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CHAPTER

Using Acoustic

12 Mirror and Wave

Hammer

This chapter is designed to familiarize you with Sound Forge’s Acoustic Mirror™ and Wave Hammer™ effects. Acoustic Mirror is a powerful digital signal processing tool that allows you to add environmental coloration to your existing recordings. Wave Hammer is an audio mastering tool that features a classic compressor and volume maximizer.

Note: Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer are only available in the full version of Sound Forge.

What is Acoustic Mirror?

Acoustic Mirror represents an advance in reverb technology in that it incorporates the acoustical responses of a given environment or venue into your audio files. You may never play Carnegie Hall, but that does not mean that your recordings can’t sound like it. Taking this concept even further, Acoustic Mirror allows you to simulate the signal response of vintage musical equipment. Imagine the money you’ll save not having to buy those paired U-47s.

The acoustic signature

Acoustic Mirror creates its effects through the use of the environment’s acoustic signature, or impulse response. These acoustic signatures are saved as impulse files and given the extension .wav or .sfi. Acoustic Mirror includes an extensive library of high-quality impulse files. In addition, Acoustic Mirror allows you to collect your own acoustic signatures and create custom impulse files.

Adding an acoustic signature to an audio file

1.Open and play the Saxriff.pca file.

Note: This file is located in the same folder as the application.

2.From the Effects menu, choose Acoustic Mirror. The Acoustic Mirror dialog appears.

Note: You must have an active file in the Sound Forge workspace to start Acoustic Mirror.

CHP. 12

USING ACOUSTIC MIRROR AND WAVE HAMMER