Sony 7 Getting Started, Creating a project

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CHAPTER

Getting Started

4

Sound Forge is a state-of-the-art digital audio editing tool for users from all musical backgrounds. It is an extremely deep program, containing features that may only be required by the most advanced or specialized users. Nonetheless, a firm grasp of Sound Forge basics is essential. This chapter is designed to provide you with information on Sound Forge fundamentals.

Creating a project

You can use project files in Sound Forge to organize and work with your media files nondestructively. When you save a project file, Sound Forge creates a .frg file and a subfolder that contains your media file and all of the temporary files created while working on your project. This file is not a multimedia file, but is used to render the final file after editing is finished. When you copy, cut, paste, and otherwise edit your project, the process is nondestructive—meaning you can edit without worrying about corrupting your source files. Within the project file, you can also undo any past operations, including those occurring before your last save. Once you are finished working with a project file, you can save your work to a media file using the Render As option on the File menu.

Note: To use the advanced undo/redo capabilities mentioned above, you must have the Allow Undo past Save check box selected on the File tab of the Preferences dialog. To access the Preferences dialog, choose Preferences from the Options menu.

1.From the File menu, choose Save As to save the current data window to a project file. The Save As dialog appears.

2.Using the Save in drop-down list, locate the folder where you want to save the project.

3.From the Save as type drop-down list, choose Sound Forge Project File (*.frg).

4.In the File name box, enter a name for the file.

5.Click the Save button.

Sound Forge creates a .frg file with the name you specified, and creates a folder with a similar name (projectname_frg, for example) in the same location for the temporary files.

Important: The associated project folder created by Sound Forge should not be deleted, as this will cause your project file to be unusable.

CHP. 4

GETTING STARTED

Contents

Page Page Table of Contents Page Page Navigating, Zooming, and Selecting Changing File Attributes and Formats Using Markers, Regions, and the Playlist/Cutlist Recording, Extracting, and Burning Editing, Repairing, and Synthesizing Audio Page Using Acoustic Mirror and Wave Hammer Page Page Page Microsoft Audio Compression Manager Transparent playback and recording of non-hardwaresupported audio files Using CSOUND, MTU, IRCAM, BICSF, and EBICSF Files Introduction Introducing Sound Forge Sample files Full version of Sound Forge versus Screenblast Sound Forge Shortcuts System requirements Installing Sound Forge Getting help within Sound Forge About your rights in Sound Forge software About Your Privacy Proper Use of Software Optimizing for Sound Forge Defragmenting your hard drive Increasing total buffer size Increasing preload size Turning off the playback cursor and record counter Turning off the play (output) meters Turning on passive updating for video and time displays Turning on passive updating for video displays Page Learning the Sound Forge Workspace Using the mouse Using the mouse wheel The main screen Floating and docking windows Page The data window Displaying data window components Playbar Toolbars Standard toolbar Transport bar Navigation toolbar Views toolbar Status/Selection toolbar Regions/Playlist toolbar Process toolbar Effects toolbar Tools toolbar Levels toolbar ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar ToolTips Command descriptions Meters Displaying VU/PPM meters Showing labels Holding peaks and valleys Controls Page Stereo files Selecting data in stereo files Page Page Getting Started Creating a project Getting media files Using the Explorer window Peak files Working with video files Playing a file Playing in Loop Playback mode Playing a selection Viewing selection status Creating a new data window Saving a file Using the Save As dialog Creating custom templates Saving all open audio files Editing audio Copying Pasting Cutting Deleting Trimming/Cropping Mixing Using undo and redo Using the Undo/Redo History window Page Selecting status formats Experimenting with status formats Configuring the Measures & Beats format Rendering files Exporting to Net MD devices Exporting to CLIÉ handheld devices Recovering files after a crash Navigating 5 Zooming, and Selecting Setting the cursor position Previewing audio with pre-roll Using the overview bar Navigating in the overview bar Zooming and magnifying Zooming the time ruler (horizontal) Zooming the level ruler (vertical) Using custom zoom settings Using zooming shortcuts Using the Magnify tool Page Selecting audio using start and end values Selecting audio during playback Fine-tuninga selection Understanding snapping Creating and using views Displaying the Views toolbar Creating views Page Changing File 6 Attributes and Formats Editing file attributes Changing the sample rate Changing the bit depth Decreasing bit depth Understanding dither and noise shaping Minimizing quantization error Converting mono/stereo channels Converting file formats Adding summary information Editing extended summary information Saving summary information Including additional embedded information Using Markers 7 Regions, and the Playlist/Cutlist Why use markers, regions, and the playlist Using markers Page Changing the marker position Detecting and marking clipping Using markers to create regions Using command markers in streaming media files Defining Scott Studios data commands Inserting command markers Editing command properties Saving command properties as a custom template Moving the cursor to a command marker Deleting command markers Using regions Inserting regions automatically Page Editing regions Creating new files from regions Using the Regions List Page Using the playlist Understanding the playlist display Customizing the playlist display Repeating a region during playlist playback Playing from the playlist Arranging the playlist Replicating a region in the playlist Using stop points Deleting a region from the playlist Creating a new file from the playlist Configuring the playlist as a cutlist Saving a playlist/cutlist file Opening a playlist/cutlist file Copying the playlist/cutlist to the clipboard Page Recording 8 Extracting, and Burning Recording audio Page Recording automatically Page Recording a specific length (punch-in) Page Choosing a recording mode Page Adjusting for DC offset Playing back recorded audio Using remote recording mode Synchronizing with other devices Viewing input levels Inserting markers while recording Configuring gap detection Automatically labeling windows and regions Changing blinking status Extracting audio from CDs Burning CDs Page Proper use of software Editing, Repairing 9 and Synthesizing Audio Crossfading, overwriting, and replicating Replicating Page Repeating an operation Using drag-and-drop Pasting, mixing, and crossfading with drag-and-drop Page Finding and repairing audio glitches Repairing audio Page Page Synthesizing audio Generating audio with frequency modulation Page Generating simple waveforms Processing Audio Applying presets Previewing processed audio Preview parameters Sound Forge processes Auto Trim/Crop Bit-DepthConverter Converting a file’s bit depth Channel Converter Channel Converter controls DC Offset Fade - Graphic fade Fade - Fade In Fade - Fade Out Insert Silence Invert/Flip Mute Normalize Normalizing Audio Normalize Controls Page Pan/Expand Creating a pan Creating a custom pan Resample Downsampling audio Upsampling audio Resample controls Reverse Smooth/Enhance Swap Channels Time Stretch Volume Volume control Page Applying Effects Adding an effect Adding a chain of effects Applying effects using the Plug-InChainer Adding plug-insto a chain Selecting the processing mode for audio tail data Arranging plug-inson a chain Bypassing effects Removing plug-insfrom a chain Configuring chained plug-ins Saving individual plug-insettings as a custom preset Saving plug-inchains Managing effects Organizing effects in the DX Favorites menu Using the Preset Manager Automating Effect Parameters Adjusting effect parameters with envelopes Previewing effect automation Applying effects automation Showing or hiding effect automation envelopes Enabling or bypassing effect automation envelopes Adjusting envelopes Setting fade properties Cutting, copying, and pasting envelope points Copying an envelope to another data window Page Using What is Acoustic Mirror Adding an acoustic signature to an audio file Adjusting the acoustic signature The Acoustic Mirror dialog Envelope tab controls Summary tab controls Recover tab controls Creating impulse files Recording the impulse in an acoustic space Recording the impulse through an electronic device Recovering the impulse Trimming the impulse file Adding summary information to your impulse file Using impulse files in creative ways Recreating spaces for foley effects and dialog replacement Panning with head-relatedtransfer functions Troubleshooting Acoustic Mirror Recovered impulse is too noisy Error message explanations What is Wave Hammer The Wave Hammer dialog Page Volume Maximizer tab Page Working with 13 MIDI/SMPTE What is MIDI MIDI triggers Triggering file playback Triggering region playback Page Triggering playback from additional internal/external MIDI devices Advantages of external MIDI controllers Sound Forge and MIDI timecode synchronization Playing regions using MTC from an external device Using Sound Forge to generate MTC for a MIDI sequencer Using Sound Forge to generate MTC for an external device Sampling Samplers Configuring the Sampler Tool Creating a sampler configuration Open loop versus closed loop Saving sampler configurations Sending and receiving samples Using the MIDI Keyboard Configuring the MIDI Keyboard output port and channel Troubleshooting the MIDI Keyboard Specifying instruments Generating chords Setting up MIDI/SDS hardware Troubleshooting MIDI/SDS with open loop Setting up SCSI/SMDI hardware Troubleshooting SCSI/SMDI Page Looping Loops Creating a sustaining loop Creating a sustaining loop with a release loop Looping techniques Editing loops Page Page Crossfading loops Using the Crossfade Loop tool Creating loops for ACID Creating an ACID 2.0 disk-basedfile Using the ACID Loop Creation Tools toolbar Editing loops for ACID Rotating audio Saving loop points Page Working with Video Viewing video Page Page Previewing files with video Using an external monitor Attaching video to an audio file Detaching video from an audio file Setting video options Saving a video file Page Page Using Spectrum 17 Analysis Working in the frequency domain Using a spectrum graph Monitoring an input and output source Displaying frequency and amplitude values, notes and statistics Navigating a spectrum graph Changing the graph type Changing the zoom level Updating a spectrum graph Viewing multiple spectrum graphs Creating and comparing snapshots of the Spectrum Analysis window Printing the graph Using a sonogram Updating a sonogram Tuning a sonogram Adjusting Spectrum Analysis settings Page Saving spectrum graph settings Page Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts Data window edit commands Page Cursor movement Selecting data Navigation and playback Plug-InChainer Regions List Playlist Mouse wheel shortcuts Page Page Microsoft Audio B Compression Manager Audio data compression and decompression Transparent playback and recording of non-hardwaresupported audio files Page SMPTE Timecode SMPTE 25 EBU (25 fps, Video) SMPTE Drop Frame (29.97 fps, Video) SMPTE Non-DropFrame (29.97 fps, Video) SMPTE 30 (30 fps, Audio) SMPTE Film Sync (24 fps) Using CSOUND D MTU, IRCAM, BICSF and EBICSF Files About IRCAM files About BICSF and EBICSF files Saving files Index