Sample rate drop-down list, choose a sample rate. From the Bit-depth drop-down list, choose a bit depth. Choose a setting from the Channels drop-down list to select the number of channels stored in the file. For more information, see Editing file properties on page 99.
Page 72: Working With Files
Working with files You can save a file in a variety of formats, including popular audio formats such as WAV and AIFF, and streaming media formats such as Windows Media®. You can save 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.
Page 73 Click anywhere in the data window to activate it. From the File menu, choose Save As to display the Save As dialog. If you’re working with a Sound Forge project file, you can use the Save As dialog to save your project to a different name or location.
Page 74: Creating Custom Templates
You can make your customized rendering templates available on another computer or user account by copying .sft files to the appropriate location in the new account or computer. Rendering templates are stored in the following folders: • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\File Templates\<plug-in name> • Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Sony\Render Templates\<plug-in name> Notes: • The Application Data/AppData folder is not visible unless the Show hidden files and folders radio button is selected on the View tab of...
Page 75: Saving All Open Audio Files
C:\Documents and Settings\AJones\Application Data\Sony\Render Templates\wave\ Tip: If you’re copying templates from an older Sony Creative Software application, templates are saved as .sft files in the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\File Templates\<plug-in name>\<plug-in GUID>. Saving all open audio files Choosing Save All from the File menu automatically prompts you to save all open audio files on the current workspace.
Page 76: Working With Projects
Working with projects Projects are new to Sound Forge software; however, if you’ve used ACID or Vegas software, then you’ll be quite familiar with how to use Sound Forge projects. You should note that Sound Forge projects do function slightly different than ACID and Vegas projects. A project file is not a multimedia file.
Page 77 Editing a media file’s source project When your Sound Forge project uses source media files that are rendered with an embedded project path reference, you can easily open the source project in the associated application if you need to edit the media. By saving your project path reference when you render files in ACID, Sound Forge, or Vegas, you can quickly access the media from Sound Forge via the Edit Source Project shortcut menu.
Page 78: Editing Audio
Editing audio New Sound Forge users should remember that even the most complex editing is derived from a few simple operations: copy, paste, cut, delete (clear), trim/crop, and mix. The following table provides a brief description of the basic editing operations. Editing Operation Description Copy...
Page 79: Pasting
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 Notes: • Pasting into a multichannel file will insert data to all channels—the channels in a multichannel file must always be equal in length. Silence is pasted to the unselected channel.
Page 80 When you release the mouse button to drop the selection, the selection is pasted. Pasting in a new data window To use data from the clipboard to create a new data window, go to the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and choose Paste to New from the submenu.
Page 81: Deleting
Previewing a cut You can 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 by playing the data before and after the current selection. Create a selection anywhere in Voiceover.pca.
Page 82: Trimming/Cropping
Trimming/Cropping Trimming allows you to retain a selection while deleting all surrounding data. Create a selection containing “Wow, sound editing just gets easier” in Voiceover.pca, but do not select the second “and easier. ” From the Edit menu, choose Trim/Crop (or press Ctrl+T). Only “Wow, sound editing just gets easier” remains in the data window. Mixing Mixing is a powerful editing function that allows you to mix a copy of the clipboard contents at the current cursor position.
Page 83 To customize your mix settings, choose a setting from the Preset drop-down list in the Mix/Replace dialog, or adjust the controls as needed: Item Description Source Drag the Source fader to adjust the volume of the selection you want to mix. Changing this setting has the same effect as dragging the sustain portion of the wet gain envelope in the data window.
Page 84: Using Undo And Redo
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. Preview the file and notice that mixing does not change the length of the file. Using Undo and Redo You can easily undo and redo edit operations, even prior to your last save operation.
Page 85 Undoing and redoing Verify that the Voiceover.pca data window is active and choose Undo/Redo History from the View menu. The Undo/Redo History window appears. If you have performed the previous procedures, the window should look like the figure below: Notice that the Mix operation appears at the top of the Undo pane. The most recent operations always appear at the top of the appropriate list.
Page 86: Selecting Status Formats
Double-click the Cut operation in the Undo pane. The Cut and Trim/Crop operations are both undone in the waveform and moved to the Redo pane. Tip: To quickly undo and redo operations in the Undo/Redo History window, double-click the operation. 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.
Page 87 Experimenting with status formats You can experiment with the Voiceover.pca file to see how status formats affect values in the selection status bar display boxes. Open the Voiceover.pca file. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and choose Samples from the submenu. Select all data in the Voiceover.pca window by choosing Select All from the Edit menu.
Page 88: Publishing Files To The Web
Changing the default beat values The previous procedure changes the beat values for the current audio file only. Use the following steps to change the Sound Forge default beat values. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. Click the Status tab.
Page 89: Navigating, Zooming, And Selecting
Chapter 4 Navigating, Zooming, and Selecting This chapter introduces some of the Sound Forge® Pro 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.
Page 90: Using The Overview Bar
Using the overview bar When navigating or editing a file, the overview bar changes to reflect the current position in the file. Title bar Overview bar Time ruler The overview bar represents the length of the entire file zoomed out to its maximum position. By observing the overview bar, you can determine the following items: •...
Page 91: Navigating In The Overview Bar
Click the Zoom In button ( ) twice. The dark gray area in the overview bar becomes incrementally smaller as less of the waveform appears in the data window. Zooming in on a selection decreases the size of the dark gray area However, the selection remains the same size and does not move.
Page 92: Scrubbing
Scrubbing Scrubbing is a type of timeline playback that gives you precise control over the speed and direction of playback. Both linear and logarithmic scale scrubbing are allowed. Tip: Choose a setting from the JKL/shuttle speed drop-down list on the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog to control the scrub speed and range when using the keyboard or multimedia controllers.
Page 93: Zooming And Magnifying
Scrubbing with the audio event locator Dragging the mouse within the overview bar initiates playback of small audio loops adjacent to the cursor position. This is not technically a scrub function, but it serves a similar purpose. It allows you to audition brief audio segments and quickly locate specific events within a file.
Page 94: Zooming The Level Ruler (Vertical)
Waveform at 24:1 zoom ratio 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 plus/minus buttons increases/decreases the zoom ratio by single-step increments. • Dragging the spin control increments the zoom ratio quickly in the corresponding direction.
Page 95: Using Custom Zoom Settings
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. Level zoom out maximum Level zoom in maximum Both data windows display the same audio file at a 1:1 zoom ratio. The window on the left shows the level ruler zoomed to its maximum out position.
Page 96: Using Zooming Shortcuts
Using zooming shortcuts Zooming to a selection Create a selection. If no selection is created, the Zoom Selection function is not available. Right-click the waveform and choose Zoom Selection from the shortcut menu. The minimum zoom ratio that allows the full selection to appear in the window is calculated, and the selection is then zoomed and centered in the data window.
Page 97 Zooming the time ruler with the Magnify tool Drag the Magnify tool on the waveform to make a small selection box. Toggle-click the mouse until the selection box is the same height as the data window. Drag the Magnify tool to create a time zoom selection and release the mouse button. The zoom ratio of the selection increases. The selection is time zoomed Selection box spans the height of the window Zooming the level ruler with the Magnify tool...
Page 98: Selecting Audio Using Start And End Values
Selecting audio using start and end values You can select audio by dragging the mouse or by using keyboard shortcuts. (For more information, see Data selection shortcuts on page 331.) 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 drop-down list.
Page 99: Selecting Audio During Playback
Selecting audio during playback You can create selections during playback using the Mark In and Mark Out commands. These commands place temporary markers in the data window, which are then used to create a loop region. While you can place these markers by choosing Mark In and Mark Out from the Selection submenu under the Edit menu, the keyboard equivalents are more useful.
Page 100: Using Selection Grid Lines
Using selection grid lines From the Options menu, choose Selection Grid Lines to display grid lines that divide the selection into four equal parts. These lines make creating loops from existing material easier. To change the number of divisions that will be used, choose Options > Set Grid Divisions, and then choose a setting from the submenu. For example, if you’re trying to create a loop in 3/4 time, changing the grid divisions to 3 allows you to divide a selection into three beats.
Page 101: Understanding Snapping
Understanding snapping If, when extending a selection, the end points seem to “jump” to a different position, an auto snap option is turned on. Turn snapping on or off From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Enable from the submenu to turn snapping on or off. When snapping is enabled, objects will snap to the following points: •...
Page 102: Snapping To Zero Crossings
Snapping to zero crossings When snapping is enabled, you can also choose to have elements in the timeline snap to zero crossings. From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Zero Crossings from the submenu to toggle snapping to zero crossings. Tip: To turn snapping to zero crossings on and off, press Ctrl+B.
Page 103: Disabling Auto-Snapping At High Magnifications
Command Description Extend to Next Zero This option forces both edges of a selection to the next zero-crossing of the waveform. Performing edits at zero- crossings reduces the possibility of introducing glitches in your sound file. Tips: • You can also press Z. •...
Page 104: Creating And Using Views
Creating and using views Views are used to save and recall selections, zoom ratios, and waveform display positions. Sound Forge software can retain eight different views for any audio file, each containing any or all of the following elements: • Selection •...
Page 105: Changing File Properties And Formats
Chapter 5 Changing File Properties and Formats This chapter deals with the supported file properties and formats in Sound Forge® Pro software and discusses file summary information. Editing file properties When you open or create a file, its properties are displayed in the first four boxes of the status bar at the bottom of the Sound Forge workspace.
Page 106: Editing File Properties In The Status Bar
Item Description File name The name of the file saved on disk. Location The folder where the file is saved. File size The size of the file on disk. File attributes Indicates whether file attributes (read-only, hidden, etc.) have been set. Last saved The date and time the file was saved.
Page 107: Copying File Properties To The Clipboard
Copying file properties to the clipboard If you want to copy file properties to the clipboard, right click the File Properties window and choose Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu. If you want to customize the format for copying file properties to the clipboard, right-click the File Properties window and choose Custom Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu.
Page 108: Changing The Bit Depth
Changing the bit depth Bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent a sound. You can increase or decrease a file’s bit depth. Increasing bit depth Increasing the bit depth does not improve the quality of a file, but it allows subsequent processing to be performed with increased precision.
Page 109: Understanding Dither And Noise Shaping
Understanding dither and noise shaping You can adjust Dither and Noise shaping settings when decreasing a file’s bit depth. Dither The Dither value determines the randomness of the dither (generated noise) used to mask quantization distortion resulting from conversion to a lower bit depth. This drop-down list requires you to select from several shapes, each of which roughly describes the pattern that would be produced if you plotted a graph with the dither amplitude on the X-axis and the probability of the dither values on the Y-axis.
Page 110 Noise gating Frequently, low-level signals become noise when a file’s bit depth is decreased. For this reason, it is preferable to have complete silence between sounds in an audio file. From the Effects menu, choose Noise Gate. The Noise Gate dialog appears Choose a noise gate preset from the Preset drop-down list and click OK.
Page 111: Converting Mono/Stereo Channels
Converting mono/stereo channels You can convert mono files to stereo or stereo files to mono. To perform quick channel conversion without specifying the mix, use the Audio channels box on the File Properties window or right-click the Channels box in the status bar and choose 2 (Stereo) or 1 (Mono) from the shortcut menu.
Page 112: Using The Channel Converter
Specifying the audio source The Source radio buttons in the Stereo To Mono dialog allow you to specify what stereo data is used to create the mono file. The following table describes the available data sources. Source Description Left Channel Mono data is taken only from the left channel of the stereo file.
Page 113: Adding Summary Information
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. Viewing and editing summary information The Summary window is used to view and edit the summary information stored in the file.
Page 114 Removing additional embedded information To save a file without additional embedded information, choose Save As from the File menu and clear the Save metadata with file check box. CHAPTER 5...
Page 115: Editing Multichannel Audio
Sound Forge software supports multichannel files in the following formats: • Dolby AC-3 (.ac3) (AC-3 is available as a render format only) • Raw Audio (.raw) • Sony AVC (.mp4, .m2ts, .avc) • Sony Wave64 (.w64) • Wave (.wav) •...
Page 116: Routing Channels To Hardware Outputs
Routing channels to hardware outputs If you’re working with multichannel files and have a sound card with multiple outputs, Sound Forge provides you with a great deal of flexibility in routing the channels to the outputs on your sound card: you can route each channel to a separate output, or you can route all the stereo pairs to a single set of outputs to simulate a stereo downmix.
Page 117: Recording Multichannel Audio Files
Recording multichannel audio files With Sound Forge, you have the ability to record multichannel audio if your hardware supports this feature. For more information, see Recording manually on page 136. Using the hardware meters From the View menu, choose Hardware Meters to toggle the display of the Hardware Meters window. You can use this window to adjust the levels of your audio device’s hardware outputs for monitoring and to view a peak meter, VU/PPM meter, phase scope, and mono-compatibility meter.
Page 118: Showing Or Hiding Meters
Showing or hiding meters You can display a peak meter, VU/PPM, a phase scope, and mono-compatibility meter for each hardware output. To toggle the display of each meter, right-click the Hardware Meters window and choose a command from the shortcut menu. A check mark is displayed to indicate which meters are currently visible.
Page 119: Using Markers, Regions, And The Playlist/Cutlist
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® Pro software can save marker, Regions List, and Playlist/Cutlist information as metadata in most file types.
Page 120: Using Markers
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. Markers can be quickly selected from the list in the Go To dialog. Also, markers are displayed in the Regions List for quick playback. Inserting markers Click to position the cursor in the waveform.
Page 121: Changing The Marker Position
Customizing marker labeling You can set Sound Forge to automatically label new markers as they are created. From the Options menu, choose Preferences. The Preferences dialog appears. Click the Labels tab. In the Marker labels area, adjust the labeling controls as desired: Control Description Label Markers...
Page 122: Deleting All Markers Within The Selected Area
Deleting all markers within the selected area Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All in Selection from the submenu. All markers and regions in the selected area are removed. Previewing a marker Click a marker’s Play button ( ) in the Regions List. —or—...
Page 123: Detecting And Marking Clipping
Use Detect all clip-related plateaus from the Preset drop-down list to detect clipped peaks that may exist in your file after decreasing the levels in the file. You can then use the Pencil tool or the Clipped Peak Restoration tool in the Sony Creative Software Inc.
Page 124: Using Command Markers In Streaming Media Files
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.
Page 125: Defining Scott Studios Data Commands
Defining Scott Studios data commands For WAV files using Scott Studios data, command markers can be used to define information about the WAV file. Command Description SCOTT EOM Calculates when the next queued clip starts playing in a Scott Studios system. For more information, refer to your Scott Studios documentation.
Page 126: Moving The Cursor To A Command Marker
Your metadata command templates are saved in the cmdtemp.xml file in the locations below. You can edit this file directly to modify your templates. • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0\ • Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0\ Moving the cursor to a command marker Click the command marker to place the cursor at the current command marker position.
Page 127: Inserting Regions Automatically
Region tags Inserting regions by dragging selections One of the easiest ways to insert a region is to drag a selection from a data window into the Regions List. Create a selection containing the opening drum roll in Fill.pca. Drag the selection from the data window to the Regions List. The region is inserted. Inserting regions using the time ruler shortcut Create another selection in the waveform display.
Page 128 Inserting regions while recording The most efficient way of inserting regions is to do it while recording your audio. This is especially useful when working on a project that you will piece together from multiple takes. To create regions while recording, specify Multiple takes creating Regions from the Mode drop-down list in the Record dialog.
Page 129 Inserting regions based on rapid sound attacks Open the Fill.pca file. From the Tools menu, choose Auto Region. The Auto Region dialog appears. Clear the Build regions using the current tempo check box if it is selected. 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.
Page 130: Naming Or Renaming A Region
Inserting regions based on marker positions Open the Fill.pca file. This file is located in the same folder as the application. Play the file and drop several markers using the M key. From the Edit menu, choose Regions List, and choose Markers to Regions from the submenu (or right-click the Regions List and choose Markers to Regions from the shortcut menu).
Page 131: Moving A Region
Moving a region Drag the desired region tag ( ) to a new position. Both associated region tags are highlighted. Release the mouse button. The region’s values update in the Regions List. Tip: To move both region tags at once, press Alt while dragging. Deleting a region Right-click the region tag ( ) and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Page 132: Triggering A Region Using Midi Commands
Triggering a region using MIDI commands Right-click the region tag ( ) and choose Edit from the shortcut menu. The Regions List appears. Click the down arrow ( ) in the region’s Trigger column and choose a trigger type from the drop-down list. Trigger type Description Note On - Play...
Page 133: Using The Regions List
If the path in the Destination folder box is not appropriate, click the Browse button and browse to the desired destination folder. Type the desired prefix in the File name prefix box. If desired, clear the Use long file names for destination file names check box and enter an appropriate numeric value in the Start file counter index box.
Page 134 Changing region order By default, the Regions List displays regions in alphabetical order by name, but you can specify an alternate order by clicking the column heading to sort in ascending ( ) or descending ( ) order. CHAPTER 7...
Page 135 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. From the Edit menu, choose Regions List, and choose Save As from the submenu (or right-click the Regions List and choose Save As from the shortcut menu).
Page 136: Using The Playlist
Using the Playlist After 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.
Page 137: Arranging The Playlist
Arranging the Playlist Moving regions After you have added regions to the Playlist, you can arrange them using drag-and-drop. Replicating a region in the Playlist A major advantage of arranging the Playlist is the ability to repeat a region in multiple places without actually copying the audio data. This feature is called replicating.
Page 138: Using Stop Points
Using stop points You can attach stop points to regions in the Playlist. When a stop point is encountered during playback, the corresponding region is repeated the number of times specified by the Count value and playback is halted. Creating a stop point Perform one of the following actions to set the stop point for a Playlist: •...
Page 139: Saving A Playlist/Cutlist File
Treating the Playlist as a Cutlist From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Playlist from the submenu. The Playlist window is displayed. Right-click the Playlist and choose Treat as Cutlist from the shortcut menu. A check mark appears adjacent to the command in the shortcut menu and the Cutlist appears.
Page 140: Opening A Playlist/Cutlist File
Opening a Playlist/Cutlist file Importing a Playlist file offers the flexibility of using multiple Playlists for a file. Opening a new Playlist file clears the current Playlist. Make sure you have saved the current Playlist before continuing. From the Edit menu, choose Playlist/Cutlist, and choose Open from the submenu (or right-click the Playlist/Cutlist and choose Open from the shortcut menu).
Page 141: Recording And Extracting Audio
Chapter 8 Recording and Extracting Audio This chapter describes the processes for recording audio and extracting audio from a CD in Sound Forge® Pro software. Recording audio Sound Forge provides 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.
Page 142: Recording Manually
Recording manually You can record into an existing window or create a new window at the time of recording. If you have an audio device that supports multiple inputs, you can use Sound Forge to perform multichannel recording. Tips: • Sound Forge is not a multitrack editor. Check out our Vegas and ACID families of products for full multitrack recording and editing. You can use multichannel recording to create surround audio or capture field recordings.
Page 143 From the Method drop-down list, choose Normal. Choose the destination data window for your recording. By default, the application 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: Then You want to record into a Click the Window button and choose a data window from the Record...
Page 144: Recording Automatically
Click the Record button ( ) in the Record dialog (or press Alt+R). Recording begins. Stop button appears Recording message Time recorded value increases Click the Stop button ( ) to stop recording. Click the Close button to close the Record dialog. Recording automatically In addition to the normal recording method, there are three automatic recording methods: Time, Threshold, and MIDI Timecode.
Page 145 Use the Time Options tab at the bottom of the Record dialog to set the timer: Click the Add button ( ) to create a timer setting. The Record Timer Event dialog appears. Type a name in the Name field to create a name to identify the preset. Choose a setting from the Recurrence drop-down list to indicate whether you want to record one time only or repeat the selected recording day and time at a regular interval.
Page 146 Setting a prerecord buffer for threshold recording On the Advanced tab at the bottom of the Record dialog, select the Prerecord buffer check box and type a value in the edit box to maintain a set amount of time in a buffer when Sound Forge software is armed for recording. A prerecording buffer helps to ensure you won’t miss a perfect take if you’ve set the threshold a bit too high.
Page 147: Choosing A Recording Mode
Choosing a recording mode You can choose any of several recording modes in the Record dialog’s Mode drop-down list: Mode Description Automatic retake Automatic retake mode is the easiest method of recording. Recording begins at the (automatically rewind) position displayed in the Start box when you click the Record button ( ) and continues until you click the Stop button ( ).
Page 148: Playing Back Recorded Audio
Recalibrating the DC adjustment If you have multiple sound cards, you should recalibrate the DC adjust each time you select a new recording device. Certain sound cards must also be recalibrated each time the sample rate changes or when switching between mono and multichannel recording. Tip: You can recalibrate at any time, even during recording.
Page 149: Monitoring Audio Input
Monitoring audio input The input meters in the Meters tab at the bottom of 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. Enabling the recording meters Recording meters are displayed in the Meters tab at the bottom of the Record dialog so you can check your input level before recording.
Page 150: Extracting Audio From Cds
To toggle between the blinking status settings, right-click the Record dialog and choose Blinking Status from the shortcut menu. A check mark displays adjacent to the command to indicate that the frame is configured to flash. Extracting audio from CDs You can extract data from CDs and open tracks in the Sound Forge workspace.
Page 151: Previewing Cd Tracks
Select the Create CD tracks from full subcode scan check box if you want to create a disc-at-once CD track for each extracted track. Note: When you select the Create CD tracks from full subcode scan check box, the software will create a disc-at-once track list based on the PQ data on the disc.
Page 152 CHAPTER 8...
Page 153: Editing, Repairing, And Synthesizing Audio
Chapter 9 Editing, Repairing, and Synthesizing Audio This chapter introduces some of the Sound Forge® Pro advanced editing, repair, and synthesis features. 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 two more sophisticated paste operations: overwrite and replicate.
Page 154: Replicating
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. The selection is overwritten with the clipboard contents. Note: If any of the selection data remains, it is because the length of the clipboard contents was less than the length of the selection. Replicating Replicating allows you to overwrite your current data window selection with several copies of the clipboard contents.
Page 155: Repeating An Operation
From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special and choose Replicate from the submenu. The Replicate dialog is displayed. Select the Copy partials radio button and click OK. The selection is overwritten with multiple copies of the clipboard contents. A partial copy of the clipboard contents is used where appropriate. 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.
Page 156: Using Drag-And-Drop Operations
Perform one of the following actions: • From the Preset drop-down list, choose a preset that has been stored for the plug-in. • Specify the length of silence that you want to add in the Insert box and choose a setting from the at drop-down list to specify where the silence should be inserted.
Page 157 Create a selection in the source window Drag the selection into the destination window and then press and hold Ctrl Hold the Ctrl key and drag the selection to the Voiceover data window. • A vertical line representing the leading edge of the source selection appears in the destination window. •...
Page 158 Mixing Open the Voiceover.pca and Drumhit.pca audio files. Select all audio data in the Drumhit data window. 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. Tip: When dragging a selection to paste sound data, drag up or down before moving the mouse left or right.
Page 159: Creating New Windows By Dragging And Dropping A Selection
Continue holding the left mouse button while clicking the right mouse button. The mouse icon and the appearance of the selection region change to indicate the current drag-and-drop mode. Release the left mouse button. The source audio data is pasted, mixed, or inserted as a CD track. Creating new windows by dragging and dropping a selection Drag-and-drop also allows you to create a new data window from a selection.
Page 160: Repairing Audio
Click OK. The first glitch in the file is found and its location is marked with the cursor. Tip: If you can hear glitches that the Find tool does not locate, decrease the Threshold slope and increase the Sensitivity. Locating additional glitches using the same settings Once you have configured the settings in the Find dialog, you can find the next glitch in the file without viewing the Find dialog.
Page 161 From the Tools menu, choose Repair, and choose Interpolate from the submenu. The glitch data is replaced with interpolated data. Data is interpolated within the selection Replacing audio with preceding data The Replace tool allows you to repair audio files by replacing the damaged data with the data immediately preceding it. This repair method is useful for repairing longer glitches such as needle drops and scratches.
Page 162: Synthesizing Audio
Drag to draw a new waveform section. The new section is integrated into the original waveform, replacing the section containing the glitch. Repairing audio using Audio Restoration plug-in Sound Forge software includes an DirectX plug-in (part of the Noise Reduction plug-in) called Audio Restoration that you can use to remove surface noise from old recordings.
Page 163: Generating Audio With Frequency Modulation
Generating audio with frequency modulation The Sound Forge 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.
Page 164: Generating Simple Waveforms
Modifying an operator Select the Current operator radio button corresponding to the operator to be modified. Use the envelope graph to modify the amplitude of the operator over time. For more information, see Envelope graphs on page 49. From the Operator shape drop-down list, choose a waveform shape. Specify the frequency of the operator in the Frequency box.
Page 165 From the Insert new waveform at drop-down list, choose a position to determine where the waveform is placed in the data window. Click OK. EDITING, REPAIRING, AND SYNTHESIZING AUDIO...
Page 166 CHAPTER 9...
Page 167: Using The Event Tool
Chapter 10 Using the Event Tool The Event tool ( ) in Sound Forge® Pro software allows you to edit multiple audio events in a single data window, which can be an easier way to edit edges and fades and lay out tracks for disc-at-once CDs. Notes: • Events do not loop and cannot exceed the start, end, or channels of the underlying media.
Page 168: Moving Events
Choose the Event tool ( ). Notice that the file contains two events: one event for the pasted “Wow” and one event for the original part of the file. • Selected events are highlighted. • Events are separated by a thin line. Event #1 Event #2 Moving events...
Page 169: Cutting Events
Cutting events Cutting events removes them from the file, but places the cut information on the clipboard. After the events are on the clipboard, you can paste them into any data window. Events before cut Clipboard contents Events after cut Select the events to be cut.
Page 170: Splitting Events
Dragging channel boundaries You can drag the top and bottom edges of events if you want to use only a subset of the channels in a multichannel file. This method is also useful for duplicating or rearranging channels without using the Channel Converter, which always processes the entire file. Drag the bottom edge of a multichannel event to hide one or more channels.
Page 171: Crossfading Events
Crossfading events You can crossfade between two events on the same channel. Crossfading fades out one event’s volume while another event’s volume fades in. Fade in volume line Fade out volume line Note: You can show or hide the crossfade length ToolTip by selecting Event and then Show Crossfade Lengths from the Options menu or pressing Ctrl+Shift+T.
Page 172: Changing Crossfade Curves
Changing crossfade curves You can change the crossfade curves that are used to fade in and out between two events. Right-click a crossfade to choose a different crossfade curve. Right-click anywhere in the crossfade region to display a shortcut menu. From the shortcut menu, choose Fade Type, and then choose the desired fade type from the submenu.
Page 173: Setting An Event's Fade In And Fade Out
Setting an event’s fade in and fade out The event handles allow you to change an event’s fade in and out volume. You can also change the type of curve that the event uses to control the volume’s fade in or fade out. Place the mouse pointer on a handle (upper corners of the event).
Page 174: Selecting Events
Selecting events When working with the Event tool ( ), you can select one or more events, but you cannot create time selections. To select an event, click it. Double-click an event to select it and adjust the loop bar to the length of the event. Selecting events using menu commands From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Select Next Event or Select Previous Event from the submenu to select the next or previous event in the data window.
Page 175: Zooming Events
Selecting a range of events Hold the Shift key. Click the first event that you want to select. Click the last event that you want to select. All events between the first and last selected events are selected. Zooming events To zoom an event, right-click the event and choose Zoom Event from the shortcut menu, or press Ctrl+Up Arrow.
Page 176 CHAPTER 10...
Page 177: Processing Audio
Note: All information regarding presets in this chapter is applicable to DirectX® Plug-Ins (effects) from Sony Creative Software Inc. Using presets Open the Voiceover.pca file.
Page 178: Creating Presets
Creating presets You can also create custom effects and save them as presets. Open the Voiceover.pca file. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and then choose Graphic from the submenu. The Graphic Fade dialog is displayed. From the Preset drop-down list, choose the -3 dB exponential fade out preset. The dialog’s controls change to reflect the preset. Drag any of the graphic fade points to a new position.
Page 179: Managing Presets
Managing presets After you have created custom presets, you can use the Sound Forge Preset Manager to back up, transfer, or delete custom presets from any of the installed effects, processes, tools and plug-ins. You can also use the Preset Manager to manage your ACID® and Vegas® presets.
Page 180: Adjusting The Data Window Selection
Adjusting the data window selection You can easily adjust your data window selection from within most processing dialogs by clicking the More button on the right side of the dialog and specifying the selection parameters explained below. Clicking the More button displays additional information you can use to adjust your data window selection.
Page 181: Sound Forge Processes
Sound Forge processes The remainder of this chapter describes the functions located in the Process menu. 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 Open the Voiceover.pca file.
Page 182: Bit-Depth Converter
Control Description Minimum inter-phrase When you choose the Remove silence between phrases mode, the Minimum inter-phrase silence value silence determines the minimum amount of silence needed between phrases for a new region to be created. Minimum length When you choose the Remove data beyond loop points mode, the Minimum length following loop end following loop end value determines the number of samples that must follow a loop.
Page 183 Bit-Depth Converter controls The following controls are located in the Bit-Depth Converter dialog. Control Description Bit depth Choose a setting to specify the number of bits that should be used to store each sample. Dither This control allows you to specify the randomness of the dither (generated noise) used to mask quantization distortion resulting from conversion to a lower bit depth.
Page 184: Izotope Mbit+ Dither
iZotope MBIT+ Dither From the Process menu, choose Bit Depth, and then choose iZotope MBIT+ Dither from the submenu to convert sound files to different bit depths and apply dithering. Tip: Because the signal-to-noise ratio decreases when you decrease the bit depth of a file, you should maximize the volume of the sound file using the Volume or Normalize functions before performing the conversion.
Page 185: Channel Converter
Item Description Dither bits/amount When Type 1 or Type 2 is selected in the Dither mode drop-down list, you can choose a setting from the Dither bits drop-down list to choose whether you want to use 1 or 2 dither bits. 1 works well for most applications. When MBIT+ is selected in the Dither mode drop-down list, you can choose a setting from the Dither amount drop-down list to control the amount of dithering applied.
Page 186 Choose a setting from the Preset drop-down list, or adjust the controls as needed: Choose a setting from the Output channels drop-down list to indicate the number of channels in the converted file. Click in the Output box for each output channel and type a gain value (or drag the fader) to adjust the amount of the original mono file that will be mixed to the new channel.
Page 187: Dc Offset
Channel Converter controls The following controls are located in the Channel Converter dialog. Control Description Output channels This drop-down determines the number of channels in the output file. Source Determines the amount of the original channel data that will be mixed to the new file. Invert Mix Select this check box to reverse the polarity of the new channel.
Page 188: Fade - Graphic Fade
DC Offset controls Choose DC Offset from the Process menu to display the DC Offset dialog. The following controls are located in the DC Offset dialog. Control Description Automatically detect and Calculates and corrects the DC offset for each channel individually. remove Adjust DC offset by Allows you to specify a DC offset value manually.
Page 189 Click OK. The specified fade is applied to the selection. Creating a custom graphic fade Open the Musicbed.pca file. Select the first half of the audio (approximately five seconds). From the Process menu, choose Fade, and choose Graphic from the submenu. The Graphic Fade dialog is displayed. From the Show wave drop-down list, choose Mono source.
Page 190: Fade - Fade In
Fade - Fade In The Fade In command is used to linearly fade a selection from a volume of -Inf. to a volume of 0 dB. The size of the selection determines the length of the fade. Open the Musicbed.pca file. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and choose In from the submenu.
Page 191: Mute
Mute The Mute command forces the selection to a volume of -Inf. dB (silence). Muting an audio selection Create a selection in the data window. From the Process menu, choose Mute. The selection is muted. PROCESSING AUDIO...
Page 192: Normalize
Normalize The Normalize command maximizes the overall volume of a file without introducing clipping. When you normalize a file, the entire file is scanned and a constant gain is applied to raise the file’s level to a specified value. Normalizing audio Open the Musicbed.pca file.
Page 193 Control Description 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.
Page 194: Pan/Expand
Pan/Expand Pan/Expand allows you to create panning effects and stereo compression/expansion in selections. 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. Open the Musicbed.pca file. From the Process menu, choose Pan/Expand.
Page 195: Resample
Pan/Expand controls The following controls are located in the Pan/Expand dialog. Control Description Process mode The Process mode drop-down list contains the following options: • Pan (preserve stereo separation) Applies the pan effect without mixing the channels, thereby simulating the spectral positioning of stereo recordings. • Pan (mix channels before panning) Mixes the left and right channels prior to applying panning effects.
Page 196 Downsampling audio Open the Musicbed.pca file. Right-click the data window and choose File Properties from the shortcut menu. The File Properties window is displayed. Notice that this file has 44,100 Hz sample rate and a file size of 0.48 MB. Click OK.
Page 197: Izotope 64-Bit Src
iZotope 64-Bit SRC You can use the iZotope 64-Bit SRC process to change the sample rate of an existing sound file. From the Process menu, choose Resample, and then choose iZotope 64-Bit SRC from the submenu. The iZotope 64-Bit DSRC dialog is displayed.
Page 198: Reverse
Item Description Prering Low-pass filters are characterized by the amount of ringing they introduce into their output. Higher Steepness settings produce increased ringing. A setting of 100% produces a linear phase filter with equal pre and post ringing. A setting of 0% produces a minimum phase filter that offers no preringing but has nonlinear phase distortion.
Page 199: Volume
Volume The Volume command alters the volume of an audio selection. Increasing the volume of a selection Open the Voiceover.pca file. Create a selection containing the word “Wow. ” From the Process menu, choose Volume. The Volume dialog is displayed. From the Preset drop-down list, choose 6 dB boost (200%) and click OK.
Page 200 CHAPTER 11...
Page 201: Working With Effects
Working with Effects Effects, or plug-ins, can be used to improve the quality of the audio or to create special artistic effects. Additional DirectX® and VST plug- in effects, both from Sony and other third-party vendors, can also be used. Adding effects You can choose an effect from the Effects menu to apply to a file or just a portion of a file.
Page 202: Saving Effect Settings As A Custom Preset
Click the Preview button to test out the effect. Adjust the settings as needed and click Stop to end the preview. Tips: • If the selection you made in the data window needs to be adjusted, click the Selection button to adjust the selection. • When using the Event tool ( ), click the Go to Previous Event ( ) and Go to Next Event (...
Page 203: Creating A Plug-In Chain
Creating a plug-in chain Select the data you want to process. If no data is selected, the effect chain is applied to the entire file. From the View menu, choose Plug-In Chainer or click the Open Plug-In Chainer button ( ) on the data window.
Page 204: Removing A Plug-In From A Chain
Removing a plug-in from a chain To remove a specific plug-in from a chain, select it and click the Remove Selected Plug-In button ( ). The plug-in is removed and the remaining plug-ins are adjusted. Tip: You can also remove plug-ins by performing one of the following actions: • Press Ctrl+Tab to select the next plug-in or Ctrl+Shift+Tab to select the previous plug-in, and then press Ctrl+Delete to remove the selected plug-in from the chain.
Page 205: Bypassing Effects
Bypassing effects You can bypass single effects or all effects in a chain while previewing the file. Bypassing a plug-in on a chain To bypass a plug-in, clear its check box in the Plug-In Chainer window. A bypassed plug-in does not process the audio signal, allowing you to preview the effect of the remaining plug-ins.
Page 206: Saving Plug-In Chains
Saving plug-in chains After you’ve set up an effect chain, you may want to save it for later use. When you save a plug-in chain, you not only save the order of the effects in the chain but also the parameters of each individual effect. Create an effects chain in the Plug-In Chainer window.
Page 207: Loading Plug-In Chains Or Plug-In Presets
Loading plug-in chains or plug-in presets Once you have saved a plug-in chain, you can easily load it into the Plug-In Chainer. Loading a plug-in chain preset Choose a setting from the Chain drop-down list. The preset chain loads into the window using the saved settings for each DirectX and VST plug-in in the chain.
Page 208: Using The Plug-In Manager
Using the Plug-In Manager You have several tools to help you manage your plug-ins, including the Plug-In Manager, FX Favorites menu, and the Preset Manager. The Plug-In Manager window not only allows you to add plug-ins and saved plug-in chains, but it also provides a way to manage your plug-in files—to rename plug-ins, hide plug-ins, create folders, add plug-ins to an FX Favorites folder, and perform other standard file management tasks.
Page 209: Renaming A Plug-In
Tip: To restore hidden plug-ins, you can force Sound Forge to rescan your system for plug-ins by deleting the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sony Creative Software\Sound Forge Pro\10.0\DXCache key in the Windows Registry. Organizing effects in the FX Favorites menu The FX 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.
Page 210: Using The Preset Manager
Automatically adding and organizing plug-ins You can automatically add all the plug-ins on your computer to your FX Favorites folder and organize them by the first word in the plug- in name (usually the company name). This replaces any menu structure you may have created with a rebuilt FX Favorites menu. From the FX Favorites menu, choose Recreate by Plug-In Name.
Page 211: Automating Effect Parameters
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.
Page 212: Adjusting Effect Parameters With Envelopes
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.
Page 213: Adjusting Envelopes
Adjusting envelopes When the Envelope tool ( ) on the main workspace is selected, you can add, remove, select or adjust envelope points on effect automation envelopes. The Edit tool ( ) allows you to add, remove, or adjust envelope points, but you cannot select envelope points with the Edit tool. By default, a new envelope will contain a single envelope point.
Page 214: Cutting, Copying, And Pasting Envelope Points
Cutting, copying, and pasting envelope points Select the Envelope tool ( Click within a data window to select it. Drag horizontally in a data window to select envelope points. From the Edit menu, choose Cut or Copy. Click to position the cursor where you want to paste envelope points. Tip: Click within a different data window if you want to paste envelope points across data windows.
Page 215: Sound Forge Effects
The effect simulates the variances in pitch and timing that occur naturally when two or more people try to play or sing the same thing at the same time. For information about using the Chorus effect, click the Help button ( ) in the Sony Chorus dialog or refer to the Sound Forge online help (from the Help menu, choose Contents and Index).
Page 216: Envelope
Envelope From the Effects menu, choose Envelope to apply an envelope to vary the amplitude of a waveform over time. Unlike the Graphic Fade command, which simply fades a waveform by a specific amount over time, the gain at each point is dynamically calculated to achieve the exact specified envelope.
Page 217: Flange/Wah-Wah
For information about using the Noise Gate effect, click the Help button ( ) in the Sony Noise Gate dialog or refer to the Sound Forge online help (from the Help menu, choose Contents and Index).
Page 218: Resonant Filter
The Shift effect allows you to change the pitch of a sound with or without preserving the duration of the selection. For information about using the Pitch Shift effect, click the Help button ( ) in the Sony Pitch Shift dialog or refer to Sound Forge online help (from the Help menu, choose Contents and Index).
Page 219: Reverb
For information about using the Reverb plug-in, click the Help button ( ) in the Sony Reverb dialog or refer to the Sound Forge online help (from the Help menu, choose Contents and Index).
Page 220 CHAPTER 12...
Page 221: Using Acoustic Mirror And Wave Hammer
Chapter 13 Using Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer This chapter is designed to familiarize you with the Sound Forge® Pro Acoustic Mirror™ and Wave Hammer™ effects. The Acoustic Mirror effect is a powerful digital signal processing tool that allows you to add environmental coloration to your existing recordings.
Page 222: General Tab Controls
Drag the Dry Out fader up. Notice the audible change in output as the balance between the Wet Out and Dry Out values changes. Tip: If you are experiencing difficulty previewing processing in real-time, decrease the Quality/speed value. Drag the Response delay slider to the right. Notice the audible change in the reverb’s delay. The Acoustic Mirror dialog contains four tabs: General, Envelope, Summary, and Recover.
Page 223: Envelope Tab Controls
Envelope tab controls The following sections describe all controls located on the Envelope tab. Control Description Impulse This control is identical to the Impulse drop-down list on the General tab. This allows you to view the envelope graphs for the specified impulse file. For more information, see Impulse page 216.
Page 224: Summary Tab Controls
Summary tab controls The Summary tab provides information about the impulse file. The following section describes all controls located on the Summary tab. Control Description Impulse This control is identical to the Impulse drop-down list on the General tab. For more information, Impulse on page 216.
Page 225 Impulse recovery mode You can choose from three Impulse recovery mode options to determine the method used to recover the impulse: Use the start and end of the recorded file as timing spikes, Auto-detect timing spikes, or Do not use timing spikes. Each of these modes is described below. • Use the start and end of the recorded file as timing spikes This option specifies that the beginning and end of the recorded file are used as timing spikes.
Page 226: Creating Impulse Files
Creating impulse files You can obtain impulse responses from anything that accepts test tone input and supports recording the output. This includes physical spaces as well as electronic audio equipment. Creating custom impulse files requires planning, work, and additional audio equipment. Note: Impulses derived from electronic devices that produce nonlinear effects such as overdrives, distortion pedals, pitch shifters, harmonic enhancers, chorus pedals, or flange pedals cannot be modeled using the Acoustic Mirror tool.
Page 227: Recording The Impulse Through An Electronic Device
Setting levels After the devices are positioned, you should begin playback of the test tone. The test tone should be played as loudly as possible (or practical) to produce the best signal-to-noise ratio. With the test tone playing at optimum volume, set the levels on the recording device.
Page 228: Trimming The Impulse File
Naming, configuring, and recovering the impulse From the Effects menu, choose Acoustic Mirror. The Acoustic Mirror dialog is displayed. Click the Recover tab. Enter the name and path of your impulse file in the Recorded File box or click Browse and locate the file. Enter the name of the original test tone file in the Test file used box.
Page 229: Adding Summary Information To Your Impulse File
Adding summary information to your impulse file If you plan on sharing impulses with other Sound Forge users, we recommend adding summary information and BMP images to your files. Open the impulse file in the software. From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Summary Information from the submenu. The Summary window is displayed.
Page 230: Recreating Spaces For Foley Effects And Dialog Replacement
Recreating spaces for foley effects and dialog replacement Frequently, dialogue recorded in the field is rendered unusable by ambient noise. If you are shooting in the field and realize that overdubbing will be necessary, you should create an impulse in each filming location. This allows you to overdub dialog during post production that is indistinguishable from dialog recorded on location.
Page 231: Impulses Do Not Recover Properly
Increase the DirectX buffering size Open the Acoustic Mirror dialog. Right-click an empty area of the dialog outside of the four tabs and choose Configuration from the shortcut menu. The Real-Time Preview Configuration dialog is displayed. Reconfigure the Buffers to process per second and Total playback buffers controls. Typically, lowering the Buffers to process per second value and increasing the Total playback buffers value reduces gapping during real-time previewing.
Page 232 The level of the first spike is low. Do you wish to use it as a timing spike? This typically means that no actual timing spike was detected. Verify that the first spike is within one second of the start of the recorded file.
Page 233: What Is The Wave Hammer Plug-In
What is the Wave Hammer plug-in? The Wave Hammer DirectX plug-in is an audio mastering tool consisting of a classic compressor and a volume maximizer. The Wave Hammer tool can be used in any Microsoft DirectX-compatible host application (for example, Sound Forge and ACID® Pro software), and the quality and functionality of the Wave Hammer plug-in is the same in each host application;...
Page 234 Control Description Smart release The Smart Release slider allows you to configure the compressor to automatically increase the release time for sustained notes and decrease the release time for sharp transients. Setting this value higher increases the internal variability of the specified Release value. Generally, louder overall audio levels can be achieved with lower Release values.
Page 235: Volume Maximizer Tab
Volume Maximizer tab The controls on the Volume Maximizer tab are used to limit the peak amplitude of an audio file or to boost the overall level without clipping the waveform and distorting the audio. These controls are explained below. Control Description Threshold...
Page 236 CHAPTER 13...
Page 237: Using Scripting
Chapter 14 Using Scripting You can use scripting to streamline repetitive tasks and implement customized features. When the Script Editor window displays, you can use it to create, edit, or run scripts. Sound Forge® software can use scripts written using JScript, VBScript, or C# as well as scripts that have been compiled as DLLs. Scripting references Sample scripts You can find the most recent scripting API (application programming interface) and sample scripts on our Web site at...
Page 238: Using The Script Editor Window
Using the Script Editor window From the View menu, choose Script Editor to display the Script Editor window. You can use the Script Editor window to open, run, create, or edit scripts. Script area Splitter panel Output area • Script area - Displays the current scripts written code. •...
Page 239: Opening And Running A Script
SCRIPTARGS Starts Sound Forge and passes the specified arguments to a script. Example: "C:\Program Files\Sony\Sound Forge Pro 10.0\Forge100.exe" - SCRIPTARGS:"in\C:\Test\input.dls&out=C:\Test\output.dls&repeat=2" -SCRIPT:"C:\Scripts\MyScript.cs" EXIT Exits Sound Forge after running the specified script. Example: "C:\Program Files\Sony\Sound Forge Pro 10.0\Forge100.exe" -SCRIPT:"C:\Scripts\MyScript.cs" -EXIT USING SCRIPTING...
Page 240: Script Arguments
When you start the program, Sound Forge software looks at the Script Menu folder in the Sound Forge program folder to determine which scripts appear in the Scripting submenu. This folder is C:\Program Files\Sony\Sound Forge Pro 10.0\Script Menu by default.
Page 241: Creating A Script
Creating a script Sound Forge scripting uses the Microsoft .NET framework for scripting. You can write scripts in JScript, Visual Basic .NET, or C#. From the View menu, choose Script Editor to display the Script Editor window if it isn’t already displayed. Click the New Script Template button ( ) and choose C#, JScript, or VBScript.
Page 242: Using The Scripting Toolbar
Using the Scripting toolbar Adding or removing toolbar buttons From the View menu, choose Toolbars. The Preferences dialog appears with a list of available toolbars. Select the Scripting check box. Click Customize. The Customize Toolbar dialog appears. Use the controls in the Customize Toolbar dialog to add, remove, or rearrange the buttons on the selected toolbar. All scripts from the Script Menu folder are listed in the Available tools column.
Page 243: Creating Custom Button Images
HelloWorld.js script, the icon should be saved as HelloWorld.js.png). Note: The Script Menu folder can typically be found in the following location: C:\Program Files\Sony\Sound Forge Pro 10.0\Script Menu. Customize the toolbar as needed. The custom icons will display on the Scripting toolbar the next time you start the application.
Page 244: Using The Batch Converter
Using the Batch Converter You can use the Batch Converter to modify and manipulate audio files without having to process each file individually. Converting using an existing batch job From the Tools menu, choose Batch Converter. The Batch Converter window is displayed. Open the batch job that you want to run.
Page 245: Creating Or Editing A Batch Job
Select the Save tab and verify the file output settings. For more information, see Creating or editing a batch job on page 239. Note: If you want to convert to multiple formats at once, click the Add Save Options button to create a setting for each file type that you want to convert.
Page 246 Select the Metadata tab and type values for any metadata (file information) that you want to save in the output files. Then The Overwrite check box is not selected and the destination The existing information is preserved (keywords; however, will file already includes information for a metadata item be appended).
Page 247: Sampling
Chapter 15 Sampling Used in conjunction with the Sampler Tool, Sound Forge® Pro software’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.
Page 248: Configuring The Sampler Tool
Configuring the Sampler Tool Configuring the Sampler Tool is fairly straightforward, especially if the desired configuration exists in the list of presets. From the Tools menu, choose Sampler. The Sampler dialog appears. From the Configuration drop-down list, choose the desired configuration. If the desired configuration is not listed, you must create it in the Sampler Configuration dialog.
Page 249: Open Loop Versus Closed Loop
Specify input/output settings for the sampler: Then Your sampler uses MIDI/SDS transfer Select the MIDI radio button and choose input and output ports in the MIDI In and MIDI Out boxes Your sampler uses SCSI/SMDI transfer Select the SCSI radio button and select your sampler in the Sampler box. Note: The Sampler box lists all devices connected to the selected SCSI host, including devices that are not samplers.
Page 250: Saving Sampler Configurations
Saving sampler configurations Once you complete a sampler configuration, you can save it as a preset and quickly access it in the future. From the Sampler Configuration dialog, click Save As. The Save Preset dialog appears. 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.
Page 251: Processing Musical Instrument Files
Editing MIDI unity note and Fine tune Both values can be edited and used with samplers that support tuning information in the Sampler Loops window. For more information, Sampler Loops window (Ctrl+Alt+M, 6) on page 28. Note: The software does not use this information. Processing musical instrument files Sound Forge can open and save DLS, GigaStudio/GigaSampler, and SoundFont 2.0 musical instrument files, allowing you to add effects and processing to existing samples.
Page 252: Previewing Samples
If you want to open a sample’s audio data, browse to an instrument file in the Explorer window. Click the down arrow next to the Views button ( ) and choose Region View from the menu. Each wave is then displayed at the bottom of the Explorer window. You can double-click a wave to open it as a wave file: Previewing samples Playback for musical instrument files behaves slightly differently than playback in a normal data window.
Page 253 You can select all samples in a bank by clicking the bank in the left pane: You can select all of an instrument’s samples by clicking the instrument in the left pane: You can select all samples within a note range by clicking the note range in the left pane: You can select individual samples by expanding a note range or the Sample Pool list and clicking a sample in the left pane: SAMPLING...
Page 254: Processing Selections
Processing selections Select the samples you want to process. If no samples are selected, processing will be applied to all samples. Choose a command from the Process, Effects, or FX Favorites menu. Choose a preset from the Preset drop-down list or adjust the dialog controls as needed. For more information, see Applying presets on page 171.
Page 255: Using The Midi Keyboard
Using the MIDI keyboard With the MIDI keyboard, you can control internal/external synthesizers and samplers from the Sound Forge application. The MIDI keyboard can also be used to listen to the sounds on a synthesizer or in the synthesis section of the sound card. Displaying the MIDI keyboard To display the MIDI keyboard, choose Keyboard from the View menu.
Page 256: Specifying Instruments
Specifying instruments Choose Send Program Changes from the MIDI Out button ( ) menu. A check mark appears adjacent to the command to indicate that this option is turned on. If this option is turned off, patches cannot be switched. From the Voice drop-down list, choose the new voice and click any key.
Page 257: Setting Up Midi/Sds Hardware
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. Using a MIDI cable, connect the MIDI output port of the sampler to the MIDI input port of the MIDI card. Connect the MIDI input port of the sampler to the MIDI output port of the card.
Page 258: Periodic Transfer Failures
Periodic transfer failures Messages such as “The SCSI Device is not responding” or “A problem was encountered while transferring the sample” may indicate a problem with a SCSI bus. From the Tools menu, choose Sampler. The Sampler dialog is displayed. Click Configure.
Page 259: Working With Midi/Smpte
Chapter 16 Working with MIDI/SMPTE This chapter describes using Sound Forge® Pro software in conjunction with internal and external MIDI devices. 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.
Page 260 Configuring the MIDI device From the View menu, choose Keyboard. The MIDI Keyboard appears. On/Off Voice Note/Chord Output Channel MIDI Out Octave Output Velocity Open the Voiceover.pca file. Click the MIDI Out button ( ) and choose the appropriate MIDI router from the menu. Set the keyboard’s Output channel value to 1.
Page 261: Triggering Region Playback
Starting playback 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 the software is ready to receive MIDI commands. Click the C4 key on the MIDI Keyboard.
Page 262: Triggering Playback From Additional Internal/External Midi Devices
Zoom in and out of the waveform using the cursor keys (vertically and horizontally). • Start and stop audio playback using the sequencer controls. Note: Users of the aforementioned external MIDI controllers need not limit themselves to the default configurations of Sony Creative Software Inc. CHAPTER 16...
Page 263: Sound Forge Software And Midi Timecode Synchronization
Sound Forge software 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. You can synchronize to external MTC or generate MTC for other devices to follow.
Page 264: Playing Regions Using Mtc From An External Device
Click OK. 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 to indicate that synchronization to MTC is ready. Configuring the sequencer Set the sequencer’s MIDI output port to correspond with the Sound Forge MIDI input port. Turn on the sequencer’s MTC output.
Page 265: Using Sound Forge Software To Generate Mtc For An External Device
Configuring the sequencer Specify the sequencer’s MIDI input port that corresponds to the Sound Forge MIDI output port. Set the sequencer’s SMPTE offset time value as needed. Note: Sound Forge software 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.
Page 266 CHAPTER 16...
Page 267: Looping
Chapter 17 Looping Sound Forge® Pro software is an excellent tool for creating loops and provides the perfect compliment to the 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.
Page 268: Creating A Sustaining Loop With A Release Loop
From the Insert menu, choose Sample Loop (or press Alt+L). The data window displays the appropriate tags in the ruler to specify the loop’s start and end points. The Play as Sample button ( ) appears on the playbar. Loop start and end tags Right-click the sustaining loop and choose Edit Sample Loop from the shortcut menu (or press Alt+Shift+L).
Page 269: Looping Techniques
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.
Page 270 The left side of the Loop Tuner window displays the end of the loop, while the right side displays the start of the loop. This arrangement allows you to fine-tune loops by viewing a graphical representation of the junction between the end and the start of a loop. Displaying the Loop Tuner Open the Loop.pca file.
Page 271 Viewing loop amplitude The sample amplitude at the loop’s start and end points appears in the lower-right corner of the Loop Tuner. End Loop Amplitude Start Loop Amplitude Although it is dependent on the specific waveform, a good rule of thumb is that the closer these two amplitude values are, the more natural the resulting loop sounds.
Page 272: Crossfading Loops
Locking loop length The Lock Loop Length button ( ) allows you to freely move the start and end points of a loop without altering its length. When the button is selected, any editing that moves a loop point affects both loop points, thereby keeping the loop length constant. Clicking the Lock Loop Length button a second time turns this feature off and allows loop points to be edited independently with no regard for the loop’s original length.
Page 273: Creating Loops For Acid Software
Creating loops for ACID software The Sound Forge application is an excellent tool for creating and editing loops to be imported into any of the ACID family of products. You can create three different types of files for ACID use: •...
Page 274: Creating An Acid Beatmapped File
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 software version 3.0 or later for extended vocal tracks or other long audio files that do not loop.
Page 275: Editing Loops For Acid Software
Editing loops for ACID software You can use a number of tools to prepare audio for use in ACID software. 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 Edit menu, choose Selection, and choose Halve from the submenu.
Page 276: Rotating Audio
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 Process menu, choose Rotate Audio. Notes: • You can also click the Rotate Audio button ( ) on the Process toolbar or press : (colon).
Page 277: Setting Loop Tempo
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 software on page 267.
Page 278 CHAPTER 17...
Page 279: Working With Video
Chapter 18 Working with Video Sound Forge® Pro software supports opening and saving Microsoft® Audio and Video Interleave (AVI), Windows Media® Video (WMV), QuickTime® (MOV), and MPEG video files. 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.
Page 280 Using the cursor to select a frame When frame animation is turned on, clicking anywhere within the audio portion of the data window displays the corresponding video frame in the video strip. To move the cursor by single frames, press Alt+Right Arrow or Alt+Left Arrow. Viewing frame numbers You can display frame numbers on each frame in your video strip, which can assist you in positioning your audio.
Page 281: Previewing Files With Video
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.
Page 282: Using An External Monitor
Resizing the Video Preview window Double-click the title bar of the Video Preview window to automatically resize the window to fit the current video file. Double-click the title bar again to resize the window to half its previous size. This smaller size window allows for faster video frame previewing. Using an external monitor You have the option of viewing video on an external monitor.
Page 283: Setting Video Options
Setting video options Video file properties The video properties for a file affect how video is displayed and rendered when you save the file. In most situations, you can leave these settings at their default values. However, you can adjust the video properties of a file as needed. From the View menu, choose File Properties.
Page 284: Saving A Video File
Saving a video file From the File menu, choose Save As. The Save As dialog appears. From the Save as type drop-down list, choose a video file format. Name the file in the File name box. Select or clear the following check boxes as needed: •...
Page 285: Using Spectrum Analysis
Chapter 19 Using Spectrum Analysis This chapter introduces you to the concept of frequency and describes the Sound Forge® Pro Spectrum Analysis. Spectrum Analysis allows you to examine audio frequencies and overtones using either spectrum graphs or sonograms. Working in the frequency domain Unlike the waveform display, which represents audio in the time domain (amplitude vs.
Page 286: Using A Spectrum Graph
Using a spectrum graph In the spectrum graph, the horizontal axis represents frequency in Hertz (Hz), while the vertical axis represents amplitude in decibels (dB). Displaying a spectrum graph Open an audio file. Select the portion of the waveform you want to analyze. The sound or note you want to analyze should be in the center of the highlighted area.
Page 287: Monitoring An Input And Output Source
Monitoring an input and output source Click the Real Time Monitoring button ( ) to turn real-time spectrum analysis on or off. Click the down arrow next to the button and choose a command from the menu to specify whether you want to monitor your sound card’s input or output: •...
Page 288: Navigating A Spectrum Graph
Navigating a spectrum graph After a spectrum graph is displayed, Grab/Pan mode allows you to scroll vertically and horizontally. To enable Grab/Pan mode, right-click the Spectrum Analysis dialog and choose Grab/Pan from the shortcut menu. A check mark appears next to this option when Grab/Pan mode is enabled.
Page 289: Viewing Multiple Spectrum Graphs
Viewing multiple spectrum graphs Once you create a selection in the data window, you can display up to 64 individual spectrum graphs (each representing a specific point in time). Open an audio file. From the View menu, choose Spectrum Analysis. The Spectrum Analysis window appears. Click the Settings button ( ).
Page 290: Printing The Graph
Erasing snapshots You don’t need to erase individual snapshots to update or replace them. Simply click the Set Snapshot button ( ), and then click a snapshot button ( ) in the Spectrum Analysis toolbar to update its image. If you want to erase all snapshots, click the Clear all snapshots button ( Viewing snapshot statistics Information about each snapshot is displayed at the bottom of the Spectrum Analysis window: Printing the graph...
Page 291: Displaying Frequency And Amplitude Values, Notes And Statistics
If there is no selection in the waveform display window, the sonogram analyzes the sound data from the current cursor position to the end of the file. Displaying frequency and amplitude values, notes and statistics As you move the cursor through the sonogram, the amplitude and frequency values at the current position are displayed in a ToolTip next to the cursor and in the Statistics area at the bottom of the window: Use the cursor to display amplitude and...
Page 292: Tuning A Sonogram
Tuning a sonogram It is frequently necessary to experiment with the control parameters in the Spectrum Settings dialog to produce the best possible sonogram. For more information, see Adjusting Spectrum Analysis settings on page 287. Improving the graph’s contrast To improve the contrast of the sonogram, decrease the frequency and amplitude ranges as much as possible. Smoothing the graph’s display If the graph appears too pixelated, raise the Set sonogram resolution value to 200.
Page 293: Adjusting Spectrum Analysis Settings
Adjusting Spectrum Analysis settings From the Spectrum Analysis toolbar, click the Settings button ( ) to display the Spectrum Settings dialog. The following table explains the role of each control in audio spectrum analysis. Item Description FFT size Choose a value from the FFT size drop-down list to set the size in samples of the analysis window and number of discrete frequencies analyzed.
Page 294: Saving Spectrum Graph Settings
Item Description Sync graphs If you are analyzing a multichannel file, select the Sync graphs check box to synchronize the displays so you can view the same region of the FFT in all channels. Logarithmic graphing Select the Logarithmic graphing check box to display the X-axis in logarithmic mode rather than linear mode.
Page 295: Burning Cds
Chapter 20 Burning CDs You can write audio to CD if your system is configured with a supported CD-R/RW drive and the necessary drivers. Understanding track-at-once and disc-at-once burning Sound Forge® Pro software provides two ways to burn audio to a CD: track-at-once and disc-at-once. Track-at-once Track-at-once burning records individual tracks to the disc and results in a partially recorded disc.
Page 296: Burning Track-At-Once (Tao) Cds
Burning track-at-once (TAO) CDs You should always save your audio files prior to writing them to CD. From the Tools menu, choose Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD. The Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD dialog is displayed. The bottom of the dialog displays the length of the current audio file and the amount of time remaining on the CD currently in the CD-R/RW. Note: If there is no CD in the current drive, only the Drive and Speed drop-down menus and the Close button are available in this dialog.
Page 297: Closing A Cd
Click the Start button. Important: Clicking Cancel after the CD writing process begins renders the CD unusable. After the audio is written to CD, the CD Operation dialog indicates whether the writing was successful. Click OK to clear the message. Closing a CD Closing the CD allows you to listen to it in an audio CD player.
Page 298: Burning Disc-At-Once (Dao) Cds
Burning disc-at-once (DAO) CDs From the Tools menu, choose Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD to burn a disc-at-once CD using the current CD layout. Use DAO CDs when you need to create a master disc for mass replication. Tip: When creating DAO CDs, right-click the ruler or Time Display window and choose Audio CD Time from the shortcut menu to help you arrange your project.
Page 299 Adding CD tracks and index markers to a sound file Creating CD tracks Select the time range that you want to use to create a track. A track must be at least four seconds long. From the Insert menu, choose CD Track (or press N). A CD track is added to the CD layout bar in the data window. Tip: You can drag CD tracks to rearrange them, drag either end of a track to change its length, or use the Track List window to edit the track’s position or name.
Page 300 Creating CD tracks from regions in a file If you have a live recording that uses regions to indicate the sections of the recording, you can use this feature to create tracks without having to scan through the audio and create tracks manually. Add regions as necessary to indicate the tracks in your recording.
Page 301 Dragging files to the Track List window Drag a file to the Track List window. An indicator is displayed to show you where the track will be added when you release the mouse. When you drop the file, a track is created, and pause time is added before the new track. Track placement indicator Dragging files from the Explorer window From the Options menu, choose Drag-and-Drop Editing, and then choose CD Track from the submenu if you want to create disc-at...
Page 302 Drag the files to the Track List. When you drop the files, a track is created for each file, and pause time is added before each track. Pause time Tips: • When you create tracks using media files that include title and artist metadata, this information will be added to the Track List window as CD Text.
Page 303: Moving Tracks On The Cd Layout Bar
Moving tracks on the CD layout bar The CD layout bar displays information about the tracks you’ve created for your disc-at-once CD project. Each CD track shows the track’s number, active take name, and length. Note: A red indicator is drawn at the end of the CD layout bar to represent the end of the disc (if the disc length is known). You can use the Automatically detect CD length and Default CD length controls on the CD Settings tab of the Preferences dialog to set CD length.
Page 304: Editing Pause Time For A Disc-At-Once Cd
Hiding the CD layout bar From the Options menu, choose Data Window, and then choose CD Tracks from the submenu. The CD layout bar is hidden. Choose CD Tracks from the submenu again to display the CD layout bar. Tip: Right-click the Edit Tool Selector to display or hide components for the selected data window.
Page 305 • Drag either end of the track to adjust the track’s starting or ending position. The pause time between tracks is displayed in a ToolTip: • The Pause column in the Track List window allows you to edit the pause time between tracks. Type a new value in the box, and tracks will move accordingly in the timeline.
Page 306: Using The Track List Window
Using the Track List window From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Track List from the submenu to toggle the display of the Track List window. The Track List window is essentially a text representation of the events on the CD layout bar for a disc-at-once CD. You can use the Track List window to view track and index markers, edit track position and length, edit track names, adjust pause time, toggle protection and emphasis flags, and edit ISRC data.
Page 307: Creating Track Lists For Disc-At-Once Cds
Toggling protection and emphasis flags Select the Prot check box to add a flag to the Q subcode to prevent digital copying of your CD. In order to use copy protection, the CD player must support the copy-protection flag. Select the Emph check box to add a pre-emphasis flag to the Q subcode. Pre-emphasis is a basic noise-reduction process that is implemented by a CD player.
Page 308 Copying track lists to the clipboard From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Copy Track List to Clipboard from the submenu. The Copy Track List to Clipboard dialog is displayed. Tip: Right-click the Track List window and choose Copy Track List to Clipboard from the shortcut menu. Choose the format you want to apply to your track list information: •...
Page 309: Adding Cd Text To Disc-At-Once Cds
Printing track lists From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Print Track List from the submenu. The Print Track List dialog is displayed. Tip: Right-click the Track List window and choose Print Track List from the shortcut menu. Choose the format you want to apply to your track list information: •...
Page 310: Burning A Disc-At-Once Cd
Add title and artist information for each track on your CD: From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Track List to display the Track List window. Double-click the Title (CD Text) box and type the name of the track. Double-click the Artist (CD Text) box and type the name of the artist who performed the track.
Page 311 Select the Render temporary image before burning check box if you want to render your CD project to a temporary file before recording. Prerendering can prevent buffer underruns if you have a complex project that cannot be rendered and burned in real time.
Page 312 CHAPTER 20...
Page 313: Optimizing For Sound Forge Pro Software
Chapter 21 Optimizing for Sound Forge Pro Software This chapter contains information on configuring your system to optimize the performance of Sound Forge® Pro software. Defragmenting your hard drive The Sound Forge application is a disk-based digital audio editor that allows editing operations to be performed on the system’s hard drive rather than in memory.
Page 314: Time Displays
Time displays From the Options menu, choose Time Display, and choose Passive Update from the submenu. A check mark appears next to the command to indicate that this option is turned on. 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.
Page 315: Customizing Sound Forge Pro Software
Window layouts are saved in the folders listed below. You can transfer layouts between computers by copying the .ForgeWindowLayout files. • In Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0 • In Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0...
Page 316: Loading A Saved Layout
The Folder box displays the path to folder where the layout will be saved. Window layouts are saved in the following folders by default: • In Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0 • In Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0 You can click the Browse button to choose a different folder.
Page 317: Customizing The Time Display Window
Click the Delete Layout button to remove the selected layout from your computer. Note: You cannot delete a layout that is included in the Current layouts in menu list. First, select the layout in the Current layouts in menu list and click the Clear button. Next, select the layout in the Available layouts in current folder list and click the Delete Layout button.
Page 318: Setting Preferences
If this option is turned off, you need to click the On button on the keyboard prior to using it to send notes. Use Net Notify to stay informed When this check box is selected, information from Sony will be displayed periodically at startup. Clear about Sony products the check box to bypass the Net Notify dialog.
Page 319 Option Description Allow floating windows to dock When this check box is selected, windows will automatically be docked when you drag them to the edges of the Sound Forge workspace. You can hold the Ctrl key while dragging a window to prevent it from docking.
Page 320: Display Tab
Option Description Allow Ctrl+drag style zoom in data When this check box is selected, you can hold Ctrl and drag in a data window to zoom to a selection. windows Automatically name regions and When regions and markers are added, this option automatically prompts you for a name. This does not markers if not playing happen when adding markers on-the-fly during playback.
Page 321 Description Option Tabs for maximized data windows Choose a setting from the drop-down list to choose whether you want to display tabs to help you browse maximized data windows: • Choose None if you do not want to display tabs. You can navigate data windows by choosing a window from the Window menu or by pressing Ctrl+Tab.
Page 322: Editing Tab
Editing tab The Editing tab allows you to specify preferences for editing and undo operations. Option Description Disable triple-clicking to select all Select this check box if you don’t want to select all data when you triple-click in a data window. You sound file data might want to select this option if triple-clicks are falsely detected when you make a selection and then try to perform a drag operation.
Page 323: Labels Tab
Option Description Fade In Type a value in the Fade In box (or use the spinner) to set the default length of the fade in between the processed and unprocessed signal. Click the Fade Curves button ( ) and choose a curve type from the menu to set the speed of the fade in.
Page 324: File Types Tab
Adjust additional settings as necessary: Item Description New marker prefix Type a prefix in the box if you want to assign a name to new markers. Clear the check box if you do not want to include a prefix (if you want to number markers only, for example). Use counter and start at Select this check box and type a number in the box if you want to number new markers.
Page 325: Previews Tab
Previews tab The Previews tab allows you to specify options for previewing files. Item Description Limit non-realtime previews to Select this check box and specify the length of audio that will be used when generating a preview. Low values decrease the amount of time needed to generate a preview when tuning effects or processing values.
Page 326: Status Tab
Status tab The Status tab allows you to specify preferences for displaying information in the status bar. Item Description Default frames per second The default frame rate used to calculate frame values. Frame values are useful when trying to synchronize sound with animation. Most animation players specify a playback frame rate at which video frames are shown to the user.
Page 327: Cd Settings Tab
CD Settings tab The CD Settings tab allows you to specify settings for burning and extracting audio from CDs. Item Description Use strict Red Book specification for Select this check box if you want to be notified prior to burning a disc-at-once CD if anything about DAO validation your CD project is against strict Red Book standards.
Page 328: Audio Tab
Audio tab The Audio tab allows you to specify playback and recording options. Basic audio preferences Item Description Audio device type Choose a driver type from the drop-down list. • Microsoft Sound Mapper - The default setting. Allows the Sound Mapper to choose appropriate playback and recording devices.
Page 329: Video Tab
Advanced audio preferences You can click the Advanced button on the Audio tab to access the advanced audio preferences. Setting Description Audio devices This list contains all of the audio devices that are installed in your computer. Select a device from the list to set the options below for that device.
Page 330: Vst Effects Tab
Item Description External monitor device Choose a device from the drop-down list to configure an IEEE-1394 device for use with an external monitor. Sound Forge will send your video output to this device when you click the External Monitor button ( ) in the Video Preview window.
Page 331: Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
Customizing keyboard shortcuts From the Options menu, choose Customize Keyboard to customize the keyboard shortcuts available in the Sound Forge interface. The Shortcut keys box displays the currently assigned shortcut keys for the selected command. Click a tab in the middle of the dialog to choose which shortcuts you want to see.
Page 332: Saving A Keyboard Mapping
Click the Save as button and type a name to save your current keyboard shortcuts to an .ini file in the following folder: • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0 • Windows Vista or Windows 7: C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Sony\Sound Forge Pro\10.0...
Page 333: Shortcuts
Appendix A Shortcuts This appendix contains information about the shortcuts you can use to make editing in Sound Forge® Pro software quicker and easier Keyboard shortcuts The following shortcuts represent the default configuration. Your system may differ if you’ve used the Customize Keyboard window to customize your keyboard shortcuts.
Page 334: Magnification And View Shortcuts
Magnification and view shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Set input focus to the waveform display in the active window Alt+0 Show/set input focus to the Explorer window Alt+1 Show/set input focus to the File Properties window Alt+2 —or— Alt+Enter Show/set input focus to the Video Preview window Alt+3 Show/set input focus to the Time Display window Alt+4...
Page 335: Data Window Shortcuts
Data window shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Select previous/next editing tool D/Shift+D Select normal edit tool Ctrl+D Select all data in the active window Ctrl+A Copy the selected data onto the clipboard Ctrl+C Paste the clipboard contents into a new data window Ctrl+E Mix data from the clipboard with the active window Ctrl+M...
Page 336: Cursor Movement Shortcuts
Cursor movement shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Move one pixel right/left Right Arrow/Left Arrow Go to end of file Ctrl+Right Arrow —or— Go to the next region, loop or marker boundary (if regions, loops, or markers exist in the file) Go to beginning of file Ctrl+Left Arrow —or—...
Page 337: Data Selection Shortcuts
Data selection shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Show the Set Selection dialog Ctrl+Shift+D Select from the cursor to the next/previous screen pixel Shift+Right/Left Arrow —or— Select next/previous event (when the Event tool ( ) is selected) Select from the cursor to the next/previous sample Shift+Ctrl+Alt+Right/Left Arrow Select from the cursor to the next/previous video frame (available only if the data...
Page 338: Navigation And Playback Shortcuts
Navigation and playback shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Save a view in cell <Number> where <Number> ranges from 1 to 8 Ctrl+Shift+<Number> Restore a view using cell <Number> where <Number> ranges from 1 to 8 Ctrl+<Number> Move cursor to corresponding marker or select corresponding region 0-9 keys (not numeric keypad) Increase time magnification (zoom in) Up Arrow or mouse wheel up...
Page 339: Event Tool Keyboard Shortcuts
Event tool keyboard shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Select the previous/next editing tool (Edit tool, Magnify tool, Pencil tool, Event tool) D or Shift+D Split events at cursor Show/hide fade lengths between events: Ctrl+Shift+T Toggle automatic crossfades on/off Ctrl+Shift+X Select the next event Shift+Right Arrow Select the previous event Shift+Left Arrow...
Page 340: Regions List Shortcuts
Regions List shortcuts Command Keyboard Shortcut Play or stop the active marker or region Spacebar Edit the active marker or region Enter Delete the active marker or region Delete Create region from the current selection Ctrl+I Replicate selected region Ctrl+D Update region to match selection Ctrl+U Playlist/Cutlist shortcuts...
Page 341: Drag-And-Drop Shortcuts
Drag-and-drop shortcuts Drag-and-drop allows you to quickly perform operations crossing between open data windows, the Playlist/Cutlist window, the Regions List, and the time ruler. Command Function Drag to New To create a new file from the current selection, drag the selection to an open area of the Sound Forge desktop.
Page 342: Mouse Shortcuts
Mouse shortcuts Command Function Select All Double-click the waveform display to select the entire sound file. Triple-click when regions, loops or markers are present (if the Disable triple-clicking to select all sound file data check box on the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog is cleared).
Page 343: Microsoft Audio Compression Manager
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® Pro to use compression algorithms provided by other companies. Sound Forge software fully supports audio compression through the ACM. This allows you to use any ACM-compatible compression. Compressed WAV files are transparently opened and all available compression formats for WAV files are provided in the Save As dialog.
Page 344: Transparent Playback And Recording Of Non-Hardware Supported Audio Files
Transparent playback and recording of non-hardware supported audio files The second component of the ACM is called the Sound Mapper. It allows playback and recording of audio data formats that are not directly supported by the sound card. You can select the Sound Mapper as the Playback and Record devices on the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog.
Page 345: Smpte Timecode
Appendix C SMPTE Timecode 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.
Page 346 APPENDIX C...
Page 347: Using Csound, Mtu, Ircam, Bicsf, And Ebicsf Files
Appendix D Using CSOUND, MTU, IRCAM, BICSF, and EBICSF Files Although Sound Forge® Pro software 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 Sound Forge Raw File Type capabilities to extract sound data from these file types.
Page 348: Saving Files
Remember that the byte order of files generated by CSOUND is not constant. CSOUND executables for PC generate files that use Little Endian byte ordering, while CSOUND for other platforms tends to generate files with Big Endian ordering. In addition, MTU files use Big Endian byte ordering. Sony Creative Software Inc. recommends initially trying a file in Big Endian. Note: You may want to save presets for byte ordering, as well as mono or multichannel, when receiving CSOUND files from a number of source computers.
Page 349: Glossary
This number is based on the Computer ID number of the computer on which Sound Forge software is installed. Each computer has a unique number, similar to a license plate. An activation number is created based on that number. When you register the software, Sony will generate an activation number for you.
Page 350 Analog When discussing audio, this term refers to a method of reproducing a sound wave with voltage fluctuations that are analogous to the pressure fluctuations of the sound wave. This is different from digital recording in that these fluctuations are infinitely varying rather than discrete changes at sample time.
Page 351 The most elementary unit in digital systems. Its value can only be 1 or 0, corresponding to a voltage in an electronic circuit. Bits are used to represent values in the binary numbering system. As an example, the 8-bit binary number 10011010 represents the unsigned value of 154 in the decimal system.
Page 352 Note: The Computer ID is used for registration purposes only. It doesn't give Sony access to any personal information and can't be used for any purpose other than for generating a unique activation number for you to use the software.
Page 353 DC Offset DC offset occurs when hardware, such as a sound card, adds DC current to a recorded audio signal. This current results in a recorded waveform that is not centered around the baseline (-infinity). Glitches and other unexpected results can occur when sound effects are applied to files that contain DC offsets.
Page 354 DirectX A set of Application Program Interfaces designed by Microsoft for multimedia development. A DirectX plug-in, such as the Sony Noise Reduction DirectX Plug-In, uses the DirectX Media Streaming Services (DMSS) API. Because DMSS is a standard API, a DirectX plug-in can be used in any application that supports DMSS.
Page 355 Frequency Modulation (FM) Frequency Modulation (FM) is a process by which the frequency (pitch) of a sound is varied over time. Subaudio frequency modulation results in pitch-bending effects (vibrato). Frequency modulation within audio band frequencies (20 Hz - 20,000 Hz) creates many different side-band frequencies that drastically alter the timbre of the sound.
Page 356 Invert Data Inverting sound data reverses the polarity of a waveform around its baseline. Inverting a waveform does not change the sound of a file; however, when you mix different sound files, phase cancellation can occur, producing a “hollow” sound. Inverting one of the files can prevent phase cancellation.
Page 357 MIDI Channels MIDI allows for 16 discrete channels for sending data. When dealing with MIDI triggers, Sound Forge software needs to know what MIDI channel to look at for receiving the trigger. The channel this information is sent to in Sound Forge software depends on the device sending the MIDI messages.
Page 358 Nondestructive Editing This type of editing involves a pointer-based system of keeping track of edits. When you delete a section of audio in a nondestructive system, the audio on disk is not actually deleted. Instead, a set of pointers is established to tell the program to skip the deleted section during playback.
Page 359 Pre-roll/Post-roll Pre-roll is the amount of time elapsed before an event occurs. Post-roll is the amount of time after the event. Pre and post-roll have various uses in Sound Forge software. Pre-roll can be added to a crossfade preview to listen to the sound before the crossfade begins to give context to it.
Page 360 Quantization Quantization is the process by which measurements are rounded to discrete values. Specifically with respect to audio, quantization is a function of the analog-to-digital conversion process. The continuous variation of the voltages of a analog audio signal are quantized to discrete amplitude values represented by digital, binary numbers.
Page 361 Ruler, Level The level ruler is the area on a data window to the left of the waveform display. It shows the vertical axis units as a percentage or in decibels. Ruler, Time The time ruler is the area on a data window above the waveform display. It shows the horizontal axis units as well as marker, region, and loop tags.
Page 362 Sample Value The Sample Value (also referred to as sample amplitude) is the number stored by a single sample. The number stored by a single sample: • In 32-bit audio, these values range from -2147483648 to 2147483647. • In 24-bit audio, they range from -8388608 to 8388607. •...
Page 363 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) SMPTE time code is used to synchronize time between devices. The time code is calculated in hours:minutes:second:frames, where frames are fractions of a second based on the frame rate. Frame rates for SMPTE time code are 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 frames per second. Sound Card The sound card is the audio interface between your computer and the outside world.
Page 364 A software-only router for MIDI data between programs. Sound Forge software uses the VMR to receive MIDI time code and send MIDI clock. No MIDI hardware or cables are required for a VMR, so routing can only be performed between programs running on the same PC. Sony supplies a VMR with Sound Forge software called the Sony Virtual MIDI Router. Wave An digital audio standard developed by Microsoft and IBM.
Page 365 Zero-Crossing A zero-crossing is the point where a fluctuating signal crosses the baseline. By making edits at zero-crossings with the same slope, the chance of creating glitches is minimized. Zipper Noise Zipper noise occurs when you apply a changing gain to a signal, such as when fading out. If the gain does not change in small enough increments, zipper noise can become very noticeable.
Page 366 APPENDIX E...
Page 367: Index
Index audio editing copying, 71 Absolute Frames button, 38 cutting selections, 73–74 ACID Properties window, 27 deleting selections, 74 ACID software, 70 drag-and-drop, 150–153 ACID, creating loops for, 267–271 mixing, 75–77 ACIDplanet.com, 81 overwriting, 147 ACM, 337 pasting, 72–73 Acoustic Mirror repeating an operation, 149 See also impulse files replicating, 148...
Page 368 Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD dialog, 42, 290–291 channel meters changing display resolution, 45 burning CDs. See disc-at-once CD burning; track-at-once CD burning customizing, 45 bypassing processes while previewing, 173 mono-compatibility meters, 48 overview, 44 peak range, 45 calculating loop tempo, 271 phase scopes, 48 CD index markers, 293 resetting clipping indicators, 45...
Page 369 crossfade types, 165 command markers (continued) Scott Studios, 119 crossfading events, 165 commands CSOUND, 341 customizing shortcut assignments, 325–326 cue sheets. See track lists descriptions in status bar, 43 current playback mode, 34 compressing audio, 104 Cursor Center button, 38 cursor position, 83 configuring MIDI devices, 254...
Page 370 data windows (continued) disc-at-once CD burning (continued) protecting CDs, 301 customizing, 33 overview, 31 Q subcode, 301 overview bar, 84–85 sample rate correction, 289 playbar, 34 track lists, 300–303 displaying scrolling during playback, 61 DC Offset sonograms, 284 button, 40 video strip, 273 Wave Hammer, 227 calibrating for recording, 141...
Page 371 envelope points (continued) effects (continued) Flange/Wah-Wah, 41, 211 selecting all, 50 FX Favorites menu, 203 Envelope Tool button, 36 Gapper/Snipper, 41, 211 envelopes Graphic Dynamics, 41, 209 adjusting, 207 hiding, 203 adjusting effect parameters, 206 bypassing effect automation, 206 loading saved chains, 201 loading saved presets, 201 copying to another data window, 208 Multi-Band Dynamics, 41, 209...
Page 372 external files (continued) MIDI devices, 256 playing, 61 monitors for video previewing, 276 previewing, 57 samplers, 241 publishing to Web, 81 extracting audio from CDs recovering after crash, 81 button, 42 saving, 66 creating markers for each index change, 144 saving all, 68 creating regions for each track, 144 saving metadata with, 107...
Page 373 inserting (continued) hard disk defragmentation, 307 hardware meters command markers, 119 adjusting output levels, 111 markers, 114 adjusting preview levels, 111 markers during playback, 114 mono-compatibility meters, 48 markers during recording, 114 overview, 24 markers while recording, 143 regions, 120–121 phase scopes, 48 viewing, 111, 112 regions automatically, 121–124...
Page 374 Loop Playback button, 37, 62 markers (continued) Loop Tuner snapping to, 95 displaying, 264 triggering using MIDI commands, 116 finding zero-crossings, 265 updating to current cursor location, 115 locking loop length, 266 Measures & Beats status format, 38, 80–81 metadata playing loops, 264 switching between sustain and release loops, 264 copying to clipboard, 25...
Page 375 mixing navigating by dragging and dropping, 75, 152 overview bar, 85 events, 163 previewing audio with pre-roll, 83 from clipboard, 76 scrubbing, 86–87 monitor for video previewing, 276 setting cursor position, 83 Spectrum Analysis graphs, 282 monitoring audio input levels while recording, 143 monitoring levels using mouse wheel, 21 decibels, defined, 43...
Page 376 Paste button, 36 Playlist (continued) copying to clipboard, 134 Paste Markers/Regions option, 72 paste special Count column, 130 overwriting, 147 creating files from, 132 replicating, 148 deleting regions from, 131 Paste to New command, 73 editing regions, 131 pasting moving regions, 131 by dragging and dropping, 72–73 opening Playlist files, 134 overview, 26...
Page 377 processes (continued) preferences (continued) Video tab, 323–324 Time Stretch, 192 VST Effects tab, 324 Volume, 193 Pre-Queue for MIDI Timecode button, 39 projects Pre-roll to Cursor command, 83 creating, 55 Preset Manager, 42, 204 folders, 55 saving, 69 presets applying, 171 saving paths in rendered files, 70 creating, 172 proper use of software, 145...
Page 378 regions repairing audio Audio Restoration plug-in, 156 automatically naming, 124 benefits of using, 113 copying the other channel, 154 building using current tempo, 123 interpolating audio, 154 creating CD tracks from, 294 replacing with preceding audio, 155 creating from markers, 116 using Pencil tool, 155 deleting, 125 Repeat button, 36...
Page 379 selecting saving all open files, 68 events, 168 command properties as template, 119 regions, 124 custom templates, 68 Selection Grid Lines option, 94 Cutlist files, 133 selections files, 66 adjusting from process dialogs, 174 adjusting with keyboard, 93 loop points, 271 metadata with files, 107 adjusting with mouse, 93 Playlist files, 133...
Page 380 sliders Spectrum Analysis (continued) displaying notes, 281 resetting, 49 shortcuts, 49 displaying statistics, 281 using, 49 erasing snapshots, 284 slipping events, 164 FFT, 279 slip-trimming events, 164 monitoring input/output source, 281, 285 Smooth/Enhance process, 40, 192 navigating graphs, 282 SMPTE, 253–259 printing graphs, 284 printing sonograms, 286 SMPTE 30 button, 38...
Page 381 Transport menu, 314 Transport toolbar, 37 Tabs for maximized data windows preference, 33, 315 Triangular dither, 177 TAO CDs. See track-at-once CD burning Trigger from MIDI Timecode button, 39 technical support, 17 triggered playback, 253 tempo triggered region playback, 255 building regions using current tempo, 123 triggering markers with MIDI commands, 116 calculating for loops, 271...
Page 382 Volume process, 40, 193 volume unit meters. See VU/PPM meters VU/PPM meters, 46–47 Wave Hammer, 41, 227–229 Web, publishing files to, 81 window layouts See also workspaces adding to View menu, 310 deleting from computer, 310 loading saved layouts, 310 overview, 309 removing from View menu, 310 saving, 309...

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