Sound Forge POWER!

Sound Forge
Complete coverage of Sound Forge
and Sound Forge XP audio editing applications

POWER!
Whether you’re an independent musician or home recording hobbyist, Sound Forge
Power! helps you use the popular music editing software to your advantage. This is
the first book to deal exclusively with Sound Forge and Sound Forge XP. Author
Scott Garrigus offers a comprehensive resource for musicians who want to begin
Sound Forge
recording, editing and producing immediately. Explore and release your musical
creativity with Sound Forge Power!

About the Author

• Optimize your system for music editing
Scott R. Garrigus is a musician, computer and
• Discover and use special effects in your multimedia expert. He is the author of
compositions Cakewalk Power!. An active writer, he is also
the publisher and editor of NewTechReview
• Record and play audio in multiple formats
and the music newsletter DigiFreq.
• Burn files to a CD He contributes articles to a number of other
• Use Sound Forge with ACID leading publications including Electronic
Musician, Web Review, CNET and Keyboard.

Technically edited by

Garrigus

US.
US. $29.95 CAN.
CAN. $44.95

Digital Audio and Music Editing ISBN 1-929685-10-6

Beginner to Intermediate
Windows
http://www.muskalipman.com

FIND Scott R. Garrigus

9 781929 685103
ii

Sound Forge Power!

Copyright ©2001 Muska & Lipman Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written
permission from the publisher, except for brief passages for review purposes. Address all
permission requests to the publisher.

All copyrights and trademarks used as examples or references in this book are retained by their
individual owners.

Technology and the Internet are constantly changing, and by necessity of the lapse of time
between the writing and distribution of this book, some aspects might be out of date.
Accordingly, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for actions taken by readers
based upon the contents of this book.

Library of Congress Catalog Number (print edition): 00-106699

ISBN 1-929685-40-8

E-book Edition

Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiple copies or licensing of

this book should contact the publisher for quantity discount information. Training manuals, CD-
ROMs, and portions of this book are also available individually or can be tailored for specific
needs.

Muska & Lipman Publishing

2645 Erie Avenue, Suite 41
Cincinnati, Ohio 45208
www.muskalipman.com
publisher@muskalipman.com

This book is composed in Melior, Columbia, Helvetica, and Courier typefaces using
QuarkXpress 4.0.4, Adobe PhotoShop 5.0.2, and Adobe Illustrator 8.0. Created in Cincinnati,
Ohio, in the United States of America.

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 iii

Credits
Publisher Cover Designer
Andy Shafran John Windhorst

Managing Editor Production Manager

Hope Stephan Cathie Tibbetts

Development Editor Production Team

Ben Milstead DOV Graphics
Michelle Frey
Copy Editor
Martin Sterpka Indexer
Kevin Broccoli
Technical Editor
Sonic Foundry Printer
Caleb Pourchot Malloy Lithographing, Inc.

Proofreader
Molly Flynn

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iv

About the Author

Scott R. Garrigus
www.garrigus.com
Scott R. Garrigus has been involved with music and computers since he was 12 years old.
After graduating from high school, he went on to earn a B.A. in music performance with
an emphasis in sound recording technology at UMass, Lowell. In 1993, he released his
first instrumental album on cassette, entitled Pieces Of Imagination. In 1995, he began his
professional writing career when his first article appeared in Electronic Musician
magazine. In 2000, he authored his first book, Cakewalk Power! This was the first book to
deal exclusively with the Cakewalk Pro Audio, Guitar Studio, and Home Studio software
applications. Today, Garrigus continues to contribute articles to Electronic Musician, in
addition to a number of other print and online publications, including Keyboard, CNET,
and Web Review. He also publishes his own music technology e-zine, called DigiFreq
(www.digifreq.com), which provides free news, reviews, tips and techniques for music
technology users.

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 v

Dedications
To Mom, Dad, Babci, Dzidzi, Grandma, Grandpa, Mark, and Steve. Thanks for all your
love and support. And to Ron, Claire, Elly, Vinny, and Ron Jr. for being there and making
me feel like a part of your family.

Acknowledgements
My second book is completed! I can hardly believe it. I certainly couldn’t have made it
this far in my writing career without the help of many wonderful people. I want to thank
all my music technology friends who take the time to read my ramblings each month in
the DigiFreq newsletter. DigiFreqers rule!
Thanks to all the Sound Forge users (many of whom are also DigiFreqers) for making the
Sound Forge software so successful and popular. This book wouldn’t exist without your
dedication and support. Thanks to the people at Sonic Foundry for creating Sound Forge
and also for helping prepare and promote this book.
Thanks to the team at Muska & Lipman Publishing for putting up with my sometimes
difficult demeanor and for putting out such a polished product.
And, as always, thank you, God, for providing me with everything I need to live a long
and prosperous life.

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 vii

Contents

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1—MIDI and Digital Audio Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What Is MIDI? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What Is Digital Audio? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
So, What’s Really the Difference? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2—Getting Started with Sound Forge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

What Version of Sound Forge Do You Have? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Get the Latest Product Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Take a Quick Tour of Sound Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Data Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Record Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Spectrum Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Examine the Differences Between Sound Forge and Sound Forge XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Set Up Your System for Better Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Microprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
System Memory (RAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Virtual Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Hard Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Video Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Network Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Sound Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Set Up Your Sound Forge Hardware Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Find Help When You Need It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3—Customizing Sound Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

General Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Splash-Screen and Tip of the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Full-Screen Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Program Close Confirmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
File Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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The Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Change Their Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Change Their Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Data Window Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Save and Load a Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
MIDI Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
MIDI Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Setting Up Your MIDI Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Temporary Storage Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Record and Playback Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Interpolate and Position Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
RAM Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Preload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

4—Working with Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Understanding Audio File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Dialogic VOX (.VOX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
InterVoice (.IVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Macintosh AIFF (.AIF/.SND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Macintosh Resource (.SND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
MPEG Audio (.MP3/.MPG/.MPEG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
NeXT/Sun (.AU/.SND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
RealMedia (.RM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Sound Designer 1 (.DIG/.SD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Video for Windows (.AVI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Microsoft Wave (.WAV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Windows Media Audio (.WMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
RAW (.RAW/*.*) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Opening Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Opening Video For Windows (.AVI) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Opening RAW Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
File Crash Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Creating New Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Saving Audio Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Saving RAW Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Saving Video For Windows (.AVI) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Saving MPEG Audio (.MP3) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Saving RealMedia (.RM) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Saving Windows Media Audio (.WMA/.ASF) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

5—Getting Around in Sound Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

The Current Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Show Me the Current Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
The Current Position Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Set the Current Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

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Numerically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
The Overview Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
The Transport Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Go To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Rewind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Go To End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Markers, Oh My! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Make Your Mark(ers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Edit the Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Name and Trigger Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Time Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Make a Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Delete a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Navigate with Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Use the Regions Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Use the Go To Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
What About Regions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Make Your Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Use the Add/Marker Region Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Use the Auto Region Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Edit the Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Name and Trigger Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Time Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Make a Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Split a Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Delete a Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Navigate with Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Use the Regions Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Use the Go To Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Saving and Loading Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Save your Region Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Load your Region Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Extract Regions Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Where’s That Sound? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

6—Recording and Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Preliminary Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Recording Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Sampling Rate and Bit Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Number Of Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
DC Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Gap Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Basic/Auto Retake Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Multiple-Take Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Multiple Takes Creating Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Multiple Takes (No Regions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Create a New Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

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Punch-In Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Remote Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
SMPTE/MIDI Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Sync with SMPTE (Recording) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Sync with SMPTE (Playback) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

7—Editing Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

The Data Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Scrolling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Zooming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
The Magnify Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Selecting and the Edit Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
The Set Selection Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Adjusting the Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Snapping the Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Copying, Cutting, Pasting, and More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Special Pasting Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Overwrite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Replicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Paste To New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Crossfade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Dealing with Editing Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
The Pencil Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

8—Exploring the Processing Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Load a Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Save a Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Delete a Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
The Preset Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Saving a Preset Package File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Opening a Preset Package File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Preparing Audio Data for Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Removing DC Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Dithering to a New Bit Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Resampling to a New Sampling Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Dealing with Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Getting Rid of Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Inserting Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Muting Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Adjusting Audio Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
The Volume Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Fading Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Complex Fading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Normalizing Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Root Mean Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

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Playing with the Stereo Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Changing Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Panning Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Stereo Compress/Expand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Mid-Side Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Equalization (EQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Graphic EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Parametric EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Paragraphic EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Play It Backward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Flip It Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Changing the Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

9—Effects: The Really Cool Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Echo Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Simple Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Multi-Tap Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Flange/Wah-Wah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Pitch Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Pitch Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Pitch Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Vibrato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Volume Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Amplitude Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Graphic Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Multi-Band Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Gapper/Snipper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Noise Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Reverberation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Acoustic Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Wave Hammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Plug-Ins and DirectX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
The DirectX Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Audio Plug-In Chainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

10—Additional Audio Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

In Need of Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Repairing Stereo Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Repairing with Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Repairing with Interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Spectrum Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Spectrum Analysis Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Prominent Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Find Glitches Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

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DTMF/MF Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Simple Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Simple Synthesis Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
FM Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

11—Producing for Multimedia and the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

Working with Video Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
The Video Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Number Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Go To . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Video Editing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Pasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
The Video Preview Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Preparing Audio for the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Remove DC Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Apply Equalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Apply Dynamic Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Normalize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Sound Forge CD Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Create CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Extract Audio from CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

12—Using Sound Forge with MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

The Virtual MIDI Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Configure the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Set the Output Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Set the MIDI Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Set the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Turn On the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Play the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Resize the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Change the Keyboard Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Change the Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Play Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
The Virtual MIDI Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Installing and Configuring the VMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Reconfiguring the VMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Syncing Your Sequencer to Sound Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Triggering Sound Forge from Your MIDI Sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Building a Sound File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Triggering Your Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

13—Sound Forge and Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

What are Samples? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Creating and Editing Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
One-Shot Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Loop Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

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Sustaining Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

The Loop Tuner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Sustaining with Release Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Saving and Transmitting Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Send Your Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Retrieving a Sample . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Appendix A—Using Sound Forge with ACID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
ACID Looping Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
The Halve Selection Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
The Double Selection Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Shift Selection Left and Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Rotate Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Editing ACID Loop Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
One-Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Disk-Based . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Preparing an ACID File—A Step-by-Step Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Purchasing a CD Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

Appendix B—Burning Your Files to CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

A Little Bit About CD-R Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Where to Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Using Easy CD-Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Working with Advanced CD-Creator Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Previewing Songs, Changing Names, and Rearranging the Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Saving and Loading a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Recording Your CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Closing a Session or Disc Separately . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Creating a Jewel Case Printout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Back Up with Easy CD-Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Appendix C—Backing Up Your Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Back Up with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Sound Forge Power! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Appendix D—Sound Forge Resources on the Web . . . . . . . . . 317

Power Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Sonic Foundry Technical Support Homepage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Official Sonic Foundry Forums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Synth Zone BBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
AudioForums.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Sound Forge Users Mailing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Harmony Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

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 Sound Forge Power - Introduction 1

Introduction

This is the first book on the market that deals exclusively with Sonic
Foundry’s Sound Forge. You can find plenty of generic books about using
computers to create and record music that may provide a small amount
of information about Sound Forge, but none of them provides complete
coverage of the product. Of course, Sound Forge comes with an excellent
manual in electronic format on its CD-ROM, but like most other manuals,
it is meant only as a feature guide.
Instead of just describing the features of the program and how they work,
I dig deep down into the software and show you exactly how to use the
product with step-by-step examples and exercises that will help make
your audio editing sessions run more smoothly. I explain all of the
features available, and I do it in a manner you can understand and use,
right away. Sound Forge XP users will be interested to know that all the
functions found in that program can be found in Sound Forge as well.
Therefore, this book will be of use to you, too.
So why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been using Sound Forge
since the first version made its way onto the market. I’ve also written
about Sound Forge and other Sonic Foundry products in numerous
review articles for magazines such as Electronic Musician, Keyboard,
and Recording. In addition, I’ve been working with the people at Sonic
Foundry for quite some time now, learning all there is to know about
Sound Forge. They have helped me to develop much of the information
in this book, making sure that everything is “officially” technically
accurate. How’s that for a seal of approval? Suffice it to say, I know my
way around the product, and now I would like to share that knowledge
with you.
I’m going to assume that Sound Forge is installed on your computer and
that you know how to start the program. In addition, you should have at
least skimmed through the manual that comes with the software and have
all your external audio and MIDI gear set up already. I’m also going to
assume that you know how to use your mouse for clicking, dragging,
double-clicking, right-clicking, and so on. You should also know how to
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2 Sound Forge Power - Introduction

work with basic Windows features such as Windows Explorer and the
Windows Control Panel. And you should have access to the World Wide
Web or perhaps a friend who does. Otherwise, all you need is a strong
interest in learning how to get the most out of Sound Forge. Just leave the
rest up to me, and I promise that you’ll be working with Sound Forge like
you never have before. You might even have some fun with it, too.

How This Book is Organized

You’ll find that although I’ve tried to avoid overlapping content between
this book and the manual that comes with Sound Forge, in some
instances, this overlap just can’t be avoided. I wanted to be sure to help
you understand all the important features of the program, and doing so
means including some basic explanations to begin with. For the most
part, though, the information included in this book is more “how-to”
rather than “this feature does so-and-so.”
Chapter 1, “MIDI and Digital Audio Basics,” and Chapter 2, “Getting
Started with Sound Forge,” provide an introduction to computer music
and the software. These chapters explain the importance of registration
and how to find help, as well as the major features and more obscure
parts of the software and how they work together. You’ll also find a brief
description of the differences between Sound Forge and Sound Forge XP.
Chapter 3, “Customizing Sound Forge,” shows you how to make Sound
Forge work the way you want it to. This chapter explains program
preferences and workspace customization, as well as how to find the
optimal settings for MIDI and audio functionality.
In Chapter 4, “Working with Audio Files,” you’ll learn how to work with
audio files. This chapter includes step-by-step instructions for opening,
closing, and saving existing audio files. You’ll also learn how to create
new audio files and the ideal formats to use.
Chapter 5, “Getting Around in Sound Forge,” and Chapter 6, “Recording
and Playback,” describe how to navigate within Sound Forge and how to
record and play back your audio files. You’ll find instructions on how to
record and play audio, and you’ll learn about synchronizing Sound Forge
via SMPTE. I’ll explain the importance of the Current Position Cursor and
show you how to use the Transport menu, Go To, and Markers, as well as
the Zoom features. After you read these chapters, you’ll be “steering”
Sound Forge like a pro.
In Chapter 7, “Editing Basics,” and Chapter 8, “Exploring the Processing
Functions,” you’re ready to dive into editing. First, I’ll explain the basics
to you, including the Data Window, Edit menu, and Edit tool. Then you
can investigate the processing tools in more detail.

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 Sound Forge Power - Introduction 3

Chapter 9, “Effects: The Really Cool Stuff,” explains one of my favorite

parts of Sound Forge: Effects. The things you can do with these tools are
amazing. I’ll cover all of the Effects functions and show you how to use
them the proper way. I’ll even share some cool presets I’ve developed, so
you can use them in your own audio editing sessions.
Chapter 10, “Additional Audio Tools,” takes a look at all of the “extras”
that come with Sound Forge. These include functions like batch file
processing, audio spectrum analysis, audio data statistics, and even some
basic sound synthesis. Many of these functions come in handy in a
variety of situations.
For those of you interested in creating audio for multimedia and the
Internet, Chapter 11, “Producing for Multimedia and the Web,” will
show you how to use Sound Forge to add audio to video and also how
to export your audio files in the various formats developed specifically
for distribution on the Internet, including RealAudio, Windows Media,
and MP3.
Finally, Chapter 12, “Using Sound Forge with MIDI,” and Chapter 13,
“Sound Forge and Sampling,” jump into some of the more complicated
features that Sound Forge offers. These features include triggering audio
files via MIDI, using the Virtual MIDI Router, and how to create and edit
your own sample loops.
My hope is that, by reading this book, you will learn how to master
Sound Forge. And if you have a little fun while you’re at it, that’s all the
better.

Conventions Used in This Book

As you begin to read, you’ll see that most of the information in this book
is solid and useful. It contains very little fluff. I won’t bore you with
unrelated anecdotes or repetitious data. But to help guide you through all
this material, I use several different conventions that highlight specific
types of information that you should keep an eye out for.

TIP
Tips are extra information that you should know related to the current topic
being discussed and, in some cases, personal experiences and/or specific
techniques not covered elsewhere.

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4 Sound Forge Power - Introduction

NOTE
Sometimes you might like to know, but don’t necessarily need to know,
certain points about the current topic. Notes provide additional material to
help you avoid problems, and they also offer related advice.

CAUTION
Cautions highlight actions or commands that can make irreversible changes
to your files or potentially cause problems in the future. Read them carefully
because they may contain important information that can make the difference
between keeping your files, software, and hardware safe and you from losing
a huge amount of work.

Tell Us What You Think!

I have tested the information in this book, and to the best of my knowledge,
the information is accurate. Of course, with all projects of this size, you
may find that a small number of mistakes may have crept in. If you
find any errors or have suggestions for future editions, please contact
Muska & Lipman at this Web site:
www.musklipman.com/soundforge/
You can also find updates, corrections, and other information related to
the content of the book there.

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 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1 5

1
MIDI and

CHAPTER 1
Digital Audio Basics
If you’re anything like me, you want to get started right away learning all
about Sound Forge. But if you don’t understand the basic concepts and
terms associated with computer music, you might have a hard time
working your way through this book. So, just to give you a quick
overview of the most significant aspects of computer music technology,
this chapter will do the following:
 Define MIDI and explain how it works
 Define digital audio and explain how it works
 Explain the difference between MIDI and digital audio
Of course, this one chapter can’t replace an entire book about the subject.
If you want to learn more about MIDI and digital audio, numerous in-
depth resources are available. For example, there is an e-book called the
Desktop Music Handbook available for free reading on the Web. You can
find it at http://www.cakewalk.com/Tips/Desktop.htm.

What Is MIDI?
MIDI (which stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a special
computer language that lets electronic music instruments (such as
synthesizer keyboards) “talk” to computers. It works like this: Say you
use a synthesizer keyboard as your musical instrument. Every key on the
synthesizer has a corresponding electronic switch. When you press a key,
its corresponding switch is activated and sends a signal to the computer
chip inside your keyboard. The chip then sends the signal to the MIDI
interface in your keyboard, which translates the signal into MIDI
messages and sends those messages to the MIDI interface in your
computer system.

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6 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1

NOTE
A MIDI interface is a device that is plugged into your computer, allowing it to
understand the MIDI language. Basically, you can think of the interface as a
translator. When your electronic music instrument sends out MIDI messages
to your computer, the MIDI interface takes those messages and converts them
into signals that your computer can understand.

The MIDI messages contain information telling your computer that a key
was pressed (called a Note On message); which key it was (the name of
the note represented by a number); and how hard you hit the key (called
the MIDI velocity). For example, if you press Middle C on your keyboard, a
Note On message is sent to your computer telling it that you pressed a key.
Another message containing the number 60 is sent telling the computer
that you pressed Middle C. And a final message is sent containing a
number from 1 to 127 (1 being very soft, and 127 being very loud), which
tells your computer how hard you hit the key.
Different MIDI messages represent all the performance controls on your
keyboard. In addition to each key, MIDI messages represent the modulation
wheel, pitch bend wheel, and other features. Your computer can store all
the MIDI messages that are sent to it as you play your keyboard. The timing
of your performance (how long it takes you to hit one key after another and
how long you hold down each key) can be stored as well. Your computer
can then send those MIDI messages back to your keyboard with the same
timing so that it seems like you are playing the music, but without touching
the keys. The basic concept goes like this: You play a piece of music on
your keyboard. Your performance is stored as instructions in your
computer. Then those instructions are sent back to your keyboard from the
computer, and you hear the piece of music played back exactly the same
way you performed it, mistakes and all (see Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1
This is a diagram
showing how MIDI
messages are recorded
and played back with
a computer.

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 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1 7

What Is Digital Audio?

Digital audio is the representation of sound as numbers. Recording sound
as digital audio is similar to recording sound using a tape recorder. Let’s
say you have a microphone connected to your computer system. When
you make a sound (such as singing a tune, playing a musical instrument,

CHAPTER 1
or even simply clapping your hands), the microphone “hears” it and
converts the sound into an electronic signal. The microphone then sends
the signal to the sound card in your computer, which translates the signal
into numbers. These numbers are called samples.

NOTE
A sound card is a device that is plugged into your computer allowing it to
understand the electronic signals of any audio device. Basically, you can
think of the sound card as a translator. When an audio device (such as a
microphone, electronic music instrument, CD player, or anything else that
can output an audio signal) sends out signals to your computer, the sound
card takes those signals and converts them into numbers that your computer
can understand.

The samples contain information telling your computer how the recorded
signal sounded at certain instants in time. The more samples used to
represent the signal, the better the quality of the recorded sound. For
example, to make a digital audio recording that has the same quality as
audio on a CD, the computer needs to receive 44,100 samples for every
second of sound that’s recorded. The number of samples received per
second is called the sampling rate.
The size of each individual sample also makes a difference in the quality
of the recorded sound. This size is called the bit depth. The more bits
used to represent a sample, the better the sound quality. For example, to
make a digital audio recording with the same quality as audio on a CD,
each sample has to be 16 bits in size.

NOTE
Computers use binary numerals to represent numbers. These binary numerals
are called bits, and each bit can represent one of two numbers: 1 or 0. By
combining more than one bit, computers can represent larger numbers. For
instance, any number from 0 to 255 can be represented with 8 bits. With 16
bits, the range becomes 0 to 65,535.

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8 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1

Your computer can store all the samples that are sent to it. The timing
of each sample is stored as well. Your computer can then send those
samples back to the sound card with the same timing, so that what you
hear sounds exactly the same as what was recorded. The basic concept
goes like this: Your sound card records an electronic signal from an audio
device (such as a microphone or CD player). The sound card converts the
signal into numbers called samples, which are stored in your computer.
Then those samples are sent back to the sound card, which converts them
back into an electronic signal. The signal is sent to your speakers (or
other audio device), and you hear the sound exactly as it was recorded
(see Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2
This is a diagram
showing how audio is
converted into numbers
so that it can be
recorded and played
back with a computer.

So, What’s Really the Difference?

After reading the explanations of MIDI and digital audio, you might still
be wondering what the difference is between them. Both processes involve
signals being sent to the computer to be recorded, and then the computer
sending those signals back out to be played, right? Well, the point you
have to keep in mind is that, when you’re recording MIDI data, you’re not
recording actual sound. You are recording only performance instructions.
This concept is similar to a musician reading sheet music, with the sheet
music representing MIDI data and the musician representing a computer.
The musician (or computer) reads the sheet music (or MIDI data) and then
stores it in memory. The musician then plays the music back via a musical
instrument. Now, what if the musician uses a different instrument to play
back the music? The musical performance remains the same, but the
sound changes. The same thing happens with MIDI data. A synthesizer
keyboard can make all kinds of different sounds, but playing the same
MIDI data back with the keyboard yields the exact same performance no
matter what.

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 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1 9

When you’re recording digital audio, you are recording actual sound.
If you record a musical performance as digital audio, you cannot change
the sound of that performance, as described earlier. And because of
these differences, MIDI and digital audio have their advantages and
disadvantages. Because MIDI is recorded as performance data and not
actual sound, you can manipulate it much more easily than you can

CHAPTER 1
manipulate digital audio. For example, you can easily fix mistakes in
your performance by simply changing the pitch of a note. And MIDI data
can be translated into standard musical notation. Digital audio can’t. On
the other hand, MIDI can’t be used to record anything that requires actual
audio, such as sound effects or vocals. With digital audio, you can record
any kind of sound. And you can always be sure that your recording will
sound exactly the same every time you play it back. With MIDI, you can’t
be sure of that because, although the MIDI data remains the same, the
playback device or sound can be changed.
I hope this description clears up some of the confusion you may have
about MIDI and digital audio. You need to be familiar with a number of
other related terms, but I will cover them in different areas of the book as
I go along. For now, as long as you understand the difference between
MIDI and digital audio, I can begin talking about the real reason you
bought this book—how to use Sound Forge.

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10 MIDI and Digital Audio Basics — Chapter 1

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 11

2
Getting Started
with Sound Forge
Now that you have a basic understanding of the technology involved
with MIDI and digital audio, I think you’ll find it easier to grasp the
functionality provided by Sound Forge. Ready to get started? This chapter
will do the following:
 Tell you how to obtain the latest product updates
 Explain the importance of registering your software
 Give you a quick overview of Sound Forge’s features

CHAPTER 2
 Explain the differences between Sound Forge and Sound Forge XP
 Show you how to make a number of adjustments to your computer
system to improve its performance
 Let you know where to look for help, if problems arise

What Version of
Sound Forge Do You Have?
For all intents and purposes, most of the material in this book pertains to
Sound Forge 5.0. If you’re using an earlier version, it’s really in your best
interest to upgrade. This is especially true if you’re using version 3 or
earlier. Some significant changes and improvements have been made to
the software. If you’re using version 4, you’re not quite as bad off, but you
should still upgrade. Not only does version 5.0 include improvements but
new features, too. The Spectrum Analysis and Acoustic Mirror plug-ins
(which previously were available only separately) are now included in
the package. The Acoustic Mirror feature alone is worth the upgrade.

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12 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

Of course, if you do have Sound Forge 5.0, you still might not be using
the latest version. Sonic Foundry is constantly fixing and improving the
software. Any problems that you’re currently experiencing might easily
be remedied with an update. To find out exactly which version you’re
using, start Sound Forge and click on Help > About Sound Forge. A
dialog box similar to Figure 2.1 then appears, displaying your exact
version number. You should then check to see whether a more recent
update is available.

Figure 2.1
The About Sound Forge
dialog box shows the
program’s current
version number.

Get the Latest Product Update

Although it would be nice to automatically receive new product
updates, most companies (except maybe Microsoft) can’t afford to send
out CDs to all their users every time they create updates. That’s one of
the reasons the Internet has become such a wonderful tool. Sometimes
the answer to your problem is just a download away. Sonic Foundry
provides a support area on its Web site where you can get the latest
updates for all of the Sonic Foundry products. Just follow these steps to
get the updates:
1. Log on to the Internet, start your Web browser, and type the following
address: http://www.sonicfoundry.com/download/. This address takes
you to Sonic Foundry’s Download page, as shown in Figure 2.2.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 13

Figure 2.2
You can download
updates from the Sonic
Foundry Download
page.

2. From the list of options, click on Updates.

CHAPTER 2
3. From the list of available updates, select the product in which you’re
interested.
4. Click on the appropriate download link. Type in your product serial
number on the next page that appears. This will take you to the final
page from which you can download the update.
5. Create a temporary folder on your Windows desktop and download
the update file to that folder.
6. Run the file, and your software is updated. That’s all there is to it.

NOTE
Think you’ve found a bug? Just because a software product is released to the
public doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Improvements are always being made. That’s
why updates become available. If you have a problem with Sound Forge on a
regular basis, and you can reproduce that problem by performing the same
steps each time, you may have found a bug in the software. Before you go
spreading any rumors, first tell a friend about it, and see whether he or she can
reproduce the problem on his or her computer system. If so, then you should
drop an e-mail to Sonic Foundry by filling out the form on the following Web
page: http://www.sonicfoundry.com/support/supportmail.asp to let the people
there know about the problem. The staff may already be aware of the bug and
be working on a fix for it. But then again, they may not, and although your
diligence won’t make you famous, you’ll feel good to know that you may have
saved your fellow Sound Forge users from a lot of frustration.

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14 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

Take a Quick Tour of Sound Forge

Because Sound Forge is such a powerful application, you can use it for
a variety of different tasks. They include audio editing and mastering,
developing sound effects and sample loops, producing compact discs,
creating audio for the World Wide Web, and even post-production for
films and videos. Sound Forge provides a number of features to support
all these endeavors and more. And when used in conjunction with your
favorite digital audio sequencing software, Sound Forge provides you
with all the power you need to produce recordings just like the
professional sound studios do. However you decide to use Sound Forge,
you’ll find plenty of flexibility and functionality in the tools provided.

Audio Files
Because Sound Forge is an audio editing application, it doesn’t provide a
proprietary file format in which to store data. This is because audio data
can be stored in a variety of file formats. The two most popular are WAV
(on the Windows platform) and AIFF (on the Macintosh platform). These
formats are so popular that they have pretty much become standard, but
there are many other file formats floating around out there that provide
different advantages and characteristics as compared to WAV and AIFF.
Some of these include MP3, Windows Media, and RealAudio. In all,
Sound Forge can load and save more than thirteen different formats, and
that’s not including the ACM formats. I’ll talk more about file formats in
Chapter 4.

Workspace
To allow you to work with audio files, Sound Forge provides the
Workspace. This is the main area of the program that holds the Data
Windows (which I’ll talk about in a moment) for each of the open audio
files. Sound Forge allows you to have more than one audio file open at
once (see Figure 2.3).

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 15

Figure 2.3
The Workspace is the
main area used to work
with audio files in
Sound Forge.

The Workspace also holds Sound Forge’s Playback Meters, which display

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the output level of the audio data being played. You can save and load
the layout of the Workspace in special Workspace files, which provides
a quick and easy way for you to set up Sound Forge for each of your
different projects. I’ll talk more about the Workspace in Chapter 3.

Data Window
When you open an audio file in Sound Forge, its data is displayed in a
Data Window. If you open more than one file at a time, each file is shown
in its own Data Window. While you’re working with an audio file, you
see the sound waves representing the data in that file, as in Figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4
Each audio file opened
in Sound Forge is
displayed in a Data
Window.

Not only does a Data Window allow you to see the audio data in a file,
but you can also edit and process the data. In addition, you can add
effects. I’ll be talking a lot more about Data Windows and how to use
them throughout the book.

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16 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

Menus
Almost all of the editing, processing, and effects features that Sound
Forge provides are accessed from its drop-down menus. The ones that
you will probably be using the most are the Special, Process, Effects, and
Tools menus (see Figure 2.5).

Figure 2.5
Most of the features
in Sound Forge are
accessed via drop-down
menus.

Each menu represents a different group of features. The Special menu

represents most of the navigation, recording, and playback features.
The Process menu represents the audio processing features, such as
equalization and amplitude manipulation. The Effects menu represents
the effects features (as its name implies). And the Tools menu provides
additional features that don’t fall into the aforementioned categories, such
as Spectrum Analysis. I’ll talk more about all of the audio processing
features in chapters 8, 9, and 10.

Record Dialog
In addition to loading and saving existing audio files, you can also use
Sound Forge to create and record new files. For recording audio, Sound
Forge provides the Record Dialog (see Figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6
You can record new
audio files in Sound
Forge using the Record
Dialog.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 17

Sound Forge allows you to record audio using bit depths of up to 64 and
a variety of sampling rates from 8Hz to 192KHz. The Record Dialog
provides its own set of input meters, and it even provides MTC/SMPTE
synchronization. I’ll talk more about recording audio with Sound Forge
in Chapter 6.

Spectrum Analysis
One of the more advanced features provided by Sound Forge is Spectrum
Analysis. Even though the Spectrum Analysis feature may seem
complicated, it really isn’t that difficult to use. It’s definitely worth taking
the extra effort to learn how it works. In basic terms, the Spectrum
Analysis feature allows you to examine your audio data via special graphs
that display the amplitude and frequency content found in the data. This
allows you to process your data and actually “see” the effect of the
processing. This feature has quite a bit of power, so I’ll talk a lot more
about it in Chapter 10.

Examine the Differences Between

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Sound Forge and Sound Forge XP
Not everyone needs the full power of a professional digital audio editing
application like Sound Forge. You may be an intermediate user or even a
complete beginner interested only in making music as a hobby. To
provide for these different levels of interest, Sonic Foundry offers another
product in its line of editing applications: Sound Forge XP. Essentially,
Sound Forge XP is just a scaled-down version of Sound Forge. It contains
the same basic functionality but doesn’t include some of the more
advanced features.
Sound Forge XP is geared toward beginning and intermediate users who
are interested in using their computers to edit audio for basic or semi-
professional projects. You’ll find plenty of power here for basic audio
editing and processing, but XP lacks features such as DirectX plug-in
support and process previewing. It’s also limited in the number of
processing functions it provides, such as only eight effects (compared to
seventeen in Sound Forge) and only graphic equalization (compared to
graphic, parametric, and paragraphic in Sound Forge).
I’ve really only touched on some of the features in Sound Forge XP as
they compare to Sound Forge. For a full comparison, Sonic Foundry has
a comprehensive list of the features you’ll find in these products. You can
find the list online at the Sonic Foundry Web site (www.sonicfoundry.com).

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18 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

Set Up Your System

for Better Performance
Sonic Foundry specifies a system with a Pentium 90 MHz processor and
at least 16 MB of random access memory (RAM) as the basic requirements
to run Sound Forge. Of course, you also need a Windows-compatible
sound card. If your computer system lives up to (or surpasses) these
specifications, simply installing Sound Forge might be all you need to do
to get up and running with the software. If you really want to get the best
performance from Sound Forge, however, you can make a number of
adjustments to your computer system that will allow you to squeeze as
much power out of it as possible.

Microprocessor
You can’t do much to tweak your computer’s central processing unit
(CPU), aside from maybe upgrading it to a newer chip or buying a whole
new computer system. Suffice it to say, the newer and faster your CPU,
the better your computer system and Sound Forge will perform. The order
of available chips goes something like this: Pentium, Pentium with MMX,
Pentium Pro, Pentium II, and Pentium III (being the latest at the time of
this writing). Of course, although having the best chip available is nice,
that doesn’t mean you need it. You can also get away with using different
brands such as the AMD Athlon, but you have to be careful when it
comes to compatibility. I’ve heard of some people having no problems at
all using computer systems with the AMD Athlon processor. I’ve also
heard of some people having major problems with these systems, due
mainly to compatibility issues between the computer and the sound card.
Certain sound cards don’t work well with Athlon-based systems, so be
sure to check with the manufacturer before you go spending your hard-
earned money. What it comes down to is that Sound Forge can process
audio much faster with a more powerful CPU, which means having to
take fewer coffee breaks while waiting for the program to do its thing.
Sound Forge will run more smoothly as well.
If you would like to test just how much of your CPU power is used when
you perform different tasks with your computer, Windows provides a
nifty utility called the System Monitor. Just follow these steps to use it:
1. If the System Monitor isn’t installed, open the Windows Control
Panel, double-click on Add/Remove Programs, and select the
Windows Setup tab in the Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog
box. Then select Accessories from the list, click on the Details button,
select System Monitor from the resulting list, and click on the OK
buttons to close the dialog boxes. Windows then installs the System
Monitor.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 19

2. Open the System Monitor by clicking the Start button and then
selecting Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Monitor.
The program should look similar to Figure 2.7.

Figure 2.7
The Windows System
Monitor accessory
monitors your CPU
usage.

3. Select Edit > Add Item. In the resulting dialog box, click on Kernel in
the Category list. Then click on Processor Usage in the Item list, and
click the OK button.

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4. Depending on the current settings, you may see a line chart, bar
chart, or numerical chart. You can select the different displays via the
View menu.
Now, as you use your computer, the System Monitor will continuously
show the changes in your CPU power usage.

System Memory (RAM)

You probably already know this point, but the more memory you have
installed in your computer, the better. This is especially true for complex
applications such as Sound Forge. Even though Sonic Foundry lists
16MB in the system requirements, you would be better off with at least
64MB of RAM. Not only does increased memory allow your system to
run more smoothly, it makes the system run faster, too. With more RAM
available, Windows is less likely to have to access virtual memory.

Virtual Memory
To fool your computer into thinking it has more RAM than it really does,
Windows uses part of your hard disk space as virtual memory. Every time
you start your system, Windows creates a “swap file” called win386.swp
on your hard drive. This “swap file” grows and shrinks as you perform
different tasks with your computer. Whenever you try to use more RAM
than is installed in your system, Windows stores the excess data in the
“swap file.” For example, if you have 32MB of RAM in your system, and
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20 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

you run four different programs at once that each take up 16MB of RAM,
technically, two of those applications shouldn’t be able to run. However,
Windows simply uses virtual memory to handle that extra 32MB load.
Because virtual memory uses your hard disk for storage, and your hard
disk provides much slower access than your system’s RAM, all that
“swap file” processing makes your computer run more slowly. That’s one
of the reasons why your system runs faster with more RAM installed.

Hard Disk Drive

The speed of your hard drive is one of the single most important factors
in determining how quickly Sound Forge will be able perform editing
tasks on large audio files. In terms of performance, SCSI is better than IDE,
but a good E-IDE drive can be just as good as SCSI. A few specifications to
look out for are Average Seek Time (which should be as low as possible,
preferably 9 milliseconds or less), Rotation Speed (which should be as
high as possible, the average being 5,400 RPM), and Sustained Data
Transfer Rate (which should also be as high as possible, with at least 5MB
per second being a good start). One other factor to avoid is hard disk
controller cards that connect via an ISA expansion slot inside your
computer. A PCI-based connection is much better.
By the way, using the System Monitor, you can test your hard drive
performance the same way you can test CPU usage (explained earlier).
Aside from upgrading to a new hard drive, one Windows tweak might get
you a little more speed from your current drive. It’s a setting for DMA
access for your hard drive controller. This setting gives your hard drive
direct access to your computer’s memory. This way, the data doesn’t have
to be processed by the CPU first, and thus provides a bit more speed. If
your hard drive supports DMA, you can activate it like this:
1. Open the Windows Control Panel, double-click on System, and click
on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box.
2. Under Disk Drives in the list of devices, select your hard disk drive.
It might read something like “Generic IDE Disk.”
3. Click on the Properties button, and then click on the Settings tab in
the hard disk drive’s Properties dialog box. The dialog box should
look similar to Figure 2.8.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 21

Figure 2.8
This generic hard disk
drive Properties dialog
box shows the hard
drive settings.

4. Select DMA in the Options section, and then click on the OK buttons
to close the dialog boxes.
After Windows restarts, your hard drive will access the computer’s
memory directly, which may provide a noticeable speed increase.

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Video Card
Believe it or not, your video card can have an effect on your computer
system’s performance. First, hardware video acceleration can cause
problems with audio playback. If you have a PCI-based video card, and
your audio is sometimes plagued with clicks, pops, or other anomalies,
these sounds could mean that your hardware video acceleration is set too
high. Try dragging a program window around on the screen while your
computer is playing a digital audio file. Does this action affect the audio?
If so, you can try reducing or disabling hardware video acceleration to
remedy the problem. To do so, just follow these steps:
1. Open the Windows Control Panel and double-click on System.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click on the Performance tab.
Then click on the Graphics button under Advanced Settings.
3. In the Advanced Graphics Settings dialog box, drag the Hardware
Acceleration slider to the left, to either reduce or disable hardware
video acceleration. The dialog box should look similar to Figure 2.9.

Figure 2.9
The amount of
hardware video
acceleration is set via
the Advanced Graphics
Settings dialog box.

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22 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

4. You may or may not have to disable hardware video acceleration

altogether. You’ll have to experiment to see what works best for your
system. After you set the slider, click the OK buttons to close the
dialog boxes.
After Windows restarts, your new settings will take effect. If you have a
newer computer system with an AGP-based graphics card, you shouldn’t
have to worry about hardware video acceleration problems. AGP-based
cards can access the system memory directly without having to deal with
the PCI bus and, thus, don’t usually exhibit the problems I mentioned
earlier.
Other video-related settings that can affect the performance of your
system include screen savers, video resolution, and video color depth.
Basically, when you’re doing any processor-intensive work with your
computer, you should disable your screen saver. Even when the screen
saver isn’t showing anything on the screen, it sits in the background
monitoring your system for activity, and thus takes up processor time.
Plus, some screen savers have no regard for what your computer is
currently doing, and they become active right in the middle of a
recording session. To turn off your screen saver, do the following:
1. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop and select Properties
from the pop-up menu.
2. Select the Screen Saver tab in the Display Properties dialog box. The
dialog box should look similar to Figure 2.10.

Figure 2.10
In the Display
Properties dialog box,
you can set many
different Windows
parameters, including
the screen saver.

3. Select None from the drop-down list in the Screen Saver settings
section, and then click the OK button.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 23

Video resolution and video color depth affect how precisely your
computer monitor displays graphics. A higher color depth means more
colors will be displayed, and a higher resolution means the image will be
sharper. But the higher the resolution and the higher the color depth, the
harder your computer has to work. High settings can actually slow down
your computer quite a bit, especially if you have an older CPU and an
older video card. Your best bet is to use a resolution of 800 by 600 and a
depth of 256 colors. You really don’t need anything more than that, but
you can experiment with higher settings to see how they affect your
system. Reducing the color depth is more important than reducing the
resolution, though.

NOTE
Although Sound Forge will run at any color depth, it actually looks best in
16-bit color. So, if you’re computer system can handle it, you should try
running with the higher color depth.

To change the color depth and resolution, do the following:

1. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop and select Properties

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from the pop-up menu.
2. Select the Settings tab in the Display Properties dialog box. The
dialog box should look similar to Figure 2.11.

Figure 2.11
In the Display Properties
dialog box, you can set
many different Windows
parameters, including
the video resolution and
color depth.

3. From the drop-down list in the Colors section, select 256 Colors.
Then drag the slider in the Screen Area section to the left until it
reads 800 by 600 pixels. After you’ve set the slider, click the OK
button.

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24 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

After Windows restarts, your monitor will show the new resolution and
color depth settings. Getting used to the new settings might take awhile if
you’ve been using higher settings all along, but don’t worry, you’ll live.
And I think you’ll like how much snappier Windows reacts.

Network Card
If you have your computer hooked up to a network, you might want to
either use a different computer system for audio editing and recording or
temporarily disable your network card when you’re using Sound Forge.
Network activity is notorious for stealing CPU cycles at critical times, and
this can slow down your system quite a bit. The easiest way to remove
your computer from the network is simply to unplug your network cable.
However, you can get even better performance if you disable your
network card like this:
1. Open the Windows Control Panel, double-click on System, and click
on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties dialog box.
2. Under Network Adapters in the list of devices, select your network
card. The name will probably reflect the name of the product. An
example might be “EZ-Link USB Adapter.”
3. Click on the Properties button to open your network card’s Properties
dialog box. The dialog box should look similar to Figure 2.12.

Figure 2.12
This sample network
card Properties dialog
box shows the status of
the device.

4. Select Disable In This Hardware Profile in the Device Usage section,

and then click on the OK button to close the dialog box.
Windows disables your network card without your having to restart. Then
you can simply close the System Properties dialog box, and you’re done.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 25

Sound Card
As far as sound cards are concerned, the only tip I can give you here is
that PCI-based sound cards perform much better than older ISA-based
sound cards. The newer PCI-based cards usually include more advanced
audio circuitry, which is designed to take more of the audio processing
workload off your computer’s CPU. It’s also nice to have a card that
supports the DirectSound features of Microsoft’s DirectX technology. This
type of card provides greater application compatibility and sometimes
better performance, too.
One other thing to consider is that if you really want the best audio quality,
you should purchase an audio interface rather than a sound card. The
difference is that an audio interface comes with an external box that
houses the connections and circuitry. This means that an audio interface
won’t pick up all the noise being produced by the circuitry inside your
computer. With a regular sound card, noise can easily be introduced into
the audio because the card’s circuitry is so close to the rest of the computer
circuits. Of course, an audio interface usually costs quite a bit more than a
regular sound card, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the extra expense.

CHAPTER 2
NOTE
One of the most common questions I get from readers is, “What brand of
sound card should I buy?” There are so many different sound cards on the
market, providing so many different features, that I can’t simply recommend
one or the other. I can, however, tell you what features to look for so that you
can make an educated choice.
I’ve already mentioned that you should look for a PCI-based, DirectX-
compatible sound card, and that you might want to look into getting an audio
interface if you really need pristine sound quality. You should also be aware of
the types of connections that sound cards supply. The typical sound card
provides a number of different audio inputs and outputs, including line level,
microphone level, and speaker. Line level inputs and outputs are used to
transfer sound from cassette decks, radios, electronic keyboards or any other
standard audio device. Microphones generate a very small audio level by
themselves so they need a special input of their own, which is connected to an
internal preamplifier on the sound card. Speakers also need their own special
connector with a built-in amplifier in order to produce a decent amount of
volume. Some high-end sound cards also offer digital inputs and outputs.
These special connectors let you attach the sound card directly to compatible
devices such as some CD players and DAT (digital audio tape) decks. Using
these connections gives you the best possible sound, because audio signals stay
in the digital domain and don’t need to be converted into analog signals. You
should also be aware that connectors come in a variety of forms. Low-cost
cards usually provide the same 1/8-inch jacks used for headphones on boom
boxes. For better quality, there are 1/4-inch, RCA, or XLR jacks. Connections
can also be balanced or unbalanced. Balanced connections provide shielding to
protect the audio signal against RFI (radio frequency interference). Unbalanced
connections don’t provide any type of protection.
(Continued on page 26)

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26 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

(Continued from page 25)

If you want to be able to record more than one audio source at once, you’ll
need a card with multiple audio connections. Most average sound cards
internally mix all of their audio sources down to one stereo signal, but higher-
end (more expensive) cards let you record each device separately on its own
discreet stereo channel. This capability is much more desirable in a music
recording studio, but not everyone needs it. You’ll also want to look for a card
with full-duplex capabilities. This means the card can record and play back
audio simultaneously. This is opposed to a half-duplex card, which can
perform only one function at a time.
A good quality audio signal is something that everybody desires. During
recording, the sampling rate (which I talked about in Chapter 1) plays a big
part in the quality of the audio signal. Suffice it to say, the higher the sampling
rate that a sound card can handle, the better the sound quality. The sampling
rate of a CD is 44.1kHz (44,100 samples per second) and all sound cards on the
market support this. Professional cards can hit 48kHz or higher. Bit resolution
(which I also talked about in Chapter 1) is a factor in determining digital
sound quality as well. The more bits you have to represent your signal, the
better it will sound. The CD standard is 16 bits and is supported by all sound
cards. Some cards (again mostly high-end) go up to 20, 22, or even 24 bits.
Two other measurements you need to look out for are signal-to-noise ratio
and frequency response. As with the other measurements mentioned above,
the higher the better. Since all electronic devices produce some amount of
noise, the signal-to-noise ratio of a sound card tells you how much higher the
signal strength is compared to the amount of internal noise made by the
sound card. The higher the number, the quieter the card. A good signal-to-
noise measurement is about 90 dB or higher. Frequency response is actually a
range of numbers, which is based on the capabilities of human hearing. The
frequency response of human hearing is approximately 20Hz to 20kHz. A
good sound card will encompass at least that range, maybe even more.
If you want to purchase a sound card with a built-in MIDI synthesizer, there
are a number of additional features you should know about. Early sound
cards sported synthesizers based on FM (frequency modulation) synthesis.
Unfortunately, this method wasn’t much of a step up from the basic beeps and
boops of a PC speaker. Even though FM works well with organ and bell-type
sounds, it fails miserably when trying to portray any other type of instrument.
Fortunately, today’s sound cards use a technology called wavetable synthesis.
This process can provide some very realistic sounds. The reason for this
realism lies in the fact that a wavetable synthesizer plays back pre-recorded
real-life instruments and sounds. When the synthesizer receives a MIDI Note-
On message, instead of creating a sound electronically from scratch (like with
FM), it plays back a small digital recording, which can be anything from the
sound of a piano to the sound of ducks quacking. The only drawback to
wavetable synthesis is that the samples need to be kept small since they are
stored in RAM (random access memory) or ROM (read-only memory). Suffice it
to say, the bigger the wavetable RAM or ROM your card comes with, the better.
You’ll also want to take into account the degree of playback control over the
wavetable samples that a card provides. All sound cards today support
General MIDI (GM), which is a set of guidelines specifying 128 pre-set sounds

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 27

that all GM-compatible synths must have and the memory location (or MIDI
program number) of those sounds. This ensures that if a sound card is told to
play program number 37, it will always call up a slap electric bass sound
rather than a soprano saxophone. Unlike professional synthesizers, however,
GM doesn’t support any kind of sound parameter programming. That’s where
the GS and XG formats come in. The Roland GS format expands on the GM
standard by offering additional sounds along with sound-programming
control over a few synthesis parameters. Yamaha’s XG format goes even
further by requiring three separate effects processors, more than a dozen
programmable synthesis parameters (such as the brightness of a sound), and
more than one hundred sets of 128 sounds each. So be sure to get a card that
supports GS, XG, or both.
By following these guidelines, and taking some time to research your purchase,
you should be able to find the right sound card to fit your needs. Good luck!

Set Up Your Sound Forge Hardware Profile

Of course, making many of the previously mentioned changes to your
computer system every time you want to use Sound Forge, and then
changing them back for normal system use, can be a major hassle. Luckily,

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Windows includes a handy feature called Hardware Profiles. You can
think of Hardware Profiles as Windows presets, similar to synthesizer or
audio effects gear presets. Using the Hardware Profiles feature, you can
store a number of Windows configuration settings under a specific name
and then recall those settings when you start your computer system. So,
for instance, you can have a profile to set up your hardware for normal
system use, another profile for computer gaming, yet another for audio
editing and recording, and so on. Creating Hardware Profiles is very
simple, too; you just do the following:
1. Open the Windows Control Panel, double-click on System, and click
on the Hardware Profiles tab in the System Properties dialog box.
The dialog box should look similar to Figure 2.13.

Figure 2.13
The Hardware Profiles
tab of the System
Properties dialog box
shows the different
hardware
configurations.

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28 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2

2. More than likely, a default profile called “Original Configuration”

will be listed. This configuration holds your current system settings.
Click on it to select it.
3. Click on the Copy button to make a copy of the “Original
Configuration” profile.
4. In the Copy Profile dialog box, type a new name for the new profile—
something like Sound Forge Configuration. Then click on the OK
buttons to close both dialog boxes.
5. Restart your computer. At startup, your system will ask you to choose
a hardware profile. Select Sound Forge Configuration.
6. Go through the list of tweaks that I described earlier, such as the hard
drive DMA setting, video acceleration setting, and so on.
Now, the next time you start Windows, you can choose a system
configuration to fit your needs for that computing session. The only
setting from the list of tweaks that isn’t saved in a Hardware Profile is the
screen saver setting. You have to change it manually each time. Yeah, I
know it’s a bummer. Personally, I always leave the screen saver disabled.
If I know I’m going to be away from the computer for more than 15
minutes, I just turn off the monitor.

TIP
If you really want to delve into the topic of computer system tweaks, you
should check out the article “Tuning a Digital Audio Workstation” by Kevin
Perry. It’s available on the Internet at http://www.mountaingrill.co.uk/
Cakewalk/PCAudio/tuning.htm. Be aware, though, that this subject isn’t
really for beginners. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up
losing valuable data. So be sure to take precautions such as backing up your
hard drive before making any changes you’re not sure about.

Find Help When You Need It

Sonic Foundry provides a number of ways for you to find help when
you’re having a problem with Sound Forge. The two most obvious places
to look are the manual and the Sound Forge Help file. At the first signs of
trouble, you should go through the included troubleshooting information.
If you can’t find an answer to your problem there, then you can pay a
visit to the Sonic Foundry Web site.

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 Getting Started with Sound Forge — Chapter 2 29

The Product Support page of the Sonic Foundry Web site

(http://www.sonicfoundry.com/support/) contains a lot of helpful
information, including FAQs (lists of frequently asked questions and their
answers) and technical documents that provide details on a number of
topics. You should check them first. If you still can’t find a solution to
your problem, the next place to look is in the Sonic Foundry forums
(http://www.sonicfoundry.com/Forums/). In the forums, you can trade
tips, advice, and information with other Sound Forge users. And many
times, you’ll find that someone has had the same problem you’re
having—and that he or she has already found a solution. Also, be sure to
check out Appendix D, “Sound Forge Resources on the Web,” in this
book for even more helpful information.
Of course, you can also contact Sonic Foundry Technical Support directly.
You can either e-mail your questions to support@sonicfoundry.com, or
you can call 608-256-5555 (USA). Currently, the hours are Monday
through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Standard Time.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 31

3
Customizing
Sound Forge
Although we all may be Sound Forge users, it doesn’t mean we like to
work with the product in the same exact way. I have my way of doing
things, and you probably have your own way. Luckily, Sound Forge
provides a number of settings so that you can make the program conform
to your own way of working. In this chapter, you’ll learn the following:
 How to associate different types of audio files with Sound Forge
 How to customize the program’s Workspace, including colors,
toolbars, window layouts, and other general settings
 How to set up the MIDI parameters
 How to set up the audio parameters

General Options
Sound Forge provides a number of general options that affect the overall
operation of the software. These include the logo splash-screen, Tip of
the Day, full-screen mode, program close confirmation, and the textured
background. They may not sound very significant, but it’s these little
things that can affect your efficiency while using the software.

Splash-Screen and Tip of the Day CHAPTER 3

Two of the first things you’ll probably want to change about the behavior
of Sound Forge are the automatic display of the logo splash-screen and
the Tip of the Day dialog box, both of which pop open every time you
run the software. I mean, how many times do you need to be reminded of
what version you have? And, as far as the tips are concerned, you can
easily access those at your own convenience by simply selecting Help >
Tip of the Day. Turning these features off gets you up and running with
Sound Forge a little quicker. Just follow these steps to do so:

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32 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box, and
click on the General tab as shown in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1
You can set a number
of general options in
Sound Forge’s
Preferences dialog box.

2. In the list of options, double-click on Show A Tip of the Day on

Startup to deactivate that feature.
3. Double-click on Show Logo Splash-Screen on Startup to deactivate
that feature.
4. Click OK.
Now, whenever you run Sound Forge, you won’t have to put up with the
annoyance of clicking the splash-screen and Tip of the Day dialog boxes
to close them before you can access the software.

NOTE
In the Preferences dialog box, you may have noticed a number of other
parameters that allow you to change the behavior of Sound Forge. I’ll cover
more of them in this chapter and throughout the book.

Full-Screen Mode
Instead of working in a window, Sound Forge allows you to take
advantage of all the real estate that your computer monitor provides by
including a full-screen mode. With full-screen mode activated, Sound
Forge will open up its Workspace to the full height and width of your
computer screen. This provides more room and is especially useful when
you’re working on more than one audio file simultaneously.

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Normally, you would activate full-screen mode by selecting View > Full
Screen, but having to do this every time you run the software can become
tiresome. So, if you would rather use Sound Forge in full-screen mode
every time you run the software, you can set an option so that this
happens automatically. The procedure is basically the same as I talked
about earlier with the splash-screen and tips. Just select Options >
Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box and click on the General
tab. Then, in the list of options, double-click on Always Open Full-
Screen to activate that feature, and click OK. From now on, Sound Forge
will open in full-screen mode.

Program Close Confirmation

If you’re prone to errant mouse clicks, you may want to set up Sound
Forge so that it asks you to confirm your decision before you exit the
software. In most cases, you won’t need this option. Even with this option
deactivated, Sound Forge still warns you if you haven’t saved your data
before you can exit the program. So, in essence, you really don’t need the
program close confirmation option, and it’s deactivated by default. But if
you’d rather have that extra measure of protection, you can activate this
feature by simply selecting Options > Preferences to open the Preferences
dialog box, and clicking on the General tab. Then, in the list of options,
double-click on Confirm On Close to activate that feature and click OK.
From now on, Sound Forge will warn you before closing down.

File Associations
Sound Forge provides support for many different types of audio files.
They include WAV files, AIFF files, MP3 files, and so on. (Don’t worry,
I’ll go into more detail about each of the different file types in Chapter 4.)
By default, none of the file types is associated with Sound Forge during
installation. This means that if you double-click on an audio file within
Windows Explorer, the file will be opened or played using a software
application other than Sound Forge.
CHAPTER 3
If you would like to automatically open certain audio file types within
Sound Forge by double-clicking on them, you can easily associate the file
types using Sound Forge’s Sound File Associations feature. Just do the
following:
1. In Sound Forge, select Options > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the File tab.

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34 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

3. Click on Associate Sound File Extensions to open the Sound File

Associations dialog box as shown in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2
You can associate file
types in Sound Forge’s
Sound File Associations
dialog box.

4. The File Types To Associate section lists all the file types that can be
associated with Sound Forge. The first column shows the three-letter
file extension. The second column shows the name of the file type.
And the third column shows the name of the program to which each
file type is currently associated. To associate a file type with Sound
Forge, just double-click it to place an X next to it.
5. To associate all the files in the list with Sound Forge, click on the
Select All button. Click on the Select None button to do the opposite.
6. When you’re finished selecting the file types, click OK.
7. Sound Forge tells you that “this may overwrite file associations used
by other applications,” and then asks if you’re sure you want to
continue. Click Yes.
8. Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.
From now on, whenever you double-click one of the associated file types
in Windows Explorer, it will automatically be opened within Sound Forge.

The Workspace
Not only can you change the general behavior and file handling features
of Sound Forge, but you also can change the way Sound Forge looks and
the way it responds to your commands. By customizing the Sound Forge
Workspace, you can increase your efficiency with the program and make
it more comfortable to work with. Some of the adjustments you can make
are to the colors, toolbars, Data Window layouts, and keyboard shortcuts.

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Colors
Sound Forge allows you to change the colors of many of the graphic
elements within the program. I haven’t found much use for making
color changes, though. The default colors that the program ships with
work just fine for me. However, you might find a different set of colors
more pleasant to work with, or maybe you can see some colors better
than others. Changing the colors Sound Forge uses is simple; just follow
these steps:
1. In Sound Forge, select Options > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences dialog box, select the Display tab as shown in
Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3
In the Preferences dialog
box under the Display
tab, you can change the
appearance of Sound
Forge to your liking.

3. In the bottom half of the dialog box is a drop-down list labeled Color
Preference For, which shows all of the screen elements you can
change. To change the color of an element, select it from the list.

TIP
If you would like to read descriptions for each of the screen elements in the
list, click the Help button.
CHAPTER 3
4. Select how you want that screen element to look by choosing the
Custom option.
5. To create your own custom color for the screen element, change the
values of the Red, Green, and Blue parameters either by dragging on
the sliders or clicking on the left/right arrow buttons. The mixture of
the three values is what produces the final color, which is shown in
the small rectangle in the lower left corner of the dialog box.

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6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each screen element you would like to
change.
7. When you’ve completed your changes, click OK.
Your color changes will take effect as soon as you close the Preferences
dialog box. If you ever want to return to the default color values, just
repeat the steps above; however, for each element, instead of selecting the
Custom option, select the Default option.

Toolbars
To increase your productivity, Sound Forge provides a number of toolbars
for quick access to many of its major functions. So, instead of having to
click through a series of menus, you can simply click on a single toolbar
button. Toolbars are available for standard file access functions, recording
and playback controls, and so on.
Sound Forge allows you to change the position of its toolbars, as well as
whether they are visible. Why wouldn’t you want to have all the toolbars
on the screen all the time? Because they can clutter up the Workspace
and get in the way while you’re working on a project.

Change Their Position

Just as with most toolbars in other Windows programs, you can dock
these toolbars at the top, bottom, or even the sides of the Workspace.
And if you drop a toolbar anywhere within the Workspace, it becomes
a little floating window, as shown in Figure 3.4.

Figure 3.4
Toolbars can be docked
at the top, bottom, or
sides of the Sound
Forge Workspace.
They can also reside
anywhere else within
the Workspace as small
floating windows.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 37

Change Their Visibility

To change the visibility of the Toolbars, you need to access the Toolbars tab
in the Preferences dialog box. Just select Options > Preferences, click on
the Toolbars tab, and the dialog box will appear, as shown in Figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5
Under the Toolbars
tab in the Preferences
dialog box, you can
change the visibility of
Sound Forge’s Toolbars.

By placing or removing the X next to each selection in the box, you

control whether the associated toolbar will be visible. For example, if you
remove the X in the box next to the Standard selection, the Standard File
Functions toolbar will disappear.

NOTE
The only thing that disappoints me about Sound Forge’s toolbars is that you
can’t customize them in any other ways. For instance, you can’t change which
buttons appear in each toolbar, and you can’t create your own specialized
toolbars for rapid access to the features you use most often. There is a way
around this, though. Take a look at the QuicKeys Tip in the Keyboard
Shortcuts section shown later in this chapter.

Data Window Layouts CHAPTER 3

Because Sound Forge allows you to have more than one audio file open
at once, you need to deal with multiple Data Windows, which were
described in Chapter 2 and will be explained more thoroughly in later
chapters. When you want to close Sound Forge, the size, position, and
file name of the Data Windows currently open are saved automatically.
This capability is nice, because the next time you open the program, you
can pick up exactly where you left off. As you get more experienced with
Sound Forge, you’ll probably find that having the Data Windows set up
in certain configurations helps your editing sessions go more smoothly.

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38 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

For instance, let’s say you’re working with four different audio files. You
might like to have them positioned so that each Data Window takes up
one-quarter of the Workspace, as shown in Figure 3.6.
Figure 3.6
The size, position, and
file name of all currently
open Data Windows are
automatically saved
when you close Sound
Forge.

What if you come up with a few favorite configurations that you like to
use during different stages of the same project? That’s where Workspace
files come in. Using Workspace files, you can save the size, position, and
file name of all the currently open Data Windows. Then, you can later
load the saved Workspace files for quick and easy organization. You can
do so by using the Workspace > Open and Workspace > Save As features.

Save and Load a Workspace

You save and load a Workspace file like this:
1. Open the audio files that you would like to work with.
2. Arrange the Data Windows in the Workspace in the positions and
sizes that you would like them to be saved.
3. Select File > Workspace > Save As to open the Save Workspace
dialog box, as shown in Figure 3.7.
Figure 3.7
You can save Workspace
files by using the Save
Workspace dialog box.

4. Type a name for the new Workspace file in the File Name parameter.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 39

TIP
I’ve found that giving a descriptive name to each Workspace file helps me
when I want to load them. For example, I include the names of each open
audio file in the name of the Workspace file, along with a hint as to their
positions. If I have four files open, with each one taking up one-quarter of the
Workspace, I will name the Workspace file “Drums-Bass-Guitar-Piano-
QuarterScreen.sfw.”

5. Click on the Save button to save your new Workspace file.

6. To load your new (or previously saved) file, simply select File >
Workspace > Open to open the Open Workspace dialog box.
7. Select a file from the list and click the Open button. The Workspace
file is loaded, and the configuration of the Data Windows is changed
accordingly.

Keyboard Shortcuts
As with most Windows software, Sound Forge provides keyboard
shortcuts for most of its functions. Like Toolbars, they give you quick
access to the program’s features. Instead of having to click through a series
of menus, you can simply press a key combination on your computer’s
keyboard. Many of these key combinations are displayed next to their
assigned menu functions, as in the File menu shown in Figure 3.8.

Figure 3.8
The keyboard shortcut
for opening a file in
Sound Forge is Ctrl+O.

CHAPTER 3

For a full list of all the keyboard shortcuts that work within Sound Forge,
select Help > Keyboard Shortcuts. You can’t change any of the default
keyboard shortcuts, and you can’t assign your own, either. There is,
however, a partial solution to this problem, a feature called MIDI Triggers.

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40 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

MIDI Triggers
The MIDI Triggers feature allows you to assign MIDI note and controller
messages to a number of the functions within Sound Forge.

NOTE
There are seven types of MIDI messages, each providing different kinds of
functionality within the MIDI language. These categories include Notes, Key
Aftertouch, Channel Aftertouch, Controllers, Program Changes, Pitch Bend,
and System Exclusive.
The Notes category pertains to MIDI Note On and MIDI Note Off messages.
Whenever you press a key on your MIDI keyboard, a MIDI Note On message
is sent. When you let the key go, a MIDI Note Off message is sent.
On some MIDI keyboards, in addition to hitting the keys, you can press and
hold them down to apply varying degrees of pressure. This pressure is called
Aftertouch. Depending on how the synthesizer is programmed, Aftertouch
lets you control how loud it is or even how it sounds. Aftertouch comes in
both Key and Channel varieties. Key Aftertouch allows you to have different
pressure levels for each individual key on the keyboard. Channel Aftertouch
restricts you to a single pressure level over the entire range of the keyboard.
A wide range of Controller MIDI messages is available. Basically, these
messages give you control over different aspects of your MIDI synthesizer or
device. Some controller messages let you control volume, whereas others let
you control the position of a synthesizer sound in the stereo field. However,
far too many are available to discuss them all here.
Program Changes (also called Patch Changes) let you select from the many
different sounds available in a MIDI synthesizer. For example, a Program
Change #1 MIDI message might activate a piano sound in your synthesizer,
and Program Change #10 might activate a glockenspiel sound.
Pitch Bend messages allow you to temporarily alter the tuning of your MIDI
instrument. Many MIDI keyboards have a lever or a wheel that lets you
control Pitch Bend. Moving this wheel makes the instrument send out Pitch
Bend (also called Pitch Wheel) messages.
System Exclusive messages pertain to special MIDI data that are (as the name
implies) exclusive to the instrument sending and receiving it. For instance,
the manufacturer of a MIDI synthesizer might include special functions in the
product that can’t be controlled via standard MIDI messages. By using System
Exclusive messages, the manufacturer gives you access to these special
functions but still keeps the product compatible with the MIDI language.
For more in-depth information about MIDI and the different types of messages
available, you should read a book dedicated specifically to the subject. One of
my favorites is MIDI for Musicians by Craig Anderton, (Music Sales Corp.,
1998, ISBN 0-8256-1050-8).

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 41

What this means is that you can use some of the controls on your MIDI
keyboard or device as pseudo-keyboard shortcuts. (Cool, isn’t it?) For
example, you can assign the Special > Transport > Play function in
Sound Forge to the Middle C key on your keyboard. Then, when you
press Middle C, Sound Forge plays the audio data in the Data Window
that is currently active.

TIP
If your studio is set up so that your computer isn’t located next to your MIDI
keyboard or controller, using MIDI Triggers is a great way to still have access
to Sound Forge. For example, if you want to be able to start and stop playback
of audio in Sound Forge via your MIDI keyboard, you can just assign one
MIDI Trigger to the Special > Transport > Play function and another MIDI
Trigger to the Special > Transport > Stop function.

You can easily create your own MIDI Triggers via the MIDI Triggers dialog
box. Here’s how:
1. Select Options > MIDI Triggers to open the MIDI Triggers dialog box,
as shown in Figure 3.9.

Figure 3.9
You can create MIDI
Triggers in the MIDI
Triggers dialog box.

2. In the Event list, select the Sound Forge function for which you want
to create a MIDI Trigger. CHAPTER 3
3. In the Trigger section, choose either the Note or Controller option to
assign a MIDI note or MIDI controller as the MIDI Trigger,
respectively.
4. If you select the Note option, be sure to also select a value for the
Channel parameter, which assigns a specific MIDI channel for the
MIDI Trigger. And then select a value for the Note parameter, which
designates the MIDI note to be used for the MIDI Trigger.

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5. If you select the Controller option, you need to assign a value for the
Channel parameter as well. And then select a value for the Controller
parameter, which designates the MIDI controller to be used for the
MIDI Trigger. Finally, select a value for the Value parameter, which
designates the value of the MIDI controller to be used for the MIDI
Trigger.

TIP
Instead of entering values for the note and controller parameters via your
computer keyboard, you can also use your MIDI keyboard to do the same
thing. Simply activate the Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option. Then,
activate a key or controller on your MIDI keyboard. The values for the
parameters will be set automatically.

6. After you’ve set up all your MIDI Triggers, save the current
configuration by clicking the Save As button and typing a name in
the Save Preset dialog box. Then, click OK.

TIP
You can save as many different MIDI Trigger configurations as you’d like.
This comes in handy if you want to create one set of MIDI Triggers for use
with one MIDI device, another set of MIDI Triggers for use with a different
MIDI device, and so on.

7. When you’re done, click on the OK button.

After you’ve created (or changed) a set of MIDI Triggers, you’ll notice that
activating certain controls on your MIDI device will trigger their assigned
functions within Sound Forge.

TIP
If you create MIDI Triggers, activating their associated notes or controllers on
your MIDI device activates their assigned functions in Sound Forge. You
really don’t want this to happen while you’re performing, so you need a quick
way to turn MIDI Triggers on and off. In the Event list in the MIDI Triggers
dialog box, there is a function labeled Enable/Disable Triggers. You can assign
a MIDI Trigger to this function to be a sort of “on/off switch.” This allows you
to turn MIDI Triggers on and off without having to access the MIDI Triggers
dialog box every time.

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TIP
You may have picked up on the fact that I mentioned MIDI Triggers as only
a partial solution to keyboard shortcuts. And, after using the MIDI Triggers
dialog box, you probably already know why. Basically, Sound Forge only
allows you to create MIDI Triggers for a select number of its functions rather
than for all of them. The only way I’ve found around this little problem is to
purchase a separate software application called QuicKeys.
QuicKeys, by CE Software, is PC automation software. It allows you to record
your computer keyboard keystrokes and mouse-clicks. You can then assign to
those recordings any keyboard shortcut combinations that you would like.
You can even create your own custom toolbars for use within any of your PC
applications. It’s a very powerful program, and I find it indispensable. You
can purchase QuicKeys (as well as find more information about the product)
at http://cesoft.com.

MIDI Settings
Sound Forge is a digital audio editing application, so you wouldn’t
think there would be any need for it to provide MIDI functionality. But
because Sound Forge provides audio recording and playback features,
the good people at Sonic Foundry have also included synchronization
features within the program. This means that you can use Sound Forge
in conjunction with other software (such as your MIDI sequencer) and
other devices (such as external tape recorders). I’ll talk more about
synchronization and using Sound Forge with other software and devices
in Chapter 6 and Chapter 12. In the meantime, you need to tell Sound
Forge which MIDI input and output ports on your MIDI interface that you
want to use.

NOTE
As I explained in Chapter 1, a MIDI interface is a device that is plugged into
your computer that allows it to understand the MIDI language. Every MIDI
interface has at least two connections on it called MIDI ports. One is the MIDI
In port, which is used to receive MIDI data. The other is the MIDI Out port, CHAPTER 3
which is used to send MIDI data. Some of the more sophisticated MIDI
interfaces on the market have multiple pairs of MIDI ports. For instance, I use
a Music Quest 8Port/SE, which has eight MIDI In and Out ports. Having all of
these ports allows me to connect more than one MIDI instrument to my
computer.

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44 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

Setting Up Your MIDI Ports

To see what MIDI ports Sound Forge is currently using and to designate
which ports you want to use, do the following:
1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
Then click the MIDI/Sync tab as shown in Figure 3.10.

Figure 3.10
Under the MIDI/Sync
tab in the Preferences
dialog box, you can set
the MIDI input and
output ports to be used
by Sound Forge.

2. In the Output drop-down list, select the MIDI output port that you
would like to use. This parameter designates which output port
Sound Forge will use to send MIDI data.
3. In the Input drop-down list, select the MIDI input port that you would
like to use. This parameter designates which input port Sound Forge
will use to receive MIDI data.
4. Click OK.
Sound Forge is now set to use the MIDI ports you designated to send and
receive MIDI data.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 45

NOTE
You’ll notice an extra option in both the Input and Output drop-down lists
called MIDI Mapper. Selecting this option tells Sound Forge to use the MIDI
settings designated by the Windows MIDI Mapper. By utilizing the settings
under the MIDI tab of the Multimedia Properties dialog box (see Figure 3.11)
in Windows (click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click
Multimedia, and click on the MIDI tab), you can have Windows direct the
MIDI messages on individual MIDI channels to different MIDI devices. For
example, if you have two different MIDI devices hooked up to your computer,
you can have Windows send any MIDI data coming in on channels 1 through
10 to the first device, and any MIDI data coming in on channels 11 through
16 to the second device. But for the purposes of using MIDI with Sound
Forge, you don’t really want to use the MIDI Mapper option. Instead, you
should select one of the other MIDI port options in the Event list.

Figure 3.11
The Multimedia
Properties dialog
box in Windows
allows you to
designate the
settings for the
Windows MIDI
Mapper.

Audio Settings
Since Sound Forge’s main purpose is to deal with digital audio data,
there are quite a few more settings available for audio than there are for
MIDI. Most of these settings relate to obtaining the best recording and
playback performance from Sound Forge. But there are a few other CHAPTER 3
settings that allow you to adjust additional aspects of Sound Forge’s
behavior pertaining to audio, such as telling the program where to store
audio data and which sound card ports to use for recording and playback.
During installation, Sound Forge attempts to make some educated
guesses as to what the audio settings should be, and although these
settings work just fine, you might find that you still need to make a few
adjustments. However, adjusting these settings can be tricky, and,
unfortunately, there are no set rules. There are, however, some general
guidelines you can follow.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 47

Temporary Storage Folder

When you open an existing audio file (or create a new one) in Sound
Forge, the program creates a temporary file that is used to hold the audio
data while you perform your editing tasks. Sound Forge also creates a
number of other temporary files if you use its Undo/Redo and Clipboard
functions (which I’ll talk about in Chapter 7). To keep things somewhat
organized, Sound Forge uses a single folder on your hard drive to store
all of these temporary files. Initially, this folder is set to the same
directory in which you installed Sound Forge (“C:\Program Files\Sound
Forge” in the default case), but Sound Forge allows you to change this
setting if you’d like.
Why would you want to change the location of the temporary storage
folder? Well, Sound Forge uses your hard drive extensively when you are
performing your recording, playback, and editing tasks. Essentially, this
means that the faster your hard drive works, the faster Sound Forge will
work. So, if you happen to use a separate (and more powerful) hard drive
exclusively for your audio data, then you should definitely place your
temporary storage folder for Sound Forge there, too. In addition, in some
instances (which I’ll talk about in Chapter 4) Sound Forge can save files
faster if its temporary storage folder is kept in the same location as all
your other audio data. To change the location of the temporary storage
folder, follow these steps:
1. Create a new temporary storage folder by using Windows Explorer to
create a new folder as you normally would on the hard drive of your
choice. For this example, let’s say that you have two hard drives, one
named “C:” and another with “D:” for its designation. The “D:” drive
is where you store all your audio data, so you would create your new
folder there. You could name it something like: “D:\Sound Forge
Temp Files\”.
2. In Sound Forge, select Option > Preferences to open the Preferences
dialog box. Then, click on the Perform tab, as shown in Figure 3.12.
Figure 3.12
The Perform tab in the
Preferences dialog box
CHAPTER 3
lets you change the
temporary storage folder
setting.

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3. Click the Browse button to open the Browse For Folder dialog box, as
shown in Figure 3.13.

Figure 3.13
The Browse For Folder
dialog box allows you
to designate the location
of the temporary
storage folder.

4. Select the hard drive on which your new temporary storage folder is
located from the list.
5. Select your new temporary storage folder in the list.
6. Click OK twice to close both dialog boxes.
From now on, when you open an existing file or create a new file, Sound
Forge will store the temporary data in the new temporary storage folder
that you specified.

Record and Playback Settings

Just as you had to tell Sound Forge which input and output ports to use
for MIDI, you also have to tell it which sound card input and output you
would like to use for playback and recording of audio. Since Sound Forge
doesn’t provide multitrack recording, you only need to assign one input
for recording and one output for playback. Here are the steps to do so:
1. Select Option > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Then
click on the Wave tab, as shown in Figure 3.14.

Figure 3.14
Under the Wave tab of
the Preferences dialog
box, you can assign the
sound card input and
output you would like
Sound Forge to use for
recording and playback
of audio.

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2. In the Playback drop-down list, select the sound card output you
would like to use.
3. In the Record drop-down list, select the sound card input you would
like to use.

NOTE
In addition to your sound card inputs and outputs, you’ll also notice an extra
option in both the Playback and Record drop-down lists called the Microsoft
Sound Mapper. Selecting this option tells Sound Forge to use the sound card
settings designated by the Microsoft Sound Mapper. By utilizing the settings
under the Audio tab of the Multimedia Properties dialog box in Windows
(click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, double-click Multimedia,
and click on the Audio tab), you can have Windows automatically control
which sound card input(s) and output(s) are used for audio data.
In addition, the Microsoft Sound Mapper provides extra capabilities such as
audio data compression and translation. I’ll talk more about audio data
compression in Chapter 4. Audio data translation occurs when you try to play
a sound file that has a bit depth or sampling rate that’s not supported by your
sound card. In a case like that, the Microsoft Sound Mapper can
automatically translate the data so that Sound Forge can still play the audio
data using your sound card. Unfortunately, depending on the power of your
computer, this real-time processing can put a lot of strain on your system, so
it’s usually best to have Sound Forge send audio data directly to your sound
card input(s) and output(s) rather than using the Microsoft Sound Mapper.
Just make sure the format of your audio data is supported by your sound card
and you won’t need to use the Microsoft Sound Mapper unless you’re dealing
with compression (which, as I mentioned, I’ll talk about later).

4. Click OK.

Interpolate and Position Bias

While setting up the sound card input and output, you may have noticed
a couple of other parameters associated with the Playback and Recording
drop-down lists under the Wave tab of the Properties dialog box. These
are the Interpolate and Position Bias settings.
During recording and playback, Sound Forge provides a counter that CHAPTER 3
shows you (in terms of a certain measurement, such as time) at what
point in the current audio file that data is being recorded or played.
Usually, the driver software of your sound card provides this counter
value, but, unfortunately, many sound card drivers don’t report their
counter values accurately. This means that during recording, your time
counters will be off, or during playback your Markers (which I’ll talk
about in Chapter 5) will be positioned within your data incorrectly.

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50 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3

To remedy this problem, Sound Forge provides the Interpolate and

Position Bias parameters. The Interpolate feature allows Sound Forge to
provide the counter value during recording and playback rather than
making the program rely on possibly inaccurate sound card drivers. By
default, both the Playback and Record Interpolate features are activated.
If you’d like to deactivate them, do the following:
1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Wave tab.
3. Remove the check mark next to the Interpolate Play Position For
Inaccurate Devices option to deactivate the Playback Interpolate
feature.
4. Remove the check mark next to the Interpolate Record Position For
Inaccurate Devices option to deactivate the Record Interpolate feature.
5. Click OK.
The Position Bias feature allows you to specify an offset that Sound Forge
should add to the counter value in order to compensate for an inaccurate
sound card driver value. By default, both the Playback and Record
Position Bias features are set to zero, which means they have no effect.
But if you find that you are having problems with the counter value
either lagging behind or counting ahead of the actual sound during
playback or recording, you may be able to correct the problem by
assigning values to the Position Bias parameters. Just do the following:
1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Wave tab.
3. Adjust the slider or the arrow buttons to increase or decrease the
value for the Play Position Bias setting.
4. Adjust the slider or the arrow buttons to increase or decrease the
value for the Record Position Bias setting.

NOTE
Most sound cards that exhibit an inaccurate counter value problem usually
provide a value that counts ahead of the actual sound. So, you’ll want to enter
a positive value for the Position Bias settings. Typical values are 4, 8, 16, and
32, which correspond to the typical inaccuracies of many sound card drivers.
Try out these values and keep adjusting the Position Bias settings until you
get an accurate counter reading.

5. Click OK.

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 Customizing Sound Forge — Chapter 3 51

RAM Buffer
Sound Forge uses a part of your computer’s RAM (random access
memory) to provide a small playback and recording buffer. This buffer
helps to optimize the program’s playback and recording performance by
eliminating skips and gaps in the audio data. If you find that you’re
getting bad recording or playback performance, you may want to try
increasing the buffer value. Most often, though, the default value of
512KB works just fine. To adjust the buffer size, do the following:
1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
2. Click on the Wave tab.
3. At the bottom of the dialog box, adjust the slider or click on the
arrow buttons to change the value for the Total Buffer Size setting.

NOTE
By increasing the Buffer Size, you may find that Sound Forge will exhibit a
slight delay when you start playback. This is because it must first load data
into the buffer before it begins to play. But this is a small price to pay for
better performance. Just keep increasing the value until you no longer hear
skips and gaps in your data.

4. Click OK.

Preload
Sound Forge also provides one other parameter to help playback
performance. The Preload parameter lets you determine how much data
is sent to your sound card driver before playback begins. This can help
eliminate any skips or gaps that occur during playback. By default, this
parameter is set to zero, meaning it is deactivated. Unless you are having
problems, you should leave the Preload parameter off. But in case you
need to, here’s how to adjust it:
1. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
2. Select the Wave tab. CHAPTER 3
3. At the bottom of the dialog box, adjust the slider or click on the
arrow buttons to change the value for the Preload Size setting.

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52

NOTE
By increasing the Preload Size, you may find that Sound Forge will exhibit a
slight delay when you start playback. This is because it must first send data to
the sound card driver before it begins to play. But this is small price to pay for
better performance. Just keep increasing the value until you no longer hear
skips and gaps in your data.

CAUTION
Some sound cards do not support this option. You’ll find out very quickly if
you hear noise or dropouts in your audio when you first try to play it back
after you have adjusted the Preload Size parameter. If this is the case, you
should set the Preload Size to zero and leave it alone. You’ll have to use the
previously mentioned RAM buffer feature to try to eliminate performance
problems instead.

4. Click OK.
 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 53

4
Working with

CHAPTER 4
Audio Files
As I mentioned in Chapter 2, because Sound Forge is an audio editing
application, it doesn’t provide its own file format. This is because audio
data can be stored in a variety of file formats, so Sound Forge has to
support many different types of audio files. You can’t really perform any
tasks in Sound Forge without first creating a new audio file or opening an
existing one. So, in this chapter, I’m going to talk all about audio files,
including the following topics:
 Understanding the different audio file formats
 How to open an existing audio file
 How to create a new audio file
 How to save an audio file

Understanding Audio File Formats

Just as different physical methods of storing audio were developed over
time for different applications and reasons (vinyl records, tape, compact
disc, now DVD, and so on), different computerized methods for storing
audio data have been developed as well. These methods come in the
form of audio file formats. An audio file format is simply a specification
stating the structure of how audio data in a file should be stored. For
example, one audio file format may specify that the bits and bytes of
audio data should be ordered in a certain manner, and another format
may specify that the data be ordered in an entirely different manner.
Of course, this is a very simplified explanation, but what it boils down to
is that the same audio data can be stored in a variety of different ways.

FIND
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54 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

Why would you need more than one audio file format? Because you may
want to use your audio data for different tasks, such as playback on a CD,
music or sound effects in a video game, a film or video soundtrack, or
even for downloading over the Internet. Each task may require that your
audio data be saved in a different way. For example, audio for CD must
be stored using a bit depth of 16 and a 44.1KHz sampling rate. But for
downloading over the Internet, you would want to use a different bit
depth and sampling rate because at 16-bit, 44.1KHz, every minute of
stereo audio consumes about 10MB of disk space! That’s a lot of data to
push over a lowly phone line.
In addition to providing different bit depths and sampling rates, some
audio file formats also offer data compression. This means that by saving
to certain file formats, you can shrink the size of your audio files for use
in low-bandwidth situations, as mentioned earlier with the Internet.
Sometimes, the compression won’t affect the quality of your audio, but
most of the time, it will. With compression, you have to find a good
compromise between the quality of your audio data and the size of the
file you would like to end up with. There are many different compression
schemes available, and I’ll talk about those shortly.
Different audio file formats also exist because of the many different
computer platforms that have been created over the years, such as the
Amiga, Macintosh, NeXT, and the Windows PC. In order to provide you
with as much flexibility as possible, Sound Forge allows you to open and
save a large number of the existing audio file formats. Some of these, you
might never use, but just in case, it’s good to know that you can if the
need arises. Let’s go over each of the audio file formats that Sound Forge
supports, shall we?

Dialogic VOX (.VOX)

This is an optimized audio file format that is mainly used for telephony
applications. The Dialogic VOX format allows you to save 16-bit audio
data and compress it down to 4-bit audio data, which gives you a 4:1
compression ratio. This means that you can save files that are very large
and compress them significantly. Of course, the quality of the audio is
affected, and the format supports only monophonic data. Dialogic VOX
audio files have a .VOX file extension, and they use ADPCM as their
compression method.

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NOTE
PCM (pulse code modulation) is a coding method used to represent
uncompressed audio data. It is the most common method of audio data
configuration and is used in many of the available audio file formats. ADPCM
(adaptive delta pulse code modulation) is a coding method used to represent

CHAPTER 4
compressed audio data. There is a standard ADPCM method, which is
approved by the International Multimedia Association (IMA). There are also a
wide number of variants available that have been developed by companies
like Microsoft. The different variants produce different results in terms of
quality and file size.

InterVoice (.IVC)
Like the Dialogic VOX format, the InterVoice format is for use in
telephony applications. It supports only 8-bit, monophonic audio data,
but it provides a number of different compression schemes. These
schemes include both A-Law and u-Law. InterVoice files have a .IVC file
extension.

NOTE
A-Law is an audio compression scheme optimized for compressing voice
audio data and is commonly used for telecommunications applications in the
United States. The A-Law compression scheme allows for the encoding of
16-bit PCM audio into 8-bit PCM audio. The scheme is very similar to u-Law,
except that each scheme uses different coding and decoding methods.
u-Law (or mu-Law, pronounced “mew-law”) is also a compression scheme
optimized for compression voice audio data, but it is commonly used for
telecommunications applications in Europe. As with A-Law, u-Law allows for
the encoding of 16-bit PCM audio into 8-bit PCM audio.

Macintosh AIFF (.AIF/.SND)

This is the standard file format for saving audio data on the Macintosh.
If you ever need to transfer audio files between the PC and the Mac, this
is the format you should use. The format supports 8-bit and 16-bit
monophonic and stereo audio data. Files in this format may or may not
also contain a Mac-Binary header. If a file of this type doesn’t contain a
Mac-Binary header, it will probably have .AIF for a file extension. If a file
of this type does contain a Mac-Binary header, Sound Forge will open it
but will identify the file as a Macintosh Resource instead. In this case, the
file will probably have .SND for a file extension.

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56 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

NOTE
Files on the Macintosh are stored with what is called a Mac-Binary header.
This is a small section of information stored in the beginning of a file that
identifies the type of file to the Mac OS (operating system) and other
applications. This is how the Mac can tell whether a file contains text,
graphic, or audio data, for example. If you want to learn more about how
files work on the Mac, check out all the technical information available at
http://www.apple.com/.

Macintosh Resource (.SND)

The Macintosh Resource file format is also used to store sound data, but
this format is required to have a Mac-Binary header and a file in this
format will have .SND for an extension. Sound Forge can open this file
format. The program simply ignores the Mac-Binary header. Sound Forge
can’t save to this format, though, because Macintosh Resource files are
true Mac files and the PC can’t save data as a Mac file.

MPEG Audio (.MP3/.MPG/.MPEG)

More than likely you’ve heard of the MP3 audio file format. It’s all the
rage (literally) these days with people on the Internet. News about the
format has even made it into the mainstream media, because it is being
used to post illegal copies of music all over the Web. Why is the format
so popular? Because it allows you to compress your audio data with
about a ratio of 12:1 with close to CD audio quality. Sound Forge
provides support for both opening and saving MP3 files.

NeXT/Sun (.AU/.SND)

Like the Macintosh AIFF, the NeXT/Sun audio file format is also a
standard format, but it’s for the NeXT and Sun Sparc station computer
systems rather than the Mac or PC. This format supports many types of
audio data, including 8-bit and 16-bit, monophonic and stereo. It also
provides support for a variety of compression schemes, but Sound Forge
supports only the most common (u-Law) compression for this format. If
you download a lot of audio files from the Internet, you’ll file many of
them with the .AU file extension. Most of these files are 16-bit audio that
have been compressed to 8-bit u-Law data for transferring over the Net or
for use in Java applications.

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NOTE
You may have noticed that a number of different audio file formats use the
same .SND file extension. So how do you tell them apart? Well, you can’t
unless someone labels the file appropriately or you load the file into Sound
Forge first. By examining the data in the file as the file is being opened,

CHAPTER 4
Sound Forge can determine the file format.

RealMedia (.RM)
If you spend any time surfing the Internet, then you’ve more than likely
heard of this file format. The RealMedia file format allows you to create
streaming audio and video files for transmission over the Internet. It
supplies sophisticated proprietary compression features for making it
possible to transmit audio and video data over the Internet (even through
a lowly telephone connection) in real-time. This means that you can start
listening to or viewing the data as it downloads rather than having to
wait for the whole file to be stored on your computer’s hard drive. The
RealMedia format was created by RealNetworks. If you want to find out
more about this format, surf on over to http://www.real.com/.

Sound Designer 1 (.DIG/.SD)

Yet another product-specific format, the Sound Designer 1 audio file
format is for use with the Sound Designer 1 software application on the
Macintosh. And like the SampleVision format, it supports only 16-bit
monophonic audio. The files will have either a .DIG or an .SD extension.

Video for Windows (.AVI)

Believe it or not, in addition to audio data, Sound Forge allows you to
load and save video data in the form of .AVI files. You can’t edit the
video data, but you can edit the audio data stored within an .AVI file.
AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) is a special digital video file format
specifically designed for working with video on computers. AVI is a
Windows-based format, which means that any computer running
Windows can play AVI files. The format provides a number of different
compression schemes for the video and audio data that it stores. In
addition, AVI files support multitrack audio, but Sound Forge provides
support for only one audio track.

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58 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

Microsoft Wave (.WAV)

Like MP3, Wave is another very popular audio file format that you’ve
probably heard about. Wave is a Windows-based format, which means
that any computer running Windows can play Wave files. The format
supports a lot of different types of audio data, including 8-bit and 16-bit,
monophonic and stereo. The Wave format also provides support for a
huge number of different compression schemes, including many of the
different ADPCM variants via the Microsoft ACM (Audio Compression
Manager). The ACM is a part of Windows that works transparently,
providing access to any compression schemes that are installed on your
computer. Windows ships with a number of different schemes, and you’ll
probably also have a number of others from audio product manufacturers.
If you’re working with Windows, then you’ll probably use the Wave
format for about 90 percent of your audio work. Most sound and music
software on the Windows platform supports this format. Wave files have
a .WAV file extension.

Windows Media Audio (.WMA)

Similar to RealMedia, Windows Media Audio is a special audio file
format that allows you to create streaming audio files for transmission
over the Internet. The format is a Windows-based format, which means
that any computer running Windows (with the Windows Media Player
installed) can play Windows Media files. Windows Media also supports
video data, but Sound Forge provides support only for the audio portion
of the format. In addition, Sound Forge can only save to this format—it
can’t open Windows Media Audio files. Like RealMedia, Windows Media
Audio supplies sophisticated proprietary compression features for
making it possible to transmit audio data over the Internet in real-time.
And also similar to RealMedia, the compression does affect the quality
of your audio data. You’ll find Windows Media files with .WMA and
.ASF extensions. If you want to find out more about this format, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/.

RAW (.RAW/*.*)
RAW audio format files (as the name states) contain plain PCM audio
data. The data is not saved in a specific format (like those mentioned
earlier). When you save a RAW file, the audio data is saved in a “plain
brown wrapper,” so to speak. It’s pure audio data. And when you go to
load a RAW file in Sound Forge, you must specify certain parameters in
order for the data to be loaded. Currently, Sound Forge allows you to
open and save only RAW files with 8-bit or 16-bit uncompressed PCM
audio or compressed A-Law or u-Law audio.

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TIP
If you would like to dig even deeper and find more in-depth information
about these audio file formats, be sure to check out the Audio File Format
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). You can find it on the Internet at
http://home.sprynet.com/~cbagwell/audio.html.

CHAPTER 4
Opening Audio Files
There are a couple ways to open an existing audio file in Sound Forge.
The quickest way is to use the bottom portion of the File menu (see
Figure 4.1). Sound Forge lists your previously opened audio files here.

Figure 4.1
Your previously opened
audio files are listed in
the bottom portion of
Sound Forge’s File
menu.

To open one of these files, just select File and then click on the file you
would like to open. Sound Forge keeps track of the last two to nine audio
files you’ve worked with. When you open one more than the maximum
number of allowed listed files, the file on the bottom of the list is bumped
off—not killed or deleted, just removed from the list. You can set the
maximum number of previously opened files to be listed using the
Preferences dialog box. Just select Options > Preferences and click on the
General tab. At the bottom of the dialog box, make sure there is a check
mark next to the Recently Used File List option. Then simply enter a
number from 2 to 9 to set the maximum number of files to be included
on the list.

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You can also open an existing audio file by using Sound Forge’s Open
function. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Select File > Open to display the Open dialog box, as shown in
Figure 4.2. You’ll notice that this dialog box provides a bit more
functionality than the standard Windows File Open dialog box.

Figure 4.2
You can also open
existing files in Sound
Forge using the Open
dialog box.

2. Locate the folder in which the file resides using the Look In drop-
down list. Or for a list of recently accessed folders, use the Recent
drop-down list.
3. Choose the type of audio file you want to open by using the Files Of
Type drop-down list.
4. Select the file you would like to open from the displayed list of files.
5. If the Auto Play option is activated, Sound Forge will play the
selected file before opening it. If you deactivate the Auto Play
function, you can also play the file manually by clicking the Play
button. To stop playback, click the Stop button.
6. To find out some specifics about the selected file, look at the bottom
section of the Open dialog box. Here you’ll find displayed the title of
the audio file, the type of the file, the length of the file (in minutes,
seconds, frames, and samples), the format of the data (PCM, ADPCM,
and so on), the attributes of the data (sampling rate, bit depth,
monophonic or stereo), whether the data has sample loop properties
(such as a unity note and loop type), the SMPTE offset assigned to
the data, whether the file contains any region or playlist attributes,
and any comments attached to the file in the form of text. (Don’t
worry if I’ve mentioned some things here that you don’t understand
just yet. I’ll be talking about them later on in the book.)

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7. For even more details about the file, click the More button to open
the Properties dialog, as shown in Figure 4.3. Click Cancel to close
the dialog box after you’ve finished examining its properties.

Figure 4.3
The Properties dialog

CHAPTER 4
box displays detailed
information about your
selected audio file.

8. If you simply need to copy some data from the file without doing any
other edits, and you want to take extra care not to alter the file, you
can open it in read-only mode. Just put a check mark next to the
Open As Read-Only option to activate it. This will allow you to open
the file for playback or data copying, but you won’t be able to alter
the file in any way.
9. Whenever you open a file in Sound Forge, the program automatically
makes a temporary copy of the file first so that any changes you make
won’t affect the original file until you save your work. This allows you
to experiment with any editing and processing without having to
worry that your original data might be lost. If you would rather work
directly on the original file, however, activate the Operate Directly On
The Sound File option. The advantages are that it makes opening the
file quicker and it saves hard disk space. The disadvantage is that
your original data is altered when you make edits, but you can get
around this simply by manually making a backup copy of the file first.
10. Some audio recording applications work with stereo audio data by
saving the left and right channels of the audio as two separate mono
files. When combined, these files make a stereo audio signal. In order
to accommodate these types of applications, Sound Forge allows you
to combine two mono files into one stereo file (one for the left
channel, and one for the right). To do this, just activate the Merge L/R
To Stereo option. In this case, you’ll have to select two files to open.
Select the first file, and then select a second file by holding down the
Ctrl key on your computer keyboard and selecting the second file
with your mouse.

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TIP
You can also open multiple separate audio files at the same time, by using the
Ctrl key on your computer keyboard. Sound Forge will open each file in a
separate Data Window.

11. Click the Open button to open your file(s).

After you’ve opened your file(s), Sound Forge displays the Data
Window(s). It also shows attributes and length of the file in the currently
selected Data Window in the status bar at the bottom of the Workspace.
In addition, you can see how much hard disk space you have left after
opening your file(s) by checking the number of megabytes display, which
is also located in the status bar.

Opening Video For Windows (.AVI) Files

There may be some additional steps you need to take when opening an
.AVI file. As I mentioned earlier, the Video For Windows format supports
multiple video and audio tracks (also called streams). Sound Forge,
however, provides support for only one video and one audio stream
when working with an .AVI file. So after you click the Open button in the
Open dialog box (as I talked about earlier), you may need to make some
additional option choices if your .AVI file contains multiple data streams.
Here are the steps you need to take:
1. After you select the .AVI file and click the Open button in the Open
dialog box, the Video Stream dialog box is displayed, as shown in
Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4
The Video Stream
dialog box allows you
to select the audio and
video streams from
your .AVI file that you
would like to work
with in Sound Forge.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 63

2. All of the audio and video streams contained in the .AVI file are
listed. In the left part of the list, two black diamonds are shown. One
indicates the video stream to be opened and the other indicates the
audio stream to be opened. To change the video or audio stream to be
opened, just click in the blank space right before the plus signs next
to the appropriate streams.

CHAPTER 4
TIP
To view the properties of an audio or video stream, click on the plus sign next
to the name of the stream in the list.

3. Click OK.
Sound Forge then opens the .AVI file with the video and audio streams
that you selected.

Opening RAW Files

Since a RAW file is nothing more than pure audio data, Sound Forge
can’t tell the file’s attributes when opening the file. Instead, you have to
tell Sound Forge what attributes to use when opening a RAW file. So,
after you click the Open button in the Open dialog box (as I talked about
earlier), you will need to make some additional option choices. Here are
the steps you need to take:
1. After you select the RAW file and click the Open button in the Open
dialog box, the Raw File Type dialog box is displayed, as shown in
Figure 4.5.

Figure 4.5
The Raw File Type
dialog box lets you
select the attributes of
the RAW file that you
would like to work
with in Sound Forge.

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64 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

2. The people at Sonic Foundry have been kind enough to provide

some preset settings to save you the time of assigning all the options
yourself. Check the Name drop-down list and see if the file attributes
you need are listed there. If so, select a preset from the list and skip
the rest of this section.

NOTE
You can also save your own option settings as a Preset to be included in the
Name drop-down list. After you have set all the options, click the Save As
button. In the Save Preset dialog box, type a name for the new Preset and
click OK. I’ll talk more about Presets in Chapter 8.

3. Select a sampling rate for the audio file using the Sample Rate drop-
down list.
4. Select sample type or bit depth for the audio file by selecting one of
the options in the Sample Type section.
5. Select a format for the audio file in the Format section. This option is
a bit technical. You use it to tell Sound Forge whether the bits of
audio data are stored as Unsigned or Signed. Most files utilize the
Signed option.
6. Select whether the audio file is monophonic or stereo by selecting an
option in the Channels section.
7. Select how the audio data bytes are ordered in the file by selecting an
option in the Byte Order section. If it is a PC-based audio file, select
the Little Endian option. If it a Mac-based audio file, select the Big
Endian option.
8. If you know that there is other data stored in the file before the audio
data, specify how many bytes of non-audio data are included by
entering a number in the Header field.
9. If you know that other data are stored in the file after the audio data,
specify how many bytes of non-audio data are included by entering a
number in the Trailer field.
10. Click OK.

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Sound Forge then opens the RAW file using the attributes that you
selected. If the attributes you specified are wrong, Sound Forge will open
the file, but you will get nothing but junk data. If you try playing the file,
it will just sound like noise. So, if anyone ever sends you a RAW audio
data file, be sure they tell you the attributes of the file to save yourself a
lot of trial and error, not to mention frustration.

CHAPTER 4
File Crash Recovery
As long as you don’t use the Operate Directly On The Sound File option
when opening a file, Sound Forge will automatically create a temporary
file for the file you open. If at any time during your audio editing session
your computer crashes, Sound Forge has the ability to recover the
temporary file containing your edited audio data. I really like this feature,
since I never know when Windows 98 is going to decide to crash, which
is all too often.
Here’s how the file recovery feature works:
1. After your computer crashes, reboot and then run Sound Forge.
2. Whenever you start the program, it automatically detects any
temporary audio files that might still be on your hard drive. If any are
found, Sound Forge displays the Crash Recovery dialog box, as shown
in Figure 4.6. (By the way, I had to deliberately crash my computer
system to get this screen shot. I hope you appreciate it… Just kidding!)
Figure 4.6
The Crash Recovery
dialog box allows you
to recover temporary
audio files that may
have been left on your
hard drive during a
computer system crash.

3. In the list of files displayed, select the files that you would like to
recover and click the Recover button.
4. If you know you don’t need the files, you can just delete them by
clicking on the Delete button.

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66 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

5. If you don’t care about recovering or deleting the files, just click the
Ignore button. However, this will leave the files on your hard drive,
taking up space, so you’ll more than likely either want to recover the
files or delete them.
After you recover your files, Sound Forge renames them with a .WAV file
extension and stores them in your temporary file folder (I talked about
this in Chapter 3). To use the files, just open them as you would any
other audio file.

TIP
Be sure to rename the recovered files as soon as you can so that you don’t get
confused about what data they contain. When files are recovered, they have
generic names such as FORGE000.WAV.

Creating New Audio Files

Creating a new audio file with Sound Forge is one of the easiest tasks
you’ll ever perform with the software. It’s really just a simple matter of
using the File > New function and defining the attributes of your new
file. Here are the steps you need to take:
1. Select File > New to open the New Window dialog box, as shown in
Figure 4.7.

Figure 4.7
The New Window
dialog box allows you
to define the attributes
of the new audio file
you want to create with
Sound Forge.

2. Select a sampling rate for the new file by using the Sample Rate
drop-down list.
3. Select a bit depth for the new file by choosing an option in the
Sample Size section.
4. Select whether the file will be monophonic or stereo by choosing an
option in the Channels section.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 67

NOTE
As you change each of the parameters, Sound Forge displays an estimate
(via the Maximum Editing Time feature) of how long (in hours, minutes, and
seconds) a file you can create, taking into account the remaining space on
your hard drive.

CHAPTER 4
5. Click OK.
Sound Forge then opens a new, blank Data Window ready and waiting for
you to fill with audio data.

NOTE
You can also create new audio files by using Sound Forge’s audio recording
feature, which automatically creates a new audio file with the data that you
record. I’ll talk more about that in Chapter 6.

Saving Audio Files

Sound Forge provides three different commands for saving audio files:
Save, Save As, and Save All. The Save command provides a quick way
to save the audio file with which you’re currently working. Simply select
File > Save (or press Ctrl+S on your computer keyboard) and the file is
saved. The Save As command allows you to specify the format to which
you want to save the currently open audio file. To use this command,
follow these steps:
1. Select File > Save As to display the Save As dialog box, as shown
in Figure 4.8. You’ll notice that this dialog box provides a bit more
functionality than the standard Windows file save dialog box.

Figure 4.8
You can specify the
format to which you
want to save the
currently open audio
file using the Save As
dialog box.

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68 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

2. Locate the folder into which you want to save the file using the Save
In drop-down list. Or, for a list of recently accessed folders, use the
Recent drop-down list.
3. Enter a name for the audio file (if it doesn’t already have one) into
the File Name field.
4. Choose the file type that you would like to save the audio file as by
using the Save As Type drop-down list.
5. Choose the format (PCM, ADPCM, and so on) that you would like to
save the audio file as by using the Format drop-down list.
6. Choose the attributes (sample rate, bit depth, mono or stereo) you
would like to use when saving the audio by selecting from the
Attributes drop-down list.

TIP
The sample rate for the file is always set to the current sample rate of the file.
You can’t change this attribute while saving the file. To change the sample
rate, you must first process the file using the Process > Resample function
before saving. I’ll talk more about this function in Chapter 8.

7. If you have created regions or a playlist for your audio file (I’ll talk
more about these features in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6), you can save
this information in a variety of ways using the Rgns/Playlist drop-
down list. If you don’t want to save this information, select the Do
Not Save Regions or Playlist option. If you would like to embed this
information inside your file (available only with Wave and AVI file
types), select the Save Regions and Playlist in .WAV/.AVI files. You
can also save the information in a separate file in the special Sound
Forge external playlist (.SFL) format, the Session 8 (.PRM—for use
with the Digidesign Session 8 product) format, or the Windows
Media Script (.TXT—for use with Windows Media files) format.
8. If you are saving your file as Microsoft Wave (.WAV), Windows Media
(.ASF), Video For Windows (.AVI), RealMedia (.RM), RealNetworks
G2 (.RM), or MPEG Audio (.mp3), then you can embed summary
information into the file. To do so, activate the Save Summary
Information In File option.

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9. To edit or view the summary information for a file, click the Summary
button to open the Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 4.9.

Figure 4.9
The Properties dialog
box allows you to edit
and view the summary

CHAPTER 4
information for a file.

10. Edit the Title, Subject, Engineer, Copyright, and Comments

information for the file.
11. You can also attach a picture to the file by clicking the Picture
button. In the Open Picture dialog box, simply select a Windows
Bitmap (.BMP), Windows Cursor (.CUR), or Windows Icon (.ICO) file
to attach, and then click the Open button.

TIP
Most Windows graphics applications will allow you to create your own
Windows Bitmap (.BMP) files. For identification purposes, you could take a
picture of yourself, scan it into your computer, save it as a Windows Bitmap,
and then attach it to all your audio files.

12. If you would like to include even more information in your file, click
the Extended button to open the Extended Summary dialog box, as
shown in Figure 4.10.

Figure 4.10
The Extended Summary
dialog box allows you to
enter even more textual
data to be embedded in
your audio file.

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70 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

13. In the Fields section is a list of all the additional information you can
include in your file. To include a specific piece of information, put
an X next to it in the list. Then enter the text for the information in
the Contents section. To see a description of each item listed in the
Field section, just highlight the item and read the description at the
bottom of the dialog box.

TIP
Whenever you save a file as Microsoft Wave (.WAV), Windows Media (.ASF),
Video For Windows (.AVI), RealMedia (.RM), or MPEG Audio (.mp3) in
Sound Forge, a default set of summary information is included in the file.
If you would like to set the current file’s summary information to be the
default information for newly saved files, just click the Default button, and
click Yes.

14. Click OK in the Extended Summary dialog box.

15. Click OK in the Properties dialog box.
16. If you are saving your file as Microsoft Wave (.WAV) and you included
sample loop information in the file, you can save the information by
activating the Save Sampler Information In File option.
17. Click the Save button to save your file.
Sound Forge then saves your file with all of the settings that you
specified. Depending on the type of file you selected in the Save As Type
drop-down list, however, you may have to go through some additional
steps before your file is saved.
The Save All command provides a quick way to save all of the currently
open audio files (if you have more than one open). Simply select File >
Save All. Sound Forge will ask you if you’re sure you want to save each
individual file.

TIP
If you hold down the Shift key on your computer keyboard when you select
the File > Save All command, Sound Forge will not confirm the saving of
each open file. All of the files will simply be saved. This method is much
quicker.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 71

Saving RAW Files

The additional steps that you have to take for saving a RAW file are
almost identical to opening a RAW. After you click the Save button in the
Save As dialog box, the Save Raw File Type dialog box is displayed. This
dialog box is exactly the same as the Raw File Type box, except it doesn’t

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include the Header and Trailer fields. All of the other parameters are the
same: Sample Type, Format, Channels, and Byte Order. Just specify your
settings for these parameters, click OK, and your RAW file is saved. Be
sure to note what settings you used so that you can specify the correct
ones when opening the file in the future.

Saving Video For Windows (.AVI) Files

The additional steps that you have to take for saving .AVI files are similar
to the steps you have to take when opening the files, but with enough
differences that they warrant a detailed explanation. Here are the
additional steps you need to take when saving .AVI files:
1. After you click the Save button in the Save As dialog box, the Video
Save Options dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 4.11.

Figure 4.11
The Video Save Options
dialog box allows you
to specify the audio
and video streams you
would like to save along
with a number of other
parameters.

2. All of the audio and video streams contained in the .AVI file are
listed. In the left part of the list, put an X in the boxes next to the
streams that you would like to save.
3. To change the name of the stream, right-click on the name located in
the right part of the list, and select Edit. Then type in a new name for
the stream.

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72 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

TIP
To view the properties of an audio or video stream, click on the plus sign next
to name of the stream in the list.

4. To make a copy of the current audio stream and save it to a new audio
stream, activate the Save Audio To A New Stream option. This can
come in handy if you plan on editing the .AVI file later in a video
editing application (such as Sonic Foundry’s Vegas Video) and you
need additional audio streams.
5. If you would like to change the size of the video frames to something
other than the original size, you can do so by selecting a new frame
size from the Re-size Video Frames To drop-down list. You can also
set a custom video frame size by selecting Custom from the drop-
down list and then entering values for the New Width and New
Height parameters.
6. Click OK to open the Compression Options dialog box, as shown in
Figure 4.12. Because audio and video (especially when combined as
.AVI files) amount to huge amounts of data, their streams need to be
compressed, particularly when they are meant for storage and
playback on limited media such as CD-ROM. This dialog box allows
you to set compression for each of the audio and video streams in
your .AVI files.

Figure 4.12
The Compression
Options dialog box
allows you to set the
type of compression to
be used for each audio
and video stream.
7. Most .AVI files that you work with will already have some
compression applied. If this is the case, you’ll see it shown under the
Current Format section. To change the compression for a video
stream, select the stream from the Choose A Stream drop-down list
and click the Options button to open the Video Compression dialog
box, as shown in Figure 4.13.

Figure 4.13
The Video Compression
dialog box allows you
to set the compression
options for the video
streams in your .AVI
files.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 73

TIP
If your .AVI file already has compression applied, you’re better off not
changing the compression, because this will apply additional compression to
the already compressed data, which will degrade the quality of your data.

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8. Select a compression scheme from the Compressor drop-down list.
9. Depending on the compression scheme you select, the Compression
Quality, Key Frame Every, and Data Rate parameters may or may not
be available. If they are available, set them to the appropriate values.
The Compression Quality parameter allows you to set the amount of
compression that you want to apply to the video stream. The Key
Frame Every parameter allows you to set the number of key frames
that will be included in the video stream. Key Frames are individual
video frames that have less compression or no compression at all
applied to them. The more key frames included in the video stream,
the higher the quality of the video but the lower the amount of
compression (less compression means a bigger file size). The Data
Rate parameter allows you to set the amount of data per second that
will be required in order to play back the .AVI file in real-time. The
standard data rate for a CD-ROM drive is 150K per second, but with
most modern drives able to transfer data at quadruple speeds or
higher, you shouldn’t have any trouble with higher rates. Plus, hard
drives transfer data even faster, so setting the data rate depends on
where you plan to play back your .AVI file.
10. Some of the compression schemes also come with additional
parameters that you can configure. You can access these parameters
by clicking the Configure button. Unfortunately, there are so many
different compression schemes available, it would be impossible for
me to cover them all, so you are on your own here.
11. If you would like to see a preview of how your video will look with
the new compression settings, click the Preview button.
12. Click OK to close the Video Compression dialog box.
13. To change the compression for an audio stream, select the stream
from the Choose A Stream drop-down list in the Compression
Options dialog box and click the Options button to open the Sound
Selection dialog box, as shown in Figure 4.14.

Figure 4.14
The Sound Selection
dialog box allows you
to set the compression
options for the audio
streams in your .AVI
files.

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74 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4

14. There are a number of preset values you can use by selecting a preset
from the Name drop-down list. And you can save your own preset
values by using the Save As button, as I mentioned earlier. If you
select a preset, you can skip the next two steps.
15. Select a compression scheme for the audio stream using the Format
drop-down list.
16. Depending on the compression scheme that you select, you can also
choose the attributes (sample rate, bit depth, monophonic vs. stereo)
for the audio stream using the Attributes drop-down list.
17. Click OK to close the Sound Selection dialog box.
18. Set the Interleave Every parameter. Activating this parameter
structures the data in the .AVI file so that segments of the audio and
video data are interspersed and read sequentially during playback.
This is a good way to improve the playback performance of your
.AVI files, especially if they are destined for CD-ROM. The Frames
value of the Interleave Every parameter allows you to specify the
interval between audio and video segments. A setting of 1 is usually
the norm.
19. Click OK.
Sound Forge then saves your .AVI file with all of the settings that you
specified.

Saving MPEG Audio (.MP3) Files

The additional steps that you need to take when saving MP3 files allow
you to set the various compression parameters available, since MP3 is a
compression-based format. Just follow these steps when saving your
audio to the MP3 format:
1. After you click the Save button in the Save As dialog box, Sound
Forge will launch its MP3 dialog box. (See Figure 4.15.)

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CHAPTER 4
Figure 4.15
The Sonic Foundry
MP3 Plug-In dialog box
allows you to set the
compression parameters
for your new MP3
audio file.

2. Under the Encode tab, select a bit rate using the Bitrate drop-down
menu. The bit rate lets you set how much data needs to be read from
the file to achieve reliable playback. The higher the bit rate, the better
the quality of the sound, but the bigger the file will be. The lower the
bit rate, the worse the quality of the sound, but the smaller the file.
Most MP3 files that you find on the Internet use a 128 Kbits/sec bit
rate. This setting provides a good balance between sound quality and
file size.
3. Set the Quality slider. This parameter determines the quality and
speed of the encoding process. The higher the Quality slider setting,
the better the encoding process and the better your file will sound.
This setting makes the encoding process take more time, but not so
much of a difference from a lower Quality slider setting. I always
leave this set to Highest Quality.
4. Set the VBR Quality option. Activating this option tells Sound Forge
to vary the bit rate during the encoding process. Sometimes this can
yield a higher quality sound and a smaller file size, but it depends
on the material you are encoding. You’ll have to experiment with this
setting to see if it is worth using. I usually leave this option
deactivated.
5. If your original audio file is in stereo and you want to convert it to
mono during the MP3 encoding process, activate the Convert To
Mono option. This can reduce the file size and sometimes improve
the sound quality with voice-only material. But other than that,
you’ll probably want to leave this option deactivated.

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6. If you want to apply property markings to be included in the file

that indicate the audio material is copyrighted, private, or original,
activate the Copyrighted, Private, or Original options. These options
don’t affect the sound at all, they just tell the player software used to
play the MP3 file that the file has certain characteristics.
7. Click on the ID3 Summary tab.
8. If you would like to save some descriptive textual information in the
file, activate the Save ID3 Tag To File option.
9. Choose ID3 Version 1 to add information regarding Title, Artist,
Album, Comments, Year, and Genre. Choose ID3 Version 2 to add all
of the previous information, plus a Copyright notice. You can also
choose to include both versions of the ID3 tag. This information can
be displayed by the MP3 player software during playback of the file.
10. Click OK.
Sound Forge then saves your MP3 file with all of the settings that you
specified.

Saving RealMedia (.RM) Files

Similar to MPEG Audio, the additional steps you need to take when
saving RealMedia files allows you to set the various compression
parameters available, as well as a number of other parameters specific to
streaming media. RealMedia allows you to save both audio and video
data. To save your file(s) as RealMedia files, do the following:
1. After you click the Save button in the Save As dialog box, the
Custom Settings dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 4.16.

Figure 4.16
The Custom Settings
dialog box allows you
to set the various
parameters available
for your new
RealMedia file.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 77

2. Under the Encode tab, tell Sound Forge what player software your
Web site visitors will be using by utilizing the Player Compatibility
drop-down list. This allows you to create files that are compatible
with older player software if need be. More than likely, you’ll want to
leave this set to G2 RealPlayer most of the time.

CHAPTER 4
3. Choose the connection speed your Web site visitors will be using to
access the Internet. You can select from 28K modem up to 512K
DSL/Cable. It’s usually best to go with a lower setting unless you
know all your visitors have high-speed Internet access.
4. Choose the type of audio data you are encoding by making a
selection in the Audio Format drop-down list.
5. Choose the type of video data you are encoding by making a
selection in the Video Quality drop-down list.
6. In the File Type section, choose SureStream if you will be using a
RealServer to transmit your file over the Internet. Or choose Single
Rate if you will be using a regular Web server to transmit your file
over the Internet.
7. If you would like to change the size of the video frames to something
other than the original size, you can do so by selecting a new frame
size from the Re-size Video Frames To drop-down list. You can also
set a custom video frame size by selecting Custom from the drop-
down list and then entering values for the New Width and New
Height parameters.
8. If you like to make even more specific settings to control the
encoding of your data, click the Advanced button. More often than
not, however, you won’t have to deal with these settings.
9. Under the Video tab, set the Enable 2-Pass Encoding option. Activating
this option tells Sound Forge to spend more time examining the data,
thus yielding better quality. So, if you don’t mind spending a little
extra time encoding your file, turn this option on.
10. Set the Enable Variable Bit Rate Encoding option. This setting also
increases the quality of your data, but it may introduce a slight pause
during the startup of playback.
11. Set the Enable Loss Protection option. This feature embeds special
codes in your data that can prevent data loss during playback over a
bad Internet connection. You’ll probably want to turn this option on
as well.
12. Under the Advanced Video tab, leave these settings alone. The
default values are usually the best ones to use.

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13. Under the Summary tab, set the Enable Perfect Play option. If
activated, this will force the G2 player to first download the entire file
before playback will begin. This way, the file will play off the listener’s
hard drive for better playback rather than streaming over the Internet,
which can introduce glitches because of Internet congestion.
14. Set the Allow Mobile Play option. If activated, this allows listeners to
download your file and play it on a mobile audio player. This option
applies only to G2 audio files.
15. Set the Allow Recording option. If activated, this will allow the
people who are listening to your streaming audio on the Internet to
record the audio for saving onto their hard drives.
16. Enter any text information you would like to embed in the file,
including Title, Author, Copyright, and Comments.
17. Click OK.
Sound Forge then saves your RealMedia file with all of the settings that
you specified.

NOTE
If you would like to learn more about creating RealMedia files, visit the
RealNetworks developers’ Web site. They have a ton of free information
available about this technology, including articles and tutorials. The site is
located at http://www.realnetworks.com/devzone/index.html.

Saving Windows Media Audio (.WMA/.ASF) Files

Even though Windows Media supports both audio and video data (like
those of RealMedia), Sound Forge provides support only for the audio
aspects of the Windows Media technology. Windows Media is similar to
RealMedia, but there are enough differences to warrant a detailed
explanation. To save your file(s) as Windows Media Audio files, do the
following:
1. After you click the Save button in the Save As dialog box, the Save
To Windows Media dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 4.17.

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 Working with Audio Files — Chapter 4 79

Figure 4.17
The Save To Windows
Media dialog box allows
you to set the various
parameters available for
your new Windows
Media Audio file.

CHAPTER 4
2. Make a selection in the Template section according to the type of
audio data you are encoding. Each selection includes a description
and details about the type of compression that will be used on your
data.
3. You can get more specific in your compression settings by creating
your own custom template. Just click the Custom button and simply
follow the instructions that the Template Wizard provides. When
finished, your template will be listed in the Template section of the
Save To Windows Media dialog box.
4. Use the Properties section to enter any textual information you
would like to embed in your file. This includes information for Title,
Author, Copyright, Description, and Rating.
5. Activate the Use Markers In Source File and Use Script Commands
In Source File option if you would like to embed special events in
your Windows Media Audio file using the Markers in Sound Forge.
(I’ll talk more about Markers in Chapter 5.) These special events can
include additional file identification information, Web site URLs, or
even computer script programs. For more information, please see the
note at the end of this section.
6. Click OK.
Sound Forge then saves your Windows Media Audio file with all of the
settings that you specified.

NOTE
If you would like to learn more about creating Windows Media files, visit
the Windows Media Web site. It has a ton of free information available about
this technology, including articles and tutorials. The site is located at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 81

5
Getting Around
in Sound Forge
To record, play, and edit your audio in Sound Forge, you have to know
how to navigate your way through the data in your file. As you learned in
Chapter 2, Sound Forge provides what is called a Data Window that
allows you to examine and manipulate your audio data. Sound Forge also
provides a number of other features that allow you to navigate through
your audio within the Data Window. So, in this chapter, I’ll talk about the
following topics:
 How to use the Current Position

CHAPTER 5
 How to use the Go To function
 How to set place marks in your audio file
 How to search for specific audio data in your file

The Current Position

You learned a little about timing in Chapter 1. Essentially, you learned
that in addition to the audio data itself, the timing of the sounds is
tracked during recording. What this means is that Sound Forge keeps
track of exactly when a sound occurs while you are recording, so that
later during playback, your audio is played accurately and sounds exactly
as it did during recording.
To give you access to your data in a file, Sound Forge provides a feature
known as the Current Position. The Current Position is essentially a
pointer that indicates your current time location within an audio file. For
example, the beginning of a file has a Current Position of 00:00:00 (when
measured in hours, minutes, and seconds). If you want to view the data at
2 minutes and 5 seconds, for example, you have to set the Current
Position to 00:02:05. And you can get even more precise by specifying
milliseconds, such as in a Current Position of 00:05:02:010, which would
be 5 minutes, 2 seconds, and 10 milliseconds.

FIND
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82 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

The Current Position is also updated in real-time, which means that it

changes constantly during recording or playback of an audio file. So, for
example, as you play your file, the Current Position counts along and
shows you the current timing while you listen to your audio.

Show Me the Current Position

You can view the Current Position in several different ways. Numerically,
the Current Position is displayed in the Playbar of the Data Window (see
Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1
You can view the
Current Position in
the Playbar of the
Data Window.

You can also use the Time Display to view the Current Position (see
Figure 5.2). To open the Time Display, simply select View > Time Display.

Figure 5.2
The Current Position
is shown in the Time
Display as well.

TIP
If you’re like me, and you have some of your equipment set up in your home
studio a fair distance away from your computer, you might have trouble
reading the small Current Position in either the Data Window Playbar or the
Time Display. To remedy this situation, Sound Forge allows you to change the
size of the Time Display. Just drag any of its sides or corners, as you would
with any window in Windows. Sound Forge will scale the size of the Current
Position accordingly, as shown in Figure 5.3.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 83

Figure 5.3
By manipulating the
Time Display, you
can view the Current
Position in a variety
of sizes on your
computer screen.

The Current Position Cursor

In addition to being displayed numerically, the Current Position is
displayed graphically within Sound Forge’s Data Window. In the Data
Window, the Current Position is displayed as a vertical line cursor that
extends from the top to the bottom of the window. As the Current
Position changes—either from being set manually or in real-time during
playback—the cursor follows along and indicates graphically the place in
the audio file that the Current Position is currently pointing. To
demonstrate what I mean, try the following:
1. Select File > Open and load one of the sample files that comes
with Sound Forge. For this example, choose TUTMUSIC.WAV (see

CHAPTER 5
Figure 5.4).

Figure 5.4
This screen shows the
Data Window for the
TUTMUSIC.WAV
audio file.

2. Select Special > Transport > Play or hit the Space Bar on your
computer keyboard to start playing the file.
3. Look at the Data Window. See the Current Position cursor moving
across the screen as the audio plays?
4. Notice the row of numbers above the place where the Current
Position cursor is moving—this is the Time Ruler. The Time Ruler
displays the time in the current audio file. By lining up the top of the
Current Position cursor with the Time Ruler, you can get a quick
estimate of the Current Position.

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84 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

Set the Current Position

As you’ve just seen, the Current Position changes automatically as an
audio file is played, but you can also set the Current Position manually
while a file isn’t playing. Sound Forge gives you this capability so that
you can access different parts of your file for editing, which I’ll talk about
in Chapter 7.

Numerically
Changing the Current Position is easy. If you would like to set the Current
Position to a precise numerical value, you can use the Go To function.
Here’s how:
1. Select Edit > Go To to open the Go To dialog box, as shown in
Figure 5.5.

Figure 5.5
You can change the
Current Position using
the Go To function via
the Go To dialog box.

2. Sound Forge gives you quick access to a number of predefined points

in a file via the Go To drop-down list. To use one of these, just make
a selection from the list and skip down to step 5.
3. For precise positioning, enter a time value in the Position field.

TIP
If you want to set the Current Position to a particular time quickly, you don’t
have to enter all the numerical values. For example, to set the Current
Position to 5 seconds and 10 milliseconds, type 5.010. That’s it. There’s no
need to enter values for the hours or minutes since they’re just zero anyway.

4. If you want to set the Current Position using a different type of time
measurement, you can change the measurement using the Input
Format drop-down list. In addition to time, you can choose to enter a
value in a number of different formats, including samples (I talked
about this in Chapter 1), measures and beats, or SMPTE/frames.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 85

NOTE
SMPTE (which stands for the Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers) is a special timing code used for synchronizing audio and video
data, although it can be used for other purposes, too. The technology was
originally developed by NASA because it needed a precise method of keeping
track of space mission data. In Sound Forge, you can use SMPTE to keep
track of the timing of your audio file. Sound Forge automatically converts the
regular time values in a file to the hours, minutes, seconds, and frames format
used by SMPTE. The frames parameter comes from the fact that SMPTE is
used extensively with video, film, and television. Video is created by
recording a series of still picture frames very quickly. When these frames are
played back, you see them as a moving picture. SMPTE can be used to time
video data accurately right down to a single frame. Every second of video data
usually has thirty frames, but the number depends on the format of the data.
You’ll learn more about using SMPTE in Chapter 6. For now, just know that
you can view and set the Current Position of your file in a number of different
ways, including in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.

5. When you’ve entered the value you want to use, click OK.
Sound Forge changes the Current Position to the value you entered, and
it also moves the Current Position cursor to the appropriate place within

CHAPTER 5
your file.

Graphically
Remember earlier when I described the Time Ruler in the Data Window
in “The Current Position Cursor” section? Well, you can quickly change
the Current Position by simply clicking within the Waveform Display
area of the Data Window (the large area below the Time Ruler). For
example, you can do the following:
1. As you did earlier, select File > Open and load one of the sample
audio files included with Sound Forge. For this example, choose
TUTMUSIC.WAV.
2. Click in the Waveform Display area of the Data Window, as shown in
Figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6
By clicking within the
Waveform Display area
of the Data Window,
you can change the
Current Position.

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86 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

3. Click once more in a different place. See how the Current Position
changes? Depending on where you click within the Waveform
Display, the Current Position changes to the appropriate value as
measured on the Time Ruler.

TIP
As I mentioned earlier, you can enter a time value in the Go To dialog box
using a number of different formats. Well, you can also change the Time Ruler
to display its values in any of those formats. Just right-click on the Time Ruler
and select the type of format you would like to use.

The Overview Area

Another quick way to set the Current Position graphically is to use the
Overview area. The Overview area is part of the Data Window, located
just above the Time Ruler (see Figure 5.7). To use the Overview area, just
click within it as you did earlier with the Waveform Display. That’s it.

Figure 5.7
You can also set the
Current Position
graphically by clicking
in the Overview area.

NOTE
The Overview area does offer a few other options, some of which I’ll talk
about later in the book. But for navigational purposes, the Overview area
gives you access to your entire audio file even if part of it is located off the
screen. For example, if you open a very long audio file, all of the data won’t
be able to be displayed inside the Data Window. In order to change the
Current Position to a part of the file that isn’t being displayed, you would first
have to scroll the Data Window (I’ll also talk about this later on in the book)
to the appropriate place and then click in the Waveform Display. With the
Overview, you can just click once to change the Current Position, even if it’s
off the screen. And you can simply double-click within the Overview to both
change the Current Position and scroll the Data Window so that you can view
the new area of your audio file.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 87

The Transport Menu

In addition to allowing you to set the Current Position both numerically
and graphically, Sound Forge provides a few special functions that let
you quickly change the Current Position within an audio file. All these
functions are part of the Transport menu. To activate them, simply select
Special > Transport and choose the appropriate function. The following is
a list of the functions, along with explanations for each of them:

Go To Start
This function is pretty self-explanatory. Simply put, it allows you to set
the Current Position to the time that corresponds to the beginning of your
audio file.

Rewind
The Rewind function sets the Current Position by subtracting a time
value from its current value, thus moving the Current Position cursor
closer to the beginning of your audio file. The time value subtracted
depends on the Zoom level you are currently using. I’ll talk more about

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Sound Forge’s Zoom features in Chapter 7.

Forward
The Forward function sets the Current Position by adding a time value
from its current value, thus moving the Current Position cursor closer to
the end of your audio file. The time value added depends on the Zoom
level you are currently using.

Go To End
This function also is self-explanatory. It allows you to set the Current
Position to the time that corresponds to the end of your audio file.

TIP
Instead of using the Transport menu, you can use your computer keyboard for
even quicker access to the previously mentioned functions. For Go To Start,
just press the Home key. For Go To End, press the End key. For Rewind, press
Page Up. For Forward, press Page Down. And if you would like to Rewind or
Forward the Current Position precisely by the smallest value possible, just
press either the left arrow (Rewind) or right arrow (Forward) keys on your
computer keyboard.

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88 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

Markers, Oh My!
All the methods for setting the Current Position that I’ve described so far
have been based either on numbers or predefined designations such as
the beginning or end of an audio file. These methods are fine when you
already have the material for your file mapped out so you know exactly
where everything occurs ahead of time, but what if you’re creating
material from scratch simply by recording on the fly? In a case like that,
being able to put names to certain locations within a file would be very
helpful, and that’s exactly what Markers allow you to do.
With Markers, you can assign a name to any exact point in time within
an audio file. They’re great for designating the places where certain
passages of a vocal recording occur. And they make it very easy for you to
jump to any point within a file that you specify simply by name.

Make Your Mark(ers)

Creating Markers is a simple process. Essentially, you just need to set the
Current Position to the time at which you want to place the Marker in the
file, activate the Add Marker/Region dialog box, and type in a name. To
create a Marker, follow these steps:
1. Set the Current Position to the time at which you want to place the
Marker in the audio file. As you learned earlier, you can set it either
numerically or graphically.
2. Right-click in the Ruler Tag area (located just below the Time Ruler
in the Data Window), as shown in Figure 5.8.

Figure 5.8
The Ruler Tag area is
located just below the
Time Ruler in the
Data Window.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 89

3. Select Add Marker/Region from the pop-up menu to open the

Add Marker/Region dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.9.

Figure 5.9
Using the Add
Marker/Region
dialog box, you can
create a Marker.

4. Type a name for the Marker.

5. Make sure the Marker option in the Type section is activated. I’ll talk
about the Region option later on in this chapter.
6. Since you’ve already set the Current Position, you don’t need to
change the position of the Marker, but if you’d like to make
adjustments, enter a new time in the Start field. As with the Go To

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dialog box (mentioned earlier), you can select the format you would
like to use for entering the position value via the Input Format drop-
down list.
7. Remember when I talked about MIDI Triggers back in Chapter 3?
Well, in addition to many of its other functions, Sound Forge allows
you to assign MIDI Triggers to Markers, too. This feature allows you
to start playback from any point with your audio file via an external
MIDI device like a synthesizer keyboard. To assign a MIDI Trigger to
your Marker, choose an option from the Trigger drop-down list. MIDI:
Note On–Play will trigger playback via a specified Note On message.
MIDI: Note On–Play/Note Off–Stop will trigger playback via a
specified Note On message and stop playback upon receiving a
followup Note Off message. MIDI: Note On–Queue/Note Off–Play
will trigger the Current Position to be set to the Marker position and
start playback upon receiving a follow-up Note Off message.
8. Enter the number of the MIDI channel you would like to use for your
MIDI Trigger via the Channel parameter.
9. Enter the pitch of the MIDI note you would like to use for your MIDI
Trigger via the Note parameter.
10. Click OK.

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90 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

When you’re finished, your Marker and its name are added to the Ruler
Tag area (just below the Time Ruler) in the Data Window.

TIP
Usually, you add Markers to an audio file while no real-time activity is going
on, but you can also add Markers while a file is playing. Simply press the M
key on your computer keyboard, and Sound Forge creates a Marker at the
present Current Position. The new Marker is automatically assigned a
temporary name, which you can later change.

Edit the Markers

Editing existing Markers is just as easy as creating new ones. You can
change their names, times, and MIDI Triggers, make copies of them, and
delete them.

Name and Trigger Change

To change the name or MIDI Trigger of a Marker, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on the Marker in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window
and select Edit from the pop-up menu to open the Edit Marker/
Region dialog box (which is exactly the same as the Add Marker/
Region dialog box). Alternatively, select View > Regions List to open
the Regions window (see Figure 5.10), and double-click on the
Marker in the list to open the Edit Marker/Region dialog box.

Figure 5.10
The Regions window
displays a list of all
the Markers in an
audio file.

2. Type a new name for the Marker.

3. Select new MIDI Trigger settings for the Marker.
4. Click OK.

Time Change
Follow these steps to change the time value of a Marker numerically:
1. Right-click on the Marker in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window
and select Edit from the pop-up menu to open the Edit Marker/
Region dialog box (which is exactly the same as the Add Marker/
Region dialog box). Alternatively, select View > Regions List to open
the Regions window and double-click on the Marker in the list to
open the Edit Marker/Region dialog box.
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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 91

2. Select the format you would like to use via the Input Format drop-
down list.
3. Enter a new time value for the Marker.
4. Click on OK.
You can also change the time value of a Marker graphically by simply
dragging the Marker within the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window with
your mouse. Drag the Marker to the left to decrease its time value or drag
it to the right to increase its time value. Simple, no? In addition, you can
quickly change the Marker’s position to the Current Position by right-
clicking on the Marker and selecting Update from the pop-up menu.
The Go To selection in the pop-up menu does the exact opposite: It will
quickly set the Current Position to save value as the Marker.

Make a Copy
To make a copy of a Marker, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Marker to select it in the Ruler Tag area of the Data
Window. Alternatively, select View > Regions List to open the
Regions window and click on the Marker to select it in the list.
2. Select Special > Regions List > Replicate to make an exact copy of

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the Marker. Alternatively, right-click on the Marker in the Regions
window and select Replicate from the pop-up menu.
3. Initially, the new Marker will have the exact same characteristics
(including name and time value) as the original. So, edit the new
Marker to change its settings.
Delete a Marker
You can delete a Marker in one of two ways—either directly in the Data
Window or via the Regions window. Here’s the exact procedure:
1. If you want to use the Data Window, click on the Marker that you
want to delete to select it.
2. If you want to use the Regions window, select View > Regions List to
open the Regions window. Then, select the Marker that you want to
delete from the list.
3. Right-click on the Marker and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
Alternatively, you can select Special > Regions List > Delete.

Navigate with Markers

Of course, what good would creating Markers do if you couldn’t use them
to navigate through the data in your file? What’s more, all you need to do
is select the name of a Marker, and the Current Position is automatically
set to that exact time of that Marker. You can move to a specific Marker in
a file in two different ways: either by using the Regions window or the
Go To function.
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92 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

Use the Regions Window

To jump to a specific Marker using the Regions window, do the following:
1. Select View > Regions List to open the Regions window.
2. Select the Marker that you want to jump to from the list.
3. Sound Forge then sets the Current Position to the time corresponding
to that Marker, and the Current Position cursor in the Data Window
jumps to the appropriate location.

Use the Go To Function

To jump to a specific Marker using the Go To function, do the following:
1. Select Edit > Go To to open the Go To dialog box.
2. Select a Marker from the Go To drop-down list.
3. Click OK.
Sound Forge then sets the Current Position to the time corresponding to
that Marker, and the Current Position cursor in the Data Window jumps
to the appropriate location.

TIP
To quickly jump to the next or previous Marker in the Data Window, simply
press the Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow keys on your computer
keyboard.

What About Regions?

In addition to Markers, Sound Forge allows you to label different sections
of your audio file using its Regions feature. The only difference between
Markers and Regions is that Markers specify a single point within a file,
while Regions specify an entire area. In addition to a starting point,
Regions also have an ending point and length associated with them.
Regions are great for specifying certain areas of your file for easy playback
or editing. And just as with Markers, you can assign a name to any
section of your file. So, for example, if you are working with a vocal
recording, you can easily mark the different lyric passages within the file.
Then, you can easily jump to or edit any passage in the file.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 93

Make Your Regions

You can create Regions in one of two ways—by manually using the
Add Marker/Region dialog box or by automatically using Sound Forge’s
Auto Region function.

Use the Add Marker/Region Dialog Box

To create a Region using the Add Marker/Region dialog box, do the
following:
1. Click and drag your mouse within the Waveform Display of the Data
Window to select the portion of your audio file around which you
would like to create a Region, as shown in Figure 5.11. I’ll talk more
about selecting data in Chapter 7.

Figure 5.11
To create a Region,
first select a portion
of your audio file.

CHAPTER 5
2. Select Special > Regions List > Add to open the Add Marker/Region
dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.12.

Figure 5.12
In addition to Markers,
the Add Marker/Region
dialog box can be used
to create Regions.

3. Type a name for the Region.

4. Make sure the Region option in the Type section is activated.
5. Since you’ve already selected a portion of your audio file, the Start,
End, and Length parameters should already be set., However, if you’d
like to make adjustments, enter new values into any of the fields. As
with the Go To dialog box (mentioned earlier), you can select the
format you would like to use for entering position values via the
Input Format drop-down list.

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94 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

6. As with Markers, you can set up a MIDI Trigger for your new Region.
Triggering Regions is even more useful than triggering Markers,
because when you play a Region, Sound Forge plays only the audio
data contained within the Regions boundaries. So, for example, you
could have an audio file containing a number of different vocal
passages that could be triggered during a live performance or
recording session, in any order that you choose, simply via triggering.
7. Click OK.
When you’re finished, your new Region and its name are added to the
Ruler Tag area (just below the Time Ruler) in the Data Window.

TIP
For a really quick way to create a Region, just make a data selection and
hit the R key on your computer keyboard. Then click OK. A new Region is
created and is automatically assigned a temporary name, which you can
later change.

Use the Auto Region Function

The Auto Region function will automatically create Regions for you by
scanning the data in your audio file for certain characteristics that you
specify. To detect these characteristics, the Auto Region function uses a
digital noise gate. Depending on your parameter settings, this noise gate
opens up when the Auto Region function comes upon a section in your
audio that has an amplitude (volume) level greater than the one you set.
It identifies this part of the audio as acceptable sound (or the beginning of
a Region) and lets it pass through. When the level of audio dips below a
certain amplitude level that you set, the noise gate identifies that part of
the audio as the end of a Region, and it closes to stop it from passing
through. At that point, the Auto Region function creates a new Region
from the acceptable data. This process happens over and over until the
entire audio file has been scanned.
To create new Regions using the Auto Region function, do the following:
1. Select Tools > Auto Region to open the Auto Region dialog box, as
shown in Figure 5.13.

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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 95

Figure 5.13
Before Auto Region
can do its magic, you
need to specify the
characteristics you
want to use via the
Auto Region dialog box.

2. Set the Minimum Level parameter by dragging its slider up or down.

This parameter determines how loud the audio data has to be to
make the noise gate open, thus identifying the data as acceptable
sound and the start of a new Region.
3. Set the Attack Sensitivity parameter by dragging its slider up or
down. This parameter determines how quickly the noise gate will

CHAPTER 5
open and thus create the start of a Region. If you set this parameter
too high, the noise gate will react to any small amplitude increases
and end up creating Regions where you don’t want them. If you set
this parameter too low, the noise gate may not detect all the Regions
that you want it to. You’ll have to experiment to find the right setting
depending on the material you are scanning.
4. Set the Release Sensitivity parameter by dragging its slider up or
down. This parameter is similar to the Attack Sensitivity parameter
but in reverse. It determines how quickly the noise gate will close and
thus create the end of a Region. If you set this parameter too high, the
noise gate will react to any small amplitude decreases and end some
Regions where you don’t want them to end. If you set this parameter
too low, the noise gate may not detect the end of some Regions.
Again, you’ll have to experiment to find the right setting depending
on the material you are scanning.
5. Set the Minimum Beat Duration parameter. This parameter determines
how long (in seconds) the noise gate will remain open even when a
dip in the amplitude level is detected. Basically, it means that this
amount of time must elapse before a new Region can be detected/
created. Setting this parameter low allows the noise gate to detect
quick amplitude changes, such as drum beats. Setting this parameter
high will prevent the noise gate from detecting this type of data.

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96 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

6. Activate the Use Release Point For End Of Region option if you don’t
want low amplitude sections of your audio (such as silence) included
in your Regions. Deactivate this option if you want only the end of a
Region created when the start of a new Region is detected.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge scans your audio file and then creates new Regions
according to the settings that you specified.

TIP
For some examples on how the Auto Region parameters should be set, be sure
to check out the default Presets provided by Sound Forge. To access them,
click in the Name drop-down list at the top of the dialog box.

You can also have the Auto Region function create Regions for you based
on musical designations such as tempo, measures, and beats. To do that
you have to determine the tempo of your audio data and then tell the
Auto Region function at what measures and beats you’d like new Regions
to be created. Here’s how:
1. Click and drag your mouse within the Waveform Display of the Data
Window to select a portion of your audio file equal to one measure of
musical data. You may have to listen to the audio a few times to find
the right area to highlight.
2. Select Special > Edit Tempo to open the Edit Tempo dialog box, as
shown in Figure 5.14.

Figure 5.14
You can tell Sound
Forge the tempo of your
music using the Edit
Tempo dialog box.

3. Since you’ve already made a data selection, the Start, End, and
Length parameters should be set, but you can make adjustments to
them if you’d like.
4. Set the Number Of Beats In A Measure parameter. For example, if
your music is in 4/4 time, then the number of beats in a measure
would be 4.

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5. Set the Selected Length In Beats parameter. This tells Sound Forge
how many beats are in the portion of data you selected. For example,
if your music has 4 beats in a measure, and you selected one
measure’s worth of data, then you would set this parameter to 4.
6. Sound Forge should then automatically adjust the Tempo In Beats
Per Minute parameter. If this isn’t correct, adjust it. When you adjust
this parameter, the Selected Length In Beats Parameter is adjusted
automatically, and vice versa.
7. When you’re satisfied with the parameter settings, click OK.
8. In the Data Window, change the Time Ruler to display its
measurements in measures and beats by right-clicking the Time Ruler
and selecting Measures & Beats from the pop-up menu.
9. Select Tools > Auto Region to open the Auto Region dialog box.
10. Activate the Build Regions Using The Current Tempo option.
11. Set the Measures parameter and the Beats parameter. These
parameters work together, and they specify at what intervals you
would like Regions to be created in your file. For example, if you
want Regions to be created at every beat, then set Measures to 0 and
Beats to 1. If you want Regions to be created at every measure, set

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Measures to 1 and Beats to 0. If you want Regions to be created at
every 7 beats, set Measures to 1 and Beats to 3. All of these examples
are based on your music having 4 beats per measure. You get the idea.
12. Click OK.
Sound Forge creates new Regions according to the tempo, measure,
and beat settings that you specified, and the Start and End points of the
Regions should line up with the measurements in the Time Ruler.

TIP
There is one additional way to create Regions in Sound Forge. If your file
contains existing Markers, you can convert those Markers to Regions by
selecting Special > Regions List > Markers To Regions.

Edit the Regions

Just as with Markers, you can edit the Regions you create. You can
change their names and start and end times, make copies of them, split
them into smaller Regions, and delete them.

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Name and Trigger Change

To change the name or MIDI Trigger of a Region, follow these steps:
1. Right-click on the Region in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window
and select Edit from the pop-up menu to open the Edit Marker/
Region dialog box. Alternatively, select View > Regions List to open
the Regions window and double-click on the Region in the list.
2. Type a new name for the Region.
3. Select new MIDI Trigger settings for the Region.
4. Click OK.

Time Change
Follow these steps to change the time values of a Region numerically:
1. Right-click on the Region in the Ruler Tag area of the Data Window
and select Edit from the pop-up menu to open the Edit Marker/
Region dialog box. Alternatively, select View > Regions List to open
the Regions window and double-click on the Region in the list.
2. Select the format you would like to use via the Input Format drop-
down list.
3. Enter new values for the Start and End parameters. Changing these
parameters automatically changes the Length parameter. If you
change the Length parameter, the End parameter is automatically
adjusted.
4. Click OK.
You can also change the time values of a Region graphically by simply
dragging the Start and End tags within the Ruler Tag area of the Data
Window with your mouse. Drag the tags to the left to decrease their
values, or drag them to the right to increase their values. Just as with
Markers, it’s a simple procedure. In addition, you can quickly select the
data within a Region by right-clicking on either of the Region’s tags and
choosing Select from the pop-up menu.

Make a Copy
To make a copy of a Region, follow these steps:
1. Click on either of the tags of the Region to select it in the Ruler Tag
area of the Data Window. Alternatively, select View > Regions List
to open the Regions window and click on the Region to select it in
the list.
2. Select Special > Regions List > Replicate to make an exact copy of
the Region. Alternatively, right-click on the Region in the Regions
window and select Replicate from the pop-up menu. By the way, this
does not make a copy of the data outlined in the Region, just a copy
of the Region tags. Remember, Regions just mark areas of your data,
they don’t contain audio data themselves.
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 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5 99

3. Initially, the new Region will have the exact same characteristics
(including name and time values) as the original. So, edit the new
Region to change its settings.

Split a Region
In addition to copying a Region, you can also split it into two new
Regions. For example, if you have a Region that outlines two measures of
data and you’d rather break that Region down so that you have one
measure per Region, this function makes the process easy. To split a
Region, follow these steps:
1. Click on either of the tags of the Region to select it in the Ruler Tag
area of the Data Window. Alternatively, select View > Regions List
to open the Regions window and click on the Region to select it in
the list.
2. Change the Current Position to the point within the Region at which
you would like it to be split. This point will become the end of one
of the new Regions and the start of the other.
3. Select Special > Regions List > Replicate to make an exact copy of
the Region. Alternatively, right-click on the Region in the Regions
windows and select Replicate from the pop-up menu.

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Sound Forge will create two new Regions from the old Region.

Delete a Region
You can delete a Region in one of two ways, either directly in the Data
Window or via the Regions window. Here’s the procedure:
1. If you want to use the Data Window, click on either of the Region’s
tags to select it.
2. If you want to use the Regions window, select View > Regions List to
open the Regions window. Then, select the Region that you want to
delete from the list.
3. Right-click on the tags in the Data Window or the Region in the
Regions window and select Delete from the pop-up menu.
Alternatively, you can select Special > Regions List > Delete.

TIP
You can also delete all the Regions in a file by simply selecting Special >
Regions List > Clear.

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Navigate with Regions

Just as with Markers, you can use Regions to navigate through the data
in your audio file. You can move to a specific Region in a file in two
different ways: either by using the Regions window or the Go To function.

Use the Regions Window

To jump to a specific Region using the Regions window, do the following:
1. Select View > Regions List to open the Regions window.
2. Select the Region that you want to jump to from the list.
3. Sound Forge then sets the Current Position to the time corresponding
to the Start tag of that Region, and the Current Position cursor in the
Data Window jumps to the appropriate place.

Use the Go To Function

To jump to a specific Region using the Go To function, do the following:
1. Select Edit > Go To to open the Go To dialog box.
2. Select a Region from the Go To drop-down list.
3. Click OK.
Sound Forge then sets the Current Position to the time corresponding to
the Start tag of that Region, and the Current Position cursor in the Data
Window jumps to the appropriate place.

TIP
To quickly jump to the next or previous Region tag in the Data Window,
simply press the Ctrl+Left Arrow or Ctrl+Right Arrow keys on your computer
keyboard.

Saving and Loading Regions

When you save your audio file in either the WAV or AVI formats, your
Region markings get saved along with it. But, unfortunately, those are the
only formats that allow you to store Region data along with your audio
data. What if you want to save your audio in a different format and still
keep the Region markings? To remedy this problem, Sound Forge allows
you to save and load Region data as separate files.

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Save your Region Data

To save your Region data as a separate file, do the following:
1. Select Special > Regions List > Save As to open the Save
Regions/Playlist dialog box. This box is just like any other Windows
file save dialog.
2. Choose a folder location for your new file.
3. Type a name for your new file.
4. Select a file type from the Save As Type drop-down list. Region data
can be saved in three different types of files: Playlist File (.SFL),
a proprietary file type created by Sonic Foundry; Session 8 File
(.PRM), a file type to be used with the Session 8 music product; and
Windows Media Script File (.TXT), a file type to be used with the
Microsoft Windows Media Player.
5. Click Save.

Load your Region Data

To load your Region data back into Sound Forge for use with your
existing audio file, do the following:

CHAPTER 5
1. Select Special > Regions List > Open to open the Open Regions/
Playlist dialog box. This box is just like any other Windows file
open dialog.
2. Choose the folder location in which you will find your file.
3. Select a file type from the Files Of Type drop-down list to display
only those types of files.
4. Choose the file you would like to open.
5. Click Open.

TIP
The functions for loading and saving Region data can also be used for creating
more than one set of Regions for the same audio file. For example, if you are
editing a vocal recording, you can use one set of Regions to outline all the
phrases and another set of Regions to outline all the syllables in each phrase.
This is especially useful in playback and editing, which I’ll talk about in a
number of other chapters in the book.

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The Extract Regions Function

Another useful function that is related to Regions is the Extract Regions
function. This function is especially useful for editing purposes because
it allows you to break up your audio file into smaller files that are based
on the Regions in your original file. For example, suppose you are editing
a vocal performance and you have Regions set up that outline all of the
phrases in the performance. You might want to split each phrase into its
own audio file for use as individual sounds in your MIDI sampler device.
The Extract Regions function makes this very easy. Here’s how it works:
1. After you have defined all the Regions in your file, select Tools >
Extract Regions to open the Extract Regions dialog box, as shown in
Figure 5.15.

Figure 5.15
The Extract Regions
function allows you to
create new audio files
from the data outlined
by the Regions in your
original audio file.

2. Choose the Regions you would like to extract by selecting them in the
list. If you would like to extract them all, click the Select All button.
3. Choose a folder in which the new audio files will be saved by either
typing a file path in the Destination Folder parameter or using the
Browse button.
4. Type a word or phrase that you would like the names of each new
file to begin with into the File Name Prefix parameter.
5. If you would like to use long file names, activate the Use Long File
Names For Destination File Names option. Otherwise, enter a
number for the Start File Counter Index parameter. This parameter
tells Sound Forge to append a number to each file name starting with
the number that you entered.
6. Click Extract.
Sound Forge then saves the audio data outlined in each of the Regions
that you selected as new audio files in the WAV format. Your original
audio file remains unchanged.

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Where’s That Sound?

Until now, I have been describing how to navigate through the data in a
file by somehow specifying the Current Position, with the result being
that you go to a specific point within a file. Well, what happens when
you don’t know the exact position in a file in which you want to move?
For instance, suppose you hear an annoying click or pop in your audio
file but you can’t quite pinpoint its location? Instead of playing the file
and trying to listen for the click via trial and error, you can use Sound
Forge’s Find function.
The Find function allows you to automatically examine the data in your
audio file and find a number of different kinds of amplitude-related
(volume) sounds. These sounds include glitches that come in the form of
unwanted clicks and pops, amplitude levels that are equal to or above a
level that you specify, silent sections or passages in the audio, and the
highest amplitude levels in a file. This function is very useful for finding
certain points within a file (such as the silent sections of a vocal
performance) and placing Markers or Regions there. The function is also
useful for precision editing tasks, which you’ll learn more about in
Chapter 7. In the meantime, you can use the Find function for

CHAPTER 5
navigational purposes like this:
1. Select Special > Transport > Go To Start to set the Current Position to
the beginning of the file. If you don’t take this step, the Find function
begins looking at your data starting at the immediate Current Position,
not at the beginning of the file. This means that if the Current
Position is set to 00:00:10, the Find function does not look at any of
the data contained in the first 10 seconds.
2. Select Tools > Find to open the Find dialog box, as shown in
Figure 5.16.

Figure 5.16
In the Find dialog box,
you specify the criteria
for your search.

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104 Getting Around in Sound Forge — Chapter 5

3. Select the kind of amplitude data for which you would like to search
via the Find drop-down list. Choose Glitch to find any clicks or pops
in your audio that may have occurred from bad editing procedures or
perhaps from material that originated as a vinyl recording. Choose
Level Equal To Or Above to find any amplitude level in your audio
that is equal to or above the level that you specify. The Level Equal To
Or Above option can be useful in finding clipped or distorted material
in your audio file. Choose End Of Silent Region to find the end of the
next silent section in your audio file. The End Of Silent Region option
can be useful in finding (and marking) different passages in a vocal
performance or even different beats in a percussion performance.
Choose Largest Peak to find the highest amplitude level in your audio
file. The Largest Peak option can be useful when you’re trying to
match the overall amplitude levels between multiple audio files, such
as all the songs you want to include on the same CD.

NOTE
Clipping (or distortion) occurs when the amplitude level of audio data is
raised higher than 100 percent (or 0 dB, which I’ll talk about shortly). The top
and bottom of the audio waveform become clipped, and when you play the
audio, it sounds distorted.

4. Set the Threshold parameter. Depending on which option you choose

via the Find drop-down list, the Threshold parameter works
differently. If you choose Glitch, the Threshold parameter determines
the slope (steepness) of the glitch. (Glitches—or pops and clicks—
in audio data look like big spikes in the audio waveform, and these
spikes have a slope—or steepness —to them.) If you choose Level
Equal To Or Above, the Threshold parameter determines the
amplitude (volume) for which you want to search. If you choose End
Of Silent Region, the Threshold parameter determines the amplitude
level at which the audio data falls below and then rises above. This
signifies a silent or quiet section in the audio. If you choose Largest
Peak, the Threshold parameter does not have to be set.

NOTE
The Threshold parameter is set in decibels (dB). Decibel is a very complicated
term to describe, especially in a text such as this one. The most basic
explanation would be that a decibel is a unit of measurement used to
determine the loudness of sound. In regard to digital audio, the highest
possible level you can use is 0 dB. Anything higher, and you introduce
clipping into your data. For a more detailed explanation, in Sound Forge,
select Help > Contents. Then click on Glossary and scroll down to the section
labeled Decibel (dB).

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5. Set the Sensitivity parameter. This parameter is relevant only if you

choose Glitch in the Find drop-down menu. The Sensitivity
parameter determines how closely Sound Forge will examine the
audio data when searching for glitches. A high setting tells Sound
Forge that any audio with a slope above the Threshold setting should
be considered a glitch. A low setting tells Sound Forge that not all
audio with a slope above the Threshold setting should be considered
a glitch, and that it should look more closely during the search
process.

TIP
If you can hear glitches in the audio but Sound Forge doesn’t detect them, try
lowering the Threshold and raising the Sensitivity. If you find that Sound
Forge is detecting glitches where there are none, try raising the Threshold and
lowering the Sensitivity.

6. Click OK.
Sound Forge will search through the audio in your file and find the
appropriate data that you specified via your parameter settings. It will

CHAPTER 5
also change the Current Position and the Current Position cursor to the
appropriate location within the file.

TIP
To quickly perform the Find function again using the same parameter settings
without having to access the Find dialog box, just hit CTRL+Y on your
computer keyboard.

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 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6 107

6
Recording
and Playback
As I mentioned in Chapter 3, Sound Forge doesn’t provide multitrack
recording or playback. What this means is that you are allowed to record
or play only a single stereo audio file at a time. This is how most audio
editing applications work. Their main purpose is editing, but they also
provide recording for tasks such as making a stereo recording of a live
performance or creating new sounds for a MIDI sampling device. Sound
Forge provides a vast number of recording and playback features. Here’s
what I’ll be covering in this chapter:
 The parameters that need to be set prior to recording
 How to record audio using various available methods
 How to play audio using various available methods
 Correcting mistakes using Punch-In
 Synchronization—what it is and how to use it

Preliminary Parameters
Before you do any actual recording with Sound Forge, you need to be
aware of a number of parameter settings. These parameters allow you to
configure Sound Forge for a variety of recording situations. The
parameters include recording attributes, DC offset adjustment, and gap
detection. All of the parameters are accessed via the Record dialog box
CHAPTER 6
(see Figure 6.1).

FIND
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108 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6

Figure 6.1
Recording audio in
Sound Forge should be
preceded with a few
parameter settings.

As a matter of fact, all audio recording within Sound Forge is done via
the Record dialog box. To access the Record dialog box, select Special >
Transport > Record. I’ll talk more about the actual recording procedures
later in this chapter. For now, I’ll explain the what, why, and how of each
of the parameters that needs to be set prior to recording.

Recording Attributes
First and foremost, you need to tell Sound Forge the specifications of
the audio data that you want to record. In other words, you need to set
the bit depth, sampling rate, and number of channels for your new
recording. When you first open the Record dialog box, these parameters
are automatically set to the current defaults (usually 16-bit, 44,100 Hz,
stereo). In order to use different settings, click the New button in the
Recording Attributes section of the Record dialog box to access the New
Window dialog box (see Figure 6.2).

Figure 6.2
Change the bit depth,
sampling rate, and
channel parameters
of your recording via
the New Window
dialog box.

Sampling Rate and Bit Depth

You learned about the meanings of the terms sampling rate and bit depth
in Chapter 1. Sound Forge enables you to set the sampling rate and bit
depth used for the audio data that you record. Depending on the
sophistication of your sound card, you can set the sampling rate up to
192,000 Hz and the bit depth up to 32 bits.

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So, what settings should you use? Well, the higher the sampling rate and
bit depth, the better the quality of your recorded audio. Higher settings
also put more strain on your computer system, however, and the data
take up more memory and hard disk space. Plus, if your input signal is
already bad (if you use a low-end microphone to record your vocals, for
instance), higher settings won’t make it sound any better.
In my opinion, if your computer has enough power, memory, and hard
disk space, you should use at least a 96,000 Hz sampling rate and a 24-bit
bit depth. Using these settings ensures a very high-quality recording. Of
course, you can use even higher settings, and higher always results in a
better quality audio signal. However, it’s doubtful that most people will
hear the difference, especially since you’ll more than likely be lowering
the quality so that you can put your audio on CD. For CD, the audio
needs to have a sampling rate of 44,100 Hz and a bit depth of 16 bits.
Why record at higher settings if you’re ultimately going to be putting your
audio on CD? Well, the main reason is because of mathematical errors.
You see, when audio is recorded as digital data, a finite range of numbers
is used to represent the audio signal. When you edit or process your
audio, what’s actually happening within Sound Forge (and other digital
audio editors), is that mathematical calculations are applied to the data to
achieve different results. Each mathematical process results in tiny errors,
because the data has to be rounded or truncated. These errors result in
small amounts of noise or other artifacts added to your audio signal. Most
of the time, this noise isn’t noticeable, but if you do enough processing
and editing, the noise will eventually become audible.
To set the sampling rate and bit depth for your new recording, simply
select the appropriate values for the sample rate and sample size
parameters in the New Window dialog box.

NOTE
As I mentioned earlier, to store music on a CD, the audio data is required to
have a sampling rate of 44,100 Hz and a bit depth of 16 bits. These values
cannot be higher or lower. They must be exact. Of course, you can start off by
recording your audio with different settings. For example, if your computer CHAPTER 6
has a limited amount of memory or hard disk space, you might want to use
smaller values. I wouldn’t recommend this, though, unless it’s absolutely
necessary, because lower values mean lower quality audio. You can also
record by using higher values, which raises the quality of your audio data.
When it comes time to put the audio on CD, however, you must convert the
sampling rate and bit depth to the values just mentioned. By using Sound
Forge’s Resample and Dither features, you can convert the sampling rate and
bit depth of your audio file. I’ll talk more about these features in Chapter 8.

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110 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6

Number Of Channels
Since Sound Forge does not provide any kind of multitrack recording
capabilities (meaning you can’t record different instruments separately
and then play them back via separate but synchronized audio tracks), you
are given only two choices for the type of audio file you want to create:
monophonic (one channel) or stereo (two channel). To set the number of
channels for your new recording, select the appropriate option in the
Channels section of the New Window dialog box.

TIP
Although Sound Forge allows you to record only monophonic or stereo audio,
you can do a sort of pseudo-multitrack recording by recording in stereo. Since
stereo comprises two distinct audio channels (one for the left speaker and one
for the right), you can simply record one audio source into the left channel and
another audio source into the right channel simultaneously. This might come
in handy, for example, if you need to record two different voices at the same
time. Sound Forge allows you to edit and process each channel of a stereo
recording separately, so you can easily manipulate the data for each voice
recording independently.

DC Offset
Depending on the quality of your sound card, your audio may not be
recorded as accurately as it should. Many times (especially with less
expensive sound cards, such as the Sound Blaster), an electrical
mismatch may occur between a sound card and the input device. When
this happens, an excess of current is added to the incoming signal and
the resulting audio waveform is offset from the zero axis. This is known
as DC offset.

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NOTE
An audio waveform is a graphical representation of sound. Let me try to
explain by using the cup and string analogy. Remember when you were a kid,
and you set up your own intercom system between your bedroom and your
tree house by using nothing but a couple of paper cups and a long piece of
string? You poked a hole in the bottom of each cup and then tied one end of
the string to one cup and the other end of the string to the other cup. Your
friend would be in the tree house with one of the cups, and you would be in
your bedroom with the other. As you talked into your cup, your friend could
hear you by putting his cup to his ear, and vice versa. Why did it work?
Well, when you talked into the cup, the sound of your voice vibrated the
bottom of the cup, making it act like a microphone. This movement, in turn,
vibrated the string up and down, and the string carried the vibrations to the
other cup. This movement made the bottom of that cup vibrate so that it acted
like a speaker, thus enabling your friend to hear what you said. If it were
possible for you to freeze the string while it was in motion and then zoom in
on it so that you could see the vibrations, it would look similar to the audio
waveform shown in the Data Window (see Figure 6.3).
As you can see, a waveform shows up and down movements just like a
vibrating string. A line, called the zero axis, runs horizontally through the
center of the waveform. The zero axis represents the point in a waveform at
which there are no vibrations or no sound, so the value of the audio data at
the zero axis is the number zero (also known as zero amplitude). When a
waveform moves above or below the zero axis, vibrations occur, and thus
there is sound. The amplitude value of a waveform in these places depends
on how high above or how far below the zero axis the waveform is at a
certain point in time (shown on the Time Ruler in the Data Window). You can
read the value of a waveform by using the Level Ruler in the Data Window.
I’ll talk more about the different features of the Data Window in Chapter 7.

Figure 6.3
An audio waveform is
similar to that of a
vibrating string, if you
could freeze it and
zoom in on it to observe
the vibrations.
CHAPTER 6

If your audio waveform is offset from the zero axis because of DC offset,
you can introduce noise and other anomalies into your data during
editing and processing. To remove DC offset during recording, you simply
need to calibrate Sound Forge so that it will add a constant value to your
audio samples during recording. Doing so will ensure your waveform is
centered on the zero axis. In the Record dialog box, activate the DC
Adjust option and click the Calibrate button. That’s all there is to it.

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TIP
Whenever you change sound cards, or sound card inputs, or even alter the
recording attributes (described earlier), you may want to recalibrate for DC
offset. Any changes of this kind can sometimes cause DC offset to occur.

Gap Detection
If you have a slow computer system, your sound card can sometimes
produce audio faster than Sound Forge is able to record it. This can cause
gaps (as in glitches or very short spans of silence) to occur during the
recording process. Gaps can also occur because of sound card driver
conflicts. During recording, you can have Sound Forge handle gaps in
one of three ways: ignore them, mark them, or stop recording when gaps
occur. Right-click on any blank area within the Record dialog box and up
will pop a menu with a number of choices (see Figure 6.4).

Figure 6.4
Set the Gap Detection
parameter by right-
clicking within the
Record dialog box.

If you would like Sound Forge to simply ignore any gaps that occur,
select Gap Detection > Ignore. If you would like Sound Forge to place a
Marker at every point in the audio file where a gap occurs, select Gap
Detection > Mark. If you would like Sound Forge to stop recording
whenever a gap occurs, select Gap Detection > Stop.

NOTE
If you have trouble with gaps during recording, you may need to upgrade
your computer system. The most helpful upgrades are memory and hard
drive speed. These two are the most important aspects for digital audio
recording. Of course, a faster CPU can also make a big difference. But before
you start spending your hard-earned money, you may want to look over the
optimization pointers that I presented back in Chapter 2.

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Basic/Auto Retake Recording

Now you’re ready to start doing some recording with Sound Forge.
Nothing is really complicated about the process, but you should follow a
number of steps to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Here and in
the following sections, I’ll show you step by step how to record audio
with Sound Forge in a variety of ways. First, let’s tackle a basic recording.
To get started, do the following:
1. Create a new audio file by selecting File > New to open the New
Window dialog box.
2. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to
use for your new file. Then click OK.
3. Select Special > Transport > Record to open the Record dialog box.
4. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to
compensate for any DC offset that may be present because of your
audio hardware.
5. Select the Automatic Retake recording mode via the Mode drop-
down list (see Figure 6.5). I’ll explain Automatic Retake later.

Figure 6.5
Choose the recording
mode you would like
to use by selecting an
option from the Mode
drop-down list.

6. Activate the Monitor option. You should see the recording meters
display your current audio input signal level in decibels (see
Figure 6.6). CHAPTER 6

TIP
Right-click on the meters to set a different range and determine whether signal
level peaks and valleys are displayed longer. You can also reset the meters by
selecting Reset Clip or by clicking the Reset button. In addition, the Aggressive
Update option determines whether the meters will be given priority processing
to show a more accurate level. If activated, Aggressive Update takes more
computer processing power, but not really enough for you to notice it, except
possibly on a really slow machine.

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Figure 6.6
The recording meters
display your current
audio input signal level
in decibels.

7. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud
but also not too soft. To do so, you have to use the software mixer that
came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you should see
a small, yellow speaker icon. Double-click on the speaker icon to
open your sound card mixer. Then, select Options > Properties to
open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the Adjust
Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes below are
checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for your
sound card mixer (see Figure 6.7).

Figure 6.7
Use your sound card
mixer to adjust the
input levels for your
sound card.

8. For the set of controls labeled Line-In, activate the Select option. This
option tells your sound card that you want to record audio by using
its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection
(such as a microphone or internal CD player), you need to use the set
of controls associated with that connection.

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 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6 115

NOTE
These steps show how to use a standard Windows sound card for recording.
You might have a sound card that uses a different method for setting audio
input levels. In that case, you need to read the documentation for your sound
card to find out how to use it correctly.

9. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound
card, begin playing the material you would like to record. Be sure the
material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record.
As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box
will light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You
should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for
the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the
loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not
turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you
record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the
recording meters light up at around 6 dB during the loudest
portion of your material, you have a good input level setting.
10. Click the Record button (the one with the big red dot on it) to start
recording.

TIP
If you find that there’s a bit of a delay from the time you hit the Record button
to the time that Sound Forge actually starts recording, click the Prepare
button first. This tells Sound Forge to prepare its recording buffers and to
prepare your sound card for recording. More than likely you won’t need to do
this, but using the Prepare feature can yield more accurate results when using
the Punch-In recording mode. I’ll talk more about that later.

11. Play the material that you want to record. As you make your
recording, the Time Recorded display shows how much time has
elapsed during your recording; the Time Left On Drive display
shows how much space you have left on your hard drive in the form CHAPTER 6
of hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. You can change the
format of both the Time Recorded and Time Left On Drive displays
by choosing a different option from the Input Format drop-down list.

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TIP
By clicking the Marker button (the one with the letter M on it), you can drop
Markers into your audio file while it’s being recorded. This can be very useful
if you need to keep track of different places within the audio or if you need to
separate the file into different sections. An example might be if you are
recording your own sound effects and you need to get a number of variations
of the same sound, such as hitting a trash can to get a percussion effect. Each
time you hit the trash can, you would pause and drop a Marker to indicate
the different hits. After you finished recording all the hits, you could easily
split the file into separate files (one for each hit variation) by using the
Markers to Regions feature. Just select Special > Regions List > Markers To
Regions. I explained Markers and Regions in Chapter 5.

12. When you’re finished, click the Stop button (the one with the big
black square on it) to stop recording. The Stop button is actually
located in the same place as the Record button. When Sound Forge is
idle, the button acts as the Record button. As audio is being recorded,
the button acts as the Stop button. After you’ve stopped recording,
Sound Forge will display your new audio waveform in the Data
Window you opened previously (see Figure 6.8). You may need to
move the Record dialog over a bit to see underneath.

Figure 6.8
After you finish
recording, Sound Forge
displays an audio
waveform in the Data
Window you opened
earlier.

13. Listen to your new recording by clicking the Play button (the one
with the green triangle on it) in the Record dialog box. Earlier, I told
you to set the recording mode to Automatic Retake. This tells Sound
Forge to automatically “rewind” (or set the Current Position) back to
the beginning of the file. So, if you don’t like the recording, you can
simply do it over again by going back to Step 7.
14. After you’ve got a recording that you like, just click Close to leave the
Record dialog box.

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CAUTION
Be sure to save your audio file after you’ve finished recording. This step isn’t
mandatory, but it’s a good precautionary measure because you never know
when your computer might decide to crash on you. Rather than lose that
really great recording, quickly select File > Save (or press Ctrl+S on your
computer keyboard) so you can rest easy in knowing that your data is safe.

TIP
If you have your home studio set up within a single room containing all of
your equipment (including your computer) and you are recording audio by
using a microphone, the microphone will pick up the background noise made
by your electronic devices (including the fan inside your computer). To
remedy this situation, you might want to set up your microphone and one of
your MIDI instruments in a different room, while keeping them connected to
your computer via longer cables. Then, you can set up some MIDI Triggers
(you learned about them in Chapter 3), so that you can control Sound Forge
remotely. This way, when you record the audio from your microphone, it
won’t pick up all that background noise.

Multiple-Take Recording
When using the Automatic Retake mode, you can easily redo your
recording, because Sound Forge automatically “rewinds” to the beginning
of the file. But this also overwrites any existing data. What if you want to
keep all of the different versions of your recording and then pick the best
one after you’ve finished? You can do this by using any of the three
available multiple-take recording modes.

Multiple Takes Creating Regions

The Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode allows you to make
multiple recordings one right after the other and have them all stored
CHAPTER 6
within the same audio file, but separated into different Regions within
that file. I talked about Regions in Chapter 5. To use this recording mode,
do the following:
1. Create a new audio file by selecting File > New to open the New
Window dialog box.
2. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to
use for your new file. Then click OK.
3. Select Special > Transport > Record to open the Record dialog box.

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4. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to

compensate for any DC offset that may be present because of your
audio hardware.
5. Select the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode via the
Mode drop-down list.
6. Activate the Monitor option. You should see the recording meters
display your current audio input signal level in decibels.
7. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud,
but also not too soft. To do so, you have to use the software mixer
that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you
should see a small, yellow speaker icon. Double-click on the speaker
icon to open your sound card mixer. Then select Options >
Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the
Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes
below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for
your sound card mixer.
8. For the set of controls labeled Line-In, activate the Select option. This
option tells your sound card that you want to record audio by using
its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection
(such as a microphone or internal CD player), you need to use the set
of controls associated with that connection.

NOTE
These steps show how to use a standard Windows sound card for recording.
You might have a sound card that used a different method for setting audio
input levels. In that case, you need to read the documentation for your sound
card to find out how to use it correctly.

9. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound
card, begin playing the material you would like to record. Be sure the
material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record.
As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box
will light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You
should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for
the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the
loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not
turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you
record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the
recording meters light up at around 6dB during the loudest portion
of your material, you have a good input level setting.
10. Click the Record button (the one with the big red dot on it) to start
recording.

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 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6 119

TIP
If you find that there’s a bit of a delay from the time you hit the Record button
to the time that Sound Forge actually starts recording, click the Prepare
button first. This tells Sound Forge to prepare its recording buffers and to
prepare your sound card for recording. More than likely, you won’t need to
do this, but using the Prepare feature can yield more accurate results when
using the Punch-In recording mode. I’ll talk more about that later.

11. Play the material that you want to record. As you make your
recording, the Time Recorded display shows how much time has
elapsed during your recording; the Time Left On Drive display shows
how much space you have left on your hard drive in the form of
hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. You can change the
format of both the Time Recorded and Time Left On Drive displays
by choosing a different option from the Input Format drop-down list.
12. When you’re finished, click the Stop button (the one with the big
black square on it) to stop recording. The Stop button is actually
located in the same place as the Record button. When Sound Forge is
idle, the button acts as the Record button. As audio is being recorded,
the button acts as the Stop button. After you’ve stopped recording,
Sound Forge will display your new audio waveform in the Data
Window you opened previously. You may need to move the Record
dialog over a bit to see underneath.
13. Since we’re using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording
mode, Sound Forge keeps the Current Position located at the end of
the current recording. So, to record another take/Region, just go back
to step 10.
14. After you’ve finished all of the takes that you need, just click Close to
leave the Record dialog box.
Your audio file will now contain all of the recordings that you made,
separated into Regions within the same file. If you want to extract each
Region into a separate file, just use the Extract Regions function
(described in Chapter 5). CHAPTER 6

CAUTION
Be sure to save your audio file after you’ve finished recording. This step isn’t
mandatory, but it’s a good precautionary measure, because you never know
when your computer might decide to crash on you. Rather than lose that
really great recording, quickly select File > Save (or press Ctrl+S on your
computer keyboard) so you can rest easy in knowing that your data is safe.

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120 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6

Multiple Takes (No Regions)

The Multiple Takes (No Regions) recording mode works in exactly the
same way as the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode, except
that each take is not separated into a Region. Instead, you are left with
having to either designate each take manually by inserting Markers or by
recording some silence between each take to separate them. To use the
Multiple Takes (No Regions) recording mode, follow the same steps as
when using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode. The
only difference is that in Step 5, be sure to select the Multiple Takes (No
Regions) recording mode from the Mode drop-down list.

Create a New Window

The Create A New Window For Each Take recording mode also works in
the same way as the two previously mentioned recording modes, except
that each take is put into a separate Data Window. To use the Create A
New Window For Each Take recording mode, follow the same steps as
when using the Multiple Takes Creating Regions recording mode. The
only difference is that in Step 5, be sure to select the Create A New
Window For Each Take recording mode from the Mode drop-down list.

Punch-In Recording
If you make a mistake during a recording, you may think that the only
way to correct it is to do the recording all over again. Not so. By using
Sound Forge’s Punch-In recording mode, you can rerecord only the part
of your material that was messed up, leaving the good parts alone.
Using the Punch-In recording mode, you can set up Sound Forge to
automatically start recording and stop recording at precise times within
an audio file. You therefore can record over certain parts of your material
without having to redo the entire thing. The Punch-In recording mode is
similar to the other recording modes, but with a few differences. Here’s
the step-by-step procedure:
1. Say you want to correct some mistakes on an audio file that you just
recorded. To get started, select the Punch-In recording mode from the
Mode drop-down list in the Record dialog box.
2. For the Start parameter, enter the hour, minute, second, and
millisecond at which you want Sound Forge to begin recording. And
for the End parameter, enter the hour, minute, second, and
millisecond at which you want Sound Forge to stop recording. The
section of the audio file that falls between the Start and End
parameters should contain the part of your material in which the
mistakes are located.

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TIP
For a much easier way to set the Start and End parameters, try creating a
Region that contains the area of your audio file that you would like to
rerecord. You’ll need to do this before you open the Record dialog box. I
talked about creating Regions in Chapter 5. After you’ve created the Region,
open the Record dialog box and click on the Selection button to open the Set
Selection dialog box (see Figure 6.9). In the Set Selection dialog box, select
your recently created Region from the Selection drop-down list. Then click
OK. Your Start and End parameters are automatically set to the start and end
of the Region. This technique is much easier than trying to guess and set the
Start and End parameters manually.

Figure 6.9
Use the Set Selection
dialog box for an easier
way to set the Start and
End parameters in the
Record dialog box.

3. At the bottom of the Record dialog box, activate the Review Pre/Post-
Roll option. Then enter the number of seconds you would like Sound
Forge to play, both before it begins recording and after it stops
recording. This lets you get prepared before recording begins, and it
lets you hear whether there is a smooth transition after recording ends.
4. Click the Record button (the one with the big red dot on it) to start
recording. Depending on how many seconds you set for the Review
Pre-Roll, you’ll hear some of the material being played before
recording begins.
5. Play along with the existing material as you did before when you first
recorded the audio file. When Sound Forge reaches the time
indicated by the Start parameter, the program will automatically start
recording the new material over the old material. CHAPTER 6
6. When the Current Position has reached the time indicated by the End
parameter, Sound Forge will stop recording. Depending on how
many seconds you set for the Review Post-Roll, you’ll hear some of
the material being played after recording stops. Sound Forge replaces
any existing material between the times indicated by the Start and
End parameters with the new material that you just recorded. As long
as no mistakes were made this time, your audio file is now fixed.
7. Listen to the new material by clicking the Play button (the one with
the green triangle on it). If you like what you hear, move on to the
next step. Otherwise, go back to Step 4.

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8. After you’re satisfied with the new material, click Close to leave the
Record dialog box.

CAUTION
Be sure to save your audio file after you’ve finished recording. This step isn’t
mandatory, but it’s a good precautionary measure because you never know
when your computer might decide to crash on you. Rather than lose that
really great recording, quickly select File > Save (or press Ctrl+S on your
computer keyboard) so you can rest easy in knowing that your data is safe.

Remote Recording
The Remote Recording mode is a bit misleading, because it is not really a
recording mode like the ones mentioned earlier. And it doesn’t allow you
to control Sound Forge remotely. Instead, clicking the Remote button in
the Record dialog box simply hides Sound Forge’s main program
window, leaving a small window on the screen that contains the essential
controls from the Record dialog box (see Figure 6.10).

Figure 6.10
The Record Remote
window is a condensed
version of the Record
dialog box.

All of the controls in the Record Remote window work exactly the same
way as in the Record dialog box. So why would you need a feature like
this? Well, its main use is for running Sound Forge along with another
program on your computer simultaneously. For example, let’s say you
want to make a stereo digital audio recording of a MIDI composition you
created in your MIDI sequencer. You could do that by running your MIDI
sequencer and Sound Forge on the same computer. With Sound Forge in
Remote Recording mode, it’s much easier to access your MIDI sequencer
and control Sound Forge at the same time. By initiating playback in your
MIDI sequencer and then starting the recording process in Sound Forge
via the Record Remote window, you can easily record your MIDI
compositions as stereo audio files.

Synchronization
Another aspect related to recording that you should know about is
synchronization. This subject is very complicated and a bit beyond the
scope of this book, but you might need to utilize synchronization in a

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 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6 123

couple of different situations. So, I’ll cover a few of the basics and
explain how to use synchronization when Sound Forge is syncing to an
external device or an external device is syncing to Sound Forge.

Basics
All music is based on time. Without time, there is no music. To record
and play audio data, Sound Forge needs a timing reference. It uses this
reference to keep track of the Current Position during recording and
playback. When you work with Sound Forge alone, it uses the clock built
into your sound card as a timing reference. So, the built-in clock on your
sound card provides the timing for the Current Position during recording
and playback. This is internal synchronization.
Sometimes, however, you might need to synchronize Sound Forge
externally with another device. For example, if you have a videotape
containing some footage to which you would like to add narration or
music, you could use Sound Forge for this task by syncing it to the
videotape. In this situation, the VCR would be known as the master
device, and Sound Forge would be the slave device. The master would
send messages to the slave, telling it when to start and stop, and what
timing to use so that they can stay in sync with one another. To
accomplish this, you need to use what is called SMPTE/MIDI Time Code.

SMPTE/MIDI Time Code

You learned a little about SMPTE in Chapter 5, so you know that it is a
timing reference that counts hours, minutes, seconds, and frames (as in
video frames). But you didn’t really learn how it works.

NOTE
In addition to video, SMPTE/MIDI Time Code is often used to synchronize
digital audio software to an external multitrack tape recorder, or DAT (digital
audio tape) deck. The procedure for doing this (explained next) is the same.

CHAPTER 6
SMPTE is a complex audio signal that is recorded onto a tape track (in
the case of video, it’s recorded onto one of the stereo audio tracks) by
using a Time Code generator. This signal represents the absolute amount
of time over the length of the tape in hours, minutes, seconds, and
frames. A program (such as Sound Forge) reading the code can be
synchronized to any exact moment along the length of the entire tape
recording. In our video example, the VCR would be the master, and
Sound Forge would be the slave. When you play the tape in the VCR,
Sound Forge will record the current audio file to the exact hour, minute,
second, and frame.

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Reading the Time Code from tape requires a SMPTE converter, which
translates the SMPTE code into MTC (MIDI Time Code). The MIDI Time
Code is read by your MIDI interface and sent to Sound Forge via the
MIDI input port that you set back in Chapter 3. MIDI Time Code is the
equivalent of SMPTE, except that it exists as special MIDI messages
rather than as an audio signal. As Sound Forge receives MTC, it
calculates the exact Current Position that corresponds to the exact time
reading. This means that you can start playback anywhere along the tape,
and Sound Forge will begin recording audio data at precisely the right
point in the current file in perfect sync.

Sync with SMPTE (Recording)

As an example, say you wanted to add some narration to a video. This
video might be your own or a video from a client. To synchronize Sound
Forge to the video, you need to follow these steps:
1. If the video is your own, you need to add SMPTE Time Code to it by
using a SMPTE generator. This process is called striping. I won’t go
into the details of doing that here. You’ll need to purchase a SMPTE
generator and read the instructions in the included manual on how
to stripe SMPTE to tape. If the video is from a client, they will
probably stripe the tape before sending it to you.

TIP
You also need a SMPTE converter to read the Time Code from the tape. If you
have a professional MIDI interface attached to your computer, it might
provide SMPTE generating and converting capabilities. Check the user’s
manual to be sure. You might be able to save yourself some money. I use a
Music Quest 8Port/SE MIDI interface, which includes multiple MIDI ports as
well as SMPTE capabilities. Unfortunately, the 8Port/SE is no longer
available, but you can find similar products from a company called Midiman
(www.midiman.com).

2. Create a new audio file by selecting File > New to open the New
Window dialog box.
3. Set the sampling rate, bit depth, and number of channels you want to
use for your new file. Then click OK.
4. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
Click on the MIDI/Sync tab. Choose the appropriate MIDI input port
from the Input drop-down list. I talked in detail about MIDI settings
in Chapter 3.
5. Select Special > Transport > Record to open the Record dialog box.
6. Activate the DC Adjust option and click the Calibrate button to
compensate for any DC offset that may be present because of your
audio hardware.

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7. Select the Automatic Retake recording mode via the Mode drop-
down list.
8. Activate the Monitor option. You should see the recording meters
display your current audio input signal level in decibels.
9. Set the audio input level for your sound card so that it’s not too loud,
but also not too soft. To do so, you have to use the software mixer
that came with your sound card. In the Windows Taskbar, you
should see a small, yellow speaker icon. Double-click on the speaker
icon to open your sound card mixer. Then, select Options >
Properties to open the sound card mixer Properties dialog box. In the
Adjust Volume For section, select Recording, make sure all boxes
below are checked, and click OK to display the recording controls for
your sound card mixer.
10. For the set of controls labeled Line-In, activate the Select option. This
option tells your sound card that you want to record audio by using
its line input connection. If you want to use a different connection
(such as a microphone or internal CD player), you need to use the set
of controls associated with that connection.
11. When you have access to the input level controls for your sound
card, begin playing the material you would like to record. Be sure the
material is played at the loudest level at which you plan to record.
As the material plays, the recording meters in the Record dialog box
will light up, displaying the current audio input signal level. You
should adjust the input level (by manipulating the Volume fader for
the Line-In connection in your sound card mixer) so that when the
loudest part of your material is playing, the recording meters do not
turn red. If they turn red, you have overloaded the input, and if you
record at that level, your audio signal will be distorted. If the
recording meters light up at around 6 dB during the loudest
portion of your material, you have a good input level setting.
12. Click the Sync button to open the Record Synchronization dialog box
(see Figure 6.11).

Figure 6.11
CHAPTER 6
You can set the
synchronization
parameters via the
Record Synchronization
dialog box.

13. Activate the Enable MTC/SMPTE Input Synchronization option.

14. If you want recording to start at a specific SMPTE time automatically,
activate the Start option and then input a SMPTE time in hours,
minutes, seconds, and frames. Otherwise, recording will start as soon
as a time code from the external device is received.
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126 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6

15. If you want recording to end at a specific SMPTE time automatically,

activate the End option and then input a SMPTE time in hours,
minutes, seconds, and frames. Otherwise, you will have to manually
stop the recording process by clicking the Stop button.
16. Click Close to close the Record Synchronization dialog box.
17. Using the Input Format drop-down list, select the format of SMPTE
sync (as in the frame rate) that you would like to use. If you’re adding
audio to your own video, just use the SMPTE Non-Drop format. If
you’re adding audio for a client, they should let you know what
format you need to use.

NOTE
Different types of video material use different tape speeds for recording. The
frame rate corresponds to how many frames per second are used to record the
video to tape. For film, 24 frames per second is used. For video, several
different rates are used, depending on whether the video is recorded in color
or black and white, and so on. For more information about frame rates, you
should consult the user’s guide for your SMPTE generating/reading device.

18. Click the Prepared button to tell Sound Forge to start “listening” for
any incoming SMPTE/MTC data. Sound Forge will flash a green
indicator light that says Prepared (see Figure 6.12).

Figure 6.12
After you click the
Prepared button, Sound
Forge flashes a green
indicator light letting
you know it is ready
and waiting.

Prepared button

19. Start playback on your master device (in this case, start the tape
playing in the VCR). It will then send SMPTE code to Sound Forge. If
you entered a value into the Input Synchronization Start parameter,
Sound Forge won’t start recording until the appropriate SMPTE time
is reached. Otherwise, it will start recording right away.
20. If you entered a value into the Input Synchronization End parameter,
Sound Forge will stop recording automatically at the appropriate
SMPTE time. If you didn’t enter a value for the End parameter, click
the Stop button to stop recording when you’re ready. Also, be sure to
stop playback on your master device.

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 Recording and Playback — Chapter 6 127

21. After you’ve finished recording, click Close to leave the Record
dialog box.

Sync with SMPTE (Playback)

You may also run into a situation where you need an external device to
synchronize to the playback of a file in Sound Forge. In that case, do the
following:
1. Open an audio file in Sound Forge.
2. Select Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box.
Click on the MIDI/Sync tab. Choose the appropriate MIDI output port
from the Output drop-down list. This is the MIDI port to which your
external device is connected. I talked in detail about MIDI settings in
Chapter 3.
3. Select Options > MIDI Output Sync to activate MTC output from
Sound Forge.
4. Set up your external device to receive SMPTE/MTC. You’ll need
to refer to the owner’s manual for your device to find out how to
do this.
5. You may need to enter a SMPTE/MTC offset in hours, minutes,
seconds, and frames. For example, if you are syncing a tape deck to
Sound Forge but the material on the tape doesn’t start at the very
beginning, you may need Sound Forge to output SMPTE/MTC
starting at a different value than 00:00:00:00, which is its default
starting value. To set a playback offset, select Options > Preferences.
Click the MIDI/Sync tab. Activate the Enable SMPTE Playback Offset
option and type in an offset in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.
6. Start playback on the external device. Instead of playing, it should
wait for an incoming SMPTE/MTC signal.
7. In Sound Forge, select Special > Transport > Play to begin playback
of the current audio file. At this time, Sound Forge starts playback of
the file and simultaneously sends out SMPTE/MTC to the external
device. The external device should also start playing in sync with the
audio from Sound Forge. CHAPTER 6
A little confused? Well, as I said, synchronization is a complicated
subject. You’ll find some more information in the Sound Forge manual
and the help file, but it can still be difficult to understand. Your best bet
is to experiment as much as possible with synchronization and get a
good beginner’s book on audio recording. Knowing how to utilize
synchronization is worthwhile if a situation that requires it ever arises.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 129

7
Editing Basics

CHAPTER 7
After you’ve finished recording, it’s time to do some editing. This is
where Sound Forge shines. The program provides a vast array of editing,
processing, and effects tools so that you can mold your audio data every
which way imaginable. I’ll be talking about the processing tools in
Chapter 8 and the effects tools in Chapter 9. In this chapter, however, I’ll
cover the following topics:
 Working with the Data Window
 Selecting audio data
 Copying, cutting, deleting, cropping, and pasting audio data
 Using Undo/Redo and the Undo/Redo History
 Using the Edit, Magnify, and Pencil Tools

CAUTION
Before you do any editing of your recently recorded material, I suggest that
you make a backup of your audio file. This way, if you totally mess things up
during the editing process, you’ll still have your raw data to fall back on. Take
a look at Appendix C, “Backing Up Your Files,” for more information.

FIND
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130 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

The Data Window

Whenever you open an existing audio file or record a new one, Sound
Forge displays a Data Window (see Figure 7.1).

Figure 7.1
Sound Forge displays
your audio file in a
Data Window.

The Data Window gives you access to your audio data for viewing,
editing, and processing. More than one Data Window can be open
simultaneously so that you can edit more than one file at a time, if you
need to. You already learned how to work with the Data Window in
terms of navigating within Sound Forge and recording new audio files.
However, I haven’t talked about actually manipulating the audio data
within the Data Window. Manipulating includes selecting, copying,
cutting, pasting, and so on.

Scrolling
As you already know, the Data Window displays the data from your file
as a graphical representation of its audio waveform. If your file is
monophonic (one channel), one waveform is shown. If your file is stereo
(two channels), two waveforms are shown; the top waveform represents
the left channel and the bottom waveform represents the right channel.
The length of the audio waveform is shown horizontally from left (the
beginning of the file) to right (the end of the file). More often than not, the
data from the entire file will not fit within the Data Window. For
situations like this, the Data Window provides a scroll bar (located just
below the waveform display and just above the Playbar). This scroll bar
works the same as scroll bars in any standard Windows application. You
can either click on the scroll bar arrows to move the display or click and
drag the scroll bar itself to move the display. As you scroll to the right,
the values in the Time Ruler increase and you can view the data in the
remaining part of the audio file. Scrolling doesn’t change the Current
Position Cursor, though (as you learned in Chapter 5).

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Zooming
The Data Window also provides zooming functions. Using these, you can
magnify the audio waveform in case you want to do some really precise
editing. If you take a look at the bottom of the Data Window, you’ll notice
two sets of buttons (one set to the left of the scroll bar and one set to the

CHAPTER 7
right of the scroll bar) that have little pictures of magnifying glasses on
them. Using the buttons to the right of the scroll bar (the Time Zoom
buttons), you can magnify the audio waveform horizontally in time. So,
by clicking on the Time Zoom In button (the one with the big magnifying
glass on it), the audio waveform grows longer horizontally and gives you
a more detailed look at the data. Clicking on the Time Zoom Out button
(the one with the small magnifying glass on it), of course, does the
opposite. As you use the Time Zoom buttons, you’ll also notice that the
values in the Time Ruler change to reflect the more detailed view, and the
Time Zoom Resolution display (located to the right of the scroll bar) also
changes. The Time Zoom Resolution shows the current zoom resolution
as a ratio. A zoom resolution of 1:1 gives you the most detailed
(magnified) view of the audio waveform that’s possible. The least detailed
view you can achieve depends on the length of the audio waveform. By
default, a ratio of 1:4,096 can be achieved.

TIP
You can change the default zoom out ratio, by choosing Options > Preferences
to open the Preferences dialog box. Then, click on the Display tab and select a
new ratio from the Normal Zoom Ratio drop-down list.

The buttons to the left of the scroll bar (the Level Zoom buttons) work in
the same manner as the Time Zoom buttons, except that they affect the
display vertically. Clicking on the Level Zoom In button (the one with the
big magnifying glass on it) will magnify the amplitude level of the audio
waveform. Clicking on the Level Zoom Out button (the one with the
small magnifying glass on it) does the opposite. As you manipulate these
buttons, the Level Ruler (located on the left side of the Data Window)
changes to reflect the different amplitude levels shown for the audio
waveform.

TIP
The Level Ruler can be made to show amplitude levels in decibels (dB) or as
a percentage. Just right-click on the Level Ruler and select the appropriate
option: Label In dB or Label In Percent.

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132 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

In addition to the Zoom buttons themselves, you’ll notice a small vertical

bar located in between each set of Zoom buttons. By clicking and
dragging on this bar, you can quickly change the zoom values for either
Level or Time. Click and drag to the left to decrease the values; click and
drag to the right to increase the values.

TIP
For an even quicker way to change the zoom values, use the View > Zoom
Level and View > Zoom Time menus. They are self-explanatory.

The Magnify Tool

In addition to the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons, as well as the Zoom
menu functions, Sound Forge provides the Magnify Tool. You can use
this tool to select a range of data and just zoom in on that selection. To
use it, simply do the following:
1. Choose Edit > Tool > Magnify to activate the Magnify Tool. You can
also click on the Magnify Tool button in the Standard Toolbar (see
Chapter 3 for more information). And you can click on the Edit Tool
Selector in the Data Window.
2. Move your mouse pointer within the waveform display of the Data
Window, and it turns into a magnifying glass.
3. Click and drag anywhere within the area to draw a rectangle around
the data that you would like to zoom (see Figure 7.2).

Figure 7.2
You just click and
drag to draw a rectangle
with the Magnify Tool.

4. Release the mouse button. Sound Forge then zooms in on the data
within the rectangle (both horizontally in time and vertically in level,
depending on how you drag the mouse).
The Magnify Tool remains activated so that you can perform another
zoom procedure if you would like. To reactivate the Edit Tool (which I
will talk about shortly), choose Edit > Tool > Edit. You can also click on
the Edit Tool button in the Standard Toolbar, or you can click on the Edit
Tool Selector in the Data Window.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 133

Selecting and the Edit Tool

To manipulate your audio data in a file, you have to be able to select it.
There are a number of ways to do this in Sound Forge. The most common
is by simply dragging your mouse within the waveform display of the
Data Window. Just activate the Edit Tool (the tool used for selecting data

CHAPTER 7
in Sound Forge) by choosing Edit > Tool > Edit. You can also click on the
Edit Tool button in the Standard Toolbar, or you can click on the Edit
Tool Selector in the Data Window. Then, just click and drag your mouse
within the waveform display in the Data Window to select a portion of
the data.

TIP
When working with stereo files, you can select data in the left and right
channels independently or in both channels at once. To select data in both
channels, click and drag your mouse in the middle of the waveform display.
To select data in the left channel, click and drag your mouse in the top
portion of the waveform display. You’ll notice a small letter L attached to
your mouse cursor, which lets you know that only data in the left channel
will be selected. To select data in the right channel, click and drag your
mouse in the bottom portion of the waveform display. You’ll notice a small
letter R attached to your mouse cursor, which lets you know that only data in
the right channel will be selected.

When you select a portion of data in the Data Window, you’ll notice the
values in the Selection Status Bar change. The first value shows the time
at which the beginning of the selection resides. The second value shows
the time at which the ending of the selection resides. The third value
shows the length of the current selection. These values are shown in the
same format as the Time Ruler. If you change the Time Ruler format (by
right-clicking and choosing a different format from the pop-up menu), the
format of the Selection Status Bar will change as well.
You can also select data in a number of other ways, including the
following:
 To select all the data in a file, choose Edit > Select All or press
Ctrl+A on your computer keyboard.
 To toggle the selection on and off, choose Special > Toggle Selection
or press S on your computer keyboard.

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134 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

The Set Selection Dialog Box

If you want to be more precise, you can select data by entering exact
numeric values for the Start, End, and Length of a selection by using the
Set Selection dialog box. Here’s how:
1. Choose Edit > Selection > Set to open the Set Selection dialog box
(see Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3
The Set Selection
dialog box allows you
to specify a selection
using exact numerical
values.

2. Choose a value format via the Input Format drop-down list. For
example, if you would rather specify your selection in measures and
beats rather than in time, choose Measures & Beats from the drop-
down list.
3. If you are editing a stereo audio file, use the Channel drop-down list
to choose whether you want to make a selection in both channels or
just in the left or right channel.
4. Enter a value for the Start parameter to define where in the file the
selection will begin.
5. Enter a value for the End parameter to define where in the file the
selection will end.
6. You can also enter a value to define how long the selection will be by
using the Length parameter. Changing the Length parameter,
however, will also change the End parameter.
7. To listen to the data within your selection, click the Play button.
8. When finished defining the selection, click OK.
Your new selection is set in the Data Window.

Adjusting the Selection

After you’ve made your selection, you may find that it needs a little
adjusting. This can be done easily with a quick click and drag of the
mouse. To adjust your selection, do one of the following:
 To adjust the beginning or end of a selection, move your mouse over
the start or end of the selection until your mouse cursor turns into a
double-ended arrow. Then, click and drag either left or right to make
the selection longer or shorter.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 135

 You can also adjust the ends of a selection by simply holding down
the Shift key on your computer keyboard and then clicking once
anywhere before or after the defined selection to adjust the selection’s
beginning or end.

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TIP
You can also set and adjust selections using nothing but your computer
keyboard. There are fifteen different keyboard combinations available that
provide various selection functions. To see a list of these keyboard
combinations, open the Sound Forge Help file by choosing Help > Contents
and Index. Double-click on Shortcuts. Double-click on Keyboard Shortcuts.
Click on Waveform Display Keyboard Shortcuts. Choose Selecting Data. The
list is displayed.

Snapping the Selection

There may be occasions when you want the start and/or end of a
selection to match up to the exact time values in the Time Ruler. This can
be difficult to do with a mouse, but Sound Forge has some specific
functions to remedy the situation:
 To snap both the start and end of a selection to the nearest rounded
time values on the Time Ruler, choose Edit > Selection > Snap To
Time.
 To snap just the start of a selection to the nearest rounded time value
on the Time Ruler, move the Current Position Cursor to the start of
the selection by moving your mouse over the start of the selection
until the mouse cursor turns into a double-ended arrow and clicking
the left mouse button once. Then, choose Edit > Selection > Snap
Edge To Time.
 To snap just the end of a selection to the nearest rounded time value
on the Time Ruler, move the Current Position Cursor to the end of
the selection by moving your mouse over the end of the selection
until the mouse cursor turns into a double-ended arrow, and clicking
the left mouse button once. Then, choose Edit > Selection > Snap
Edge To Time.
Even more important, however, is being able to snap the start and/or end
of a selection to a zero crossing in the audio waveform.

NOTE
Remember the description of the zero axis from Chapter 6? Well, any point in
an audio waveform that lands on the zero axis is called a zero crossing. It’s
called that because, as the waveform moves up and down, it crosses over the
zero axis.

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136 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

Why is it important that your selections line up with zero crossings? It’s
because a zero crossing is a point in the audio waveform at which no
sound is being made. A zero crossing provides a perfect spot at which to
edit the waveform—for example, when you’re cutting and pasting pieces
of audio. If you edit an audio waveform at a point where it’s either above
or below the zero axis, you might introduce glitches, which can come in
the form of audible pops and clicks. You get these glitches because you
cut at a moment when sound is being produced. You also get them
because, when you’re pasting pieces of audio together, you cannot
guarantee that the ends of each waveform will line up perfectly (except,
of course, if they both are at zero crossings).
To snap a selection to a zero crossing, do one of the following:
 To snap both the start and end of a selection to the nearest zero
crossings, choose Edit > Selection > Snap To Zero.
 To snap just the start of a selection to the nearest zero crossing, move
the Current Position Cursor to the start of the selection by moving
your mouse over the start of the selection until the mouse cursor
turns into a double-ended arrow and clicking the left mouse button
once. Then, choose Edit > Selection > Snap Edge To Zero.
 To snap just the end of a selection to the nearest zero crossing, move
the Current Position Cursor to the end of the selection by moving
your mouse over the end of the selection until the mouse cursor
turns into a double-ended arrow, and clicking the left mouse button
once. Then, choose Edit > Selection > Snap Edge To Zero.

TIP
If you would like to have your selections snap automatically as you are
making a selection, choose one of the following options: Options > Auto Snap
To Time or Options > Auto Snap To Zero.

Copying, Cutting, Pasting, and More

After you’ve made a selection, you can do a variety of things to the
selected data. Some of the more common ones include copying the data
to the Clipboard (a temporary storage area), cutting and removing the data
from the file to the Clipboard, deleting the data, trimming/cropping the
data, and pasting the data. You can accomplish these tasks as follows:
 To delete the data, choose Edit > Delete or hit the Delete key on your
computer keyboard.
 To delete all the data in the file, except for the data in the selection,
choose Edit > Trim/Crop or hit Ctrl+T on your computer keyboard.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 137

 To copy the data to the Clipboard, choose Edit > Copy. This simply
makes a copy of the data and leaves the data in the selection intact.
 To cut the data from the file and store it in the Clipboard, choose Edit
> Cut. This removes the selected data from the file and places it in
the Clipboard. This is the same as copying the selected data and then

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deleting it.
 To paste any data from the Clipboard to an open audio file, move the
Current Position Cursor to the position within the audio file at which
you would like to paste the data. Then, choose Edit > Paste. The data
are inserted into the file starting at the Current Position Cursor. If
data are located after the Cursor, those data are pushed back to make
room for the new data.

TIP
Data copied or cut from a file are placed in the Clipboard. To view statistical
information about the data being held in the Clipboard, choose View >
Clipboard > Contents. This gives you the format, attributes, length, number of
samples, and size in bytes of the audio data being held in the Clipboard. You
can also listen to the data being held in the Clipboard by choosing View >
Clipboard > Play.

Special Pasting Functions

There may be times when pasting (inserting) the data from the Clipboard
into your audio file isn’t exactly what you need. You may want to utilize
the Clipboard data in a variety of ways, and Sound Forge provides five
special paste functions for these purposes.

Overwrite
The Paste Overwrite function lets you paste the data from the Clipboard
over a current data selection. For example, if you have a situation where
you are trying to piece together a great vocal audio recording from a
couple of pre-recorded files, you can copy a good section from one file
and paste it into the other file, thereby replacing the bad part in the
second file. Here’s how the function works:
1. Select and copy the data you would like to use for overwriting so
that it is placed in the Clipboard.
2. Select the data to be replaced. The data to be replaced can reside
either in the current file or in a different file.
3. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Overwrite.
Sound Forge replaces the selected data with the data in the Clipboard.
There are two exceptions to this: If the data selection is longer than the
data in the Clipboard, the Clipboard replaces only the first part of the

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138 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

data in the selection. The remaining data are untouched. If the data
selection is shorter than the data in the Clipboard, the Clipboard replaces
all of the data in the selection, but only for the length of the selection. In
this instance, not all of the data from the Clipboard will be used. More
often than not, you’ll want the length of the selected data and the length
of the data in the Clipboard to match up.

Replicate
The Paste Replicate function lets you paste the data from the Clipboard
repeatedly over a current data selection. For example, if you have a one-
measure drum beat and you want to fill up four more measures in your
audio file with the same drum beat, you can copy and paste that one
measure into the next four measures quickly and easily using the Paste
Replicate function. Here’s how the function works:
1. Select and copy the data you would like to use for replicating so that
it is placed in the Clipboard.
2. Make a new selection in the current file or a selection in another
open file, and be sure the length of the new selection matches up to
the amount of data you want to replicate. So, if you copied one
measure of data and you want to copy it four times, be sure to make
the new selection four measures long.
3. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Replicate to open the Replicate dialog
box (see Figure 7.4).
Figure 7.4
The Paste Replicate
function lets you paste
multiple copies of the
data contained in the
Clipboard.
4. If the length of the new selection you made in Step 2 is not an exact
multiple of the length of the data in the Clipboard, the new selection
may or may not be filled entirely with data. In other words, if the data
in the Clipboard is one measure long, but you make the new selection
only three and a half measures long, that last half of a measure might
be left empty. In the Replicate dialog box, if you choose the Whole
Copies option, only whole copies of the Clipboard data will be used
to fill the selection, so in our example, only three measures would be
filled. If you choose the Copy Partials option, the entire selection
would be filled. The first three measures would contain whole copies
of the Clipboard data and the last half of a measure would contain
only the first half of the Clipboard data. Choose the option you would
like to use.
5. Click OK.
Sound Forge copies the data from the Clipboard as many times as it takes
to fill the current data selection.
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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 139

Paste To New
The Paste To New function is the simplest of the Paste functions. To use
the Paste To New function, select and copy some data into the Clipboard.
Then, choose Edit > Paste Special > Paste To New. Sound Forge takes the
data from the Clipboard and places it into a new Data Window, ready and

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waiting to be edited and saved as an entirely separate audio file.

Mix
The Paste Mix function lets you mix the data from the Clipboard with the
data in an open audio file. For example, if you have a vocal narration that
you would like to add to an already existing piece of background music,
you can use the Paste Mix command to mix the two parts together into
one audio file. Here’s how the function works:
1. Select and copy the data you would like to use for mixing so that it is
placed in the Clipboard.
2. Set the Current Position Cursor or set a selection in another open file
to specify where the mixed audio will be placed.
3. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Mix to open the Mix dialog box (see
Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.5
The Paste Mix function
lets you mix the
contents of the
Clipboard with the
data in an open
audio file.

4. If you set a selection in the file rather than just setting the Current
Position Cursor, you can specify whether the mixing will start at the
beginning or the end of the current selection. Choose either the Start
Mix At Start Selection option or the Start Mix At End Selection
option.
5. Adjust the Source Volume slider and the Destination Volume slider.
These controls determine how loud the audio data from the
Clipboard (Source) and the audio data in the file (Destination) will be
after they are mixed together. You can test how the final mixed audio
will sound by clicking the Preview button.

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140 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

6. After setting the appropriate amplitudes for the Source and

Destination, click the Preview button again. This time, listen to
determine if the audio sounds “hollow.” This usually happens due
to phase cancellation, which occurs when one audio waveform
increases in volume and the other decreases in volume at exactly the
same time with the same amount. Because of this phenomenon, they
cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound hollow. If this
occurs, try activating the Invert Data option for either the Source or
the Destination, but not both. This option inverts the audio waveform
and can usually fix the phase cancellation problem.
7. If the Invert Data options don’t help with phase cancellation, you
might be able to fix the problem using the Tune parameter. This
parameter lets you slightly alter the mix start position in the
destination file, meaning the data from the Clipboard will be mixed
slightly before or after the current mixing point. This makes it so
that the audio waveforms don’t line up exactly and, thus, won’t be
changing volumes at exactly the same time, so phase cancellation
won’t occur. To adjust the Tune parameter, simply enter a value in
milliseconds anywhere from 500 to 500. You’ll need to judge by
ear how this affects the final mix by using the Preview button.
8. If you want the Destination Volume to be applied only in the part
of the file where the two audio parts are being mixed, activate the
Apply Destination Volume To Overlapping Area Only. Otherwise,
the Destination Volume slider will change the amplitude of all the
data in the file. More often than not, you’ll want to have this option
activated.
9. If you have the Apply Destination Volume To Overlapping Area
Only option activated, you can also apply an automatic fade to the
Destination Volume. This is a great way to mix a vocal narration
with background music. When the vocal comes in, the background
gets softer so that you can hear the vocal better. To accomplish a
fade, activate the Pre/Post Fade Destination Edges option. Then, set
the number of seconds you would like it to take for the Destination
Volume to get lower at the beginning of the mix (the level is set via
the Destination Volume slider), and the number of seconds you
would like it to take for the Destination Volume to get back to its
original level at the end of the mix. For example, select the Fast
Duck (6 dB) Preset from the Name drop-down list at the top of the
dialog box.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 141

NOTE
A fade is a gradual and smooth increase from a low volume to a higher
volume (usually called a fade-in) or a gradual and smooth decrease from a
high volume to a lower volume (usually called a fade-out). In the vocal
example provided earlier, fading out a piece of background music during a

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mix and then fading the music back in after the mix is usually called ducking.

10. Click OK.

Sound Forge mixes the data together according to your parameter
settings.

Crossfade
The Paste Crossfade function is similar to the Paste Mix function in that it
lets you mix the data from the Clipboard with the data in an open audio
file. However, the Paste Crossfade function goes a bit further. A crossfade
is a special kind of mixing procedure that can come in handy when you
want to make a smooth transition from one style of music to another or
from one instrument to another. It is especially useful when you’re
adding audio to video; you can smoothly change from one type of
background music to another as the scene changes. Of course, it has
many other types of creative uses as well.
When you apply a crossfade to two pieces of audio, it usually works like
this: As the final mixed audio is being played, one of the original pieces
of audio fades in and the other piece of audio fades out. These fades can
occur fast or slow, and at different levels that are independent of each
other. It all depends on how you apply the crossfade. You can apply a
crossfade as follows:
1. Select and copy the data you would like to use for mixing so that it is
placed in the Clipboard.
2. Set the Current Position Cursor or set a selection in another open file
to specify where the mixed audio will be placed.

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142 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

3. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Crossfade to open the Crossfade dialog
box (see Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.6
The Paste Crossfade
function is similar to the
Paste Mix function,
except that it allows you
to apply fades to both
pieces of audio data.

4. If you set a selection in the file rather than just setting the Current
Position Cursor, you can specify whether the mixing will start at the
beginning or at the end of the current selection. Choose either the
Start Crossfade At Start Of Selection option or the Start Crossfade At
End Of Selection option.
5. Adjust the Source and Destination Start Level and End Level sliders.
These controls determine what the amplitude of the Clipboard and
audio file data will be both at the start and end of the crossfade. For
example, if you would like the Clipboard data to fade in and the
audio file data to fade out, set the Source Start Level to Inf dB, the
Source End Level to 0 dB, the Destination Start Level to 0 dB and the
Destination End Level to Inf dB.
6. If phase cancellation occurs, adjust the Tune parameter as I talked
about earlier in the Paste Mix section of this chapter.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge mixes and crossfades the data together according to your
parameter settings.

Dealing with Editing Errors

Sound Forge provides an Undo function that enables you to reverse any
action that you take while editing an audio file. You’re probably familiar
with this feature, because it can be found in most applications that enable
you to manipulate data, such as word processing software and so on. So,
if you ever make a mistake, just choose Edit > Undo or press Ctrl+Z on
your computer keyboard. If, after you undo the action, you decide that
you didn’t really make a mistake after all, you can actually undo the
Undo function by choosing Edit > Redo or pressing Ctrl+Shift+Z on your
computer keyboard.
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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 143

Sound Forge goes even further to help you with editing errors, by
providing an Undo/Redo History feature. This feature logs every step you
take while working on an audio file and enables you to undo or redo each
step, all the way back to the beginning or all the way forward to the end
of your current editing session. Each open Data Window is provided with
its own Undo/Redo History log, so that you can undo and redo steps

CHAPTER 7
independently for each audio file with which you are working.

CAUTION
The Undo/Redo History log for each Data Window is not saved, so as soon as
you close a Data Window, you lose the ability to undo any changes you have
made to that audio file.

To access the Undo/Redo History log, choose View > Undo/Redo History
to open the Undo/Redo window (see Figure 7.7).

Figure 7.7
You can reverse the
actions that you take
via the Undo/Redo
History window.

In the top half of the window, you can see all the actions that can be
undone. In the bottom half of the window, you can see all the actions that
can be redone. Each entry in each list has a description of the action that
was performed along with a range of time (shown as hours, minutes,
seconds, and milliseconds) that designates the part of the audio file that
was processed. In addition, each entry has a small play button next to it.
This lets you hear what the audio would sound like at that particular
point in the editing session. To go back to a certain point in the session,
double-click on an entry. If you’d like, you can keep the Undo/Redo
window open while you work.
There are a number of other useful features associated with the
Undo/Redo functions. They are as follows:
 If you don’t want to be able to undo or redo your editing actions, you
can deactivate the Undo/Redo features for the current Data Window
by choosing Edit > Disable Undo/Redo.
 If you would like to undo all the editing actions for the current Data
Window, choose Edit > Undo All.
 If you would like to clear the Undo/Redo History lists for the current
Data Window (thus losing the ability to reverse any mistakes, but
clearing up some memory and disk space), choose Special >
Undo/Redo History > Clear.
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144 Editing Basics — Chapter 7

 If you would like to clear the Undo/Redo History lists for all the open
Data Windows, choose Special > Undo/Redo History > Clear All.

TIP
You can set how many undo and redo buffers that Sound Forge can use so
that you can conserve memory and disk space. Just choose Options >
Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box. Click the Editing tab. Activate
the Limit Number Of Undo Buffers To and the Limit Number Of Redo Buffers
To options. Enter the number of buffers (from 0 to 999) that you would like
Sound Forge to be limited to. Click OK.

The Pencil Tool

One other basic editing tool that Sound Forge provides is the Pencil Tool.
This tool allows you to “draw” audio data into a file. That’s a bit
misleading, though. You can’t actually use the Pencil Tool to create new
sounds or anything like that. Instead, its main purpose is for making
precise changes or repairs to your audio data. For example, if you have a
click or a pop in your audio that you would like to remove, you may be
able to take it out with the Pencil Tool. Here’s an example of how to use
the Pencil Tool:
1. Find the click or pop in the audio data either by ear or by using the
Find Tool as described in Chapter 5.
2. Zoom in on the area of the audio data containing the disturbance.
The click or pop should look like a sharp disturbance in the audio
waveform, similar to the one shown in Figure 7.8.

Figure 7.8
Clicks or pops are
usually fast noises that
look like spikes in the
normal curve of the
audio waveform.

NOTE
The Pencil Tool will work only when you are using a zoom ratio of 1:32 or
lower. So be sure to use at least that ratio. You’ll probably want to zoom in all
the way using a 1:1 ratio, though, for easier and more precise editing.

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 Editing Basics — Chapter 7 145

3. Activate the Pencil Tool by choosing Edit > Tool > Pencil or by
clicking the Pencil Tool button in the Standard Toolbar.
4. Place the Pencil Tool on the zero axis immediately before the
location of the glitch in the audio waveform (see Figure 7.9).

Figure 7.9

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When removing
glitches, start by placing
the Pencil Tool on the
zero axis just before the
location of the glitch in
the audio waveform.

5. Click and hold the left mouse button while you drag the Pencil Tool
slowly over the waveform, so that the data you are drawing looks
similar to the waveform data shown right before or after where the
glitch is located (see Figure 7.10).

Figure 7.10
Fix the glitch in the
waveform by dragging
the Pencil Tool over it.

TIP
For more precise movement of the Pencil Tool, use the arrow keys on your
computer keyboard as you hold down the left mouse button.

6. When you’ve finished “drawing,” release the left mouse button to

complete the editing task.
When you play the audio file, the glitch should be gone. If not, undo the
work you did with the Pencil Tool and try again.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 147

8
Exploring the
Processing Functions
In Chapter 7, you learned about some of the essential editing features
found in Sound Forge, including the Data Window (and the tools it
provides), as well as how to manipulate your audio data via copy, cut,
paste, delete, and so on. Although these features provide a lot of power,
you might be asking yourself, “Is that all there is?” Not even close! In
addition to its fundamental tools, Sound Forge provides a full arsenal of
sophisticated editing features. These features can be used to change many
of the different aspects of your audio, such as amplitude (volume),

CHAPTER 8
equalization (frequency content), length, and so on. Here’s what I’ll be
talking about in this chapter:
 Presets and how to use the Preset Manager
 Dealing with silence in audio data
 Dealing with audio data quality
 Changing the loudness of audio data
 Equalization
 Various audio data manipulation features

Presets
While working with many of the editing functions in Sound Forge, you’ll
find yourself manipulating a multitude of parameter settings. At times,
you may find a certain combination of settings that you would like to
save for future use. Sound Forge’s Preset feature lets you do this. Presets
let you store and later recall any parameter settings for a given function.
You work with presets within the individual function dialog boxes, such
as the Mix dialog box (see Figure 8.1), which I talked about in Chapter 7.

FIND
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148 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

Figure 8.1
Presets are accessed
within individual
function dialog boxes,
such as the Mix dialog
box, shown here.

Load a Preset
At the top of the dialog box, you’ll notice the Name drop-down list. This
parameter allows you to load a preset into the current dialog box for the
current function. To load a preset, just select it from the Name drop-down
list (see Figure 8.2).

Figure 8.2
The Name drop-down
list allows you to load
a preset.

Save a Preset
If you would like to save the current parameter settings as a new preset,
do the following:
1. Click the Save As button to open the Save Preset dialog box (see
Figure 8.3).

Figure 8.3
Use the Save Preset
dialog box to save the
current parameter
settings as a new preset.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 149

2. Type in a name for the new preset.

3. Click OK.
You’ll notice that your new preset is now shown in the Name drop-down
list.

Delete a Preset
You can also delete presets from the Name drop-down list. Just select a
preset from the list to load it and then click the Delete button.

NOTE
You can’t delete any of the default presets that are included with Sound Forge.

The Preset Manager

After using Sound Forge on a regular basis, you’ll more than likely build
up your own collection of presets for many of the different editing and
processing functions in the program. What if you want to share your

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presets with a fellow Sound Forge user? Or how about if you need to
transfer your Sound Forge application to a different computer and you
want to transfer your presets along with it? Keeping a backup of your
presets collection is also a good idea. Well, Sound Forge’s Preset Manager
will allow you to do all of these things. To access the Preset Manager,
choose Tools > Preset Manager to open the Preset Manager dialog box
(see Figure 8.4).

Figure 8.4
You can backup,
share, and transfer
your collection of
presets using the
Preset Manager.

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150 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

In the top half of the box is the Presets pane, which lists all of the
available presets in your current Sound Forge installation. Initially, the
Presets pane shows the names of the Process, Effects, Tools, and DirectX
menus. Click the plus sign next to one of the menu names, and a list of
functions available from that menu is displayed. Click the plus sign next
to one of the function names, and a list of presets available from that
function is displayed (see Figure 8.5).
Figure 8.5
The Presets pane
displays a list of
available presets.

In the bottom half of the box is the Preset Package Contents pane, which
shows a list of the presets that you would like to save. Initially, the Preset
Package Contents pane is blank, but you can easily add some presets to
the list and then save them as a file for backup or sharing purposes.

Saving a Preset Package File

To save a list of presets, do the following:
1. Select a preset from the Presets pane, by clicking on it.
2. Add the preset to the Preset Package Contents pane, by clicking
the Add button (the button with the plus sign shown on it) (see
Figure 8.6).
Figure 8.6
The Add button allows
you to add a preset to
the Preset Package
Contents pane.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 151

3. To remove a preset from the Preset Package Contents pane, click the
Delete button (the one with the big red X on it), which is located
right next to the Add button.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until you have all the presets you want to
save listed in the Preset Package Contents pane.
5. Click the Save As button to open the Save Preset Package dialog box
(see Figure 8.7).

Figure 8.7
Save your presets
using the Save Preset
Package dialog box.

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6. Select a location in which to save the Preset Package file using the
Save In drop-down list.
7. Type in a name for the Preset Package file in the File Name field.
8. If you want to add some descriptive information to the Preset
Package file (such as title, author, copyright, and comments), activate
the Save Summary Information In The Preset Package option and
type in the appropriate information.
9. Click Save.
Your selected presets are saved as a Preset Package file (.SFZ) in the
location you specified. Now, you can use this file as a backup or even
share it with another Sound Forge user. Of course, you’ll also need to be
able to open the file for future use. The Preset Manager allows you to do
this as well.

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Opening a Preset Package File

1. In the Preset Manager, click the Open button to display the Open
dialog box (see Figure 8.8).

Figure 8.8
Open a Preset Package
File using the Open
dialog box.

2. Choose the Preset Package file that you want to open and click the
Open button to display the Preset Package dialog box (see Figure 8.9).

Figure 8.9
Use the Preset Package
dialog box to choose
the presets you would
like to open.

3. From the list of presets, choose the ones you would like to import
into your current Sound Forge installation by clicking in the box next
to each preset to place an X in the box. Initially, all of the presets will
be selected, so if there are any that you don’t want to import, just
deselect them.
4. Click OK.
The presets that you selected from the Preset Package File are added to
your current Sound Forge installation. The next time you use the
function to which that preset pertained, you will see the preset listed in
the function’s Name drop-down list.

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TIP
While working with the Preset Manager, you can adjust the settings of any
preset shown in the Presets pane. Just select a preset and click the Settings
button. This will open the appropriate function dialog box. Make adjustments
to the function parameters and then save the preset as I explained earlier in
this chapter.

Preparing Audio Data for Editing

Back in Chapter 6, I talked about how to remove DC offset, set the bit
depth, and set the sampling rate for a new audio file that you’re about to
record. But what if you have an existing audio file that needs to have DC
offset removed or that needs to have its bit depth or sampling rate
changed? Sound Forge provides three different functions specifically for
these purposes.

Removing DC Offset
To recap a bit of what I talked about in Chapter 6, depending on the

CHAPTER 8
quality of your sound card, your audio may not record as accurately as it
should. Many times (especially with less expensive sound cards, such as
the Sound Blaster), an electrical mismatch may occur between a sound
card and the input device. When this happens, an excess of current is
added to the incoming signal and the resulting audio waveform is offset
from the zero axis. This is known as DC offset. To remove DC offset from
an existing sound file, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file from which you would like to
remove the DC offset. If you want to process the entire file, don’t
select any data, or select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > DC Offset to open the DC offset dialog box (see
Figure 8.10).

Figure 8.10
Remove DC offset
from audio data via the
DC Offset dialog box.

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3. To have Sound Forge automatically detect and remove any DC offset

in your data, choose the Automatically Detect And Remove option.
4. If you already know the amount of DC offset in your file and you’d
like to remove it manually, choose the Adjust DC Offset By option.
Then, enter a number of samples by which to adjust the position of
the audio waveform around the zero axis. For example, if your file
has a DC offset of 95, then enter a value of 95 so that the addition
of the two numbers results in 0, or no DC offset.

TIP
To manually find out the amount of DC offset in an audio file, choose Tools >
Statistics to open the Statistics dialog box. This dialog box tells you a number
of different things about the current audio file, including the amount of DC
offset it contains.

5. If you are processing a very long audio file, activate the Compute DC
Offset From First 5 Seconds Only option. This instructs Sound Forge
to look only at the first five seconds of a file when determining how
much DC offset it contains.

CAUTION
Activating the Compute DC Offset From First 5 Seconds Only option usually
provides accurate results. However, if your audio file starts off with a long
period of silence or the volume of the file is gradually faded in, you should
deactivate this option. In these circumstances, with the option activated,
Sound Forge will not accurately detect the amount of DC offset.

6. Click OK.
The DC offset in your selected audio data (or entire audio file) is then
removed.

TIP
Whenever you have an existing audio file and are not sure whether it
contains DC offset, you should always process with the DC Offset function
before you do any other kind of editing or processing. If you don’t, the DC
offset can introduce noise and other anomalies into your data.

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Dithering to a New Bit Depth

There may be times when you want to change the bit depth of an existing
audio file. For example, if you initially record and edit your file using 24
bits, but you want to later burn that file to CD, you’ll need to change the
bit depth to 16 bits. An audio CD can use only audio data with 16 bits.
To change the bit depth of an audio file, do the following:
1. Choose Process > Bit-Depth Converter to open the Bit-Depth Converter
dialog box (see Figure 8.11).

Figure 8.11
The Dither function
allows you to change
the bit depth of an
audio file.

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2. Set the new bit depth for your audio file by using the Bit Depth
drop-down list.

TIP
If you have a file with a low bit depth and you dither the file to a higher bit
depth, this does not raise the audio quality. For example, if you have an 8-bit
audio file and you change it to a 16-bit audio file, it will still sound like an
8-bit file because that is how it was originally recorded. There is at least one
advantage to raising the bit depth of a file: It gives the file a higher resolution,
so that any editing or processing done to the file will not add more noise. For
example, if you want to edit an 8-bit audio file, it’s a good idea to first raise the
bit depth of the file. On the other hand, if you lower the bit depth of an audio
file, this does lower the audio quality, so be sure to keep a copy of the original
file before you process it. For example, if you have a 24-bit audio file and you
want to lower the bit depth to 16 so that you can burn the file to CD, be sure to
keep a copy of the 24-bit version for any future editing or processing.

3. Set the Dither Depth parameter. This parameter lets you specify
how much dither noise you want to add to your file so as to mask
any quantization noise (see note on the next page) that occurs because
of the bit depth conversion. When converting from a low bit depth to a
higher bit depth, you will probably want to keep this parameter set
to None. When converting from a high bit depth to a lower bit depth,
you will need to experiment with the parameter to see which setting
sounds best.

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NOTE
When you convert an analog audio waveform to digital, the waveform is
defined using a finite range of numbers. As the bit depth of an audio file gets
lower, there are fewer numbers to represent the audio waveform, which results
in more noise. When you convert an audio file from a higher bit depth to a
lower bit depth, the process can introduce what is known as quantization
noise. Quantization noise occurs because the numbers in a higher bit depth
file have to be mathematically rounded down to fit in a lower bit depth file. To
mask the quantization noise, you can add dither noise to the data. It may seem
strange to add noise to a file in order to actually lower the amount of noise
that you might hear, but by adding dither noise, it helps to smooth out the
rough edges (so to speak) in the audio waveform because of quantization noise.

4. Set the Noise Shaping parameter. This parameter lets you move
any noise that may occur in your file up into the higher frequencies
where humans have more trouble hearing. You will have to
experiment with this parameter to find the best setting for your audio
file.

TIP
If your audio file has a low sampling rate (i.e. lower than 44,100 Hz), you
should leave the Noise Shaping parameter set to Off. This is because files
with low sampling rates also have a lower frequency range. If you use the
Noise Shaping parameter with these types of files, you can actually make
the noise content of the file worse.

5. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.

TIP
By default, the Preview feature plays only the first four seconds of the selected
data. You can adjust the Preview time by choosing Options > Preferences to
open the Preferences dialog box. Under the Previews tab, set the Limit
Preview To option to the number of seconds (1 to 600) that you want to use
for the Preview feature. You can also set whether you want the Preview to
loop continuously, fade out at the end, or react to any parameter changes you
make during playback, as well as play some of the audio data unprocessed
before or after your selection so you can hear the difference between the two.
Just activate the appropriate options. They are pretty self-explanatory.

6. Click OK.
The bit depth of the current audio file is then changed according to your
parameter settings.

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Resampling to a New Sampling Rate

As with bit depth, there may be times when you want to change the
sampling rate of an existing audio file. Again, the example of burning the
audio data to CD comes to mind. An audio CD can use only audio data
with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz (44,100 Hz). To change the sampling rate
of an audio file, do the following:
1. Choose Process > Resample to open the Resample dialog box (see
Figure 8.12)

Figure 8.12
The Resample function
allows you to change
the sampling rate of an
audio file.

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2. Set the new sampling rate for your audio file by using the New
Sample Rate parameter.

TIP
If you have a file with a low sampling rate and you resample the file to a
higher sampling rate, this does not raise the audio quality. For example, if
you have a file with a 22 kHz sampling rate and you change the sampling rate
to 44.1 kHz (so that you can burn the file to CD), it will still sound like a
22 kHz file because that is how it was originally recorded. There is at least
one advantage to raising the sampling rate of a file: Raising the sampling rate
gives the file a higher resolution, so that any editing or processing done to the
file will not add more noise. For example, if you want to edit a 22 kHz audio
file, it’s a good idea to first raise the sampling rate of the file. On the other
hand, if you lower the sampling rate of an audio file, this does lower the
audio quality, so be sure to keep a copy of the original file before you process
it. For example, if you have a 48 kHz audio file and you want to lower the
sampling rate to 44.1 kHz so that you can burn the file to CD, be sure to keep
a copy of the 48 kHz version for any future editing or processing.

3. Set the Interpolation Accuracy parameter. This parameter lets you

specify the accuracy of the resampling process. A lower setting
provides faster but less accurate processing. A higher setting provides
slower but more accurate processing. Unless you have a really long
audio file, you’ll probably want to keep this parameter set to 4.

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4. If you are converting from a higher sampling rate to a lower sampling

rate, be sure to activate the Apply An Anti-Alias Filter During
Resample option. This prevents any high frequency content in the
file with a higher sampling rate from becoming noise in the
converted file.
5. If you just want to set a new playback rate for your file rather than
changing the actual data, activate the Set The Sample Rate Only
option. By using this option, the data in your file is not changed, it is
only played back at a different rate. This also results in the pitch of
the audio sounding different. The only time you would probably
want to use this option is if someone gives you a file with the wrong
playback sampling rate.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
The sampling rate of the current audio file is then changed according to
your parameter settings.

TIP
Whenever you convert to lower bit depth or sampling rate, your audio loses
some of its high-frequency content. This can make the audio sound dull. To
compensate for this side effect, try processing the audio with Sound Forge’s
Smooth/Enhance function. Just select the audio data you want to process and
choose Process > Smooth/Enhance to open the Smooth/Enhance dialog box.
Then, adjust the Operation parameter slider. You’ll have to experiment here
to find the right setting. Use the Preview button to test how your audio
sounds before you actually apply the processing. When you like what you
hear, click OK.

Dealing with Silence

Sound Forge provides a number of functions that allow you to
manipulate the silent passages in your audio data. There may be times
when you want to remove the silent sections from your data, such as
awkward pauses between vocal phrases or dialogue. There may also be
times when you want to add silence to your data, such as a delay
between different musical sections. The Auto Trim/Crop, Insert Silence,
and Mute functions let you tackle these tasks with ease.

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Getting Rid of Silence

The Auto Trim/Crop function will automatically remove silence from an
audio file by scanning the data for certain characteristics that you specify.
To detect these characteristics, the Auto Trim/Crop function uses a digital
noise gate. Depending on your parameter settings, this noise gate opens
up when the Auto Trim/Crop function comes upon a section in your
audio that has an amplitude (volume) level greater than the one you set.
It identifies this part of the audio as acceptable sound and lets it pass
through. When the level of audio dips below a certain amplitude level
that you set, the noise gate identifies that part of the audio as the end of
the section (or the beginning of silence), and it closes to stop it from
passing through. At that point, the Auto Trim/Crop function scans for the
next section of audio and then deletes any silence in between the
sections. This happens until your selected data is processed or the entire
audio file is processed.
To automatically remove silence using the Auto Trim/Crop function, do
the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file from which you would like to
remove any silence. If you want to process the entire file, don’t select

CHAPTER 8
any data, or select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Auto Trim/Crop to open the Auto Trim/Crop dialog
box (see Figure 8.13).

Figure 8.13
The Auto Trim/Crop
function allows you to
remove silence from
your audio file.

3. Choose the type of processing you want by using the Function drop-
down list. Use the Keep Edges Outside Of The Selection option to
remove the silence inside a selection of audio but leave any data
outside the selection alone. Use the Remove Edges Outside Of The
Selection option to remove the silence inside a selection audio and
delete any data (even data other than silence) that is outside of the
selection. This option is useful for keeping only a good section of the
file and discarding the rest. Use the Remove Silence Between Phrases

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160 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

option to remove the silence between phrases (such as vocal dialogue)

inside a selection or entire file. This option also automatically creates
Regions separating each phrase in the file. (I talked about Regions in
Chapter 5). Use the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option to
remove all data (not just silence) after a selected loop in an audio file.
(I’ll talk more about loops in Chapter 13). Use the Remove Data >
From Start And Limit File Length option to remove any silence at the
start of an audio file and also to “chop off” the end of a file at a
specified number of seconds, thus limiting the length of the file.
4. Set the Attack Threshold parameter by dragging its slider up or
down. This parameter determines how loud the audio data has to be
to make the noise gate open, thus identifying the data as acceptable
sound and the start of a trim/crop start point. The only time you
don’t need to set this parameter is when using the Remove Data
Beyond Loop Points option.
5. Set the Release Threshold parameter by dragging its slider up or
down. This parameter determines how soft the audio data has to be
to make the noise gate close, thus identifying a trim/crop end point.
The only time you don’t need to set this parameter is when using the
Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option.
6. If you would like the segments of audio in your file to sound smooth
after silence has been removed, it’s a good idea to apply a slight fade-
in and fade-out to the start and end points. To do this, just enter a
number of milliseconds for the Fade In and Fade Out parameters.
The default number of 20 milliseconds usually works quite well.
When using the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, you don’t
need to set these parameters.
7. If you choose the Remove Silence Between Phrases option, you also
need to set the Minimum Inter-Phrase Silence parameter. This tells
the Auto Trim/Crop function how many seconds (from 0.1 to 3) of
silence must exist between phrases in order for a new Region to be
created. For example, if you’re removing the silence between
sentences from a vocal dictation, you’ll want to set this parameter to
a higher setting so that the function doesn’t detect the silence
between individual words by mistake. It will take some trial and
error to get the right setting.
8. If you choose the Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, you also
need to set the Minimum Length Following Loop End parameter.
This tells the Auto Trim/Crop function to leave a certain number of
samples of data after the loop end point. This is to prevent some
sample players from malfunctioning, since not all sample players use
exact loop points. (I’ll talk more about loops and sample players in
Chapter 13.)

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9. If you choose the Remove Data From Start And Limit File Length
option, you also need to set the Auto Delete From Start and Maximum
Output Size parameters. The Auto Delete From Start parameter tells
the Auto Trim/Crop function to remove a certain amount of data
(measured in seconds) from the beginning of the file no matter if it is
silence or not. The Maximum Output Size parameter tells the Auto
Trim/Crop function to limit the entire size of the file to a certain
length (measured in seconds).
10. Click OK.
Sound Forge scans your data selection or entire audio file and removes
any silence according to your Auto Trim/Crop parameter settings.

Inserting Silence
There may be times when, instead of removing silence, you actually need
to add silence to your audio file. The Insert Silence function allows you
to do this, and here is how it works:
1. If you want to insert silence at a specific point in your audio file, set
the Current Cursor Position to that point in the file.

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2. Choose Process > Insert Silence to open the Insert Silence dialog box
(see Figure 8.14).

Figure 8.14
The Insert Silence
function allows you
to add silence to your
audio file.

3. Enter the amount of silence (measured in hours, minutes, seconds,

and frames) that you would like to add to your file using the Insert
parameter.
4. Choose an option from the At drop-down list to determine where in
the file the silence will be added. If you want to insert silence at a
specific point in your audio file, choose the Cursor option. If you
want to add silence to the beginning or end of the file, choose the
Start Of File or End Of File options, respectively.
5. Click OK.
Silence is inserted into your audio file according to your parameter
settings. If you inserted silence at a specific point in the file, any data
occurring after that point is pushed back toward the end of the file, and
the length of the file is increased.

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Muting Audio
The Mute function is similar to the Insert Silence function because it lets
you introduce silence into your audio file. But unlike the Insert Silence
function, the Mute function doesn’t insert silence. Instead, the Mute
function simply erases any selected data, thus turning it into silence. To
use the Mute function, simply make a selection in your audio file and
choose Process > Mute. Any audio data in the selection is then
overwritten and turned to silence.

Adjusting Audio Volume

One of most fundamental ways of working with audio data is changing
its amplitude (volume). There are countless reasons why you might want
to change the amplitude of your audio data, and Sound Forge provides a
number of different functions that allow you to do this. These functions
are called Volume, Fade, and Normalize.

The Volume Function

To simply increase or decrease the amplitude of a data selection or entire
audio file, you need to use the Volume function. Here is how the Volume
function works:
1. Select the data in the audio file to which you would like to apply
amplitude changes. If you want to process the entire file, don’t select
any data or select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Volume to open the Volume dialog box (see
Figure 8.15).

Figure 8.15
The Volume function
allows you to adjust
the amplitude of your
audio data.

3. To adjust the amplitude of your data, set the Gain parameter. Move
the slider up to increase amplitude. Move the slider down to
decrease amplitude. This does not provide an absolute setting.
Instead, the amplitude is either boosted or cut from its current value
by the amount that you specify.

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CAUTION
Remember the description about setting your input level during the recording
process in Chapter 6? I mentioned that you have to be careful not to set the
level too high, because it can overload the input and cause your audio to
be distorted. Well, when you’re raising the volume of your audio data, you
also have to watch out not to raise it too high. Raising it too high can cause
“clipping.” Clipping occurs when Sound Forge attempts to raise the
amplitude of the audio data higher than 100 percent (according to the
amplitude ruler in the Data Window). The top and bottom of the waveform
become clipped, and when you play the audio, it sounds distorted. So, be
careful when using the Volume function. Be sure to keep an eye on the
amplitude levels of your audio waveforms, and also be sure to listen to your
data to see if it sounds OK. If you hear distortion, use Undo to remove the
volume change.

4. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
5. Click OK.
Sound Forge increases or decreases the amplitude of your audio data
according to the parameter settings you specified.

CHAPTER 8
Fading Audio
In addition to basic volume changes, Sound Forge allows you to apply a
fade-in or fade-out to your audio data.

NOTE
A fade-in is a gradual and smooth increase from a lower volume to a higher
volume. This increase in volume is also called a crescendo in musical terms.
A fade-out is the exact opposite—a gradual and smooth decrease from a
higher volume to a lower volume. In musical terms, this decrease in volume
is called a decrescendo.

To apply a fade-in or fade-out to your audio data, follow these steps:

1. Select the data in the audio file to which you would like to apply a
fade. If you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or
select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. To apply a fade-in, choose Process > Fade > In.
3. To apply a fade-out, choose Process > Fade > Out.
Sound Forge applies a fade to your data selection according to your
choice.

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Complex Fading
Although the Fade In and Fade Out functions allow you to apply fades to
your audio, they are just basic linear fades. This means that the volume of
the audio increases or decreases in a uniform fashion. If you want to get a
little more creative with your volume changes, you can build much more
complex fades by using the Graphic Fade function as follows:
1. Select the data in your audio file to which you would like to apply a
fade. If you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or
select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Fade > Graphic to open the Graphic Fade dialog
box (see Figure 8.16). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side
of the graph shows amplitude values, which can range from 0 to 400
percent (according to the Maximum Gain option located just below
the graph). Inside the graph is a line, which represents the fade that
will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the line
from left to right, the left end of the line represents the beginning of
your audio data selection and the right end of the line represents the
end of your audio data selection. If the line was set so that the left
end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was at the top, a
straight linear fade-in would be applied to your audio data, because,
as you look at the graph, the left end of the line is set at 0 percent
and the right end of the line is set at 100 percent. So, the volume of
the audio data would begin at 0 percent and fade-in all the way up to
100 percent. See how it works?

Figure 8.16
You can use the
Graphic Fade function
to apply complex fades
to your audio data.

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TIP
If you are applying a fade to a stereo file, you can choose to have your audio
data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave
option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right
channels, or from both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show
Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the fade is applied to your
data. If you want to apply a fade to only one of the stereo channels, you need
to select only the data from that channel before you open the Graphic Fade
dialog box.

3. You can change the shape of the fade line in one of two ways: You
can simply choose one of the available presets from the Name drop-
down list, or you can change the fade line graphically by clicking
and dragging the small squares at the ends of the line. These squares
are called Envelope Points.
4. If you want to create some really complex fades, you can add more
Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the fade line. The more
Envelope Points you add (the allowed maximum being 16), the more
flexibility you have in changing the shape of the line (see Figure
8.17).

CHAPTER 8
Figure 8.17
You can create some
really complex fades
by adding more
Envelope Points.

5. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
6. Click OK.
Sound Forge changes the volume of your audio data selection according
to the fade that you defined in the Graphic Fade dialog box.

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Normalizing Audio
Like the Volume function, the Normalize function also raises the volume
of audio, but in a different way. Instead of simply raising the volume, the
Normalize function first scans the audio waveform to find its highest
amplitude level. It subtracts that amplitude level from the maximum
level, which is 100 percent (or a maximum level that you set). The
Normalize function then takes that value and uses it to increase the
volume of the audio data. So, when all is said and done, the highest
amplitude in the waveform is 100 percent (or a maximum level that you
set), and all the other amplitude values are increased.
In other words, if an audio waveform has its highest amplitude value at
80 percent and you set a normalize level of 100 percent, the Normalize
function subtracts that value from 100 percent to get 20 percent. It then
increases the volume of the audio data by 20 percent, so that the highest
amplitude value is 100 percent and all the other amplitude values are
20 percent higher. Basically, you can use the Normalize function to raise
the volume of your audio data to the highest it can be without causing
any clipping.
To use the Normalize function, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to normalize. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box (see
Figure 8.18).

Figure 8.18
You can normalize
the amplitude of your
audio data using the
Normalize function.

3. For the Normalize Using parameter, choose the Peak Level option.
(I’ll talk about the Average RMS Power option later.)
4. Click on the Scan Levels button to find the highest amplitude level in
your audio data.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 167

5. Adjust the Normalize To parameter by dragging its slider up or down.

This will set the highest amplitude level to which you want your
audio to be normalized. More often than not, you’ll want to set this to
100 percent, but if you plan to do any additional editing or processing
to your data, you should set this parameter to a lower level, such as 50
percent or 6 dB. The reason for this is that additional processing can
raise the amplitude and cause clipping.

TIP
You can also normalize your data to the same peak level as the data in
another audio file. This is a great way to ensure that many different audio
files have the same volume level, such as when you are burning them all to
the same audio CD. To do this, open the first audio file and choose Process >
Normalize. Click the Scan Levels button. Then, click the Cancel button. Open
the second audio file and choose Process > Normalize. Activate the Use
Current Scan Level option, and click OK. The second audio file is normalized
to the same peak level as the first audio file.

6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.

CHAPTER 8
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge normalizes the amplitude of your audio data according to
your parameter settings.

Root Mean Square

In addition to the basic peak normalizing, the Normalize function
provides more advanced processing in the form of average RMS (root
mean square) power. In this mode, the Normalize function doesn’t simply
find the highest amplitude in an audio file. Instead, it measures the
loudness of the file, as a listener would hear it over a period of time. This
is also known as perceived loudness. Even though the volume of audio
may be set at a certain level, it can sometimes be perceived to be louder
because of the way human hearing works. The subject is a bit
complicated to explain in detail here, but normalizing via average RMS
power usually gives better results than peak normalizing when matching
the loudness of different audio files.
When scanning an audio file, the Normalize function with RMS uses a
digital noise gate like the Auto Trim/Crop function (discussed earlier in
this chapter). To use the Normalize function with RMS, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to normalize. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.

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2. Choose Process > Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box.

3. For the Normalize Using parameter, choose the Average RMS Power
option.
4. Adjust the Ignore Below parameter slider to specify the threshold
above which the Normalize function will judge material as
acceptable sound. In other words, you should set this parameter a
few dB above what you would consider to be silence in your audio
data. Anything below the threshold will be ignored when calculating
the RMS for the data. A good setting is around 45 dB, but it will
depend on your audio data.
5. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter determines how fast
the digital noise gate will open to let through acceptable sound
material during the scan. If you have fast-occurring sounds in your
audio (like drum beats), you’ll want to set the attack to a lower
amount. Higher amounts will cause fast-occurring sounds to be
ignored. A good setting is around 200 ms, but it will depend on your
audio data.
6. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter determines how fast
the digital noise gate will close to stop sound material from being
scanned and included in the RMS calculation. If you want more
material included in the scan, you should set a slow release time. A
fast release time will include less material in the scan. A good setting
is around 200 ms, but, again, it will depend on your audio data.
7. Because of the limitations of human hearing, very low and very high
frequencies are more difficult to hear than mid-range frequencies. In
order to compensate for this, the Normalize function provides the
Use Equal Loudness Contour option. You’ll usually want to keep this
option activated.
8. Click the Scan Levels button to find the RMS of the audio data.
9. Set the Normalize To parameter to specify the new average RMS
power for your audio data.

CAUTION
Since the Average RMS Power mode works with perceived sound rather than
with actual sound levels, you need to be careful when setting the Normalize
To parameter. If you set it too high, you’ll get distorted and/or clipped audio
data. The best rule of thumb is to never set the Normalize To parameter any
higher than 6 dB when using the Average RMS Power mode.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 169

10. For a bit of extra protection against clipping, be sure to set the If
Clipping Occurs parameter. You’ll usually want to keep this
parameter set to the Apply Dynamic Compression option, unless you
actually want your audio data to be distorted or clipped (such as
when processing an electric guitar performance).
11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
12. Click OK.
Sound Forge normalizes the amplitude of your audio data according to
your parameter settings.

Playing with the Stereo Image

When working with stereo audio files, Sound Forge provides a number of
different ways to process the left and right channels. For example, you
can convert stereo files to mono files, or vice versa. You can also move
sounds around the stereo field for different types of effects. The Channel
Converter and Pan/Expand functions allow you to tackle these (and
other) tasks.

CHAPTER 8
Changing Channels
If you ever need to convert a stereo file to a mono file, or vice versa,
you’ll need the Channel Converter function. To use the Channel
Converter function, do the following:
1. Choose Process > Channel Converter to open the Channel Converter
dialog box (see Figure 8.19).

Figure 8.19
The Channel
Converter function
allows you to convert
stereo files to mono
files, and vice versa.

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170 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

2. Set the Output Channels parameter. If you want to convert your file
to mono, choose the Mono option. If you want to convert your file to
stereo, choose the Stereo option.
3. If you just want to do a simple, straight conversion, activate the
Convert To Specified Output Channels Only option. Then, click OK
and skip the rest of the following steps.
4. If you want to adjust the levels of the left and right channels and
specify how much of each will end up in the final file, leave the
Convert To Specified Output Channels Only option deactivated.
5. In the New Left Channel section, adjust the From Left and > From
Right parameter sliders. If you are converting to mono, only the >
From Left parameter will be available. The From Left parameter
determines how much of the left channel from the original audio file
will be added to the left channel of the converted file. The From Right
parameter determines how much of the right channel from the original
audio file will be added to the left channel of the converted file.
6. In the New Right Channel section, adjust the From Left and > From
Right parameter sliders. If you are converting to mono, only the >
From Left parameter will be available. The From Left parameter
determines how much of the left channel from the original audio
file will be added to the right channel of the converted file. The
From Right parameter determines how much of the right channel
from the original audio file will be added to the right channel of the
converted file.
7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. If you don’t
like what you hear, adjust the levels in each section.
8. After adjusting the levels in the New Left Channel and New Right
Channel sections, click the Preview button again. This time, listen to
determine if the audio sounds “hollow.” This usually happens due to
phase cancellation, which occurs when one audio waveform
increases in volume and the other decreases in volume at exactly the
same time with the same amount. Because of this phenomenon, they
cancel each other out, making the mixed audio sound hollow. If this
occurs, try activating the Invert Left Channel Mix option or the Invert
Right Channel Mix option, but not both. This option inverts the
audio waveform and can usually fix the phase cancellation problem.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge converts your audio file according to the parameter settings
that you specified. You can also achieve some cool effects with the
Channel Converter function, such as creating a pseudo-stereo signal from
a mono signal. Be sure to check out some of the presets to test some of
the other capabilities of this function.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 171

Panning Around
The Pan/Expand function allows you to determine where a sound will be
heard in the sound field between two stereo speakers. You can make it so
that the sound will play out of the left speaker, the right speaker, or
anywhere in between. That is called panning. The Pan/Expand function
also provides a few other features, which I’ll talk about shortly. To use the
Pan/Expand function for panning, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box
(see Figure 8.20).

Figure 8.20
You can pan the sound
in a stereo audio file to
any position in the
sound field using the
Pan/Expand function.

CHAPTER 8
3. Set the Process Mode parameter. Use the Pan (Preserve Stereo
Separation) option to perform panning without mixing the left and
right channels of the stereo audio together. This option is useful if
you have a stereo signal (such as the recording of a background vocal
group), and you want to keep the stereo signal intact but you want to
pan the group of voices to a specific location in the stereo field. Use
the Pan (Mix Channels Before Panning) option to perform panning
while also mixing the left and right channels of stereo audio together.
This option is useful for changing the entire stereo field rather than a
specific sound within the stereo field. Experiment with both options
to hear the difference.
4. In addition to the Process mode parameter, you’ll notice a graph. The
left side of the graph shows stereo positioning, which ranges from
Right to Center to Left, representing the stereo field. Inside the graph
is a line, which represents the panning that will be applied to your
selected audio data. If you look at the line from left to right, the left
end of the line represents the beginning of your audio data selection
and the right end of the line represents the end of your audio data
selection. If the line was set so that the left end was at the bottom of
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172 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

the graph and the right end was at the top, a straight linear pan from
right to left would be applied to your audio data, because as you look
at the graph, the left end of the line is set at the Right side of the stereo
field, and the right end of the line is set at the Left side of the stereo
field. So, the sound would begin in the right speaker and move all the
way across the stereo field to the left speaker. See how it works?

TIP
Since you are working with a stereo audio file, you can choose to have your
audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show
Wave option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right
channels, or from both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show
Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the panning is applied to
your data.

5. You can change the pan line graphically by clicking and dragging the
small squares at the ends of the line. These squares, remember, are
called Envelope Points.
6. If you want to create some really complex panning, you can add
more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the pan line. The
more Envelope Points you add (the allowed maximum being 16),
the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the line (see
Figure 8.21).
Figure 8.21
You can create some
really complex panning
by adding more
Envelope Points.

7. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the
file after it is processed. You can use this to boost or cut the volume
of the audio if you’d like.
8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the panning to your audio data selection according
to the pan line that you defined in the Pan/Expand dialog box.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 173

Stereo Compress/Expand
In addition to panning, the Pan/Expand function allows you to compress
or expand the entire stereo field. In other words, you can compress your
stereo audio so that the stereo field sounds smaller (the left and right
sides of the field are compressed closer to the center between the two
speakers). You can also expand your stereo audio so that the stereo field
sounds bigger (the left and right sides of the field are expanded to give
the illusion of being beyond the two speakers). You need to hear it to
truly understand what I mean. To compress or expand your audio, do
the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box.
3. Set the Process Mode parameter to Stereo Expand.
4. You’ll notice that the left side of the graph (explained in the last
section) now shows stereo field measurements, which range from
Center to Normal to Wide. As you adjust the line on the graph, the
closer the line gets to the bottom of the graph, the more your audio

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is compressed toward the center of the stereo field. The closer the
line gets to the top of the graph, the more your audio is expanded
outward beyond the stereo field. Again, as in the last section, the left
end of the line represents the beginning of your audio data selection,
and the right end of the line represents the end of your audio data
selection.

TIP
Since you are working with a stereo audio file, you can choose to have your
audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show
Wave option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right
channels, or from both channels mixed by choosing an option from the Show
Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the panning is applied to
your data.

5. Adjust the compression or expansion by clicking and dragging the

Envelope Points at the ends of the line.
6. If you want to create some really complex panning, you can add
more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the pan line. The
more Envelope Points you add (the allowed maximum being sixteen),
the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the line.
7. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the
file after it is processed. You can use this to boost or cut the volume
of the audio if you’d like.

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174 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the compression or expansion to your audio data
selection according to the line that you defined in the Pan/Expand
dialog box.

Mid-Side Processing
One last use for the Pan/Expand function is in processing Mid-Side
recordings.

NOTE
A Mid-Side recording is a special type of recording in which one microphone
is pointed directly at the performer(s) to record the middle (center) channel
and another microphone is pointed 90 degrees away from the performer(s) to
record the side (stereo) channel. A special decoder is usually needed to play
these types of recordings, but they can also be converted to a standard stereo
recording.

To convert a Mid-Side recording using the Pan/Expand function, do the

following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Pan/Expand to open the Pan/Expand dialog box.
3. Set the Process Mode parameter to Mix Mid-Side (MS) Recording To
Left And Right Channels.
4. Place the graph line in the center of the graph so that it is lined up
with the Normal measurement on the left side of the graph (see
Figure 8.22).

Figure 8.22
Place the line in the
center of the graph to
convert a Mid-Side
recording.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 175

5. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the
file after it is processed. You can use this to boost or cut the volume
of the audio if you’d like.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge converts your Mid-Side recording to a regular stereo
recording.

Equalization (EQ)
You have a radio in your car, right? Maybe even a cassette or CD player,
too? If so, then you’ve probably used equalization without even knowing
it. Adjusting the bass and treble controls on your car radio is a form of
equalization. Equalization (EQ) enables you to adjust the tonal
characteristics of an audio signal by increasing (boosting) or decreasing
(cutting) the amplitude of different frequencies in the audio spectrum.

CHAPTER 8
NOTE
When a musical object (such as a string) vibrates, it emits a sound. The speed
at which the object vibrates is called the frequency, which is measured in
vibrations (or cycles) per second. This measurement is also called Hertz (Hz).
If an object vibrates 60 times per second, the frequency would be 60 Hz. The
tricky point to remember here, though, is that most objects vibrate at a
number of different frequencies at the same time. The combination of all
these different vibrations makes up the distinct sound (or timbre) of a
vibrating object. That’s why a bell sounds like a bell, a horn sounds like a
horn, and so on with all other types of sounds.
Of course, we humans can’t perceive some very slow and some very fast
vibrations. Technically, the range of human hearing resides between the
frequencies of 20 Hz and 20 kHz (1kHz is equal to 100 Hz). This range is
known as the audio spectrum.
Equalization enables you to manipulate the frequencies of the audio
spectrum, and because sounds contain many of these frequencies, you can
change their tonal characteristics (or timbre). Of course, this explanation is
very basic. If you really want to learn more about acoustics, pick up a good
book about sound recording, such as Home Recording for Musicians by Craig
Anderton (Music Sales Corp., 1996, ISBN 0-8256-1500-3).

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176 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8

In other words, using EQ, you can bump up the bass, add more presence,
reduce rumble, and sometimes eliminate noise in your audio material.
Not only that, but you also can use EQ as an effect. You know how in
some of the modern dance tunes the vocals sound like they’re coming out
of a telephone receiver or an old radio? That’s an effect done with EQ.
Sound Forge provides three different types of EQ: Graphic, Parametric,
and Paragraphic. There’s also a special Smooth/Enhance function, which
I’ll talk about later. All of these functions have their strengths and
weaknesses.

Graphic EQ
You may already be familiar with graphic equalizers, because they are
sometimes included on boom boxes and home stereo systems. Sound
Forge’s Graphic EQ function simulates a hardware-based graphic
equalizer (although it also provides an advanced mode of operation that
I’ll talk more about later). It even looks similar (see Figure 8.23).

Figure 8.23
The Graphic EQ
function resembles a
real graphic equalizer.

In its most basic mode of operation, the Graphic EQ function provides ten
different frequencies (called bands) that you can adjust. Each band can
either be boosted by 24 dB or cut by Inf (or minus infinity, which is the
same as cutting the frequency out of the spectrum altogether). You simply
drag the appropriate slider up (boost) or down (cut) to increase or
decrease the amplitude of that frequency. But herein lies the weakness of
graphic equalization. Although it’s very easy to use, you are limited by
the frequencies that you can manipulate. You can’t change any of the
frequencies below, above, or in between the ones provided. Still, the
Graphic EQ function is very useful if you want to make quick
equalization changes, and its advanced mode lets you get around this
limitation somewhat. Here’s how the Graphic EQ function works:

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1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > EQ > Graphic to open the Graphic EQ dialog box.
Then choose the 10 Band mode by clicking on the 10 Band tab near
the bottom of the box.
3. Adjust the sliders for the frequencies that you want to cut or boost.

TIP
For a quick way to return a slider to 0 dB, double-click on the slider’s handle.

CAUTION
Be careful when you’re boosting frequencies, because doing so also increases
the overall volume of the audio data. If you raise the volume too high, you
can introduce clipping into the data.

4. If all you want to do is make basic EQ adjustments to your audio,

CHAPTER 8
skip to Step 10. Otherwise, click the 20 Band tab to switch to the 20
Band mode (see Figure 8.24).

Figure 8.24
Make even finer
frequency adjustments
using the 20 Band
mode.

5. You’ll notice that your adjustments in the 10 Band mode have been
carried over to the 20 Band mode. Now, make more adjustments to
fine tune the equalization of your audio even further.

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6. If using the 20 Band mode is sufficient for your EQ adjustments, skip

to Step 10. Otherwise, click the Envelope tab to switch to Envelope
mode (see Figure 8.25).

Figure 8.25
In Envelope mode, the
Graphic EQ function
allows you to do
adjustments using an
actual graph.

7. In Envelope mode, the Graphic EQ function takes on a whole new

look. Instead of sliders, you’ll see a graph. The bottom of the graph
shows the frequencies being adjusted, which range from 20 Hz to 20
kHz. The left side of the graph shows the amplitude of each
frequency, which ranges from Inf to 24 dB. Inside the graph is a
line, which represents the equalization curve to be applied to your
audio data. Any part of the line above 0 dB represents frequencies
that are being boosted. Any part of the line below 0 dB represents
frequencies that are being cut.
8. You can adjust the line by clicking and dragging the Envelope Points.
As you drag a point, you’ll notice the frequency and amplitude
values being displayed on top of the upper right corner of the graph.
9. If you want to create a really complex EQ curve, you can add more
Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the line. The more
Envelope Points you add, the more flexibility you have in changing
the shape of the line (see Figure 8.26).

Figure 8.26
You can create a more
complex EQ curve by
adding more Envelope
Points.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 179

10. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the EQ

processing you want to use. The higher the quality, the slower the
processing. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can
usually keep this set to the best option, which is High.
11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. If you hear
any clipping, adjust the Output Gain parameter so that the overall
volume of the EQ processing is reduced. Try bringing it down to 1
dB and use trial and error from there.
12. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the equalization to your audio data according to the
EQ curve that you defined in the Graphic EQ dialog box.

Parametric EQ
Parameter equalization is a bit more powerful and flexible than graphic
equalization. With the Parametric EQ function, you’re not limited to set
frequencies. You can specify an exact frequency to adjust. Yes, by using
Graphic EQ Envelope mode, you can specify frequencies—but not
exactly. You are limited by the resolution of the graph. The Parametric EQ

CHAPTER 8
function isn’t difficult to use, but I can explain it best by showing you
how it works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > EQ > Parametric to open the Parametric EQ dialog
box (see Figure 8.27).

Figure 8.27
The Parametric EQ
function allows you
to adjust very specific
frequencies.

3. Choose an option from the Filter Style parameter drop-down list:

Low-Frequency Shelf, High-Frequency Shelf, Band-Pass, or Band-
Notch/Boost.

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4. Set the Center Frequency parameter. If you choose the Low-Frequency

Shelf Filter Style, any frequencies below the Center Frequency are
either cut or boosted. If you choose the High-Frequency Shelf Filter
Style, any frequencies above the Center Frequency are either cut or
boosted. If you choose the Band-Pass Filter Style, frequencies above
or below the Center Frequency will be cut or boosted. If you choose
the Band-Notch/Boost Filter Style, the Center Frequency will be cut
or boosted.
5. If you choose the Low-Frequency Shelf or High-Frequency Shelf
Filter styles, you need to adjust the Transition Width parameter. This
parameter determines how much the frequencies above or below the
Center Frequency are affected. The lower the value, the sharper the
EQ curve is at the Center Frequency. The higher the value, the
smoother the EQ curve.
6. If you choose the Band-Pass or Band-Notch/Boost Filter styles, you
need to adjust the Band Width parameter. This parameter determines
how many frequencies will be affected around the Center Frequency.
The lower the value, the fewer frequencies affected. The higher the
value, the more frequencies affected.
7. Adjust the Amount Parameter. This parameter determines how much
the specified frequencies are cut or boosted. It ranges from 60 dB to
20 dB.

CAUTION
Be careful when you’re boosting frequencies, because doing so also increases
the overall volume of the audio data. If you raise the volume too high, you
can introduce clipping into the data.

8. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the EQ

processing you want to use. The higher the quality, the slower the
processing. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can
usually keep this set to the best option, which is High.
9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. If you hear
any clipping, adjust the Output Gain parameter so that the overall
volume of the EQ processing is reduced. Try bringing it down to 1
dB and use trial and error from there.
10. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the equalization to your audio data according to the
parameters you specified in the Parametric EQ dialog box.

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 Exploring the Processing Functions — Chapter 8 181

Paragraphic EQ
Sound Forge’s most advanced EQ function is the Paragraphic EQ. The
Paragraphic EQ combines many of the features from the different EQ
functions I’ve already discussed. If you take a look at the Paragraphic EQ
dialog box (see Figure 8.28), you’ll notice a frequency graph in the
upper right.

Figure 8.28
The Paragraphic
EQ function is a
combination of
multiple EQ functions.

CHAPTER 8
This graph displays the EQ curve (as in the Graphic EQ function), but this
graph is not adjustable directly. Instead, it shows the EQ curve according
to the other parameter settings. The Paragraphic EQ also contains four
independent Parametric EQs, each complete with Gain, Width, and Center
Frequency controls. All of these controls work the same as described
earlier. The only difference is that if the Gain of an EQ is set to 0 dB, that
means the EQ is deactivated. To activate an EQ, adjust the Gain. The other
controls will then become available. In addition, the Paragraphic EQ
contains low-shelf and high-shelf EQs, each with adjustable Gain and
Center Frequency controls. One final difference between the Paragraphic
EQ and the other EQ functions is that instead of a master Gain control, the
Paragraphic EQ provides the Dry Out and Wet Out controls. This allows
you to mix the original audio data with the equalized audio data and
determine how much of each will end up in the processed audio. The Dry
Out parameter controls the level of the original audio, and the Wet Out
parameter controls the level of the equalized audio.
So, basically, the Paragraphic EQ is a combination of four full-band
Parametric EQs as well as a low-shelf and a high-shelf EQ. The
combination of all these functions together provides the means to create
some very complex equalization processing. To get an idea of how
powerful the Paragraphic EQ function is, be sure to try out some of the
presets by using the Name drop-down list.

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Play It Backward
Assuming you’re old enough to remember vinyl recordings, did you ever
take a record and play it backward to see whether your favorite band had
left some satanic messages in their songs or perhaps a recipe for their
favorite lentil soup? Well, guess what? You can do the same thing with
your audio data. Sound Forge enables you to “turn around” the data in a
file (or selection) so that it plays in reverse.
This feature doesn’t have much practical use, but combined with some
other processing, it can render some cool effects. To use it, simply select
the data that you want to change and choose Process > Reverse. Now the
data will play backward. If you don’t make a data selection, all the data
in the file will be processed.

Flip It Over
Back in Chapter 7, I talked about the Paste Mix function and about how,
when you mix certain sound files together, phase cancellation can occur.
Phase cancellation occurs when one audio waveform increases in volume
and the other decreases in volume at exactly the same time with the same
amount. Because of this phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making
the mixed audio sound “hollow.” The Paste Mix function provides an
invert option, which inverts the audio waveform around the zero axis.
This can sometimes help eliminate phase cancellation.
Sound Forge allows you to manually invert the data in an audio file using
the Invert/Flip function. To use it, simply select the data that you want to
change, and choose Process Invert/Flip. The data is inverted. If you don’t
make a data selection, all the data in the file is inverted.

Changing the Length

Usually, when you change the length of audio data, the pitch also
changes. Shorten the data and the pitch rises. Lengthen the data and the
pitch falls. More often than not, you’ll want to avoid pitch changes.
Luckily, Sound Forge provides a function to let you change the length of
your audio data without affecting the pitch. This function is called Time
Compress/Expand, and here is how it works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.

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2. Choose Process > Time Compress/Expand to open the Time

Compress/Expand dialog box (see Figure 8.29).

Figure 8.29
The Time Compress/
Expand function lets
you change the length
of audio without
changing its pitch.

3. Set the Mode parameter. In order to provide the best type of

processing, the Time Compress/Expand function takes into account
the type of audio data you are processing. You should select the
appropriate option in the drop-down list according to the type of
data you want to process. For instance, if you are processing

CHAPTER 8
unpitched percussion instruments, you might want to use the Drums,
Unpitched option. You’ll need to experiment here to find the right
setting.
4. Set the Input Format parameter. You can choose to specify a new
length for your audio as a percentage, a tempo or a specific length
in time.
5. Whichever option you choose for the Input Format parameter, the
appropriate control will appear that allows you to specify the length
for your audio.
If you choose Percentage, the Final Percentage parameter will be
available. If you choose Tempo, the Final Tempo parameter will
be available. If you choose Time, the Final Time parameter will be
available. Adjust the available parameter to specify the new length of
your audio data.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge changes the length of your audio data according to the
parameter settings you specified in the Time Compress/Expand dialog
box.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 185

9
Effects: The
Really Cool Stuff
Just as adding spices to a recipe makes it taste better, adding effects to
your audio data makes it sound better. Effects can make the difference
between a dull, lifeless recording and a recording that really rocks. For
example, you can apply echoes and background ambiance to give the
illusion that your audio was recorded in a particular environment, such
as a concert hall. You can also use effects to make your vocal recordings
sound rich and full. And the list goes on. Sound Forge provides a number
of different effects functions that you can use to spice up your audio data.
Although applying these effects to your data isn’t overly complicated,
understanding what they do and how to use them can sometimes be
confusing. So, this chapter covers the following topics:
 Reverberation and the Acoustic Mirror
 Delay, Chorus, and Flanging
 Pitch bending and pitch shifting
 Compression, limiting, and other effects
 Plug-ins and the DirectX menu

Echo Effects
You know what an echo is, right? It’s a repeating sound that mimics an
initial sound. For example, if you yell the word hello in a large enclosed
CHAPTER 9
area (such as a concert hall or a canyon), you hear that word repeated (or
echoed) back over and over until it fades away. This effect is also known
as delay. Delay can be used to create many different kinds of effects, not
just echoes. Sound Forge provides a number of functions that allow you
to create these effects. I’ll talk about them one by one in this section.

FIND
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Simple Delay
The Simple Delay function lets you apply basic echo effects to your audio
data. To use this function, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Delay/Echo > Simple to open the Simple Delay
dialog box (see Figure 9.1).

Figure 9.1
Use the Simple Delay
function to add basic
echoes to your audio.

3. Set the Delay Time parameter. This parameter determines how much
time (in seconds) occurs between each echo. You can set the Delay
Time from 0.001 to 5 seconds.

TIP
Many professional musicians use delay to synchronize the echoes with
the music. For instance, you can have the echoes play in time with each
quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, and so on if you are applying
echoes to some recorded music. All that’s required for this cool trick is a
little simple math.
Begin by figuring the Delay Time needed to synchronize the echoes to each
quarter note. To do so, just divide 60,000 (the number of milliseconds in one
minute) by the current tempo (measured in beats per minute) of your
recorded music. So, for a tempo of 120 bpm, you get 500 milliseconds (which
is 0.500 seconds). If you set the Delay Time to 0.500, the resulting echoes
sound at the same time as each quarter note in your music.
To figure out the Delay Time for other note values, you just need to divide or
multiply. Because an eighth note is half the value of a quarter note, you
simply divide 500 by 2 to get 250 milliseconds (or 0.250 seconds). A
sixteenth note is half the value of an eighth note, so 250 divided by 2 is 125
milliseconds (or 0.125 seconds). See how it works? If you want to find out
larger note values, just multiply by 2. Because a half note is twice as long as a
quarter note, you multiply 500 by 2 to get 1000 milliseconds (or 1 second),
and so on.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 187

4. Set the Dry Out and Delay Out parameters. When you apply an effect
to your original data, you can determine how much of the effect and
how much of the original data ends up in the final sound. This way,
you can add a certain amount of effect without drowning out the
entire original data. The Dry Out parameter determines how much of
the original data you will hear in the processed audio, and the Delay
Out parameter determines how much of the effect you will hear in
the processed audio.
5. Set the Multiple Delays option and the Decay Time parameter. With
some effects, you can take their resulting signals and send them back
through to have the effect applied multiple times. This is called
feedback. The resulting sound can be different depending on the
effect. In the Simple Delay function, the Multiple Delays option and
the Decay Time parameter control how many echoes occur. If you
activate the Multiple Delays option, more than one echo will occur.
The Decay Time parameter determines how many echoes there will
be. The lower the Decay Time, the fewer number of echoes. The
higher the Decay Time, the more echoes. Unfortunately, there’s no
way to determine exactly how many echoes will occur according to
the Decay Time. You’ll have to experiment here.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Simple Delay function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Multi-Tap Delay
The Multi-Tap Delay function allows you to create very complex echo
effects by letting you set up multiple delays at once, like setting up
multiple Simple Delay effects at the same time to process your audio
data. Here is how the Multi-Tap Delay function works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it CHAPTER 9
all by choosing Edit > Select All.

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188 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

2. Choose Effects > Delay/Echo > Multi-Tap to open the Multi-Tap

Delay dialog box (see Figure 9.2).

Figure 9.2
The Multi-Tap Delay
function lets you
create very complex
echo effects.

3. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work
exactly the same as the Dry Out and Delay Out parameters of the
Simple Delay function.
4. Set the Input Gain parameter. This parameter determines how much
of the original audio is allowed to be processed. More often than not,
you’ll want to leave this set to 0 dB.
5. Set the Mod Rate and Mod Depth parameters. These parameters are a
bit difficult to describe. They enable you to add a “warble” type of
effect to your audio data along with the echoes. The sound is also
similar to that of the tremolo you hear on an electronic organ. The
Mod Rate determines the speed (in Hz or cycles per second) of the
“warble,” and the Mod Depth determines how much your audio data
will be affected by it. This is just another one of those features that
you have to experiment with to understand.
6. Set the Feedback parameter. This parameter works just the like the
combination of the Multiple Delays option and the Decay Time
parameter of the Simple Delay function.
7. If you want to apply some low-pass EQ to your delay effect, activate
and set the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter. This allows you to filter
out some of the high frequencies so that you can simulate more
dense echo environments, such as echoes in a small room.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 189

8. Set the Number Of Taps parameter. This parameter determines how

many different taps (delays) you want to set up in your effect. You
can have up to eight different taps. As you adjust the Number Of
Taps parameter, you’ll notice the Current Tap options (1-8) become
available.
9. Each tap comes with its own Tap Gain, Delay, and Pan parameters.
This means that you can control the initial volume, echo time, and
panning in the stereo field of each delay. To adjust the parameters for
a certain tap, choose the number of the tap via the Current Tap
options. Then, adjust the Tap Gain, Delay, and Pan parameters for
that tap. You can do this for all eight taps individually.
10. As you adjust the parameters for each tap, you’ll notice changes on
the graph displayed just below the Current Tap options. This graph
(called the Echogram) gives you a visual display of the echoes that
will occur because of the parameters settings you have chosen. Each
line represents an echo. The length of the line corresponds to the
volume of the echo, measured as a percentage (the left side of the
graph) of the original audio. And the distance of the line from the left
side of the graph represents the time at which the echo will sound
after the original audio. The red line represents the currently selected
tap. The black lines are other available taps. And the blue lines are
echoes resulting from the Feedback parameter. To adjust how much
time the Echogram will show, select an option from the Graph
Resolution drop-down list.
11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
12. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Multi-Tap Delay function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings. Be sure to check out some of the
presets for the Multi-Tap Delay function that come with Sound Forge.
They can demonstrate the true power of this function.

Chorus CHAPTER 9
Believe it or not, Sound Forge’s Chorus function has many of the same
parameters as the Simple Delay and Multi-Tap Delay functions. Why?
Because technically, chorus is a form of delay. Chorus uses delay and
detuning to achieve its results. You don’t hear echoes when using chorus,
though, because the delay is extremely short. Instead, chorus makes your
audio data sound “fatter” or “fuller.” The name chorus comes from the
fact that people singing in a chorus produce a full sound because each
person sings slightly out of tune and out of time—not enough to make the
music sound bad, but actually better. You can use Sound Forge’s Chorus
function to achieve similar results with your audio data. To use the
Chorus function, do the following:

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190 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Chorus to open the Chorus dialog box (see
Figure 9.3).

Figure 9.3
Make your audio
sound “fatter” or
“fuller” with the
Chorus function.

3. Set the Chorus Out Delay parameter. This parameter works just like
the Delay Time parameter of the Simple Delay function. The only
difference is that the Chorus Out Delay parameter is limited to 100
milliseconds. If you set this parameter high enough, you can actually
get some quick repeating echoes out of it. For adding chorus to your
audio, though, you should keep it set somewhere between 20 and 40.
4. Set the Dry Out, Chorus Out, and Input Gain parameters. The Chorus
Out parameter is the same as the Delay Out parameter of the Simple
Delay function. I explained the Dry Out and Input Gain parameters in
the last section.
5. Set the Feedback parameter. Instead of setting the number of echoes
to occur (as in the Multi-Tap Delay function), this parameter
determines the “fatness” of the chorus. The higher the value, the
“fatter” the chorus.
6. Set the Modulation Rate and Modulation Depth parameters. Instead
of adding a “warble” to your audio (as in the Multi-Tap Delay
function), these parameters determine how detuning is added to the
chorus. The Modulation Rate determines how quickly the detuning
occurs, and Modulation Depth determines the amount of detuning.
A high Modulation Depth setting makes your audio sound really out
of tune (which isn’t usually desirable), but a lower setting produces a
nice chorus effect.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 191

7. Set the Attenuate High Frequencies parameter. This parameter works

the same as the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter of the Multi-Tap Delay
function.
8. Set the Chorus Size parameter. This parameter allows you to
determine how many times your audio is processed with the Chorus
function. You can have the function applied up to three times in
succession, which gives a very deep chorus effect. You’ll need to
experiment to find the right setting.
9. Set the Invert The Chorus Phase and Invert The Feedback Phase
options. Back in Chapter 7, I talked about the Paste Mix function
and about how when you mix certain sound files together, phase
cancellation can occur. Phase cancellation occurs when one audio
waveform increases in volume and the other decreases in volume at
exactly the same time with the same amount. Because of this
phenomenon, they cancel each other out, making the mixed audio
sound “hollow.” By adjusting the Invert The Chorus Phase or Invert
The Feedback Phase options, you can eliminate phase cancellation
if the need arises.
10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
11. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Chorus function to your audio data according to
your parameter settings.

Flange/Wah-Wah
While the Flange/Wah-Wah function doesn’t have the same parameters as
the Simple Delay function, flanging is nevertheless a form of delay. So are
phasing and wah-wah, which can also be achieved with the Flange/Wah-
Wah function. These effects produce very strange “spacey,” “whooshy,”
or “warble” types of sounds by mixing a slightly delayed version of the
original audio with itself. As with chorus, you don’t hear echoes because
the delay occurs so quickly. It’s difficult to describe what these effects
sound like, so you’ll have to hear them for yourself. To use the CHAPTER 9
Flange/Wah-Wah function, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.

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192 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

2. Choose Effects > Flange/Wah-Wah to open the Flange/Wah-Wah

dialog box (see Figure 9.4).

Figure 9.4
Give your audio a
really strange sound
using the Flange/
Wah-Wah function.

3. Choose an option for the Effect parameter. Your choices are Flange,
Phase, or Wah-Wah.
4. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work the
same as the Dry Out and Chorus Out of the Chorus function.
5. Set the Rate parameter. This parameter controls the speed of the
effect in all three modes of operation: Flange, Phase, or Wah-Wah.
6. Set the Depth parameter. If you choose the Flange mode, the Depth
parameter controls how much of the flanging effect is applied to your
audio data. If you choose the Phase mode, the Depth parameter
controls the range of frequencies that are affected by the phasing
effect. If you choose the Wah-Wah mode, the Depth parameter
controls the range of frequencies that are affected by the Wah-Wah
effect.
7. If you choose the Flange mode, you can skip to Step 9. Otherwise, set
the Center Frequency parameter. In both the Phase and Wah-Wah
modes, the Center Frequency parameter controls the frequency at
which phasing or wah-wah effect is most pronounced. For example,
if you are processing a tenor vocal recording, you could set the
Center Frequency to about 261 Hz to center the effect with the range
of the tenor voice (the tenor range is about 130 to 493 Hz). Of course,
this is just one example. You’ll want to experiment to find the right
setting for your audio material.
8. Set the Resonance parameter. For both the Phase and Wah-Wah
modes, the Resonance parameter controls how pronounced the
phasing and wah-wah effects are on your audio data. The lower the
Resonance, the less pronounced the effect. The higher the Resonance,
the more pronounced the effect.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 193

9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
10. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Flange/Wah-Wah function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Pitch Effects
There may be times when you want to change the pitch of your audio
data. Maybe you need to make corrections to an out-of-tune vocal or
instrument part. Or perhaps you want to create a tune in the style of
Alvin & The Chipmunks. Sound Forge includes three different functions
that allow you to alter the pitch of your data in a variety of ways. These
functions include Pitch Bend, Pitch Shift, and Vibrato. I’ll explain them
one by one in this section.

Pitch Bend
The Pitch Bend function allows you to change the pitch of your audio
data over a period of time. For example, with this function, you could
have your audio data slowly rise in pitch from beginning to end, if that’s
the effect you desire. The Pitch Bend function is quite versatile. Here is
how it works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Pitch > Bend to open the Pitch Bend dialog box (see
Figure 9.5). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the
graph shows pitch values, which can range from 24 to 24
semitones (according to the Range parameter located just to the left
of the graph). Inside the graph is a line, which represents the pitch
bend that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at
the line from left to right, the left end of the line represents the CHAPTER 9
beginning of your audio data selection, and the right end of the line
represents the end of your audio data selection. If the line was set so
that the left end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was
at the top, a quick drop and then a gradual rise in pitch would be
applied to your audio data. This occurs because, as you look at the
graph, the left end of the line is set at a pitch lower than normal
(represented by zero in the middle of the graph) and the right end of
the line is set at a pitch higher than normal. So, the pitch would
quickly begin at a lower value, gradually rise to normal, and then
upwards to a higher value. See how it works?

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194 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

Figure 9.5
Use the Pitch Bend
function to change
the pitch of your
audio data gradually
over time.

TIP
If you are applying a pitch bend to a stereo file, you can choose to have your
audio data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show
Wave option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right
channels, or both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show
Wave drop-down list. This does not affect how the pitch bend is applied to
your data, though. If you want to apply a pitch bend to only one of the stereo
channels, you need to select only the data from that channel before you open
the Pitch Bend dialog box.

3. You can change the shape of the pitch bend line in one of two ways.
You can simply choose one of the available presets from the Name
drop-down list. Alternatively, you can change the pitch bend line
graphically by clicking and dragging the small squares at the ends of
the line. These squares, remember, are called Envelope Points.
4. If you want to create some really complex pitch bends, you can add
more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the pitch bend line.
The more Envelope Points you add (the allowed maximum being 16),
the more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the line (see
Figure 9.6).

Figure 9.6
You can create some
really complex pitch
bends by adding more
Envelope Points.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 195

5. If you want to adjust the range of the pitch bend (along with the
pitch resolution of the graph), use the Range parameter that I
mentioned earlier. For subtle pitch bends, use small values. For more
prominent pitch bends, use large values.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Pitch Bend function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Pitch Shift
Normally, when you change the pitch of audio data, the length is also
altered. Raise the pitch and the data gets shorter; lower the pitch and the
data gets longer. That’s what happens when you use the Pitch Bend
function. Luckily, you can use Sound Forge’s Pitch Shift function to
change the pitch without changing the length of the audio data. Here is
how the Pitch Shift function works:
1. Select the data in your audio file to which you would like to apply a
fade. If you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or
select it all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Pitch > Shift to open the Pitch Shift dialog box (see
Figure 9.7).

Figure 9.7
Use the Pitch Shift
function to change
the pitch of your audio
data without changing
its length.

CHAPTER 9

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196 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

3. Set the Semitones To Shift Pitch By and Cents To Shift Pitch By

parameters. These parameters control how much the pitch will be
shifted up or down. For large changes, use the Semitones To Shift
Pitch By parameter. For finer control, use the Cents To Shift Pitch By
parameter. There are 100 cents to each semitone in terms of pitch.

TIP
The only problem to be wary of is that pitch shifting can produce unwanted
artifacts if you use too large an interval. The famous Alvin & the Chipmunks
was a product of this phenomenon. It’s best to stay within an interval of a
major third (four semitones) up or down if possible.

4. Set the Accuracy parameter to specify the quality of the pitch shift
processing you want to use. The higher the quality, the slower the
processing. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can
usually keep this set to the best option, which is High.
5. When raising the pitch of audio, distortion can be introduced into the
data. In order to remedy this problem, be sure to activate the Apply
An Anti-Alias Filter During Pitch Shift option. If you’re lowering the
pitch of your audio data, you don’t need to worry about this.
6. If you don’t want the length of your audio data to change when you
apply a pitch shift, activate the Preserve Duration option. Then,
choose an option from the Mode drop-down list. You should select the
appropriate option in the drop-down list according to the type of data
you want to process. For instance, if you are processing unpitched
percussion instruments, you might want to use the Drums, Unpitched
option. You’ll need to experiment here to find the right setting.
7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
8. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Pitch Shift function to your audio data according
to your parameter settings.

Vibrato
The Vibrato function is similar to the Pitch Bend function, but instead of
bending the pitch, it modulates (or “vibrates”) the pitch up and down
continuously. This gives a sort of warble effect when you apply it subtly.
If you apply it in large amounts, you can also produce some very strange
pitch variation effects. Here is how the Vibrato function works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 197

2. Choose Effects > Vibrato to open the Vibrato dialog box (see Figure
9.8). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the graph
shows pitch values, which can range from 24 to 24 semitones
(according to the Semitones parameter located just to the left of the
graph). Inside the graph is a line, which represents the vibrato that
will be applied to your selected audio data over time. The line
constitutes one cycle (or vibration). This vibration is repeated over
and over at a certain rate until it has been applied to your entire
audio data selection. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but you’ll get the
gist of it once you try it.

Figure 9.8
Use the Vibrato
function to add pitch
variation effects to
your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the vibrato line in one of two ways:
Simply choose one of the available presets from the Name drop-
down list, or change the vibrato line graphically by clicking and
dragging the small squares (Envelope Points) at the ends of the line.
4. If you want to create some really complex vibratos, you can add more
Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the vibrato line. The more
Envelope Points you add, the more flexibility you have in changing
the shape of the line.

TIP CHAPTER 9
Since the vibrato line represents one frequency cycle (or vibration), the left
and right ends of the line should end up at the same vertical position on the
graph. For example, they might both rest on the zero line in the middle of the
graph. This makes for smooth vibrato effects. If the ends of the line are not in
the same vertical position, you might get clicks or pops in your audio. To
help with this problem, you can try activating the Blend Graph Edges option
to see if it helps to eliminate the clicks or pops.

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198 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

5. If you want to adjust the range of the vibrato (along with the pitch
resolution of the graph), use the Semitones parameter that I
mentioned earlier. For subtle vibratos, use small values. For more
prominent vibratos, use large values.
6. Set the Modulation Freq parameter. This parameter controls the
speed of the vibrato. High values give you a warble effect. Low values
give you more of a pitch bending effect.

TIP
For a very subtle vibrato effect, choose the Vibrato 2 Preset. Then, change the
Semitones parameter so that the range becomes 0.45 to 0.45 semitones.
Finally, set the Modulation Freq parameter to 9.000. These are the settings I
use for my Subtle Vibrato Preset.

7. Adjust the Output Gain parameter slider to specify the volume of the
file after it is processed. You can use this to boost or cut the volume
of the audio if you’d like.
8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Vibrato function to your audio data according to
your parameter settings.

Volume Effects
In addition to all the volume processing functions that I talked about in
Chapter 8, Sound Forge provides a number of other functions that
manipulate volume to produce effects. With these functions, you can
apply amplitude modulation, distortion, compression, and many other
types of processing to your audio data. I’ll explain all of the functions one
by one in this section.

Amplitude Modulation
The Amplitude Modulation function works almost identically to the
Vibrato function, except that instead of modulating (or “vibrating”)
frequencies, the Amplitude Modulation function modulates amplitudes
(or the volume) of your audio data. With this function, you can achieve
effects such as the tremolo on an electronic organ. Here is how the
Amplitude Modulation function works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 199

2. Choose Effects > Amplitude Modulation to open the Amplitude

Modulation dialog box (see Figure 9.9). The dialog box displays a
graph. The left side of the graph shows amplitude values, which can
range from Inf to 0 dB (according to the Amplitude parameter
located just to the left of the graph). Inside the graph is a line, which
represents the volume changes that will be applied to your selected
audio data over time. The line constitutes one cycle (or vibration).
This vibration is repeated over and over at a certain rate until it has
been applied to your entire audio data selection. It’s a bit difficult to
describe, but you’ll get the gist of it once you try it.

Figure 9.9
Use the Amplitude
Modulation function
to add volume
variation effects to
your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the amplitude line in one of two ways:
Choose one of the available presets from the Name drop-down list, or
change the amplitude line graphically by clicking and dragging the
small squares (Envelope Points) at the ends of the line.
4. If you want to create some really complex volume changes, you can
add more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the amplitude
line. The more Envelope Points you add, the more flexibility you
have in changing the shape of the line.
CHAPTER 9
TIP
Since the amplitude line represents one frequency cycle (or vibration), the left
and right ends of the line should end up at the same vertical position on the
graph. For example, they might both rest on the line in the middle of the
graph. This makes for smooth volume change effects. If the ends of the line
are not in the same vertical position, you might get clicks or pops in your
audio. To help with this problem, you can try activating the Blend Graph
Edges option to see if it helps to get rid of the clicks or pops.

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200 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

5. If you want to adjust the range of the volume changes (along with the
amplitude resolution of the graph), use the Amplitude parameter that
I mentioned earlier. For subtle changes, use small values. For more
prominent changes, use large values.
6. Set the Mod Freq parameter. This parameter controls the speed of the
volume changes. High values give you a tremolo effect. Low values
give you more of a slow but smooth change in volume effect.

TIP
For a very subtle tremolo effect, choose the Sine Preset. Then, change the
Amplitude parameter so that the range becomes 0 to 2.9 to 5.8. Finally,
set the Mod Freq parameter to 10. These are the settings I use for my Subtle
Tremolo Preset.

7. Set the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter. This parameter works the
same as the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter of the Multi-Tab Delay
function. Basically, it allows you to filter out some of the high
frequencies in your audio data.
8. Adjust the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. I explained these earlier
in the chapter.
9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
10. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Amplitude Modulation function to your audio
data according to your parameter settings.

TIP
If you’re applying the Amplitude Modulation function to a stereo file, you
can create some cool automated panning effects by adjusting the Stereo Pan
parameter in the Amplitude Modulation dialog box. Set the parameter low
for a subtle panning effect and set it high for really fast movement in the
stereo field.

Distortion
Most of the time, bad-sounding audio isn’t something that you want.
Distortion is something you usually try to avoid when recording audio
data. But sometimes distortion can be a good thing (as Martha Stewart
would say). For example, if you want to dress up a guitar part for a rock
song, adding a bit of distortion can make it sound really cool. Or maybe
you want to add a bit of “grit” to a vocal part. Using distortion as an effect
can come in handy here. This is where Sound Forge’s Distortion function
comes in, and here is how it works:
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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 201

1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Distortion to open the Distortion dialog box (see
Figure 9.10). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the
graph shows output amplitude. The bottom of the graph shows input
amplitude. Inside the graph is a line representing the input
amplitude and output amplitude as they relate to each other. Initially,
the line is drawn diagonally, and you “read” it from left to right. This
shows a 1:1 ratio between input and output amplitudes, meaning that
as the input level goes up 1 dB, the output level also goes up 1 dB.

Figure 9.10
Use the Distortion
function to add
distortion effects to
your audio data.

3. You can change the shape of the line graphically by clicking and
dragging the small squares (Envelope Points) at the ends of the line.
The real purpose of the Distortion function comes in when you add
more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the line. When you
add more points and change the shape of the line, the amplitude of
your audio data is affected. If you adjust the Envelope Points toward
the top of the graph, the amplitude is raised. If you adjust the CHAPTER 9
Envelope Points toward the bottom of the graph, the amplitude is
lowered. Lowering the amplitude doesn’t really do much, but by
raising the amplitude, you can cause distortion effects in your audio.
For example, if you add an Envelope Point to the graph where the
input and output levels intersect at 48 dB, and then raise the point
so that the input stays at 48 dB but the output is raised to 24 dB,
you will hear slight distortion in your audio. This is because as the
input amplitude gets to 48 dB, the output amplitude is boosted by
24 dB. Experiment with it and you’ll see what I mean.

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4. The Distortion function goes even further by allowing you to adjust

the amplitude of different parts of your audio data. An audio
waveform has positive and negative parts. The positive parts are the
parts of the waveform that are above the zero axis. The negative parts
are the parts of the waveform below the zero axis. By setting the
Graph Polarity Edit Mode and using the Positive/Negative button,
you can create two lines in the graph that control how the Distortion
function affects the different parts of your audio waveform. If you
select the Individual mode, you can create two independent lines on
the graph for the positive and negative audio data. Use the
Positive/Negative button to switch between the line you want to edit.
If you select the Synchronize mode, both the positive and negative
data are controlled by one line. If you select the Mirror Y mode, the
positive and negative lines are mirrored on the Y axis of the graph. If
you select Mirror X, the positive and negative lines are mirrored on
the X axis of the graph. If you select Mirror X/Y, the positive and
negative lines are mirrored on both the X and Y axes of the graph. I
know this sounds pretty complex—that’s because it is. If you
experiment with it a bit, you’ll start to get the hang of it.
5. If you want to control how much your audio data is allowed to
change over time, activate the Slew Rate parameter. The lower the
value, the less change. The higher the value, the more change. A low
setting can sometimes be useful in stopping a signal from clipping
while still keeping the distortion effect intact.
6. Set the Low-Pass Start Freq parameter to filter out some of the high
frequencies of your audio data. This parameter can be useful if you
have a really strong distortion effect going, but you get some
unwanted buzzing in the higher frequencies of your audio. You can
use this parameter to remove the buzzing.
7. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work the
same as all the other Dry Out and Wet Out parameters explained
earlier in the chapter.
8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Distortion function to your audio data according
to your parameter settings.

Graphic Dynamics
The Graphic Dynamics function allows you to apply compression and
limiting to your audio data. What exactly does that mean? Well, one way
to explain it would be to talk about taming vocal recordings. Let’s say you
recorded this vocalist who can really belt out a tune but doesn’t have

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very good microphone technique. When he sings, he just stays in one

place in front of the mic. Professional singers know that during the quiet
parts of the song, they need to sing up close to the mic and during the
loud parts, they need to back away so that an even amplitude level is
recorded. If a singer doesn’t do this, the amplitude of your recorded audio
will be very uneven. That’s where compression and limiting comes in.
Compression allows you to “squash” the audio signal so that the
amplitude levels are more even. Limiting allows you to stop the
amplitude of the audio signal from rising past a certain level to prevent
clipping. This can happen if the performer sings too loudly. To use the
Graphic Dynamics function, do the following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Dynamics > Graphic to open the Graphic Dynamics
dialog box (see Figure 9.11). The dialog displays a graph similar to
the one found in the Distortion function. The left side of the graph
shows output amplitude and the bottom of the graph shows input
amplitude. Inside the graph is a line representing the input amplitude
and output amplitude as they relate to each other. Initially, the line is
drawn diagonally, and you “read” it from left to right. This shows a
1:1 ratio between input and output amplitudes, meaning as the input
level goes up 1 dB, the output level also goes up 1 dB. Even though
you can add Envelope Points to this graph, as with the Distortion
function, you don’t need to in order to create compression and
limiting effects.

Figure 9.11
Use the Graphic
Dynamics function
to apply compression
and limiting to your
audio data.

CHAPTER 9

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204 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

3. Set the Threshold parameter. The Graphic Dynamics function uses a

digital noise gate to identify the parts of your audio data that should
be processed. The Threshold parameter determines at what amplitude
level your audio data will start being compressed or limited. When
the amplitude of your audio data reaches the threshold level,
processing begins.
4. Set the Ratio parameter. This parameter determines how much
processing is done to your audio data. A ratio of 1:1 means no
processing is done. A ratio of 2:1 means that for every 2 dB increase
in input amplitude, there is only a 1 dB increase in output amplitude.
Thus, the amplitude is being compressed. If you set the Ratio
parameter to its highest value (Inf:1), that causes limiting, so no
matter how loud the input amplitude gets, it is limited to the level set
by the Threshold parameter.
5. Set the Attack parameter. This parameter determines how quickly
after the input level has reached the threshold that processing is
applied. For example, if the input level reaches the threshold, it
doesn’t have to be compressed right away. A slow Attack means the
signal won’t be compressed unless it lasts for a while. This is a good
way to make sure fast, percussive parts are left alone, but long, drawn
out parts are compressed. If you want to limit a signal, though, a
really fast Attack (such as 1 ms) is better.
6. Set the Release parameter. This parameter determines how quickly
after the input level goes below the threshold that processing is
stopped (or the digital noise gate is closed). If you set the Release
parameter too low, your audio could get cut off. A longer Release
allows processing to sound more natural. You’ll have to experiment
to get to the right setting.
7. Set the Sync Stereo Gain option. If you are processing stereo audio,
you’ll more than likely want to have this option activated. It makes
sure that both channels in the stereo audio are processed the same.
8. Set the Auto Gain Compensate option. In the singing example
mentioned earlier, I talked about smoothing out the amplitude levels
in a recorded vocal performance. When you compress the signal, its
high amplitude levels are reduced, but its low amplitude levels
remain the same. In order to make the amplitude levels even, the low
levels need to be raised. Activating the Auto Gain Compensate option
raises the low amplitude levels in your audio so you’ll get a smoother
sound when you’re applying compression.
9. Set the Output Gain parameter. This parameter allows you to adjust
the overall amplitude of your audio after it is processed.
10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
11. Click OK.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 205

Sound Forge applies the Graphic Dynamics function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Multi-Band Dynamics
Like the Graphic Dynamics function, the Multi-Band Dynamics function
allows you to apply compression and limiting to your audio data. This
function has one important difference, though: It allows you to process
different frequency ranges in your audio independently. Why is that
important? Well, one way to explain it would be to talk about de-essing.
You may have noticed while doing vocal recordings that some singers
produce a sort of “hissing” sound whenever they pronounced words with
the letter “s” in them. That “hissing” sound is called sibilance, and you
usually don’t want it in your audio. The process of removing sibilance is
called de-essing, which is done by compressing certain frequencies in the
audio spectrum. To use the Multi-Band Dynamics function, do the
following:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Dynamics > Multi-Band to open the Multi-Band
Dynamics dialog box (see Figure 9.12).

Figure 9.12
Use the Multi-Band
Dynamics function to
apply compression and
limiting to specific
frequency ranges in
your audio data.

CHAPTER 9

3. The Multi-Band Dynamics function actually provides four

compression/limiting functions in one. You’ll find four sets of
controls called Bands. Each Band can be turned on or off by using
the Band # Bypass option. The first two Bands are under the Bands 1
& 2 tab (located at the bottom of the dialog box). The second set of

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206 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

Bands is under the Bands 3 & 4 tab. All the Bands are identical. You
can activate a Band by turning off its Band # Bypass option. For this
example, turn off the Band 1 Bypass option.
4. Set the Threshold parameter. This parameter works the same as the
Threshold parameter of the Graphic Dynamics function.

TIP
The Multi-Band Dynamics function also provides an automatic threshold
detection feature. When activated, the threshold level is detected
automatically when you use the Preview button to listen to your audio before
actually processing it. To turn this feature on, activate the Capture Threshold
option at the bottom of the dialog box. The Capture Threshold feature can be
useful for finding an initial setting for the Threshold parameter. You can then
deactivate Capture Threshold to make additional adjustments to the
Threshold parameter before processing.

5. Set the Amount parameter. This parameter works the same as the
Ratio parameter of the Graphic Dynamics function.
6. Set the Gain parameter. This parameter controls the output amplitude
of the current Band that you are working with. You can use the Gain
parameters to determine how much processing from each Band is
present in the final output of the Multi-Band Dynamics function.
7. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter works the same as the
Attack parameter of the Graphic Dynamics function.
8. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter works the same as
the Release parameter of the Graphic Dynamics function.
9. Choose an option for the Type parameter. This parameter determines
the type of EQ that you want to use to process your audio. I talked
about these EQ types in the Parametric EQ section of Chapter 8. Low-
Shelf lets you filter out low frequencies. High-shelf lets you filter out
high frequencies. Band-Notch lets you filter out a specific frequency.
For example, if you wanted to remove sibilance from your audio, you
would probably use the Band-Notch option.
10. Set the Center parameter. This parameter determines the frequency
above which, below which, or at which your audio content will be
compressed. I also talked about this in the Parametric EQ section of
Chapter 8. In regard to the sibilance example, a good setting for this
parameter would be about 5,000 Hz.
11. If you choose the Band-Notch option, you also need to set the Width
parameter. This parameter determines how much the frequencies
around the Center frequency will be affected. A low value will make
it so that the focus is mainly on the one frequency that you specified
for the Center parameter. A high value will make it so that a range of
frequencies centered around the Center frequency will be processed.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 207

In regard to the sibilance example, it’s good to go with a lower value

such as 1.0.
12. Go back through steps 3 to 11 for each of the Bands that you want
to use.
13. Set the Sync Stereo Channels option. If you are processing stereo
audio, you’ll more than likely want to have this option activated. It
makes sure that both channels in the stereo audio are processed the
same.
14. Set the Output Gain parameter. This parameter allows you to adjust
the overall amplitude from all the Bands in the Multi-Band Dynamics
function.
15. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.

TIP
As you are previewing your audio, you can use the level meters in each Band
to keep track of the input, output, and compression levels. Just make sure the
Enable Meters option (located at the bottom of the dialog box) is activated.
You can switch from monitoring the input or output levels by clicking on the
Input/Output button (located just below each set of meters). In addition, if
you would like to hear your audio processed by only one Band to make sure
you have the right parameter settings, just activate the Solo option for that
Band. Deactivating the Solo option turns processing back on for all other
available Bands.

16. Click OK.

Sound Forge applies the Multi-Band Dynamics function to your audio
data according to your parameter settings.

Envelope
Believe it or not, the Envelope function works virtually the same as the
Graphic Fade function, which I talked about in Chapter 8. The Sound
Forge documentation says the Envelope function is different, stating that
CHAPTER 9
“unlike the Graphic Fade command, which simply fades a waveform by
a specific amount over time, with the Envelope feature the gain at each
point is dynamically calculated to achieve the exact specified envelope.”
To me, the Graphic Fade function seems to produce a better quality
sound and is even more flexible because you can boost the amplitude
beyond 100 percent if you want to. In any case, to use the Envelope
function, follow these steps:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
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208 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

2. Choose Effects > Envelope to open the Envelope dialog box (see
Figure 9.13). The dialog box displays a graph. The left side of the
graph shows amplitude values, which range from 0 to 100 percent.
Inside the graph is a line, which represents the amplitude envelope
that will be applied to your selected audio data. If you look at the
line from left to right, the left end of the line represents the beginning
of your audio data selection and the right end of the line represents
the end of your audio data selection. If the line was set so that the left
end was at the bottom of the graph and the right end was at the top, a
straight linear rise in amplitude would be applied to your audio data
because, as you look at the graph, the left end of the line is set at 0
percent, and the right end of the line is set at 100 percent. So, the
volume of the audio data would begin at 0 percent and rise to 100
percent. See how it works?

Figure 9.13
The Envelope function
is almost exactly the
same as the Graphic
Fade function.

TIP
If you are applying a fade to a stereo file, you can choose to have your audio
data displayed in the background of the graph by activating the Show Wave
option. You can also choose to show just the data from the left or right
channels, or both channels mixed, by choosing an option from the Show Wave
drop-down list. This does not affect how the fade is applied to your data. If
you want to apply a fade to only one of the stereo channels, you need to select
only the data from that channel before you open the Envelope dialog box.

3. You can change the shape of the envelope in one of two ways:
Choose one of the available presets from the Name drop-down list, or
change the envelope graphically by clicking and dragging the small
squares (Envelope Points) at the ends of the line.
4. If you want to create some really complex envelopes, you can add
more Envelope Points by clicking anywhere on the line. The more
Envelope Points you add (the allowed maximum being sixteen), the
more flexibility you have in changing the shape of the line.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 209

5. Set the Smooth Gain To Minimize Distortion On Steep Slopes option.

This option makes it so that amplitude changes aren’t applied too
quickly, which can sometimes result in distortion. You usually just
want to keep the option activated.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge changes the volume of your audio data selection according
to the envelope that you defined in the Envelope dialog box.

Gapper/Snipper
The Gapper/Snipper function is a bit odd, not because of the effects it can
produce, but because of the way it produces them. By adding or cutting
pieces of data to or from your audio, the Gapper/Snipper function allows
you to produce tremolo, warble, and stuttering effects. The pieces of data
applied to or removed from your audio are so small that they don’t ruin it,
but rather, some interesting sounds result. The problem with the Gapper/
Snipper function is that by adding or cutting data from your audio, it also
makes your audio longer or shorter, which can be a problem. Then again,
after you apply the Gapper/Snipper function, you could always use the
Time Compress/Expand function to fix the length of your audio. In any
case, here is how the Gapper/Snipper function works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Gapper/Snipper to open the Gapper/Snipper dialog
box (see Figure 9.14).

Figure 9.14
Use the Gapper/
Snipper function to
apply tremolo, warble,
and stuttering effects
to your audio. CHAPTER 9

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210 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

3. Choose an option for the Effect parameter. If you choose the Gapper
option, small sections of silence will be added to your audio and also
make your file longer. If you choose the Snipper option, small sections
of data will be cut from your audio and also make your file shorter.
4. Set the Freq To Gap/Snip Events parameter. This parameter
determines how many gaps or snips are applied to your audio. The
lower the setting, the fewer gaps or snips. The higher the value, the
more gaps or snips. High values can give you “buzzing” effects
when using the Snipper mode and stuttering effects when using the
Gapper mode.
5. Set the Length Of One Event parameter. This parameter determines
the length of each gap or snip (in seconds) that is applied to your
audio. The lower the setting, the smaller the gap or snip. The higher
the setting, the larger the gap or snip. Use low values for subtle effects
and high values to really alter the original form of your audio data.
6. If you find that the gapping or snipping done to your audio causes
glitches in your audio, adjust the Fade Edges Of Each Event
parameter to smooth out the edges of each gap or snip. This should
allow you to get rid of any glitches that may occur.
7. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
8. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Gapper/Snipper function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Noise Gate
I’ve talked about digital noise gates before as they pertain to other
functions, such as compression and limiting. You can also use digital
noise gates independently to remove parts of your audio data. For
example, if you want the quiet sections (such as the space between
sentences or phrases) in a vocal dialog recording to be perfectly silent,
you can use a noise gate for that purpose. The Noise Gate function
provides this type of effect, and here is how it works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Noise Gate to open the Noise Gate dialog box (see
Figure 9.15).

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 211

Figure 9.15
Use the Noise Gate
function to make quiet
sections of audio
perfectly silent.

3. Set the Threshold Level parameter. The Threshold Level parameter

determines at what amplitude audio will be allowed to pass through
the noise gate unaffected. Anything below the Threshold Level will
not be allowed to pass through and will thus be turned into silence.
4. Set the Attack Time parameter. This parameter determines how
quickly after the input level has reached the threshold level that the
noise gate will open and allow audio through. A low setting will
keep any quick, percussive sounds intact. A high setting will make
the noise open more slowly, thus letting less audio data through.
5. Set the Release Time parameter. This parameter determines how
quickly after the input level goes below the threshold level that the
noise gate is closed. A low setting will make the noise gate close
quickly. Again, this is good for percussive sounds. A high setting
will make the noise gate close slowly. This is good for sounds that
have a long decay, like a long piano note or anything with a lot of
reverberation.
6. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
7. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Noise Gate function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

Reverberation CHAPTER 9

Like some of the functions mentioned earlier, reverb (short for

reverberation) is also a form of delay, but it’s special because, instead of
distinct echoes, reverb adds a complex series of very small echoes that
simulate artificial ambiance. In other words, reverb produces a dense
collection of echoes that are so close together that they create a wash of
sound, making the original audio data sound like it’s being played in
another environment, such as a large concert hall. Using Sound Forge’s
reverb effects, you can make your music sound like it’s being played in all
kinds of different places, such as in an arena, a club, or even live on stage.
Sound Forge includes two reverb effects: Reverb and Acoustic Mirror.
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Reverb
For basic reverb effects, Sound Forge provides the Reverb function. To
apply the Reverb function to your audio data, follow these steps:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Reverb to open the Reverb dialog box (see Figure
9.16).

Figure 9.16
Use the Reverb function
to apply basic
reverberation effects
to your audio data.

3. Choose an option for the Reverberation Mode parameter. This

parameter determines the type of environment you are trying to
simulate. The available options are self-explanatory. For example, to
simulate a small environment, choose the Bright Small Room option.
To simulate a large environment, choose the Cavernous Space option,
and so on.
4. Set the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters. I explained these
parameters earlier in the chapter. They are similar to the Dry Out and
Wet Out parameters used in other functions. One point you should
note, however, is that in the case of reverb, the Dry Out and Reverb
Out parameters also make a difference on how the effect sounds. If
you set the Dry Out high and the Reverb Out low, your audio data
will sound like it’s positioned closer to the “front” of the imaginary
environment. If you set the Dry Out low and Reverb Out high, your
audio data will sound like it’s positioned farther away. For example,
if you want to simulate what it sounds like to be seated in the very
back row of a music concert, you can set the Dry Out low and the
Reverb Out high. You need to experiment to get the exact parameter
settings you desire.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 213

5. Choose an option for the Early Reflection Style parameter. When you
make a sound in any enclosed environment, some very quick echoes
always occur because of the reflective surfaces (such as walls) that
you are standing next to. These echoes are known as early reflections.
To make your reverb simulations sound more authentic, Sound Forge
provides this parameter so that you can control the early reflection
content in your reverb effect. The option you select depends on the
environment you’re trying to simulate. For small environments,
choose a mode with a faster time (measured in milliseconds), such as
Mode 2 (8 milliseconds). For larger environments, choose a mode
with a slower time, such as Mode 6 (36 milliseconds). You need to
experiment to get the right setting.
6. Set the Early Out parameter. This parameter determines how loud
the early reflections will be in the reverb effect. The smaller the
environment, the fewer early reflections are heard, and vice versa.
7. Set the Decay Time parameter. When you’re applying reverb to your
data, you should imagine what type of environment you want to
create. Doing so will help you set the parameters. Technically, the
Decay Time determines how long it takes for the reverberation to fade
away, but you can think of it as controlling how big the artificial
environment will be. The lower the Decay Time, the smaller the
environment, and vice versa. So, if you want to make your audio
sound like it’s playing in a small room, a good Decay Time might be
about 0.5 seconds. If you want to make your audio sound like it’s
playing in a large area, a good Decay Time might be about 3 seconds.
8. Set the Pre-Delay parameter. This parameter is similar to the Decay
Time parameter, except that the Pre-Delay determines the time
between when your audio is first heard and when the reverb effect
begins. This gives you even more control in determining your
artificial environment. For small spaces, use a low setting (such as
1 millisecond). For large spaces, use a high setting (such as 70
milliseconds).
9. Set the Attenuate Bass Freqs Below and the Attenuate High Freqs
Above parameters. If you think these parameters look like CHAPTER 9
equalization settings, you’re right. Using these parameters also helps
to create more authentic environment simulations, because smaller,
closed environments tend to stifle some frequencies of the audio
spectrum and larger environments usually sound brighter, meaning
they promote more of the frequencies.
The Attenuate Bass and Attenuate High parameters work just like the
High-Pass and Low-Pass equalization functions I’ve described before.
If you activate the Attenuate Bass parameter and set its frequency (in
Hz), any frequencies above that are allowed to pass and are included
in the effect, and any frequencies below that are cut. If you activate
the Attenuate High parameter, and set its frequency, any frequencies
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214 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

below that are allowed to pass, and any frequencies above that are
cut. For examples on how to set these parameters, be sure to take a
look at some of the included presets.
10. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
11. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Reverb function to your audio data according to
your parameter settings.

Acoustic Mirror
The Acoustic Mirror function also lets you simulate environments, but it
is much more sophisticated than the Reverb function. The Acoustic
Mirror simulations are based on actual real-life environments. Here is
how it works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Acoustic Mirror to open the Acoustic Mirror dialog
box (see Figure 9.17).

Figure 9.17
Use the Acoustic Mirror
function to apply
complex environment
simulation effects to
your audio data.

3. Choose an option for the Impulse parameter. The Acoustic Mirror

function bases its environment simulations on real-life environments
by using what Sonic Foundry calls Impulse files. An Impulse file is
similar to an actual recording of an acoustic space or acoustic
signature. It models the characteristics of a real environment such as
a concert hall or even a kitchen in someone’s home. Sound Forge
ships with a large collection of Impulse files that you can use to
make it seem as if your audio is playing in a variety of real

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 215

environments. If you don’t see any files listed in the Impulse

parameter drop-down list, click the Browse button to display the
Open Impulse File dialog box and choose a file that way. Impulse
files have an .SFI extension.

TIP
In addition to environments, Impulse files can be used to model the
characteristics of different audio equipment. This includes microphones.
What this means is that you can make it sound as if your audio was recorded
with a certain type of microphone using Acoustic Mirror, even if you don’t
own that particular microphone. Sound Forge ships with a number of
microphone-based Impulse files that you can use. The effect is pretty cool.
In addition, the Acoustic Mirror function lets you use any ordinary WAV file
that is less that twelve seconds long as the basis for its processing. You can
get some really weird effects using the function in this manner. Just choose a
WAV file instead of an Impulse file when you are choosing an option for the
Impulse parameter. Sound Effects work really well here. For example, try
using a quick car horn sound and processing your audio data with it. Your
audio data takes on the characteristics of the car horn. Weird, huh? You can
also use Sound Forge’s synthesis functions to create WAV files for use with
Acoustic Mirror. I’ll talk about the synthesis functions in Chapter 10.

4. Set the Dry Out and Wet Out parameters. These parameters work
the same as the Dry Out and Reverb Out parameters of the Reverb
function.
5. Set the Response Width parameter. This parameter allows you to
control the width of the stereo field. This is similar to the Pan/Expand
function, which I talked about in Chapter 8. When set at 50, you get a
normal stereo image. The closer you set the Response Width to 0, the
narrower the stereo field. This means that the audio will sound more
like it’s being compressed between your stereo speakers. If you set the
Response Width to 0, you are basically converting the stereo signal to
mono. The closer you set the Response Width to 100, the wider the
stereo field. This means that the audio will sound like it’s being
expanded beyond your stereo speakers. CHAPTER 9
6. Set the Response Delay parameter. This parameter is similar to the
Pre-Delay parameter of the Reverb function. A positive setting (in
milliseconds) will make the processed audio sound later than the
original audio. You can use this to simulate a larger space. For some
strange effects, you can use a negative setting, which will make the
processed audio actually sound before the original audio. This would
be something like hearing reverberation before hearing the sound that
actually caused the reverberation.

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216 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

7. Set the Pan parameter. This parameter works like any other panning
parameter that I’ve mentioned before. It lets you pan the processed
audio to any position in the stereo field.
8. Previously, I explained how the Reverb function provides a Decay
Time parameter, which controls how long it takes for the reverberation
to fade away (or lets you control how big your artificial environment
will be). The Apply Envelope And Limit Decay To parameter of the
Acoustic Mirror function is similar to Decay Time. The Apply
Envelope parameter lets you control the length of your selected
impulse file, which in turn controls the length of the environmental
processing. This means you can use it to control the size of the room
you are simulating. For example, if you choose an Impulse file that
simulates the kitchen area inside a home, using the Apply Envelope
parameter, you can control the size of the kitchen. Just activate the
parameter and input a number of seconds (which is limited to the
length of the Impulse file you are using). Enter a small value to
simulate a small space. Enter a large value to simulate a large space.
The Apply Envelope parameter provides even more control, though,
if you need it. Click on the Envelope tab at the bottom of the
Acoustic Mirror dialog box. You will see a graph that represents the
amplitude (left side) of the Impulse file over time (bottom). This
graph works just like the one for the Envelope function that I talked
about earlier. The only difference is that this graph controls the
amplitude of the Impulse file being applied to your audio, rather
than the amplitude of your entire audio data selection.
9. Back under the General tab, set the Low-Shelf Start Freq and the
High-Shelf Start Freq parameters. These parameters work just like the
Attenuate Bass Freqs Below and the Attenuate High Freqs Above
parameters of the Reverb function, respectively.
10. If you are working with mono audio data rather than stereo, you can
still simulate a stereo environment with the Acoustic Mirror. Just
activate the Convert Mono To Stereo option and your audio will be
converted to stereo when you apply the Acoustic Mirror to it.
11. Set the Quality/Speed option to specify the quality of the Acoustic
Mirror processing you want to use. The higher the quality, the slower
the processing. But unless you have a really large audio file, you can
usually keep this set to the best option, which is 5 (or High/Slow).
12. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
13. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies the Acoustic Mirror function to your audio data
according to your parameter settings.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 217

NOTE
While working with the Acoustic Mirror, you may have noticed two
additional tabs at the bottom of the dialog box: Summary and Recover. The
Summary tab provides you with information about the Impulse file you are
using, such as its attributes, author, copyright, and any comments the author
may have included about the file. Sometimes, you can even see a picture of
the environment that was used to create the Impulse file, if the author has
included one. The Recovery tab is used for creating your own Impulse files.
Unfortunately, this is a very advanced topic that is beyond the scope of this
book. If you feel adventurous, you might want to check out the Sound Forge
Help files for more information about creating Impulse files. A word of
warning, though: The procedure is pretty lengthy and not very easy to follow.

Wave Hammer
The Wave Hammer function is a conglomeration of effects. It contains
equalization, noise gate, compression, limiting, and dither effects all
rolled into one. The Wave Hammer’s main use is as a mastering tool.
After you have edited and processed your audio data, you usually put it
through a final mastering process before it gets put onto CD. The Wave
Hammer allows you to apply many different types of processing in one
fell swoop to prepare your files for their final destination.
When you first open the Wave Hammer dialog box (by choosing Effects >
Wave Hammer), you’ll see a main view that gives you access to the general
parameters of all the other sections in the dialog box (see Figure 9.18).

Figure 9.18
Use the Wave Hammer
function to apply EQ,
noise gate, compression,
limiting, and dither
processing to your
audio in one fell swoop.

CHAPTER 9

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218 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

Activating the Enable parameter in each section enables that type of

processing. Clicking on the appropriate tabs at the bottom of the dialog
box gives you access to the more detailed parameters for each section of
the box.
There’s really no need for me to cover this function in detail, because
you’ve already heard it all before. All of the functions that the Wave
Hammer provides work like the previously described functions in this
chapter and in Chapter 8. EQ in the Wave Hammer is similar to the
Paragraphic EQ, also described in Chapter 8. Gate in the Wave Hammer
is similar to the Noise Gate function described earlier in this chapter.
Compress and Limit in Wave Hammer are similar to the Graphic
Dynamics function described earlier in this chapter. And Dither in Wave
Hammer is the same as the Dither function described in Chapter 8.

TIP
You might want to try creating your own type of Wave Hammer function by
stringing together some of the different processing functions that Sound Forge
provides by using the Audio Plug-In Chainer (described later in this chapter).

Plug-Ins and DirectX

In addition to all of the effects I’ve described so far, Sound Forge gives
you access to third-party effects in the form of DirectX plug-ins.

NOTE
In basic terms, a plug-in is a small computer program that by itself does
nothing, but when it is used with a larger application, it provides added
functionality to the larger program. You can use plug-ins to easily add new
features to a program. In Sound Forge’s case, plug-ins provide you with
additional ways to process your audio data. As a matter of fact, Sonic
Foundry offers additional plug-in products for sale (XFX 1, XFX 2, XFX 3,
Acoustic Mirror, and Noise Reduction), although all except Noise Reduction
are already included with Sound Forge 5.
What’s more, Sonic Foundry isn’t the only vendor that sells plug-ins for
Sound Forge. You can use plug-ins from a number of third-party vendors,
because many plug-ins are programmed using standard computer code.
Sound Forge enables you to use any audio plug-ins that are DirectX-
compatible. DirectX is a special computer code built into Windows that
controls all its multimedia functions, such as playing audio and video. So, if
you are looking for new plug-ins to add to Sound Forge, just make sure they
are DirectX-compatible (it will say so on the package), and you can be sure
they will work.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 219

TIP
For a great source of DirectX plug-ins that you can download and use for free,
check out http://www.directxfiles.com/.

The DirectX Menu

All DirectX plug-ins are accessed via the DirectX menu in Sound Forge
(see Figure 9.19).

Figure 9.19
Use the DirectX menu
to access any installed
DirectX plug-ins.

Just select some audio data, and choose DirectX > Name Of Plug-in to
access the DirectX plug-ins that you have installed on your computer
system. To find out how to use any specific plug-in, you will have to read
the documentation that came with the plug-in.

Audio Plug-In Chainer

Sound Forge includes one DirectX plug-in that really doesn’t provide any
kind of processing power on its own, but which does let you create what
I like to call Master Presets. As I mentioned in Chapter 8, Sound Forge
enables you to save the settings for most of its functions as presets. This
way, you can easily use the same editing parameters that you created by CHAPTER 9
simply calling them up by name, instead of having to figure out the
settings every time you use a function. Presets are a real time-saver, but,
unfortunately, you can save presets for each of the individual functions
only. What if you want to combine a few of the functions to create a
certain editing process? For example, say you like to add a bit of EQ
before you process your audio with reverberation? To do so, you would
need to select your audio data, use one of the EQ functions, and then use
the Reverb function to process your data. For each function, you have to
make the appropriate parameter adjustments. If you chain the functions
together, all you would need to do is select your data and run the
function chain. This is where the Audio Plug-In Chainer comes in. The

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220 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9

Audio Plug-In Chainer allows you to daisy-chain some of Sound Forge’s

functions together so that you can process your audio data with multiple
functions (complete with specific parameter settings) all at once. Here is
how the Audio Plug-In Chainer works:
1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to process. If
you want to process the entire file, don’t select any data, or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose DirectX > Audio Plug-In Chainer to open the Audio Plug-In
Chainer dialog box (see Figure 9.20).

Figure 9.20
Use the Audio Plug-In
Chainer to chain
together Sound Forge’s
individual processing
functions.

3. Click the Add Plug-In button (the one with the plus sign on it) to
open the Add Plug-Ins dialog box (see Figure 9.21).

Figure 9.21
Add plug-ins to the
chain using the Add
Plug-Ins dialog box.

4. Select a plug-in from the list and click the Add button. That plug-in
(or function) is added to the Plug-Ins list in the Audio Plug-In
Chainer dialog box.
5. Select the plug-in in the list and click the Properties button. The
dialog box corresponding to the plug-in or function will now open,
allowing you to adjust its parameter settings. When you’re finished,
click the Close button.

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 Effects: The Really Cool Stuff — Chapter 9 221

6. Go through steps 3 through 5 until you have all the plug-ins that you
want shown in the Plug-Ins list.
7. To delete a plug-in from the Plug-Ins list, select the plug-in and click
on the Delete Plug-In button (the one with the big red X on it). And if
you want to delete all plug-ins in the list, click the Clear All button.
8. To move a plug-in up or down in the list, click the Move Up button
(the one with the upward arrow on it) or the Move Down button (the
one with the downward arrow on it). This allows you to specify
whether you want certain types of processing to be done to your data
before others.
9. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data. As you’re
previewing, you can bypass or solo a function by clicking in the
appropriate box next to the plug-in in the list.
10. Be sure to save your new plug-in chain as a preset. That way, the
next time you want to process your audio with these particular plug-
ins, all you will have to do is choose the preset rather than creating
the chain again from scratch.
11. Click OK.
Sound Forge applies all the plug-ins listed in the Audio Plug-In Chainer
to your audio data according to your parameter settings.

CHAPTER 9

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 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10 223

10
Additional

CHAPTER 10
Audio Tools
Sound Forge provides so many tools and functions that it’s difficult to
categorize them all. Some are used for editing. Some are used for
processing. And others are used to add effects. There are also a few other
tools that don’t fit in any of those categories. They give you the ability to
fix, analyze, and synthesize audio data. These are the topics I’ll cover in
this chapter:
 Repairing your audio data with the Repair functions
 Analyzing your audio data using spectrum analysis
 Creating new sounds with simple synthesis
 Creating new sounds with FM synthesis

In Need of Repair
In Chapter 7, I talked about the Pencil Tool and how you can use it to fix
glitches (such as pops and clicks) in your audio data. Sound Forge 5.0
provides a few new functions that make fixing glitches even easier.

Repairing Stereo Audio

If you ever run across a situation where one channel of your stereo audio
file has a glitch but the other channel doesn’t, you can use the Repair Copy
Other Channel function to fix the problem quickly and easily. Here is how it
works:
1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I
described in Chapter 5. Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window
so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform.

FIND
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224 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10

2. If the glitch is small (within 10 milliseconds in length), position the

Current Position Cursor at a point that is approximately at the center
of the glitch. If you used the Find function, this is done
automatically. Make sure only the channel containing the glitch has
the Current Position Cursor showing in it by pressing the Tab key on
your computer keyboard (see Figure 10.1).

Figure 10.1
Press the Tab key
on your computer
keyboard so that only
the glitched channel
is processed.

3. If the glitch is large, make a selection containing the glitched data.

Make sure only the channel containing the glitch has the selection
in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard (see
Figure 10.2).

Figure 10.2
If the glitch is large,
make a selection instead
of just placing the
Current Position Cursor.

4. Choose Tools > Repair > Copy Other Channel. If you placed the Current
Position Cursor in the center of the glitch, Sound Forge will copy 10
milliseconds of data (5 milliseconds before and 5 milliseconds after
the Current Position Cursor) from the clean channel to the glitched
channel. If you made a selection, Sound Forge will copy the same
amount of data as the selection (up to 0.5 seconds) from the clean
channel to the glitched channel.

TIP
The Repair Copy Other Channel function works best when the data in both
channels is similar. If the data is very different, the function may not work.
In this case, you may want to try one of the other Repair functions.

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 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10 225

Repairing with Replacement

If the data in the channels of your stereo audio is not similar at the point
where a glitch occurs, you can try replacing it with data from the same
channel using the Repair Replace function. This function also works if
you have a mono audio file. The Repair Replace function works almost

CHAPTER 10
exactly the same as the Repair channel function, except that the clean
data is taken from the audio immediately preceding the glitch in the
waveform. Follow these steps to utilize the Repair Replace function:
1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I
described in Chapter 5. Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window
so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform.
2. If the glitch is small (within 15 milliseconds in length), position the
Current Position Cursor at a point that is approximately at the center
of the glitch. If you used the Find function, this is done automatically.
If you’re working on a stereo file, make sure only the channel
containing the glitch has the Current Position Cursor showing in it
by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard.
3. If the glitch is large, make a selection containing the glitched data. If
you’re working on a stereo file, make sure only the channel
containing the glitch has the selection in it by pressing the Tab key
on your computer keyboard.
4. Choose Tools > Repair > Replace. If you placed the Current Position
Cursor in the center of the glitch, Sound Forge will replace 15
milliseconds of data surrounding the cursor with the 15 milliseconds
of data that immediately preceded the glitch. If you made a selection,
Sound Forge will copy the same amount of data as the selection (up
to 0.5 seconds) from the data that immediately preceded the glitch.

TIP
The Repair Replace function works best on large clicks or glitches; if too
many replacements are made, however, you can sometimes get a strange echo
effect. If that happens, try using the Repair Interpolate function instead.

Repairing with Interpolation

The Repair Interpolate function is the most sophisticated of the Repair
functions. This doesn’t mean it always works better, though. You’ll need
to experiment. The Repair Interpolate function eliminates glitches by first
making a logical guess at what the audio waveform is supposed to look
like without the glitch and then replacing the glitched data with the
estimated data. Here is how the function works:

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226 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10

1. If you don’t know the location of the glitch, use the Find function as I
described in Chapter 5. Otherwise, scroll and zoom the Data Window
so that you can see the glitch in the audio waveform.
2. The Repair Interpolate function works best on small glitches
(5 milliseconds or less). For very small glitches, position the Current
Position Cursor at a point that is approximately at the center of the
glitch. If you used the Find function, this is done automatically. For
slightly larger glitches, make a selection containing the glitched data.
If you’re working on a stereo file, make sure only the channel
containing the glitch has the Current Position Cursor or selection
showing in it by pressing the Tab key on your computer keyboard.
3. Choose Tools > Repair > Interpolate.
Sound Forge analyzes the audio data and replaces the glitch with an
estimate of what it thinks it should be. In some cases, this won’t work
and will just introduce another glitch. If that happens, try using one of
the other Repair functions. You’ll need to test each one to see which
works best on your damaged audio data.

Spectrum Analysis
In Chapter 8, I talked about frequencies, the audio spectrum, and how
different sounds are created via multiple, simultaneous vibrations at
different frequencies. I also talked about how you can alter the tonal
characteristics (or timbre) of a sound using equalization. But in order to
know what frequencies should be boosted or cut to get the changes you
want, you have to know what frequencies (and their amplitudes) are
present within a sound. That’s where spectrum analysis comes in.
If you happen to have a boom box or a stereo component that has an
animated graph feature, which changes as music is being played, then
you’ve had some experience with spectrum analysis. That animated
graph shows the amplitudes of different frequencies within the music as
it is being played. It can tell you if there is too much bass or too much
treble and allow you to make the appropriate adjustments so that the
music sounds better. Sound Forge’s Spectrum Analysis function lets you
do this, too, but with a much higher degree of accuracy.
You can use the Spectrum Analysis function to analyze the frequency
content in your audio files and determine which frequencies are loud or
soft. You can also use the function to find the fundamental pitch of a
sound, or to track down strange noises in your audio (such as buzzes or
hums). Then, you can use the equalization or pitch adjustment functions
to make changes. Here is how the Spectrum Analysis function works:

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 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10 227

1. Select the data in your audio file that you would like to analyze. If
you want to analyze the entire file, don’t select any data or select it
all by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Tools > Spectrum Analysis to open the Spectrum Analysis
window (see Figure 10.3). The window displays a graph showing

CHAPTER 10
frequency values along the bottom and amplitude values along the
left side. This lets you look at the graph, pick out a frequency, and
find the amplitude of that frequency within your audio data. If you
are analyzing a mono file, you’ll see one graph. If you are analyzing a
stereo file, you’ll see two graphs (one for the left channel and one for
the right channel).
Figure 10.3
Use the Spectrum
Analysis function to
analyze the frequency
content in your audio
files.

3. When you first open the window, the graph will be zoomed all the
way out, making it difficult to pick out specific frequencies. To zoom
in on a particular frequency or group of frequencies, left-click and
drag your mouse within the graph to draw a box around the
frequencies you want to view in more detail (see Figure 10.4).

TIP
Just like any other window, you can also change its size by clicking and
dragging its corners (the window, not the graph). This will give you a larger
graph (with more values displayed) to work with.

Figure 10.4
Left-click and drag
within the graph to
zoom in on specific
frequencies.

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228 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10

TIP
As you move your mouse within the graph, you’ll see the mouse cursor
displaying amplitude (in dB) and frequency (in Hz) values. By aligning the
cursor to the top of a frequency bar in the graph, you can get a reading of the
amplitude of that frequency. Also, by choosing Options > Show Position, you
can turn this feature on or off. And by choosing Options > Show Notes, you
can also have the cursor display note values for the frequencies you are
inspecting.

4. When you zoom in on the graph, you’ll notice that the scroll bars on
the left and bottom of the graph will become active. These work like
any other scroll bars in a window and allow you to scroll through the
different parts of the graph while zoomed in. You can also choose
Display > Grab/Pan to turn the mouse into a scroll tool. In this mode,
when you click and drag within the graph, the position of the graph
will move. To go back to zoom mode, just choose Display > Grab/Pan
again.
5. To zoom out all the way horizontally, choose Display > Zoom Out Full.
To zoom out all the way vertically, choose Display > Normalize dB.

TIP
You can also zoom the graph to a specific range by choosing Display > Zoom
To Range. To set the range for this function, choose Options > Settings to
open the Spectrum Settings dialog box. In the Display Range section, set
minimum and maximum values for the frequency (horizontal) range for the
graph. Then, set maximum and minimum values for the amplitude (vertical)
range of the graph using the Ceiling and Floor parameters, respectively.

6. To display the frequencies in the graph logarithmically rather than

linearly, choose Display > Logarithmic. Basically, what this means is
that the graph will display a wider range of low frequencies in this
mode. So, if you are working with audio data with a lot of low
frequency content (like a bass guitar part), you might want to display
the graph logarithmically.
7. You can change the appearance of the graph in other ways, too.
Initially, you’ll see the Bar Graph mode. This is my favorite, since is
shows individual bars for the frequencies displayed. But there are
also Line Graph and Filled Graph modes. To use them, just choose
Display > Line Graph or Display > Filled Graph.

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8. Because the Spectrum Analysis function uses a window instead of a

dialog box, you can keep it open as you edit your audio data. If you
go back to the Data Window and select a different section of audio,
you can switch to the already open Spectrum Analysis window to
analyze the new data. The graph isn’t updated automatically, though,
so to update the graph, choose Update.

CHAPTER 10
TIP
If you want the graph to be updated automatically with any data selections or
edits that you make, choose Options > Auto Update in the Spectrum Analysis
window.

TIP
You can also have the Spectrum Analysis function show graphs for different
parts of your audio data simultaneously. Choose Options > Settings to open
the Spectrum Settings dialog box. For the Slices Displayed parameter, choose
how many graphs you want to be displayed (up to 64) and then choose
whether you want them Forward or Backward according to the data in your
file. Click OK. Depending on the number of graphs you choose, the Spectrum
Analysis function will split your audio file into that many sections and show
a graph for each section. The graphs will be shown beginning at the front of
the file or at the back of the file, depending on if you choose the Forward or
Backward options, respectively.

9. The Spectrum Analysis function can also be used in real-time. If you

choose Options > Monitor Playback, the graph will change as your
data is played. Go ahead and try it. The display looks very cool. In
addition to this, you can also use the function to analyze the audio
that is coming into your sound card in real-time. This means you can
hook up a microphone to your sound card, speak or play something
into it, and watch the graph show the frequency content of the audio.
To activate this feature, choose Options > Monitor Input.
10. To set the accuracy of the Spectrum Analysis function, choose
Options > Settings to open the Spectrum Settings dialog box (see
Figure 10.5).

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230 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10

Figure 10.5
Adjust the accuracy of
the Spectrum Analysis
function with the
Spectrum Settings
dialog box.

11. The Spectrum Analysis function uses an imaginary window as it

analyzes your selected data, section by section. The size of this
window (in samples) is determined by the FFT Size parameter. The
bigger the window, the more accurate the analysis, but the slower the
processing. A good number to use is 2,048, which provides a good
balance between accuracy and processing time.
12. The FFT Overlap parameter determines how much overlap there is
from the window’s last analysis position to its next position. Again,
the more overlap, the more accurate the analysis, but the slower the
processing. Usually, 75 percent is a good setting.
13. The Smoothing Window parameter determines what algorithm is
used when analyzing your data. You can experiment with these to
find the one that best fits the material you’re analyzing, but most
often, you’ll probably want to use the Blackman-Harris setting, which
is the most accurate.
14. There are also a number of presets available that will set the graph
parameters for you according to the type of data you want to analyze.
Be sure to try them out. And once you’ve made your settings, click OK.
15. In addition to the Bar Graph, Line Graph, and Filled Graph modes,
the Spectrum Analysis function also provides a Sonogram mode.
To activate it, choose Display > Sonogram (Color) and you’ll see a
graph like the one shown in Figure 10.6, but very colorful. Instead of
frequency and amplitude, this graph shows frequencies (on the left
side of the graph) over time (on the bottom of the graph). This means
that by reading the graph, you can see all the frequencies at a specific
time in your selected data. Not only that, but the different colors
represent the amplitudes of the frequencies. At the bottom of the
window, you’ll see a scale showing what colors represent what
amplitudes in dB.

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 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10 231

Figure 10.6
In addition to the Bar,
Line, and Filled Graph
modes, there is the
Sonogram mode.

CHAPTER 10
16. As in the other modes, you can move the mouse over the graph and
read the amplitudes of specific frequencies in numerical values. The
Sonogram doesn’t allow you to zoom in or move around. And during
playback, you’ll see the Current Position Cursor scroll within the
graph rather than the graph itself changing.
17. If you would like to change the intensity of the colors in the graph so
you can get a better reading, just move the slider located just beneath
the graph. Move it right for more intense colors and move it left for
less intense colors.
18. You can also view the Sonogram in black and white if you’d like. Just
choose Display > Sonogram (B & W).
19. To adjust the accuracy of the Sonogram, choose Options > Settings to
open the Spectrum Settings dialog box. Then, adjust the Set
Sonogram Resolution parameter. The higher the setting, the more
accurate the Sonogram but the more processing time it takes to create
it. The default value of 200 usually works well. Click OK.

TIP
If you’d like a printout of your graph or Sonogram, just choose Options > Print.

20. When you’re finished with the Spectrum Analysis function, choose
Options > Close to close the window.

Spectrum Analysis Applications

Of course, knowing how to use the Spectrum Analysis function doesn’t
really give you any idea of why you might want to use it. So, let me take
you through a couple of examples.

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Prominent Pitch
Suppose you have a recording of an instrumental performance and you’d
like to know what note the instrument is playing at a particular point in
your audio file. This is how you can find out:
1. Select the data in your audio file that contains only the note being
played for which you want to find the pitch.
2. Choose Tools > Spectrum Analysis.
3. If it isn’t already, change the display mode to normal by choosing
Display > Normal Display.
4. Now, look at the bottom right area of the Spectrum Analysis window.
There you will see a bunch of text showing the various settings for the
current graph. In addition, you’ll see the text “Prominent Frequency.”
Next to that is shown the most prominent frequency in your selected
data and the note (or pitch) represented by that frequency.

Find Glitches Manually

I talked about how to repair your audio data earlier in this chapter using
the Repair functions. I also talked about how to use the Find function to
locate glitches in your data, but sometimes even the Find function
doesn’t work and you need to look for the glitches manually. Most of the
time, you can hear them easily, but you might not be able to quite zoom
in on the exact spot at which they are located. The Spectrum Analysis
function can help here.
1. Find the general area in your audio file where the glitch is located
and select that data.
2. Choose Tools > Spectrum Analysis.
3. Choose Display > Sonogram (Color).
4. Look at the graph for thin spikes of color (see Figure 10.7). Those are
glitches or clicks in your audio data.

Figure 10.7
Use the Sonogram
mode to find glitches
in your audio data.

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 Additional Audio Tools — Chapter 10 233

5. Make a note of the time at which the glitch occurs by reading the
time values at the bottom of the graph.
6. Zoom in on that time in the Data Window to find the glitch in the
audio waveform.
7. Refer to the earlier sections of this chapter for step-by-step

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instructions on how to fix the glitch.

Synthesis
In addition to all of the editing, processing, and effects functions I
described in the previous chapters, Sound Forge allows you to create
sounds from scratch with its trio of synthesis functions. These functions
allow you to experiment with a number of different types of synthesis all
from within Sound Forge. No other software or hardware components are
required. You can do things like simulate telephone tones, try your hand
at simple additive and subtractive synthesis, and create some really
complex sounds with FM synthesis.

NOTE
I will not be going into detail about the aspects of additive, subtractive, FM,
or sound synthesis in general. This subject matter would fill many books
in and of itself. However, you can find some good introductory information
on the following Web sites: http://tilt.largo.fl.us/faq/synthfaq.html and
http://nmc.uoregon.edu/emi/emp_win/main.html.

DTMF/MF Tones
The DTMF/MF function allows you to generate telephone tones. Why
would you ever want or need to do this? I have no idea. But there have
been some songs on the market that use telephone tones for effects, so
maybe you’ll get some use out of this function after all. For whatever
reason you may want to use it, here is how the function works:
1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File > New and setting the
appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box or open an
existing audio file. I talked about how to do this in Chapter 4. If you
open an existing audio file, position the Current Position Cursor at
the location in the file where you want to insert the telephone tones.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > DTMF/MF Tones to open the DTMF/MF
Tones dialog box (see Figure 10.8).

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Figure 10.8
Generate telephone
tones with the
DTMF/MF function.

3. Set the Dial String parameter. This is where you enter the telephone
number that you would like to simulate. Just as you do with your
touch-tone phone, you can enter numbers, letters, and even the
asterisk or pound sign.
4. Choose an option for the Tone Style To Generate parameter. DTMF
stands for Dual Tone Multi-Frequency. This is the name for the type
of sound signals that are generated by standard touch-tone phones.
MF stands for Multi-Frequency. This is the name for the type of
sound signals that are used internally by the telephone companies to
control the operation of the telephone networks.
5. Set the Single Tone Length parameter. This parameter determines the
length (in seconds) of each individual tone that is generated. To
create an average length tone, use a setting of about 0.200.
6. Set the Break Length parameter. This parameter determines the
amount of silence (in seconds) that occurs between each individual
tone. To simulate normal dialing speed, use a setting of about 0.100.
7. In addition to the Break Length, you can also insert specific pauses
between dialing tones. To do this, choose a setting for the Pause
Character parameter (the default setting of a comma works well). Add
commas to the Dial String parameter where you want the pauses to
occur. Then, set the Pause Length parameter (in seconds) to specify
how long of a pause there will be when the Pause Character is
encountered in the Dial String when the tones are being generated.
8. Activate the Fade The Edges Of Each Tone option. This prevents
glitching, so you’ll almost always want to keep this option activated.
9. If you are inserting the tones into an existing audio file and you want
them to be inserted at the Current Cursor Position, choose the Cursor
option for the Insert New Tone Sequence At parameter. You can also
choose to insert the tones at the start or end of the file. If you are
creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter.
10. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the tones
to be.

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11. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
12. Click OK.
Sound Forge generates the telephone tones according to your parameter
settings.

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Simple Synthesis
The Simple Synthesis function allows you to generate very basic audio
waves like the kind you might find on a synthesizer. You can use this
function to experiment with different types of synthesis and create your
own unique synth sounds. As its name implies, the Simple Synthesis
function is very easy to use. Here is how it works:
1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File > New and setting the
appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box or open an
existing audio file. I talked about how to do this in Chapter 4. You
open an existing audio file and position the Current Position Cursor
at the location in the file where you want to insert the synth tone.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > Simple to open the Simple Synthesis
dialog box (see Figure 10.9).

Figure 10.9
Generate basic audio
waves with the Simple
Synthesis function.

3. Choose an option for the Waveform Shape parameter. This parameter

determines the type of basic waveform that you want to generate.
You can choose from Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle, Noise, and
Absolute Sine. Try out each one to get an idea of what they sound
like.
4. Set the Length parameter. This parameter determines the length (in
seconds) of the audio wave that is generated.
5. Set the Frequency parameter. This parameter determines the
frequency (or pitch) of the sound that is generated.

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6. If you are inserting the sound into an existing audio file and you
want it to be inserted at the Current Cursor Position, choose the
Cursor option for the Insert New Waveform At parameter. You can
also choose to insert the sound at the start or end of the file. If you
are creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter.
7. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the
sound to be.
8. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
9. Click OK.
Sound Forge generates the audio waveform according to your parameter
settings.

Simple Synthesis Example

But what can you really do with the Simple Synthesis function other
than just create basic synth tones? Well, by combining the Simple
Synthesis function with some of the other functions available from
within Sound Forge, you can create synthesized sounds from scratch.
Here’s an example:
1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File > New and setting the
appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > Simple to open the Simple Synthesis
dialog box.
3. Set the Waveform Shape parameter to Square.
4. Set the Length parameter to 3.
5. Set the Frequency parameter to 261.6, which is the frequency of
Middle C on the musical scale.
6. Set the Amplitude parameter to 12 dB.
7. Click OK. This gives us our first basic synth tone.
8. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File > New and setting the
appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box.
9. Choose Tools > Synthesis > Simple to open the Simple Synthesis
dialog box.
10. Set the Waveform Shape parameter to Saw.
11. Set the Length parameter to 3.
12. Set the Frequency parameter to 466.2, which is the frequency of
Bflat above Middle C on the musical scale.
13. Set the Amplitude parameter to 12 dB.
14. Click OK. This gives us our second basic synth tone.
15. Select and copy all the data from the second synth tone.

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16. Select all the data in the first synth tone.

17. Choose Edit > Paste Special > Mix to open the Mix dialog box.
18. Choose the 50/50 Mix Preset and click OK. This gives us our mixed
complex synth tone.
19. Choose Process > Fade > Graphic to open the Graphic Fade dialog

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box.
20. Choose the 6 dB Exponential Fade Out Preset and click OK.
21. Choose Effects > Flange/Wah-Wah to open the Flange/Wah-Wah
dialog box.
22. Choose the Fast Flange Preset and click OK.
23. Choose Effects > Reverb to open the Reverb dialog box.
24. Choose the Metal Tank Preset and click OK.
25. Play the audio file.
Isn’t that cool? You just created a synthesizer sound from scratch, and this
example demonstrates only a few of the Sound Forge functions that you
can use when developing your own sounds. Feel free to experiment with
all of the other processing and effects functions. You may stumble upon
some really wild sounds. And if you find something you really like, save
it as a WAV file and then import it into your digital audio sequencing
application so you can use it in your next tune.

FM Synthesis
The FM Synthesis function allows you to create more complex synth
sounds through the use of frequency modulation synthesis techniques.
Many of the older Yamaha brand of synthesizers (such as the TX81Z)
used this form of synthesis. By combining multiple simple waveforms in
various configurations, frequency modulation synthesis allows you to
create some very realistic and some not-so-realistic synth sounds. Here is
how the FM Synthesis function works:
1. Create a new empty audio file by choosing File > New and setting the
appropriate parameters in the New Window dialog box or open an
existing audio file. I talked about how to do this in Chapter 4. If you
open an existing audio file, position the Current Position Cursor at
the location in the file where you want to insert the synth tone.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box
(see Figure 10.10).

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Figure 10.10
Generate complex audio
waves with the FM
Synthesis function.

3. Set Total Output Waveform Length parameter. This parameter

determines the length (in seconds) of the audio wave that is generated.
4. Choose an option for the Configuration parameter. This parameter
determines how many Operators you want to use to generate your
sound and how they will be connected. You’ll need to experiment to
see how each option produces different types of sounds.

NOTE
In frequency modulation synthesis, an Operator is a basic waveform
generator. You can think of an Operator as a single Simple Synthesis function
with a couple of extra parameters. The FM Synthesis function allows you to
use up to four Operators, so it’s like having four Simple Synthesis functions
combined in one. In addition, the Operators can be connected to one another
in different ways. For example, for some options of the Configuration
parameter, you’ll notice that the output from one Operator is fed into another
Operator. This means that the first Operator is being used to modulate the
frequency of the second Operator, thus the phrase “frequency modulation
synthesis.” This technique can produce some very complex sounds.

5. The Current Operator parameter lets you choose which Operator you
are going to work with. Each Operator has the same number and
types of parameters, so I will just go through the parameters for
Operator 1.
6. Define an Amplitude Envelope for the current Operator using the
Amplitude Graph. This graph works exactly the same as the graph in
the Envelope function, which I talked about in Chapter 9. The
Amplitude Envelope controls the volume of the Operator over time.
7. Choose an option for the Operator Shape parameter. This parameter
determines the type of basic waveform that you want to use for the
current Operator. You can choose from Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle,
Noise, and Absolute Sine, just like with the Simple Synthesis
function.
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8. Set the Frequency parameter. This parameter determines the

frequency (or pitch) used for the current Operator.
9. Set the Feedback parameter. This parameter allows you to send the
output from the current Operator back into itself, meaning you can
have an Operator modulate (vibrate) its own frequency in addition to

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being modulated by another Operator. Experiment with this
parameter to see how it affects the sound you’re trying to create.
10. Set the Amplitude parameter to specify how loud you want the final
output of the current Operator to be.
11. If you are using more than one Operator, go through steps 5 through
10 for each additional Operator.
12. If you are inserting the sound into an existing audio file and you
want it to be inserted at the Current Cursor Position, choose the
Cursor option for the Insert Waveform At parameter. You can also
choose to insert the sound at the start or end of the file. If you are
creating a new file, you don’t need to set this parameter.
13. Click the Preview button to hear how your file will sound before you
have Sound Forge make any actual changes to the data.
14. Click OK.
Sound Forge generates the audio waveform according to your parameter
settings. For some examples of the sounds you can produce with the FM
Synthesis function, be sure to check out the supplied presets.

TIP
Try saving some of the sounds that you create as WAV files and then use them
as Impulses for the Acoustic Mirror function. The only limit you have to
abide by is to keep the length of the files at 12 seconds or less. You can get
some very weird environmental simulations using this technique.

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11
Producing for
Multimedia and the Web
In addition to regular audio production, Sound Forge includes a number
of features to help you create and edit audio for multimedia and the
Internet. You can open a video file in Sound Forge and then add audio or
edit existing audio. You can also save video files along with your edited
audio. All of the editing and processing functions provided by Sound
Forge make it easy for you to prepare your audio for distribution over the
Web, including the ability to save files as RealAudio, MP3, or Windows
Media. Sound Forge even allows you to read and write your audio data to

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and from CD. By providing these tools, Sound Forge gives you everything
you need to deliver your audio to all available venues. Here is what I’ll
cover in this chapter:
 Working with video files
 Preparing your audio for Internet distribution
 Reading audio from a CD
 Writing audio to a CD

Working with Video Files

In Chapter 4, I covered all the steps needed for opening and saving video
files in Sound Forge. But I didn’t actually cover how to work with the
data once you loaded it into the program. The procedure is really not
much different than working with audio files, except that video files
contain both audio and video data.

FIND
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The Video Strip

When you open a video file in Sound Forge, the first thing you’ll notice is
that the Data Window has a new section added to it (see Figure 11.1).
This section is called the Video Strip. The Video Strip displays small
frames of video data from the file. These frames show what is happening
in the video at different points in time. They also allow you to see how
the video and audio data are synchronized.
Figure 11.1
The Video Strip in the
Data Window lets you
view your video data.

If you play the file, you’ll notice that the Video Strip becomes animated
and plays the video data along with the audio data as the Current
Position Cursor moves within the Data Window. Give it a try and you’ll
see what I mean. If you would rather not have the Video Strip animated,
you can turn the option off by right-clicking within the Video Strip and
choosing Animate from the pop-up menu (see Figure 11.2).
Figure 11.2
Turn the Video
Strip animation
on or off with the
Animate option.

The Video Strip also provides a few other options that might be helpful
to you.

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Number Frames
By right-clicking in the Video Strip and choosing the Number Frames
option from the pop-up menu, you can specify whether or not Sound
Forge will display video frame numbers inside the Video Strip (see Figure
11.3). Using frame numbers can sometimes help you when you’re trying
to specify when a sound or other piece of audio should occur at a certain
place within the video.

Figure 11.3
Use the Number
Frames option to
show frame numbers
in the Video Strip.

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Go To
You can also use the Video Strip to navigate through your file. Just right-
click within one of the sections shown in the Video Strip and choose Go
To from the pop-up menu. The Current Position Cursor will then jump to
the beginning of that section within the file. This gives you a quick way
to audition different sections in your video file.

Copy
By right-clicking in the Video Strip and choosing the Copy option from
the pop-up menu, Sound Forge will copy the current video frame to the
Windows clipboard. Since you can’t edit video data within Sound Forge,
however, I don’t know why you would ever need this option.

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Video Editing?
Sound Forge doesn’t allow you to alter the video of your file in any way.
For that, you would need a dedicated video editing application. You can,
however, edit the audio data in a video file just as you would in a plain
audio file, and as such, you can change the length of the file.

Cutting
If you cut some audio data from your video file, this will remove the
audio data but leave the video data intact. As shown in Figure 11.4,
you’ll notice that the audio data is cut short while the video data remains.
When you play a file like this, the video data at the end of the file will
play, but there will be no sound.

Figure 11.4
Cutting audio data
from a video file
doesn’t affect the
video data.

Pasting
By pasting data to a video file, however, you can actually lengthen the
file. What happens here is if you have more audio data in the file than
video data, the end of the file will be padded with blank video (see
Figure 11.5). This means that when you play the file, you will hear the
audio data at the end, but there will be no video displayed. So, in a sense,
you can add video data to a file, although it will just be blank.

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Figure 11.5
Pasting audio data
to a video file adds
blank video data to
the end of the file.

TIP
If you find working with the Video Strip to be difficult because of its size, just
position your mouse over the small gray bar underneath the Video Strip.
Then, click and drag downward to change the size of the Video Strip (see
Figure 11.6).

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Figure 11.6
Change the size of the
Video Strip by clicking
and dragging the gray
bar beneath it.

The Video Preview Window

In addition to the Video Strip, Sound Forge lets you view your video data
in a more convenient way via the Video Preview Window (see Figure
11.7). To open the Video Preview Window, choose View > Video Preview.

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Figure 11.7
Use the Video Preview
Window for a more
convenient way to
view your video data.

The main difference between the Video Strip and the Video Preview
Window is that the Window option provides a dedicated viewing area for
video data only. In addition, it lets you view the video at any size (within
the limitations of your computer monitor). Just like with any other
window in Windows, you can change the size of the Video Preview
Window by clicking and dragging on its corners and sides. Depending on
the mode of operation, this will also change the viewing size of your
video. Initially, the Video Preview Window displays video in the Integral
Stretch mode (see Figure 11.8). In this mode, the size of the video
remains the same no matter how big you make the window.

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Figure 11.8
Initially, the Video
Preview Window
displays video in the
Integral Stretch mode.

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TIP
When using the Integral Stretch mode, you’ll notice that the background of
the Video Preview Window may not match the video background. To change
the color of the window background, right-click in the window and choose
White Background, Black Background, or Default Background from the pop-
up menu.

If you would like the video to fill the entire Video Preview Window,
right-click in the window and choose Stretch To Window from the pop-
up menu. This stretches the viewing size of the video to match the size
and shape of the window, but by doing so, it can also sometimes distort
the video, making it more difficult to view (see Figure 11.9).

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Figure 11.9
Use the Stretch To
Window mode to
stretch the viewing
size of video.

TIP
If you have a slow computer system, stretching the video in the Video
Preview Window can sometimes bog your system down. If that happens,
right-click in the window and choose Passive Update from the pop-up menu.
This tells Sound Forge to update the video data only when your computer
processor is idle.

If you want to change the size of the video but keep its original shape, use
the Preserve Aspect mode. By right-clicking in the Video Preview
Window and choosing Preserve Aspect, you can change the size of the
video to fit the window, but keep its shape from being distorted (see
Figure 11.10).

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Figure 11.10
Use the Preserve
Aspect mode to
keep the video from
being distorted when
it’s stretched.

TIP

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If you have an additional external monitor hooked up to your computer
system, you can tell Sound Forge to send the video display from the Video
Preview Window to that external monitor. To do so, just right-click in the
window and choose External Monitor from the pop-up menu. This option is
available only if you have a video card that supports it.

Preparing Audio for the Internet

In addition to video files, I also talked about how to save audio files in
the RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media formats in Chapter 4. But I
didn’t actually talk about how to process your files before saving them to
these formats. Since the RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media formats
all use compression to reduce the size of audio data so that it’s easier to
download over the Internet, they can sometimes affect the sound of your
audio. You can compensate for these unwanted changes in quality,
though, by following a few simple processing procedures before you
convert your files.

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Remove DC Offset
As I mentioned in Chapter 8, it’s always a good idea to remove any DC
offset that may be present in your audio data before doing any processing.
Otherwise, you can sometimes add unwanted anomalies. To remove
DC offset:
1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > DC Offset to open the DC Offset dialog box.
3. Choose the Remove DC Offset (Scan Entire Sound File) Preset.
4. Click OK.

Apply Equalization
Equalize your file while keeping in mind that most of the high-end and
extreme low-end content might be lost when you save the file to one of
the compressed file formats. It may take some experimentation, but
cutting the low frequencies (below 60 Hz) and the high frequencies
(above 10 kHz) is a good place to start. This will help in reducing any of
the anomalies that can occur during the file format compression. To
compensate for the frequencies being cut, you can boost some of the low
frequencies that are still intact, around 200 Hz. You can also boost the
mid-range frequencies around 2.5 kHz. This will emphasize the more
important content in your audio, such as vocals, if there are any. What’s
great about Sound Forge is that it allows you to accomplish all of this
equalization with one process. Here’s how it’s done:
1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > EQ > Paragraphic to open the Paragraphic EQ
dialog box.
3. Activate the Enable Low-Shelf option. Set its frequency to 60 Hz.
Then, set its gain to Inf. Doing this will cut out any frequencies
below 60 Hz, as I mentioned earlier.
4. Activate the Enable High-Shelf option. Set its frequency to 10,000 Hz.
Then, set its gain to Inf. Doing this will cut out any frequencies
above 10 kHz, as I mentioned earlier.
5. Set the gain on the first parametric band to 3.0 dB. Then, set its
Center Frequency to 200 Hz. This will boost the low frequencies
around 200 Hz. You can experiment with how much the frequencies
are boosted, but I wouldn’t go any higher than 6.0 dB.

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6. Set the gain on the second parametric band to 3.0 dB. Then, set
its Center Frequency to 2,500 Hz. This will boost the mid-range
frequencies around 2,500 Hz. You can experiment with how much the
frequencies are boosted, but I wouldn’t go any higher than 6.0 dB.
7. Leave all the other parameters set to their defaults. When you’re
finished, the Parameter EQ dialog box should look similar to Figure
11.11.

Figure 11.11
Use the Paragraphic
EQ function to
equalize your file in
a single process.

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8. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any
changes. If you hear any clipping or distortion, try lowering the gain
on one or both of the parametric bands.
9. Click OK.

Apply Dynamic Processing

In addition to altering the frequency content of your audio, converting to
RealAudio, MP3, or Windows Media can reduce the dynamic (amplitude)
range, making your audio sound flat or dull. Adding a bit of dynamic
processing before conversion will give you some control over your final
signal levels, rather than leaving them to chance. To accomplish this, you
need to use Sound Forge’s Graphic Dynamics function:
1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Effects > Dynamics > Graphic to open the Graphic Dynamics
dialog box.

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3. Choose the 2:1 Compression Starting At 18 dB Preset. You can

experiment with the Ratio parameter if you’d like. A good ratio range
is between 2:1 and 4:1, but it may vary with some audio material, so
you’ll have to use your own judgment. But be careful, because too
much dynamic processing can sometimes add unwanted artifacts and
make your audio sound dull and lifeless.
4. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any
changes. If you hear any clipping or distortion, try lowering the
Output Gain parameter.
5. Click OK.

Normalize
The last step is to normalize your audio. As I talked about in Chapter 8,
normalization raises the amplitude of an audio signal as high as it can go
without causing clipping or distortion. This guarantees that your file will
use the maximum amount of digital resolution and amplitude available. It
also ensures that you’ll be using the highest possible volume when
converting your file for the Internet, which helps in masking low-level
noise and possible compression artifacts. To accomplish this, use Sound
Forge’s Normalize function:
1. Select all the data in your audio file by choosing Edit > Select All.
2. Choose Process > Normalize to open the Normalize dialog box.
3. Choose the Maximize Peak Value Preset.
4. Click on the Scan Levels button to find the highest amplitude level in
your audio data.
5. Set the Normalize To parameter to anywhere between 0.50 dB and
1 dB. In this case, you don’t want to normalize to 0 dB (or 100
percent) because the RealAudio, MP3, and Windows Media
conversion processes don’t always handle 0 dB signals very well.
They can sometimes “choke” on such a high amplitude signal, so it’s
best to leave a small amount of dynamic room for the conversion
process to work its magic.
6. Click the Preview button to audition your file before making any
changes. If you hear any clipping or distortion, try lowering the
Normalize To parameter.
7. Click OK.
Now, your file is ready to be converted to RealAudio, MP3, or Windows
Media.

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Sound Forge CD Functions

Of course, the Internet is not the only way you’ll want to distribute your
audio. You’ll probably need to burn your audio to CD just as often, if not
more. Sound Forge provides two CD functions that allow you to write
and read your audio to and from CD.

Create CD
The Create CD function lets you burn (write) your audio files to CD one
track at a time. It is a very simple function and doesn’t provide any
elaborate features like many other CD burning applications. Here is how
the Create CD function works:
1. Make sure that your audio file is using a 16-bit bit depth and a 44.1
kHz sampling rate. This is the standard rate for audio data on an
audio CD. If your file is not using these settings, use the Dither and
Resample functions as explained in Chapter 8.
2. Place a blank CD-R disc into your computer’s CD-R drive.
3. Choose Tools > Create CD to open the Create CD dialog box (see
Figure 11.12). In the dialog box, Sound Forge shows you how much

CHAPTER 11
space is needed on the disc for your audio data and how much time
is left available on the disc.

Figure 11.12
Use the Create CD
function to burn an
audio file to CD.

4. Click the Add Audio button. Sound Forge burns your audio to
the disc.
5. If you want to burn another file to the disc, click Cancel. Open
another audio file and then follow steps 1 through 3 again.
6. When you are finished burning all your files to the disc, click Close
Disc. This permanently “seals” the disc and allows it to be played in
any audio CD player.

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254 Producing for Multimedia and the Web — Chapter 11

NOTE
If you want to burn files to your disc in the future, you don’t have to close it
right away. Just leave the disc open and come back to it during another CD
burning session. As long as the disc is open, however, it cannot be played in
a standard audio CD player. You must close the disc before it can be played in
an audio CD player. When you close the disc, however, you can no longer add
files to it.

Extract Audio from CD

In addition to burning audio to a CD, Sound Forge allows you to rip
(read) audio from an existing audio CD. This can come in handy if you
have an old disc with some of your original material that you might like
to remaster or if you have a disc full of sound effects in audio format that
you would like to use in a project. To rip audio from a CD, use the Extract
Audio From CD function:
1. Place an audio CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.
2. Choose Tools > Extract Audio From CD to open the Extract Audio >
From CD dialog box (see Figure 11.13).

Figure 11.13
Use the Extract Audio
From CD function to
rip audio from an
existing audio CD.

3. The Drive parameter drop-down list shows all the CD drives

connected to your computer system. Choose a drive from the list.
4. If you want to extract specific tracks from the audio CD, choose
the Read By Tracks option. You will see a list of tracks that are on
the disc, along with their start/end times and lengths. Select the
tracks (by highlighting them) in the list that you want to extract from
the disc.

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5. If you want to extract all the audio from the CD, choose the Read
Entire CD option.
6. If you want to extract a certain time range from the CD, choose the
Read By Range option. Then, set the Start and End times for the
range of audio you want to extract. You can adjust the length of the
range by setting the Length parameter.
7. If you would like Sound Forge to automatically create Regions for
each track on the disc, activate the Create Regions For Each Track
option.
8. If you would like Sound Forge to automatically create Markers to
indicate the beginning of each track on the disc, activate the Create
Markers For Each Index Change option.
9. Set the Speed parameter to specify the speed at which you want your
CD drive to read the disc. You should usually leave this set to Max.
10. Click the Play button to audition the audio you have chosen to
extract from the disc.
11. Click OK.
If you chose the Read By Tracks option, Sound Forge extracts the tracks

CHAPTER 11
you selected and puts them each in a separate Data Window. If you chose
the Read Entire CD option, Sound Forge extracts all the audio from the
disc and puts it into a single Data Window. If you chose the Read By
Range option, Sound Forge extracts only that specific range of audio from
the disc and puts it into a single Data Window.

TIP
For even more information about burning audio to CD, read Appendix B,
“Burning Your Files to CD."

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 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12 257

12
Using Sound Forge
with MIDI
Although Sound Forge is a digital audio editing application, the program
provides some MIDI features that can come in handy in certain situations.
For example, you can synchronize your MIDI sequencing application to
Sound Forge for synchronized audio and MIDI data playback while both
programs are running on the same computer system. You can also set up
Sound Forge to act as a digital audio playback device, which will play
your audio data when triggered via MIDI notes from a keyboard or
sequencer. These additional features expand Sound Forge’s usefulness
beyond digital audio editing. Here is what I’ll cover in this chapter:
 The Virtual MIDI Keyboard
 The Virtual MIDI Router
 Syncing your MIDI sequencer to Sound Forge
 Triggering Sound Forge from your MIDI sequencer

The Virtual MIDI Keyboard

If you don’t have a real MIDI instrument, or you just need a quick way to
play MIDI sounds, you can use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard. The Keyboard
is a utility that lets you use your computer mouse to send MIDI Note On
messages. Some convenient uses include being able to test your MIDI
interface or audition the sounds on your computer sound card. You can CHAPTER 12
also use it to trigger sounds on your sample-playback device after creating
the sample loops in Sound Forge (I’ll talk more about sampling in
Chapter 13). The Keyboard works just like a real MIDI keyboard, except
that it is a software program rather than a piece of hardware. To access
the Keyboard, choose View > Keyboard (see Figure 12.1).

FIND
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258 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12

Figure 12.1
Use the Virtual MIDI
Keyboard to play MIDI
sounds with your
computer mouse.

Configure the Keyboard

Before you can use it, you need to adjust a number of parameters, just as
you would on a real MIDI keyboard. These include the MIDI output port,
MIDI channel, and MIDI velocity (volume) that you want the Keyboard to
use when you play it.

Set the Output Port

First, you need to set the MIDI output port to specify where the Keyboard
should send MIDI data. To do this, click on the MIDI Out button and
select a MIDI output port from the drop-down list (see Figure 12.2).

Figure 12.2
Click on the MIDI Out
button to set the MIDI
output port.

Set the MIDI Channel

You also need to specify the MIDI channel you would like to use. The
Keyboard will send MIDI data only to the MIDI channel that you choose.
Initially, the Keyboard is set to MIDI channel 1. If you would like to
change the channel, click on the up/down arrows next to the MIDI
Channel Display (see Figure 12.3). Click the up arrow to increase the
MIDI channel and click the down arrow to decrease the MIDI channel.

Figure 12.3
Change the MIDI
channel using the up/
down arrows next to the
MIDI Channel Display.

up/down arrows

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 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12 259

Set the Volume

The Volume parameter controls the MIDI velocity of each note that is sent
from the Keyboard. Initially, the Volume parameter is set to 127 (the
highest value). You probably won’t need to adjust it, but if you do, simply
drag the Volume parameter slider up or down (see Figure 12.4). Drag the
slider up to increase the volume; drag the slider down to decrease the
volume.

Figure 12.4
Change the volume
using the Volume
parameter slider.

Volume
parameter slider

Turn On the Keyboard

Finally, you need to turn the Keyboard on using the On/Off button (see
Figure 12.5). This parameter might seem strange, since the Keyboard is a
software program, but the On/Off is useful for disabling the Keyboard
during those times when you don’t want any MIDI data to be sent
accidentally.

Figure 12.5
Use the On/Off button
to turn the Keyboard
on or off.

On/Off button

Play the Keyboard

To play the Keyboard, take your mouse and left-click on any of the piano
keys (see Figure 12.6). When you click on a key, the Keyboard sends a
MIDI Note On message to the MIDI port and channel that you chose earlier
using the volume that you set. To keep the note sounding, hold down your
left mouse button rather than letting it go immediately when you click.

Figure 12.6
CHAPTER 12
Left-click on the
piano keys to play
the Keyboard.

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TIP
If you want to play a succession of notes on the Keyboard, hold down your
left mouse button and then move your mouse along the keys. The Keyboard
will automatically play each note as you move your mouse and continue to
hold down your left mouse button.

Resize the Keyboard

If you find the keys on the Keyboard to be a bit small, you can easily
make them larger. To change the size of the Keyboard, just click and drag
the corners or sides of its window, just like any other window in
Windows (see Figure 12.7).

Figure 12.7
Resize the Keyboard by
clicking and dragging
the sides or corners of
its window.

Change the Keyboard Position

As you play the Keyboard, you’ll notice that only three octaves are shown,
rather than the full 88 keys as on a real piano keyboard. If you would like
to play some of the lower or higher octave notes, you can change the
position of the keys by clicking on the Octave buttons (see Figure 12.8).
Click the left arrow Octave button to move the keys down an octave. Click
the right arrow Octave button to move the keys up an octave. As you move
the keys up or down each octave, you’ll notice the octave numbers being
shown on the bottom of each C key on the piano keyboard.
Figure 12.8
Change the octave range
of the piano keys by
clicking on the Octave
buttons.

Octave buttons

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 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12 261

Change the Sound

In addition to sending MIDI Note On messages, the Keyboard lets you
send Program Change messages so that you can change the sound of the
synth to which you are sending MIDI data. To do this, first make sure the
Keyboard is configured to send program changes by clicking the MIDI
Out button and activating the Send Program Changes option shown at the
bottom of the pop-up menu (see Figure 12.9).
Figure 12.9
Activating the
Send Program
Changes option using
MIDI Out button.

To change the patch (sound) of your synth, use the Instrument drop-down
list (see Figure 12.10). This list is organized to display all 127 General
MIDI patch names. If your synth doesn’t support General MIDI, you can
simply choose a patch using the standard MIDI program change numbers
(0 to 127) shown next to the names. When you choose a patch from the
list, the Keyboard sends a program change message to your synth. Then,
when you play the keys with your mouse, you should hear that new
patch being played.
Figure 12.10
Use the Instrument
drop-down list to
change the sound
of your synth.

Play Chords
Since the Keyboard can be played only with your computer mouse,
normally you would be able to play only one note at a time. The
Keyboard, however, provides some special play modes that let you play
chords and octaves with your mouse. To activate these special play CHAPTER 12
modes, use the Note drop-down list (see Figure 12.11).

Figure 12.11
Use the Note drop-
down list to use the
Keyboard’s special
play modes.

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262 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12

From the list, choose the type of chord you would like to play. There is
also an option to play octaves. After you’ve made your choice, click on
the piano keys. Now, instead of a single note being played, the Keyboard
plays the type of chord you chose from the list. The chord is based upon
the key that you click with your mouse. For instance, if you choose the
Major option from the Note drop-down list and then click on a C key, the
Keyboard will play a C major chord. Isn’t that cool? Try some of the other
options and have a little fun with the Keyboard before reading the next
section of this chapter.

The Virtual MIDI Router

Normally, when you run a MIDI program on a computer, you run that one
program and nothing else. You use the program to compose your music
by connecting your computer to a synthesizer via a hardware-based MIDI
interface. Your MIDI program sends MIDI data to the MIDI interface,
which in turn sends the data to your synth. The synth then plays the
sounds that you specify. But these days, computers have become so
powerful that they can easily run multiple programs at once. Some of
those programs can now replace hardware-based synthesizers so that you
can have both your MIDI program and MIDI synth residing inside your
computer. In this case, there’s no need for a hardware-based MIDI
interface. Instead, you need a software-based MIDI interface. That’s where
the Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router (VMR) comes in. The VMR acts
like a software-based MIDI interface and it allows you to send MIDI data
from one program to another while both programs are running on the
same computer system.
Why would you need the VMR? Well, I already covered one situation:
to drive a software-based synth from your MIDI sequencing application.
But in regard to Sound Forge, a couple of useful scenarios come to mind.
One would be the ability to synchronize your MIDI sequencer to Sound
Forge so that you could play an audio file in Sound Forge and play
MIDI data in your MIDI sequencer simultaneously in sync with one
another. Another scenario would be the ability to use Sound Forge as
a sample-playback device, where you could use your MIDI sequencer
to trigger the playback of audio files in Sound Forge. I’ll explain these
scenarios in more detail later. First, let me explain how to install and
set up the VMR.

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 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12 263

Installing and Configuring the VMR

When you install Sound Forge on your computer, the VMR is not
installed along with it, so you need to install the VMR manually. To do
so, follow these steps:
1. In Windows, click the Start button and choose Settings > Control
Panel to open the Windows Control Panel (see Figure 12.12).

Figure 12.12
Open the Windows
Control Panel to begin
the VMR installation.

2. Double-click the Add New Hardware option in the Control Panel to

open the Add New Hardware Wizard (see Figure 12.13).

Figure 12.13
Open the Add New
Hardware Wizard.

CHAPTER 12

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264 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12

3. Click Next.
4. Click Next again to show the Devices list (see Figure 12.14).

Figure 12.14
Look at the Devices list
and choose an option.

5. Choose the No, The Device Isn’t In The List option.

6. Click Next.
7. On the next page, the Wizard asks, “Do you want Windows to search
for your new hardware?” Choose the No, I Want To Select The
Hardware From A List option. Then, click Next to display the
Hardware Types list (see Figure 12.15).

Figure 12.15
Choose an option
from the Hardware
Types list.

8. Choose the Sound, Video And Game Controllers option in the

Hardware Types list. Then, click Next.
9. On the next page, click the Have Disk button to open the Install From
Disk dialog box (see Figure 12.16).

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 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12 265

Figure 12.16
Use the Install From
Disk dialog box to
specify the location
of the VMR.

10. Insert your Sound Forge CD into your CD-ROM drive.

11. In the Copy Manufacturer’s Files From parameter, type
D:\Extras\Virtual MIDI Router 4.0\Win9x (where D is the letter of
your CD-ROM drive). Then, click OK to open the Select Device
dialog box (see Figure 12.17).
Figure 12.17
Use the Select
Device dialog box to
choose the VMR for
installation.

12. Choose the Sonic Foundry Virtual MIDI Router option from the
Models list. Then, click OK.
13. On the last page of the Add New Hardware Wizard, click Finish.
14. Windows installs the VMR and then displays the Configure Sonic
Foundry VMR dialog box (see Figure 12.18).
Figure 12.18
Use the Configure
Sonic Foundry VMR
dialog box to specify
a number of virtual
MIDI ports.

CHAPTER 12

15. The VMR allows you to use up to four virtual MIDI ports. Specify
how many virtual MIDI ports you would like to use by choosing an
option from the Virtual MIDI Routing Ports drop-down list. Then,
click OK.

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CAUTION
Windows may crash on startup if you have more than 11 MIDI devices
installed. This can happen if you have a multiport MIDI interface or have
multiple MIDI interfaces connected to your computer (although I’m currently
running Windows 98SE with more than 14 MIDI devices installed without
any problems). If you have system errors after installing the VMR, try reducing
the number of ports used by the VMR (see the section below) or remove the
VMR from your system.

16. Restart Windows.

After Windows is restarted, the VMR is ready to be used.

NOTE
If you are running Sound Forge under Windows 2000, the procedure for
installing the VMR is slightly different. Check the Sound Forge documentation
for further instructions.

Reconfiguring the VMR

In case you ever need to change the number of virtual MIDI ports
provided by the VMR, follow these steps:
1. In Windows, click the Start button and choose Settings > Control
Panel to open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Multimedia option in the Control Panel to open the
Multimedia Properties dialog box (see Figure 12.19).

Figure 12.19
Use the Multimedia
Properties dialog
box to reconfigure
the VMR.

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3. Click the Devices tab and click on the plus sign next to the MIDI
Devices And Instruments option. Then, choose the Sonic Foundry
MIDI Router option from the list. If there is more than one, choose
any one of them (see Figure 12.20).

Figure 12.20
Access the VMR
under the Devices tab.

4. Click the Properties button to open the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router
Properties dialog box (see Figure 12.21).

Figure 12.21
Change the VMR
settings in the Sonic
Foundry MIDI Router
Properties dialog box.

5. Click the Settings button to open the Configure Sonic Foundry VMR
dialog box (shown earlier). CHAPTER 12
6. Choose a new number of virtual MIDI ports using the Virtual MIDI
Routing Ports drop-down list.
7. Click OK.
8. Click OK in the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box.
9. Click OK in the Multimedia Properties dialog box.
10. Restart Windows.
After Windows restarts, the VMR will be configured to use the number of
virtual MIDI ports that you specified.

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268 Using Sound Forge with MIDI — Chapter 12

Syncing Your Sequencer

to Sound Forge
Earlier, I mentioned one of the ways in which you might utilize the
VMR: synchronizing your MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge.
By doing this, you can play an audio file in Sound Forge and have the
MIDI data in your sequencer play along in time with the audio. And,
simultaneously, both applications can be running on the same computer
system. To demonstrate this scenario, I will use the Pro Audio 9 MIDI
sequencing application from Cakewalk Music Software, but this
procedure can be done using any sequencing program that provides
synchronization features. I explained synchronization in Chapter 6, so
I won’t cover it in detail here. Instead, I’ll just walk you through the
steps you need to accomplish this task:
1. Start Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 (I’m going to assume you know how to
use your MIDI sequencing software).
2. Open a Project file containing the MIDI data you would like to sync
to Sound Forge.
3. Choose Options > Project to open the Project Options dialog box, and
click on the Clock tab (see Figure 12.22).

Figure 12.22
Use the Project
Options dialog box to
set the synchronization
options for Pro Audio 9.

4. In the Source section, choose the SMPTE/MTC option.

5. In the SMPTE/MTC Format section, choose the 30 Frame Non-Drop
option.
6. Click OK.

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7. Choose Options > MIDI Devices to open the MIDI Ports dialog box
(see Figure 12.23).
Figure 12.23
Use the MIDI Ports
dialog box to set the
MIDI ports that Pro
Audio 9 will use.

8. In the Input Ports list, select the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option.
If there is more than one, choose the option that begins with the
number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.”
9. Click OK.
10. Start Sound Forge.
11. Choose Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box,
and click on the MIDI/Sync tab (see Figure 12.24).
Figure 12.24
Use the Preferences
dialog box to set the
synchronization options
for Sound Forge.

12. In the Output parameter drop-down list, choose the Sonic Foundry
MIDI Router option. If there is more than one, chose the option that
begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.”
CHAPTER 12
13. Make sure the Use 30 Frames Per Second For SMPTE Non-Drop
option is activated.
14. Click OK.
15. To change the Time Ruler measurements in the Data Window, choose
Options > Status Format > SMPTE Non-Drop.
16. Turn synchronization output on by choosing Options > MIDI
Output Sync.

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17. Switch to Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 and start playback. When you
activate playback, Pro Audio won’t respond right away. Instead, it
will display a message saying “Waiting for 30 Frame (Non-Drop).”
18. Switch to Sound Forge and start playback of the audio file. Sound
Forge will then send sync code to Pro Audio through the VMR, and
both Sound Forge and Pro Audio will play their data in sync with
one another.
19. To stop playback, don’t use the commands in Pro Audio; instead,
stop playback from within Sound Forge. Or wait until the end of the
audio file and both programs will stop playing automatically.
You can use this procedure in many situations. For example, you may be
editing a vocal part in Sound Forge, but you’d like to hear how it sounds
along with the music you’ve composed in your MIDI sequencer while
you are editing. Experiment with it and I’m sure you’ll find some good
uses for the information.

Triggering Sound Forge

from Your MIDI Sequencer
Another creative use for the VMR is to trigger the playback of audio data
within Sound Forge from your MIDI sequencer. This scenario uses the
VMR to link your sequencer and Sound Forge together, but not via
synchronization. This time, Regions and MIDI Triggers are utilized. As in
the previous example, I will use the Pro Audio 9 MIDI sequencing
application from Cakewalk Music Software, but this procedure can be
done using any sequencing program.

Building a Sound File

The first thing you need to do is use Sound Forge to create an audio file
containing all the sounds that you want to trigger via your MIDI
sequencer. This file can contain anything from instrument sounds or
sound effects, to vocal phrases or any other kind of short audio
recordings. To build a file, follow these steps:
1. Start Sound Forge and choose File > New to create a new audio file.
Be sure to choose the same format settings (bit depth, sample rate,
and number of channels) as the audio data you will be adding to
the file.
2. Open the audio file you would like to add to your new audio file.

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TIP
If you have some audio snippets on a CD, you can use the Extract Audio >
From CD function to rip the audio from the CD into Sound Forge. In addition,
you can use the Simple Synthesis and FM Synthesis functions to create your
own sound effects for use in your new audio file.

3. Select the data from the opened audio file and paste it into the new
audio file.

TIP
When selecting data from the opened audio file, be sure there isn’t any
silence at the beginning or end of the selection. This will ensure that the
audio data will play as soon as you trigger it via MIDI.

4. Select the data you just pasted in the new audio file.
5. Choose Special > Regions List > Add to open the Add Marker/Region
dialog box (see Figure 12.25).
Figure 12.25
Use the Add
Marker/Region dialog
box to create a region
for the data in your
new audio file.

6. All of the parameters (except the Trigger) in the dialog box are set for
you automatically because you selected the data beforehand. But, if
you would like to change the name of the Region for identification
purposes, type a new name into the Name parameter. CHAPTER 12
7. Assign a MIDI Trigger to the Region by first choosing MIDI: Note
On–Play option in the Trigger drop-down list. Then, choose a
Channel and Note to use for this Region. Later, you will need to use
the same MIDI channel and note to trigger playback of this Region.
8. Click OK.

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9. Choose Special > Transport > Go To End to move the Current

Position Cursor to the end of the new audio file. You will paste your
next piece of audio here.
10. Close the other opened audio file.
11. Go through steps 2 to 10 for each new piece of audio you would
like to add to your new audio file. When assigning the MIDI channel
and note for the MIDI Trigger for each Region, you’ll probably want
to use the same channel for each Region, but be sure to use a
different MIDI note.
12. Save your new audio file as a WAV file and be sure to choose the
Save Regions And Playlist In .WAV/AVI Files option from the
Rgns/Playlist drop-down list in the Save As dialog box.
Now, you’re ready to start triggering sounds in Sound Forge via MIDI
through the VMR.

Triggering Your Sounds

After you have created a sound file complete with Regions that have
MIDI Triggers assigned to them, you can set up Sound Forge and your
MIDI sequencer (in this case, Cakewalk Pro Audio 9) to start triggering
the sounds. Here’s how:
1. Start Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 (I’m going to assume you know how to
use your MIDI sequencing software).
2. Create a new Project or open an existing one, and create a new MIDI
track containing the notes to trigger the Regions in the Sound Forge
audio file. Be sure to use the same MIDI notes that you assigned to
the Regions in your audio file. Also, assign the same MIDI channel to
this track that you assigned to the Regions in your audio file.
3. Choose Options > MIDI Devices to open the MIDI Ports dialog box.
4. In the Output Ports list, select the Sonic Foundry MIDI Router
option. If there is more than one, choose the option that begins with
the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.”
5. Click OK.
6. Start Sound Forge.
7. Open the audio file containing the sounds to be triggered.
8. Choose Options > Preferences to open the Preferences dialog box,
and click on the MIDI/Sync tab.
9. In the Input parameter drop-down list, choose the Sonic Foundry
MIDI Router option. If there is more than one, choose the option that
begins with the number 1, as in “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.”

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10. Click OK.

11. Choose Options > MIDI Input Sync/Trigger to activate MIDI Triggers
in Sound Forge.
12. Switch to Cakewalk and start the playback of your Project.
Cakewalk will now send MIDI note data on the MIDI channel you chose
through the VMR into Sound Forge and trigger the Regions in the opened
audio file.

TIP
You can also use the Virtual MIDI Keyboard to trigger Regions. Just assign the
output of the Keyboard to the VMR port you are using in Sound Forge. In the
example above, it would be “1 Sonic Foundry MIDI Router.” When you click
on the appropriate keys corresponding to the MIDI Trigger notes of the
Regions in your audio file, the Regions will be played.

CHAPTER 12

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 Sound Forge and Sampling — Chapter 13 275

13
Sound Forge

CHAPTER 13
and Sampling
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final chapter of the book. You’ve
learned how to record, edit, process, and even share your audio files with
the rest of the world. But there is still one area of Sound Forge that I
haven’t told you about: the unique functions and tools provided by the
program that allow you to create your own samples. So, in this chapter,
I’ll cover the topic of samples, including the following:
 What are samples?
 Creating and editing samples
 Using the Loop Tuner
 Saving and transmitting samples

What are Samples?

As you’ve seen with the Simple Synthesis and FM Synthesis functions
(which I talked about in Chapter 10), creating sounds via basic synthesis
methods involves using basic audio waveforms. These methods don’t
allow you to create very realistic sounds, though. Because of this, many
modern MIDI instruments and sound cards use sample-playback to
produce sounds. Sample-playback can produce some very realistic
sounds. The reason for this realism lies in the fact that a sample-playback
device plays samples, which are actually audio recordings of real-life
instruments and sounds. When the sample-playback device receives a
MIDI Note On message, instead of creating a sound electronically from
scratch, it plays a digital sample, which can be anything from the sound
of a piano note to the sound of a coyote howling.

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What makes samples different from regular audio recordings is that they
are usually short in length (though not always), and they are usually
looped (played over and over again). In addition, there are actually three
kinds of samples: One-Shot samples (which are usually used for sound
effects or single percussion sounds because they are only played once
from beginning to end, rather than being looped); Loop samples (also
called sample loops, which are used to replicate entire instrumental
performances, such as a fourbar drum kit performance); and Sustaining
samples (which are usually used to replicate real acoustic instruments’
sounds meant to be performed using MIDI Note messages).

Creating and Editing Samples

Samples can be used in many different ways, and Sound Forge gives you
the tools to create and manipulate your own samples. To show you how
to utilize these tools, I’ll walk you through a number of examples that
explain how to create/edit all of the different types of samples mentioned
earlier.

One-Shot Samples
The One-Shot is the easiest type of sample to create, basically because it
is just an audio recording with a few sample-specific parameters. There
isn’t any looping involved. To create a One-Shot sample, follow this
example:
1. Choose File > New to open the New Window dialog box. For this
example, set the Sample Rate, Sample Size, and Channels parameters
to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then, click OK to create
a new audio file.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box.
Choose the Another One Preset, and click OK (see Figure 13.1). For
this example, we are using the FM Synthesis function to provide the
audio data for our sample, but you can use anything you’d like:
percussion instrument sound, vocal phrase, sound effect, or anything
that would be played only once rather than loop when triggered.

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Figure 13.1
Use the FM Synthesis
function to create a
sound effect One-
Shot sample.

CHAPTER 13
3. Choose Edit > Select All to select all the data in your audio file.
4. Choose Special > Create Sample Loop to open the Edit Sample dialog
box (see Figure 13.2).

Figure 13.2
Use the Edit Sample
dialog box to turn
your audio file into
a sample.

5. To create a One-Shot sample, choose the One-Shot option for the

Sample Type parameter.
6. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note Of Sample
parameter. This MIDI unity note is the original pitch at which your
sample was recorded. This means that if you play the sample via
your sample-playback device using the MIDI unity note, the sample
will sound the same as it does now inside of Sound Forge. But if you
use a different note, the pitch of the sample will be changed, making
it sound higher or lower depending on whether you use notes that
are higher or lower than the MIDI unity note. For One-Shot samples,
you can set the MIDI unity note to anything you’d like.
7. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter. You don’t really need to
use this parameter. It is just an informational parameter telling your
sample-playback device to adjust the pitch of your sample during
playback. If you need your sample to be fine-tuned, however, you
have the option.

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8. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters.
Again, these parameters are not really needed. You can leave these
alone most of the time. But some sample-playback devices allow you
to set an SMPTE offset for SMPTE synchronization purposes, so
again, if you need it, you have the option available.
9. Click OK.
That’s all there is to it when creating a One-Shot sample. From here, you
would either save the file for use in sample-playback software or transfer
the file electronically to your external sample-playback device. I’ll talk
more about these topics later.

Loop Samples
Loop samples (or sample loops) are the second-easiest type of samples
to create. They are also the most popular type of samples in use today,
because of the prevalence of sample-playback software, such as Sonic
Foundry’s ACID. Sample-playback applications allow you to create entire
musical performances by piecing together sample loops, with nothing
else needed. You can even buy sample loops on CD that have been
recorded in a professional studio. A number of companies sell these types
of discs. Just open a current issue of Electronic Musician magazine or
Keyboard magazine, and you’ll find tons of ads for sample loop discs. Of
course, buying sample loops isn’t as much fun as creating your own. To
create a Loop sample, follow this example:
1. Choose File > New to open the New Window dialog box. For this
example, set the Sample Rate, Sample Size, and Channels parameters
to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then, click OK to create
a new audio file.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box.
Choose the Something Else Preset and click OK (see Figure 13.3). For
this example, we are using the FM Synthesis function to provide the
audio data for our sample, but you can use anything you’d like: drum
kit performance, guitar riff, keyboard riff—anything that can be used
to loop over and over when triggered.

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Figure 13.3
Use the FM Synthesis
function to create the
data for a Loop sample.

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3. Choose Edit > Select All to select all the data in your audio file.
4. Choose Special > Create Sample Loop to open the Edit Sample dialog
box (see Figure 13.4).

Figure 13.4
Use the Edit Sample
dialog box to turn
your audio file into a
Loop sample.

5. To create a Loop sample, choose the Sustaining option for the

Sample Type parameter.
6. If you want the sample to loop forever (which will usually be the
case), choose the Infinite Loop option. If you want the sample to loop
only a specified number of times, choose the Loop Count option and
enter a number for the amount of loops to be performed. This option
may or may not work with your sample-playback device. Most often,
looping is controlled via MIDI. However long the MIDI trigger note
for the sample is held is how long the sample will loop.
7. You can adjust the loop start and end points within the sample by
choosing an option for the Input Format and then adjusting the Start,
End, and Length parameters. Since you made a selection of data
beforehand, you shouldn’t need to touch these parameters.
8. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note Of Sample
parameter.

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9. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter, if needed.

10. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters,
if needed.
11. Click OK. Your audio file will now have loop points inserted at the
beginning and end of the file (see Figure 13.5). These points tell your
sample-playback device how to loop the sample. In this case, the
sample will be played and then loop from the end back to the
beginning, and so on.
Figure 13.5
Start and end loop
points are inserted
into your audio file,
turning it into a
sample loop.

Sustaining Samples
Similar to Loop samples, Sustaining samples can also be looped
infinitely, but instead of the entire sample being looped, only a portion of
the sample is looped. Creating this loop within the sample is what makes
Sustaining samples the most difficult to create. Not to worry, though. The
procedure isn’t really that difficult. It sometimes just takes a lot of trial
and error. To create a Sustaining sample, follow this example:
1. Choose File > New to open the New Window dialog box. For this
example, set the Sample Rate, Sample Size, and Channels parameters
to 44,100 Hz, 16-bit, and Mono, respectively. Then, click OK to create
a new audio file.
2. Choose Tools > Synthesis > FM to open the FM Synthesis dialog box.
Choose the FM Horn Preset, set the Configuration parameter so that
only one Operator is used (the very first setting), and click OK (see
Figure 13.6). For this example, we are using the FM Synthesis
function to provide the audio data for our sample. You can use
anything you’d like: the note played on a piano, guitar, synth pad—
anything that can be used to replicate the sound of a playable
instrument that can be sustained.

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Figure 13.6
Use the FM Synthesis
function to create the
data for a Sustaining
sample.

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3. This time, instead of selecting all the data in the file, you want to
select only a section of data that will be used as the sustaining loop.
This is the part of the sample that will be looped over and over again
as you hold a note on your MIDI keyboard. Because of this, you want
to find a part of the file that doesn’t change, so that the loop sounds
seamless. It will take a little trial and error, but if you listen to the
file, you should be able to pick out a good section to select. For this
example, just click and drag your mouse to make a selection that
looks similar to the one shown in Figure 13.7.

Figure 13.7
Click and drag your
mouse to make a quick
data selection.

4. Click the Play Looped button at the bottom of the Data Window to
hear how your data selection will sound when looped (see Figure
13.8). The data selection sounds good, but not quite perfect, right?
We’ll fix that in a minute.

Figure 13.8
Use the Play Looped
button to test your
data selection.

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5. Choose Special > Create Sample Loop to open the Edit Sample dialog
box (see Figure 13.9).

Figure 13.9
Use the Edit Sample
dialog box to turn
your data selection
into a loop.

6. For the Sample Type parameter, choose the Sustaining option.

7. Choose the Infinite Loop option. Since we previously made a data
selection, the Start, End, and Length parameters are already set.
8. Enter a musical note value for the MIDI Unity Note Of Sample
parameter.
9. Enter a value for the Fine Tune parameter, if needed.
10. Enter a value for the SMPTE Format and SMPTE Offset parameters, if
needed.
11. Click OK. There are now loop points at the beginning and end of
your data selection (see Figure 13.10).

Figure 13.10
Close the Edit Sample
dialog box to create
loop points around
your data selection.

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If you created a perfect data selection, you wouldn’t need to take any
more steps to create a Sustaining sample. Most of the time, however, you
won’t get the loop settings right on the first try. When listening to the data
selection in the previous example, you probably noticed a “clicking” or
“thumping” sound every time the data was looped. This is because the
data selection wasn’t fine-tuned. Sound Forge provides a special tool for

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fine-tuning samples called the Loop Tuner.

The Loop Tuner

When you create a loop, you want to make it sound as seamless as
possible—you want the audio waveform at the end of the loop to line up
just about perfectly with the beginning of the loop so that you can’t
actually hear that the data is being looped. Doing this via simple data
selection is nearly impossible, but the Loop Tuner makes the process
much easier. To use the Loop Tuner to fix the sample from the previous
example, do the following:
1. Assuming you have the sample from the previous example already
open, choose View > Loop Tuner to open the Loop Tuner (see Figure
13.11). You’ll notice a new section open beneath the audio in the
Data Window. This is the Loop Tuner, which is actually a part of the
Data Window. This means that you can have a separate Loop Tuner
open for each Data Window that you have open.

Figure 13.11
The Loop Tuner is
actually a part of the
Data Window.

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2. Take a look at the Loop Tuner. Like the Data Window, it also displays
the waveform of your audio, but in a special way. The vertical line in
the center of the Loop Tuner marks the point at which the end (left
side of the vertical line) and beginning (right side of the vertical line)
loop points meet when the data is looped. At this point, the audio
waveform should be at a zero crossing to avoid “clicks” when
looping. The audio waveform should also be above the zero axis on
one side of the loop point and below the zero axis on the other side
to avoid “thumping.” In this example, you can see that both sides are
above the zero axis, which is why you can hear “thumping” when
the data is looped (see Figure 13.12).

Figure 13.12
If the audio waveform
isn’t smoothly
connected, “thumping”
can occur.

3. To fix this, you need to adjust the end and beginning loop points. To
adjust the points with precision, the Loop Tuner provides controls at
the bottom of its window that let you move the end loop point left or
right to the next zero crossing in the audio waveform. You can also
move the end loop point one point at a time along the audio
waveform with the Tune Position controls. The start loop point can
be manipulated in this manner as well (see Figure 13.13). For this
example, move the end loop point so that it is at the position 31,271
and move the start loop position so that it is at the position 18,242.

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Figure 13.13
Use the Tune Position
controls to fine-tune
the start and end loop
points.

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4. Use the playback controls at the bottom of the Loop Tuner window to
test your new settings. Click the Play Pre-Loop button to play the
section of the sample before the loop. Click the Play Post-Loop
button to play the section of the sample after the loop. Click the Play
Loop button to play the loop section of the sample. Click the Play
Loop button again to stop playback (see Figure 13.14).

Figure 13.14
Use the playback
controls to test your
adjusted loop points.

5. The loop should now sound seamless. To lock the loop points in
place, click the Lock Loop Length button.
Now, you have a Sustaining sample with a great sounding loop.

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Sustaining with Release Samples

Earlier, I mentioned that there are three different types of samples. While
that’s true, there is also a special type of Sustaining sample. This sample
allows you to set up two different loops inside of it: a sustaining loop and
a release loop. The procedure for creating this type of loop is basically the
same as a standard Sustaining sample, but with a few extra steps:
1. Open an existing audio file or create a new one.
2. Select the section of data that you would like to loop within the file.
3. Choose Special > Create Sample Loop to open the Edit Sample dialog
box (see Figure 13.15).

Figure 13.15
Use the Edit Sample
dialog box to create
a special Sustaining
With Release sample.

4. For the Sample Type parameter, choose the Sustaining With Release
option.
5. For the Loop To Edit parameter, choose the Sustaining option.
6. Choose the Loop Count option and enter the number of times you
want the first selection to loop.
7. Set the MIDI Unity Note Of Sample, Fine Tune, and SMPTE
Format/Offset parameters accordingly.
8. Click OK.
9. Select another section of data that occurs in the audio file after the
first selection (see Figure 13.16).

Figure 13.16
Make another data
selection to define
the second loop.

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10. Choose Special > Edit Sample to open the Edit Sample dialog box.
11. For the Loop To Edit parameter, choose the Release option.
12. Choose the Loop Count option and enter the number of times you
want the first selection to loop.
13. Click the Selection button to open the Set Selection dialog box. Then,

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choose the Current Selection Preset and click OK.
14. Click OK in the Edit Sample dialog box.
Now, you have a sample containing two loops. When the sample is
played, the data before the first loop will play. Then, the first loop will
repeat itself the number of times you specified. After that, the data
between the first and second loops will play, then the second loop will
repeat itself the number of times you specified. And, finally, the last part
of the sample will play.

Saving and Transmitting Samples

When you’re finished creating and editing your sample, you should save
it. Be sure to save it as a WAV file and choose the Save Regions And
Playlist in .WAV/.AVI Files option for the Rgns/Playlist parameter. If you
don’t do this, your loop points will be lost.

Send Your Sample

In addition, if you have an external sample-playback device, you can
send your new sample to the device for playback using Sound Forge’s
Sampler function. To send your sample to the device, follow these steps:
1. Make sure your sample audio file is open, then choose Tools >
Sampler to open the Sampler dialog box (see Figure 13.17).

Figure 13.17
Use the Sampler
function to send
your sample to an
external sample-
playback device.

2. Set the Logical Send/Receive Sample Number parameter. This is the

number your sample-playback device uses as its location reference
for samples. Refer to the documentation that came with your device
for more information.

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3. Click the Configure button to open the Sampler Configuration dialog

box (see Figure 13.18).

Figure 13.18
Use the Sampler
Configuration dialog
box to tell Sound
Forge the type of
sample-playback
device you are using.

4. Choose an option from the Sampler Model drop-down list. If your

device is shown in the list, choose it and skip to Step 13. Otherwise,
choose the SMDI Or SDS Capable Sampler option from the list.
5. If your device is connected to your computer via MIDI, choose the
MIDI option. Otherwise, skip to Step 11.
6. In the MIDI Out list, choose the MIDI output port to which your
device is connected.
7. In the MIDI In list, choose the MIDI input port to which your device
is connected.
8. Set the MIDI Channel parameter to the channel at which your device
is set.
9. Activate the Open Loop option if your device does not use
“handshaking.” Refer to the documentation that came with your
device for more information.
10. If your device sends a request before samples can be sent to it,
activate the Wait For Request When Sending Samples option. Refer
to the documentation that came with your device for more
information.
11. If your device is connected to your computer via SCSI, choose the
SCSI option.
12. Choose the SCSI connection to which your device is connected in
the Sampler list.
13. Click OK.
14. Click Send Sample.
15. Click Close.

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Retrieving a Sample
In addition to sending samples to an external device, you can also
retrieve samples from an external device. The procedure is pretty much
the same as when sending a sample, except for a couple things. If you
choose the MIDI option in the Sampler Configuration dialog box, and

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your device needs to receive a request when you want to retrieve a
sample from it, be sure to activate the Send Request When Retrieving
Samples option. And in the Sampler dialog box, click Get Sample rather
than Send Sample. After the sample is retrieved, it overwrites any data in
the currently active Data Window.

TIP
For more information about creating samples and how to create samples
specifically for Sonic Foundry’s ACID software, read Appendix A: “Using
Sound Forge with ACID.

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 Appendices 291

Appendix A
Using Sound Forge
with ACID
Back in Chapter 13, I explained how you can create and edit your own
sample loops, as well as transfer them to an external hardware sampling
device. I also mentioned how sample loops can be used within software
applications for the purposes of composing music. One such software
application is Sonic Foundry’s ACID. ACID is a loop-based composing
tool that allows you to arrange individual sample loops into complete
compositions. ACID is special because it automatically takes care of the
sometimes tedious chore of matching the playback tempo and pitch of

APPENDICES
each loop you use in a song.
While ACID is perfectly capable of working with any sample loops in the
WAV file format (see Chapter 4 for more information about WAV files),
the program provides better results if you prepare your loops beforehand
using a special process. Preparing a sample loop for use with ACID involves
adding extra information to the audio file that lets ACID know the basic
tempo, pitch, and playback properties of the file. ACID can then more
accurately shift the tempo and pitch of the loop.
If you already own ACID, you can easily prepare your files from within
the program itself. Just in case, however, Sound Forge provides a number
of special tools so that you can prepare your files even if you don’t have
the ACID application on hand. Plus, it can be more convenient to prepare
your files within Sound Forge if you are creating a lot of original loops.

ACID Looping Tools

The first set of special tools that Sound Forge provides is called the ACID
Looping Tools, although this is a bit of a misnomer, since these tools
really don’t have anything to do with preparing your files for ACID.
These tools can be used for creating any kind of sample loops, not just
loops for ACID. The tools are especially useful when working with loops
that contain many beat or measure divisions.

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The Halve Selection Tool

The Halve Selection Tool allows you to reduce your current data selection
to half its size. This means that if you have two seconds of audio data
selected (see Figure A.1), using the Halve Selection Tool you can easily
reduce the selection to one second of audio data (see Figure A.2).

Figure A.1
Two seconds of
selected audio data
before the Halve
Selection Tool has
been used.

Figure A.2
One second of selected
audio data after the
Halve Selection Tool
was used on the
previous example.

This procedure doesn’t do anything to the audio data itself; it simply

changes the amount of data that is currently selected. This tool can be
very useful, for example, if you have a two-measure bass riff selected, but
you want to quickly and easily apply an effect to only one measure of the
data. To use the Halve Selection Tool, simply choose Special > ACID
Looping Tools > Halve Selection. If you don’t have any data currently
selected, activating the tool won’t do anything.

The Double Selection Tool

The Double Selection Tool is the exact opposite of the Halve Selection
Tool. Instead of reducing the current selection to half its size, it doubles
the current selection. This means that if you have two seconds of audio
data selected (see Figure A.3), by using the Double Selection Tool you can
increase the selection to four seconds of audio data (see Figure A.4).

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Figure A.3
Two seconds of
selected audio data
before the Double
Selection Tool has
been used.

Figure A.4
Four seconds of
selected audio data
after the Double
Selection Tool was
used on the
previous example.

APPENDICES
Again, this procedure doesn’t do anything to the audio data itself; it
simply changes the amount of data that is currently selected. This tool
can be very useful, for example, if you have one beat of a percussion riff
selected, but you need to quickly and easily select and cut out two of the
beats from the loop. To use the Double Selection Tool, simply choose
Special > ACID Looping Tools > Double Selection. If you don’t have any
data currently selected, activating the Tool won’t do anything.

Shift Selection Left and Right

Instead of reducing or increasing the amount of currently selected data,
the Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools move the current
selection to the left or right within the file by the same amount of the
current selection. In other words, if you have a sample that is three
measures long and you have selected the second measure in the loop
(see Figure A.5), choosing the Shift Selection Left Tool deselects the
second measure and selects the first measure (see Figure A.6), because
the selection is moved one measure to the left. If you choose the Shift
Selection Right Tool, again, the second measure is deselected, but this
time the third measure is selected because the selection is moved one
measure to the right (see Figure A.7). To use the Shift Selection Left or
Shift Selection Right tools, simply choose Special > ACID Looping Tools
> Shift Selection Left or Special > ACID Looping Tools > Shift Selection
Right, respectively.

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Figure A.5
A three-measure
sample loop with
the second measure
selected.

Figure A.6
The same three-measure
sample loop with the
first measure selected
after the Shift Selection
Left Tool is applied.

Figure A.7
The same three-measure
sample loop with the
third measure selected
after the Shift Selection
Right Tool is applied.

Rotate Audio
The last of the ACID Looping Tools is called the Rotate Audio Tool.
Unlike the previously mentioned tools, this tool actually alters the audio
data in your file. The Rotate Audio Tool “rotates” audio data from one
end of your file to the other, depending on your current data selection.
For example, suppose you have a small portion of the beginning of your
audio file selected (see Figure A.8).

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Figure A.8
A small data selection
at the beginning of an
audio file.

If you choose Special > ACID Looping Tools > Rotate Audio, the
currently selected data is cut and then pasted to the end of the file (see
Figure A.9).

Figure A.9
The same small data
selection moved to the
end of the audio file
after the Rotate Audio
Tool has been chosen.

APPENDICES
Now, if you had initially selected a portion of data at the end of the file,
the Rotate Audio Tool would instead cut and paste that data from the end
of the file to the beginning of the file. See how it works? This tool is very
useful if you want to quickly and easily move the first or last beat or
measure of a loop to the opposite end, or vice versa.

NOTE
There are two exceptions in using the Rotate Audio Tool. One is that if you
don’t have any data selected, the first quarter of the file will be cut from the
beginning and then pasted on to the end. The other exception is that if you
have some data selected in the middle of the file, the Rotate Audio Tool will
simply do nothing.

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Editing ACID Loop Properties

As I mentioned earlier, in order to prepare your sample loop for use
within ACID, you need to use a special process. This process involves
adding extra information to the audio file. In order to do this, you must
use the Edit ACID Properties dialog box (see Figure A.10) by selecting
Special > Edit ACID Properties.

Figure A.10
The Edit ACID
Properties dialog box
allows you to ACIDize
your sample loops.

In the dialog box, you’ll notice a number of different options and

parameters. By choosing the appropriate settings, ACID can determine the
correct way to handle your sample loop when your loop is loaded into an
ACID project.

One-Shot
The first available option in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box is called
One-Shot. If your sample loop is meant to be played once rather than
looping over and over again, this is the option you want to choose. A
One-Shot sample does not get time-stretched along with the tempo
changes of an ACID project, and the sample’s pitch does not change along
with key changes in an ACID project. A good example of a One-Shot
sample is a drum set cymbal crash.

Loop
The second available option in the Edit ACID Properties dialog box is
called Loop. This is the option you want if your sample loop is meant to
be played over and over again, such as a looping bass guitar riff. Sample
loops that are designated as Loops in ACID will be time-stretched and
have their pitch changed along with the tempo and key changes of an
ACID project. In order for ACID to change the loop appropriately, it needs
to know the initial tempo and pitch of the loop.

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Number Of Beats
To specify the tempo of your loop, you simply enter the number of
musical beats the loop contains into the Number Of Beats parameter. You
can figure out how many beats are in your loop by counting off while you
listen to it play. I’ll give you an example later on in this appendix. One
thing to note is that if you enter the wrong number of beats, ACID will
not play your loop at the proper speed. For instance, if your loop
contains 16 beats but you enter 8 for the Number Of Beats, ACID will
play your loop back twice as fast as the loop should be played.

Root Note For Transposing

To specify the pitch of your loop, you simply enter a note value into the
Root Note For Transposing parameter. This root note is the original pitch
at which your sample loop was recorded. You will need to know this
beforehand, or you’ll have to figure it out manually using a tuner.

TIP
By using the Spectrum Analysis feature (described in Chapter 10), you can
sometimes find the root note of a sample loop. Just select all the data in your
loop, and choose Tools > Spectrum Analysis to analyze the data. At the

APPENDICES
bottom of the Spectrum Analysis window, Sound Forge will show the most
prominent frequency (pitch) within the data. More often than not, that will be
the root note.

One other thing to consider is that if you would like your sample loop to
be time-stretched but not transposed (such as would probably be the case
with most percussion-based loops), you can choose the Don’t Transpose
option for the Root Note For Transposing parameter.

Disk-Based
Most of the sample loops that are used in an ACID project are played
from your computer’s memory, but if you have some really long samples
(like an entire vocal track), you might not have enough memory in your
computer to use those samples. In that case, you can specify that ACID
play your sample by reading it directly off of your hard disk drive. To do
that, you simply select the Disk-Based option in the Edit ACID Properties
dialog box. Disk-based samples cannot have their pitch transposed, but if
you specify a tempo, you can make it so that ACID will time-stretch the
samples. To do that, just type in a tempo (in beats per minute) for the
sample into the Tempo parameter. You’ll need to know the tempo at
which the sample was originally recorded.

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ACID—A Step-by-Step Example

Now that you know about all of the special ACID tools that Sound Forge
provides, let’s go through a step-by-step example on how to actually use
them to prepare a file.
1. Select File > Open to display the Open dialog box. Select your file.
For this example, let’s use one of the files that is included with
Sound Forge. Select the file called TUTFILL.WAV. Click Open.
2. Hit the space bar on your computer keyboard to play the file. It’s a
drum fill sample loop. Since it’s not a single instrument sample that
might just play once, we can rule out its being a One-Shot sample.
And since it’s easily small enough to be played from within your
computer’s memory, we can rule out its being a Disk-Based sample.
That means we’ll be designating this file as a Loop for ACID. Before
we edit the ACID properties for the loop, we need to figure out how
many beats it contains. Play the file a few more times and see if you
can count out the beats.
3. Select Special > Edit ACID Properties to open the Edit ACID
Properties dialog box.
4. Choose the Loop option.
5. For the Number Of Beats parameter, type in 4. Did you guess it
correctly?
6. Since this is a percussion loop, there’s really no pitch involved and
we don’t want ACID to transpose the loop by mistake. So, for the
Root Note For Transposing parameter, select Don’t Transpose.
7. Click OK.
8. Save your file.

CAUTION
When you save your newly ACIDized file, be sure to use either the WAV or
AIF file formats. If you use a different format, the extra ACID information
added to the file will not be saved. Plus, ACID can only open WAV or AIF
audio files. In addition, be sure to choose PCM for the Format parameter in the
Save As dialog box. ACID can open only uncompressed audio files. Lastly,
choose Save Regions And Playlist In WAV/AVI Files in the Rgns/Playlist drop-
down list, and activate the Save Summary Information In File option.

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Appendix B
Burning
Your Files to CD
Throughout this book, you’ve learned about everything you need to know
to work with audio in Sound Forge. This information includes recording,
editing, processing, and adding effects to your audio files. The next
logical step is to share your creations with the world. You can save your
files in one of the many formats available for distribution over the
Internet, as I talked about in Chapter 4. You can also burn your files to
CD, either directly from within Sound Forgeor with other software. I’ll
cover the basics of creating a custom audio CD, including the following:

APPENDICES
 Purchasing a CD recorder (CD-R)
 How to use the popular Easy CD-Creator software
 Taking advantage of advanced Easy CD-Creator options

Purchasing a CD Recorder
A CD recorder (or CD-R drive) is similar to a CD-ROM drive except that,
in addition to reading CDs, it can write to them, too. Just a short while
ago, CD-R drives were available only to a privileged few who could afford
them and needed to create their own CDs. These people, however lucky
to be early adopters of recordable CD technology, also had to deal with
unreliable drives. The creation of unreadable discs was very common.
Today, after several drive generations, prices have come down, and
reliability has gone up. In fact, many new computer systems shipping
from the likes of Gateway and Dell include CD-R drives as standard
components. But, despite these incentives, you still might be one of the
few computer musicians who hasn’t purchased a CD-R drive. Before you
run out to the store to spend your hard-earned cash, you should know a
little bit about CD-ROM technology and what to look for when shopping
for a drive.

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A Little Bit About CD-R Drives

You should consider a number of points when purchasing a drive. The
first is whether you want a CD-R or CD-RW. CD-R stands for CD-
Recordable. These drives were the first ones created. They are essentially
write-once drives. Once data is written using these drives, you can’t erase
or write over the data.
Most drives today are CD-RW, or Read-Write drives. These drives allow
you to rewrite to the CD as many as 1,000 times before the disc is worn
out. The problem with CD-RW drives is that their discs can be read only
by multiread CD-ROM drives, which aren’t as common as regular CD-
ROM drives. You should also know that audio CD players can’t handle
CD-RW discs; they can play only CD-R discs. But, because a CD-RW drive
can create both CD-R and CD-RW discs, your purchasing decision is
pretty much a given here.
The other major issue to consider is external versus internal. If you’re not
the type of person who finds it easy to open your computer and install
new equipment, then you should get an external drive. Although many
external drives require you to install a card in your system, installing a
card is easier than installing the entire drive, which requires you to hook
up the power and data cables and screw the drive into place. The process
isn’t really very difficult, but it’s not for the novice user, either. The easiest
drives to install are those that simply connect to the USB (universal serial
bus) ports on the back of your computer. Be careful when choosing this
type of drive, though, because they tend to transfer data a lot slower than
internal or card-based external drives. If you want the best performance,
you should get an internal or card-based drive.
Your next decision is whether you should choose between an IDE/EIDE
or SCSI drive. The difference is the interface that connects the drive to
your computer. IDE/EIDE is the standard for PCs, and it’s a lot cheaper
than SCSI. But it’s also slower. SCSI is more important for Macintosh
machines, because they use the SCSI interface exclusively. To attach a
SCSI drive on a PC, you have to install a separate SCSI adapter card
inside your machine. For IDE/EIDE, all you need to do is plug in and
install the drive; no card is required. And to be honest, you don’t need
the extra speed that SCSI provides. Most IDE/EIDE drives provide
excellent performance.
Speed is important, however, when it comes to the speed of the drive
itself. Each new generation of recordable drives gets faster and faster, just
like the read-only CD-ROM drives have been doing. Right now, it’s
common to find 6-12x drives. By the way, when you’re shopping, be sure
to look at the write speed of the drive, not the read speed. CD-R drives
write much slower than they read. Also, look at a drive’s overall
throughput when writing. Just because the drive spins the disc really fast

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doesn’t necessarily guarantee it’s as fast as similar drives. Some people

avoid buying the fastest drives, because newer, faster drives can be a bit
unreliable in creating CDs that other drives will be able to read. However,
these faster drives can be made to run slower when writing to a disc, so
this aspect shouldn’t concern you too much.
I recommend that you look into the drives offered by Hewlett-Packard or
Ricoh. I’m currently using the CD-Writer Plus 8200i from Hewlett-
Packard on my desktop computer and the MP8040SE from Ricoh on my
laptop computer.

Where to Look
The best place currently on the Web to find any computer hardware for
purchase is at one of the two major hardware purchasing Web sites:
www.computers.com or www.computershopper.com. At these sites, you
can easily enter some criteria for the type of drive you want and narrow it
to a model and a location within driving distance. For example, on
Computershopper.com (see Figure B.1), you can enter basic speed,
interface, and pricing criteria.

APPENDICES
Figure B.1
Computershopper.com
lets you specify the
type of drive you want
and then search for
available makes and
prices.

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On Computers.com (see Figure B.2), you can enter that criteria as well as
sort it by product name and price.

Figure B.2
On Computers.com,
you can sort the drive
listings by product
name and price.

On average, drives run (at the time of this writing) between $200 and
$500, depending on features such as writing speed, external versus
internal, and reading speed. You can even find some of the lower-end
drives for as little as $150, but it’s better to spend a little extra and get a
quality drive; otherwise, you may regret your choice later.

Using Easy CD-Creator

When it comes to CD recording software, almost 90 percent of the drives
on the market include a “lite” version of Easy CD-Creator from Adaptec,
now known as Roxio. Also, an upgrade offer for the full version of the software
is usually included. Because of its popularity, I’ll discuss how to use Easy CD-
Creator to record your own CDs. If you have some other CD recording
software, the process should be similar.
You can use Easy CD-Creator in two basic ways: via its step-by-step
wizard interface, or via its more advanced mode. For the most part, the
Creator Wizard is very easy to use and takes you through all the choices
you need to burn a new CD.

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NOTE
Because a laser is used to heat up the blank CD and write the information to
it, recording a CD is also referred to as burning a CD.

You can just follow these basic steps to create an audio CD:
1. Start Easy CD-Creator. If the Creator Wizard doesn’t open
automatically, select File > Wizard to open it manually.
2. When the wizard asks whether you want to create a data CD or an
audio CD, choose Audio CD and click on the Next button.

TIP
At any point while using the wizard, you can backtrack to previous choices
by clicking on the Back button.

3. The wizard then lets you select .WAV files to lay down onto the CD.
The dialog box (see Figure B.3) lets you move throughout your disk
directories and select files. Clicking Add Now puts them in the

APPENDICES
layout.

NOTE
You must use .WAV files in order to burn your audio to CD using Easy
CD-Creator, so be sure to save your audio files in the .WAV format with Sound
Forge beforehand.

Figure B.3
You can easily add files
and check remaining
room by using the CD
Creator Wizard. Choose
the .WAV files you
want and click on the
Add Now button.

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4. The dialog box also includes a Play button that lets you preview files
to make sure you have selected the song you want. Click on the Next
button when you’re done selecting files.

TIP
You don’t have to fill the entire CD at this point. As long as you don’t close
the CD, you can add to it over time until it is filled.

5. On the next screen in the wizard (see Figure B.4), you can create a
title and artist listing for the CD. Simply type the name of the CD
and the artist or artists in the appropriate text boxes. Then, click on
the Next button.

Figure B.4
In this dialog box, you
can type a title for
your CD and add the
artist’s name.

6. After naming the CD, you must choose to either leave the session
open or close the session. You can record more data to the disc if you
leave the session open. Closing the session prevents you from adding
more data to the disc. If you keep the session open, the CD won’t
play on a standard audio CD player. Choose Close The Session if
you’re sure you’re not going to add any more songs to the CD;
otherwise, keep it open until you’re done. Click on the Next button
after you’ve made your choice.
7. The wizard asks whether you want to perform a test before writing to
disc. When you’re creating a CD, it helps to first have your system do
a test. Testing ensures the best quality and betters your chances for a
successful burn. Although testing nearly doubles the time required to
create a CD, Adaptec recommends testing at least the first few times
you use the program. After that, you can probably skip it. Click on
the Next button after making your choice.

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8. Now, you’re ready to create your CD. You can choose to go ahead
with your order of songs and choices (called a Layout) or choose to
create a CD later, which gives you a chance to edit the Layout (see
Figure B.5). If you choose to create the CD now, click the Finish
button, and the CD Creation Status dialog box opens as the drive
begins burning the CD.

Figure B.5
In this dialog box, you
can choose whether to
burn the CD now or later.

APPENDICES
Working with Advanced
CD-Creator Options
The CD Creator Wizard makes using Easy CD-Creator a snap, but you
might want to know about some advanced program features.

Previewing Songs, Changing Names,

and Rearranging the Order
After you’ve created a Layout you like, you can do several things before
recording the CD. Click on a song to highlight it, and then right-click on
the song to bring up a menu. Choosing Rename from this menu lets you
rename the song. Choosing Properties from the menu opens that file’s
properties. To preview any song, just double-click on it. To change the
order of a song, just drag and drop it anywhere within the list.

Saving and Loading a Layout

Sometimes, you might want to save a good Layout to use again at a later
date. If you’ve made a particularly good mix of songs and want to burn it
for friends from time to time, it is a good idea to save the final Layout.
That way, you don’t have to re-create it every time you want to create
another copy of the CD.

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To save a Layout, select File > Save. You can load previously saved
Layouts by choosing File > Open CD Layout.

Recording Your CD
You can use the Creator Wizard for the entire CD recording process (as
you learned earlier), but sometimes it’s better to just use the wizard to
make some initial settings. Then, you can take some extra steps to fine-
tune your settings:
1. If you haven’t told the wizard to immediately burn the CD and
instead decide to tweak the Layout before recording, you can click on
the Record button on the toolbar or choose Create CD from the File
menu. The CD Creation Setup dialog box then opens (see Figure B.6).

Figure B.6
In the CD Creation
Setup dialog box,
you can make final
choices before
recording your CD.

2. The CD Creation dialog box is composed of three tabs: General,

Advanced, and Summary. The General tab shows you the various
recordable CD drives you have attached to your computer (although,
like me, you probably have only one). A drop-down list below that
shows the available write speeds the selected drive can handle. You
usually don’t need to change these settings.
3. Directly below the drop-down lists is an Options area with three
choices: Test Only, Test and Create CD, and Create CD. These options
let you decide whether the burn process will be a test run, a creation
only, or a combination test burn and recording. The testing and
creating option is usually the best choice. If you want to speed the
process along, though, choose Create CD. Remember, however, that a
test before the burning will be more reliable.

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4. On the Advanced tab, you can choose the status of the recording
session when the burn is complete. You have four choices. (Note:
More choices are provided here than in the wizard.) The options are
divided between Track-at-once and Disc-at-once. In the Track-at-once
options, you can choose Leave Session Open, which lets you add
more songs to your CD within the same session. Remember that you
have to close the session at some point to listen to the CD on a
typical audio CD player.

TIP
If you plan to have your audio CD duplicated professionally, you should have
all your songs gathered together and burn them to the CD all at once using the
Disc-at-once option. This option writes and closes a CD in one move, without
turning the writing laser on and off between tracks. If you use one of the other
options to burn your CD, the writing laser is turned on and off between tracks
and multiple sessions to create “links” between them. These “links” will
show up as errors when the duplication service tries to create a master copy
from your CD-R.

5. Close Session And Leave Disc Open lets you create multisession CDs.

APPENDICES
This option closes the current session, but not the overall CD. Using
this option, you can record more data to the CD later, but only the
data recorded the first time to the disc will be compatible with
regular audio CD players.

TIP
By using a multisession CD, you can store both audio data and computer files
on the same disc. Using this type of CD is a cool way to share your recordings
with other musicians, especially if you’re working on a tune together. In the
first session of a CD, you store the tracks as traditional CD audio. You then
close that session and store the audio data files for those songs on the
remaining portion of the disc in data format. Now, your partner or partners
can hear what you’ve recorded and access the files to add their own editing
and processing to the recordings.

6. Click on the OK button to begin the burn after you’ve chosen Record
and set the options. The CD Creation Process dialog box (see Figure
B.7) shows the progress. If you’ve chosen to test and then write
tracks, the entire testing process is looped through first; an identical
loop, which actually writes the data, is then run. Click on the Details
button to see more information as the CD burn progresses.

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Figure B.7
This CD Creation
Process dialog box
shows the burning
process in action with
recording details.

TIP
To avoid glitches in the burning process—especially for audio CDs—you
should leave your computer alone until the process is complete. If it gets
bogged down while burning, you could end up with a ruined CD. Of course,
you can just go ahead and burn another one, but then you’ll be wasting both
your time and money.

Closing a Session or Disc Separately

Sometimes, you need to separately close a session and the CD as a whole,
depending on the status you asked to have after the recording was done.
In this case, you need to specifically perform these operations by calling
the Disc Information dialog box, as in the following steps:
1. Select Disc > Disc Information to open the Disc Information dialog
box (see Figure B.8). You are greeted with a list of the last current
session opened or closed on the disc in your drive.

Figure B.8
The Disc Information
dialog box gives you
the status of any CD
and its sessions. Using
it, you also can close a
session or the disc as a
whole, so the disc can
be played on other CD
players.

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2. To close a session, select it and choose Close Session.

3. To close a disc, choose Close Disc.

Creating a Jewel Case Printout

After you’ve burned your CD, you can create a printout to insert into the
CD jewel case (for track listings and the like). To activate the automatic
Jewel Case Layout mode, click on the Jewel Case Layout tab in the main
Easy CD-Creator workspace. Using the current Active Track Layout, the
program creates a simple Jewel Case Layout that you can print and cut
out for your CD (see Figure B.9).

Figure B.9
Easy CD-Creator
automatically creates
CD covers for you.

APPENDICES
Click on any section of the text to activate it. You can move the text
around when it’s highlighted. Double-clicking on any text lets you edit it
and its font characteristics (see Figure B.10). If you have a color printer,
you can select colors for the text here as well.

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Figure B.10
You can select any
piece of text and
change its color, size,
or font via the Text
Edit dialog box.

To change the background color and other options, choose Layout >
Options to bring up the Jewel Case Preferences dialog box. Here, you can
change the cover colors and overall default fonts for the layout.

TIP
You cannot easily insert graphics into the Jewel Case Layout with the version
of Easy CD-Creator that ships with most CD drives. You need to use a
dedicated graphics program to do so. In your graphics program, copy the
picture you want to use, return to the Easy CD-Creator program, and then
paste the picture into any area of the Layout.

TIP
If you need more advanced CD labeling features, check out SureThing CD
Labeler from MicroVision Development: http://www.mvd.com/.

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Appendix C
Backing Up
Your Files
At the end of every audio editing session, I back up my files. It doesn’t
matter whether I’m running late or whether I’m so tired that I can barely
keep my eyes open. I always back up my files. Why? Because not too
long ago, I didn’t really think much of making backups. I would do it
occasionally—just to be safe—but I never thought I’d run into any
trouble. Then, one day I went to boot up my PC, and poof! My hard drive
crashed, taking a lot of important files with it, including a project that I
spent weeks working on. Believe me, after that experience, I never took

APPENDICES
file backups for granted again, and you shouldn’t, either.
Backing up your files isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t take up much time.
Because of their large size, most audio files do not fit on something as
small as a floppy disk, but if you have an Iomega Zip disk drive (or
similar “super floppy” drive), you might be able to just make a quick
backup copy that way.

Back Up with Easy CD-Creator

If you have a bunch of files to back up, you need a much larger storage
format such as a tape or a CD-Recordable drive. In Appendix B, you
learned about using Easy CD-Creator to create an audio CD from your
audio data files. Well, in case you didn’t know it, you can also use Easy
CD-Creator along with your CD-R drive to back up data files. The
procedure is similar to creating an audio CD, and you can use the Easy
CD-Creator Wizard to step through the process like this:
1. Start Easy CD-Creator. If the Easy CD-Creator Wizard doesn’t pop
open automatically, select File > Wizard.
2. When the wizard asks whether you want to create a data or an audio
CD, choose Data CD, and click Next.

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3. The wizard then lets you select the files you want to copy to CD (see
Figure C.1). You can search through any of the file directories on
your system, selecting files for backup. To add the files, click the Add
Now button.

TIP
I like to keep all of my data in the My Documents folder on my hard drive.
Instead of selecting individual files for backup, I simply select my entire
My Documents folder. That way, I can be sure I am backing up all of my
important files—not only audio data files, but all my other computer files as
well. And this way, I don’t have to worry about whether certain files are
backed up or not.

Figure C.1
When you’re creating a
data CD, you can select
any file or files from
any of the storage
drives connected to
your computer system.

4. Sometimes, a filename that you select may be incompatible with the

way files are stored on a data CD. In this case, the wizard alerts you
about the problem after you click the Add Now button. The wizard
then suggests a new name for the file and also lets you change the
name if you like.
5. After you finish selecting files, click Next. The wizard then asks
whether you want to do a test CD burn before doing the actual burn.
It’s a good idea to do the test, just so you can be sure the real burning
process will go smoothly.
6. The wizard then asks whether you want to burn the CD now or later.
You should choose to burn it now because you’re backing up your
files, and you won’t be making changes to the file selections.
7. Easy CD-Creator then proceeds to test and then burn your files to CD.

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Back Up with Windows

If you don’t have a CD-Recordable drive, or you would rather back up
your files to a tape drive or other removable format, you can use the
Backup utility that comes with Windows 98. By default, Windows 98
doesn’t install the Backup utility during setup, so you might have to
install it yourself. To do so, just follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button, and select Programs > Accessories > System
Tools. If you see the Backup utility listed there, you’re all set. If not,
you have to install it from your original Windows CD.
2. To install Backup, open the Windows Control Panel, and double-
click on the Add/Remove Programs icon to open the Add/Remove
Programs Properties dialog box (see Figure C.2).

Figure C.2
You can install the
Windows Backup
utility by using the
Add/Remove Programs
Properties dialog box.

APPENDICES
3. Select the Windows Setup tab.
4. Select System Tools in the Components list, and click the Details
button to open the System Tools dialog box (see Figure C.3).

Figure C.3
You can install all
the utilities included
with Windows via
the System Tools
dialog box.

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5. Find Backup in the Components list, and put a check mark next to it.
6. Click the OK buttons to close both dialog boxes.
7. Insert your original Windows CD when Windows asks for it and click
OK. The Backup utility is then installed.
When Backup is installed, you can use it to back up all your important
files. Just follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button, and select Programs > Accessories > System >
Backup to run Backup.
2. When the Backup Wizard asks you what you would like to do,
choose Create A New Backup Job and click OK.
3. The wizard then asks whether you want to back up everything on
your computer or just the files or folders that you select. Because you
need to back up only your My Documents folder (or individually
selected files), choose the Back Up Selected Files, Folders And
Drives option, and click Next.
4. The wizard then asks you to select the files, folders, or drives you
want to back up (see Figure C.4).

Figure C.4
Here, you can
select the files and/or
folders that you want
to back up.

5. Click the + (plus) sign next to your hard drive (C:) to see a list of
folders there. Put a check mark next to the My Documents folder (or
the individual files that you would like to backup), and click Next.
6. When you’re asked what types of files to back up—all or only new
and changed files—choose the All Selected Files option, and click
Next.
7. The wizard then wants to know where to store your backup files.
Your response depends on your storage format, so just select the
drive you want to use.

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TIP
You can probably use Backup with your CD-R drive. Most CD-R drives ship
with a software program called Adaptec DirectCD. This software lets your
computer “see” your CD-R drive as just another storage device. So, you can
copy files to it just like you would to a floppy disk, and Backup works with
it, too. Refer to the documentation that came with your CD-R drive to see
whether the product includes Adaptec DirectCD.

8. Tell the wizard whether it should compare the original files to the
backup files after the backup process is completed to make sure that
they contain the same data. (I like to keep this option activated to be
extra safe.)
9. Choose whether you want your data compressed. If you’re short on
space, having this feature available is nice; otherwise, keeping the
data uncompressed is a little safer.
10. Give your new backup job a name so that the next time you run
Backup, all you need to do is select the job by name and start the
process. The program will remember all your previous option
choices.

APPENDICES
11. Click Start, and your files are then backed up.
Now, don’t you feel better already? You can rest easy knowing that all
your hard recording work won’t be lost even if your computer does
decide to give up on you one of these days. Believe me, it’s not a fun
experience.

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Appendix D
Sound Forge
Resources on the Web
Although I’ve made every effort to include as much information as
possible about Sound Forge within this book, someone will always have
that one question that goes unanswered. But that doesn’t mean I’m going
to leave you out in the cold with nowhere to turn.
The Internet provides a number of resources you can use to locate
additional information. I’ve tried to be sure to list all the quality sites that
are available, but I may have missed a few. If you know of a great Sound

APPENDICES
Forge-related Web site that’s not on this list, please drop me a note at
www.garrigus.com so that I can be sure to include the site in the next
edition of this book.

Sound Forge Power!

Figure D.1
http://www.garrigus.
com/scott/work/
soundforgepower.html

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This is one of the first sites that you should visit. I have a created a site
exclusively for this book. There is a Discussion area where you can post
your questions and get them answered directly by me. There is also a
Live Chat area where I hold scheduled chat sessions. You can also get
a free subscription to my monthly music technology newsletter, which
includes more tips and techniques that you wonÌt find in this book.
Plus, as a subscriber, you are eligible to win free music products each
month. Be sure to stop by and meet all of the other Sound Forge Power
readers out there!

Power Presets
Figure D.2
http://
www.powerpresets.com/
powerpresets/

This is another site being developed by yours truly. Power Presets will
feature tips, techniques, function presets, and more for a number of
different applications, including Sound Forge. There will also be a free
newsletter available, along with a discussion area, and some interesting
products for sale.

http://www.muskalipman.com
 Appendices 319

Sonic Foundry
Technical Support Homepage
Figure D.3
http://
www.sonicfoundry.com/
support/

APPENDICES
The Sonic Foundry Technical Support Homepage is also one of the first
places you should look for answers. Sonic Foundry provides a large
selection of materials, including answers to the most frequently asked
questions (FAQs), product updates, technical documents, and more. You
also can find tutorials, as well as additional helpful publications and
resources. And, of course, you can get in touch with Sonic Foundry’s
Tech Support people if you need to.

http://www.muskalipman.com
320 Appendices

Official Sonic Foundry Forums

Figure D.4
http://
www.sonicfoundry.com/
Forums/

One of the second places you should look for help is the Official Sonic
Foundry Forums. The Sonic Foundry Forums not only provide you with
direct access to Sonic Foundry Technical Support but also to other users.
You can find specific topics geared toward many of the different products
available from Sonic Foundry, including Sound Forge.

http://www.muskalipman.com
 Appendices 321

Synth Zone BBS

Figure D.5
http:/
/www.synthworld.com/
cgi-bin/
Ultimate.cgi?action=
intro

APPENDICES
The Synth Zone BBS is yet another Web site where you can find
discussions about Sonic Foundry products. This site also includes
discussion areas for many other audio-related topics. In addition, the
Synth Zone is an excellent MIDI, synthesizer, and electronic music
production resource guide. You can find links to a ton of information,
such as patches and associated software, for just about any synthesizer
product from just about any manufacturer.

http://www.muskalipman.com
322 Appendices

AudioForums.com
Figure D.6
http://
www.audioforums.com/
forums_frame.html

Still another site where you can find discussions about Sonic Foundry
products is AudioForums.com. This site includes a discussion area for
Sonic Foundry products, as well as discussion areas for many other
audio-related topics.

http://www.muskalipman.com
 Appendices 323

Sound Forge Users Mailing List

Figure D.7
http://www.viagram.no/
privat/sfusers/

APPENDICES
This site provides an e-mail-based discussion list specifically for Sound
Forge users.

http://www.muskalipman.com
324 Appendices

Harmony Central
Figure D.8
http://www.harmony-
central.com/

Although not a dedicated Sound Forge site, Harmony Central is one

of the best Internet resources for musicians. Updated daily, the site
provides industry news and separate “departments” for Guitar, Bass,
Effects, Software, Recording, MIDI, Keyboard and Synths, Drums and
Percussion, Computers and Music, and a Bands Page. Sifting through
all the information on this site will take awhile, but it’s definitely worth
the time and effort.

http://www.muskalipman.com
 Index

The following index can be used to find concepts discussed within

this book.
Each topic is followed by page numbers. Click on the page number to
bring you directly to the relevant discussion within the book.

Clicking on the alphabetical links below will bring you to the

corresponding letter groups in the index. You can than scroll within
the index pages to find the concept that you are looking for.

Italicized page numbers refer to "Note", "Tip", and "Caution" boxes.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T

U V W X Y Z

1
 Index

A
About Sound Forge dialog box, 12
Accuracy parameter, 179–80, 196
ACID (composing software)
Double Selection Tool, 292–93
editing loop properties, 296–97
Halve Selection Tool, 292
Rotate Audio Tool, 294–95
Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools, 293–94

ACM (Audio Compression Manager), 58

Acoustic Mirror function, 214–16
Adaptec DirectCD (software), 315
adaptive delta pulse code modulation, 55
Add Marker/Region dialog box, 88–90, 93
Add New Hardware Wizard, 263
Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, 18
Add to open the Add Marker/Region dialog box, 271
Adjust DC Offset By option, 154
ADPCM (adaptive delta pulse code modulation), 55
Advanced Graphics Settings dialog box, 21
Aftertouch, 40
Aggressive Update option, 113
AGP-based graphics cards, 22
AIFF file format, 55
A-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
Allow Mobile Play option, 78
Allow Recording option, 78
Always Open Full-Screen option, 33
AMD Athlon processors, 18
Amount parameter, 180, 206
amplitude level, 104
Amplitude Modulation function, 199–200
Amplitude parameter, 199–200, 234, 236, 239
Anderton, Craig, 40
Animate option, 242
Apply An Anti-Alias Filter During Pitch Shift option, 196
Apply An Anti-Alias Filter During Resample option, 158
Apply Destination Volume To Overlapping Area Only option, 140
Apply Dynamic Compression option, 169
Apply Envelope And Limit Decay To parameter, 216
Apply Envelope parameter, 216
ASF file format, 58
Associate Sound File Extensions option, 33–34
associating file formats, 33–34
At drop-down list, 162
Athlon processors, 18
Attack parameter, 204
Attack Sensitivity parameter, 95

2
 Index
Attack Threshold parameter, 160
Attack Time parameter, 168, 206, 211
Attenuate Bass Freqs Below parameter, 213
Attenuate High Frequencies parameter, 191
Attributes drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Sound Selection dialog box, 74
Audio Compression Manager, 58
audio compression schemes, 55
Audio File Format FAQ (Web site), 58
audio file formats. See file formats
Audio Format drop-down list, 77
AudioForums.com (Web site), 322
audio input level, 114–15, 118, 125
audio interfaces, 25
Audio Plug-In Chainer (plug-in), 219–21
Audio Plug-In dialog box, 220
audio waveform, 111
AU file format, 56
Auto Delete From Start parameter, 161
Auto Gain Compensate option, 204
Automatically Detect And Remove option, 154
Automatic Retake recording mode, 113, 116, 125
Auto Play option, 60
Auto Region function, 93–94,
Auto Trim/Crop function, 159–61
Average RMS Power option, 168
Average Seek Time, 20
AVI files, 57
opening, 63–64
saving, 71–74, 78–79
B
backing up files, 129, 311
with Easy CD-Creator, 311–12
with Windows, 313–15
backwards, playing audio, 182
balanced connections, for sound cards, 25
Band 1 Bypass option, 206
Band # Bypass option, 205–6
Band-Notch option, 206
Band Width parameter, 180
Bar Graph mode., 228
Beats parameter, 97
Big Endian option, 64
bit depth, 7
changing, 155–56
setting, 108–9, 117
bit rate, 75
bits, 7, 26
Blackman-Harris setting,, 230

3
 Index
Blend Graph Edges option, 197
BMP file format, 69
breaking up files, 102
Break Length parameter., 234
Bright Small Room option, 212
Browse For Folder dialog box, 47–48
buffer, RAM, 50
bugs, software, 13
Build Regions Using The Current Tempo option, 97
burning CDs, 253–54
C
Capture Threshold option, 206
case printout, jewel, 309–10
Cavernous Space option, 212
CD Creation Process dialog box, 307–8
CD Creation Setup dialog box, 306
CD functions, 253–55
CD players, attaching sound cards to, 25
CD-R (CD-Recordable) drives, 300
CD recorders, purchasing, 299–302
CD-RW (CD-Read-Write) drives, 300
CDs (compact discs)
See also Easy CD-Creator
burning of, 253–54, 299–302
printouts for cases, 309–10
and sampling rate and bit depth, 109, 157–58
Ceiling parameter, 228
Center Frequency parameter, 180, 192
Center parameter, 206
central processing unit performance, 18–19
Cents To Shift Pitch By parameter, 196
changing. See modifying
Channel Aftertouch, 40
Channel Converter function., 169
Channel drop-down list, 134
Channel parameter, 41–42, 89
channels
changing, 169–70
setting, 110
Channels parameters, 276, 278, 280
Choose A Stream drop-down list, 72–73
chords, keyboard, 261–62
Chorus function, 189–91
Chorus Out Delay parameter, 190
Chorus Out parameter, 190
Chorus Size parameter, 191
clicks, removing, 144
Clipboard functions
See also copying; pasting
and temporary folder storage, 46

4
 Index
clipping, 103–5, 163, 167, 169
closing program, confirmation option for, 33
colors
customizing, 35–36
depth of, 23
compact discs. See CDs
compress and expanding stereo fields, 173–74
compressing data, 72–74
See also Graphic Dynamics
Compute DC Offset From First 5 Seconds Only option, 154
computers.com (Web site), 301–2
computershopper.com (Web site), 301–2
Configuration parameter., 238
Configure Sonic Foundry VMR dialog box, 267
Confirm On Close option, 33
connectors, sound card, 25–26
Controller MIDI messages, 40
Controller option, 41–42
Convert Mono To Stereo option, 216
Convert To Mono option, 75
Convert To Specified Output Channels Only option, 170
copying
data, 137
markers, 91
video frames to clipboard, 243
Copy Manufacturer's Files From parameter, 265
Copy Partials option, 138
Copy Profile dialog box, 28
Copyrighted option, 76
CPU performance, 18–19
crashes, computer, 65–66, 266
Create CD function, 254, 306
Create Markers For Each Index Change option., 255
Create Regions For Each Track option, 255
creating
markers, 88–90
new files, 66–67
new window for each take when recording, 120
Regions feature, 93–97
samples
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
crescendo, 163
Crossfade function, 141–42
Ctrl+Shift+Z command, 142
CTRL+Y (shortcut keys), 105
Ctrl+Z command, 142
Current Operator parameter, 238
Current Position feature, 81–86

5
 Index
See also markers
changing with Transport menu, 87
Cursor option, 161
customizing Sound Forge
colors, 35–36
data window layouts, 37–39
file associations, 33–34
general options, 31–33
keyboard shortcuts, 39–43
record and playback settings, 48–51
temporary storage folder, 47–48
toolbars, 36–37
cutting, audio from video file, 244
D
Data Rate parameter, 73
Data Window, 15, 130
audio waveform in, 111
Current Position feature, 82–86
customizing, 37–39
Edit Tool, 133–36
Overview area, 86
scrolling, 130
zooming, 131–32
DAT decks, attaching sound cards to, 25
dB's (decibels), 104
DC Adjust option, 111, 113, 118, 124
DC offset
overview, 110–12
removing, 153–54, 250
Decay Time parameter, 187, 213
decibels, 104
decrescendo, 163
de-essing, 205
Default option, 36
delay effects. See echo effects; reverberation
Delay Out parameter, 187, 190
Delay parameter, 189
Delay Time parameter, 186
deleting
data, 136
markers, 91
presets, 149
regions, 99
Depth parameter, 192
Destination Folder parameter, 102
Destination Volume slider, 139–40
Device Manager tab, 20
Dialogic VOX file format, 54
Dial String parameter, 234
DIG file format, 57

6
 Index
digital audio
difference from MIDI, 8–9
noise when converting audio to, 156
overview, 7–8
tape decks, 25
digital noise gates. See noise gates
DirectX plug-ins, 218–21
Disc-at-once option, 307
Disc Information dialog box, 308
disk-based samples, 297
disk drive performance, 20–21
Display Properties dialog box, 22–23
distortion
finding, 103–5
overview, 200–202
Dither function, 155
DMA access, 20
Do Not Save Regions option, 68
Do Not Save Regions or Playlist option, 65
Double Selection Tool, 292–93
downloads, product update, 12–13
Drive parameter, 254
drop-down lists. See names of specific drop-down lists
Drums, Unpitched option, 183
Dry Out parameter
of Acoustic Mirror dialog box, 215
of Amplitude Modulation dialog box, 200
of Chorus dialog box, 190
of Distortion dialog box, 202
of Flange/Wah-Wah dialog box, 192
of Multi-Tap Delay dialog box, 188
of Reverb dialog box, 212
of Simple Delay dialog box, 187
DTMF/MF function, 233–35
ducking, 141
dull audio, causes of, 158
dynamic processing, 251–52
E
Early Out parameter, 213
early reflections, 213
Easy CD-Creator (CD recording software)
advanced features, 305–10
backing up files, 311–12
basics of using, 302–5
echo effects, 185
See also reverberation
Chorus function, 189–91
Flange/Wah-Wah function, 191–93
Multi-Tap Delay function, 187–89
Simple Delay function, 186–87

7
 Index
Echogram, 189
Edit ACID Properties dialog box, 296, 298
editing
See also presets
ACID loop properties, 296–97
copying data, 137
and Data Window layout, 37–39
Edit Tool, 133–36
errors, 142–44
markers, 90–91
pasting
Paste Crossfade function, 141–42
Paste Mix function, 139–41
Paste Overwrite function, 137–38
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
Pencil Tool, 144–45
preparing audio data for
changing bit depth, 155–56
changing sampling rate, 157–58
removing DC offset, 153–54
Regions feature, 97–99
samples
Loop Tuner, 283–85
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
scrolling, 130
selecting, 133–36
speed of, 20
video, 244–45
zooming, 131–32
Edit Marker/Region dialog box, 90, 98
Edit Sample dialog box, 277, 279, 282, 286–87
Edit Tempo dialog box, 96
Edit Tool, 136
Effect parameter, 192, 210
effects. See names of specific types of effects
Enable 2-Pass Encoding option, 77
Enable/Disable Triggers function, 42
Enable High-Shelf option., 250
Enable Loss Protection option, 77
Enable Low-Shelf option., 250
Enable Meters option, 207
Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option, 42, 42
Enable MTC/SMPTE Input Synchronization option, 125
Enable parameter, 218
Enable Perfect Play option, 78
Enable SMPTE Playback Offset option, 127
Enable Variable Bit Rate Encoding option, 77

8
 Index
End Of Silent Region option, 104
End parameter, 120
Envelope function, 207–9
equalization, 175–76
applying, 250–51
Graphic EQ function, 176–79
Parameter EQ function, 179–81
Equal Loudness Contour option, 168
errors, editing, 142–44
expanding and compress stereo fields, 173–74
Extended Summary dialog box, 69–70
extracting audio from CDs, 254–55
Extract Regions function, 102, 119
F
Fade Edges Of Each Event parameter, 210
Fade In and Fade Out parameters, 160
Fade The Edges Of Each Tone option., 234
fading, 140, 163–65
feedback, 187
Feedback parameter, 188–89, 239
FFT Overlap parameter, 230
FFT Size parameter, 230
file formats, 14, 53–54
See also files; names of specific file formats
customizing, 33–34
for Macintosh, 55–56
File Name parameter, 38
File Name Prefix parameter, 102
files
See also file formats
breaking up, 102
crash recovery, 65–66
creating new, 66–67
opening
existing files, 60–62
multiple files simultaneously, 62
previously opened files, 59
RAW files, 63–65
video for Windows (.AVI) files, 62–63
saving, 68–70
temporary, 61
Files Of Type drop-down list, 101
Filled Graph mode, 228
Filter Style parameter drop-down list, 179
Final Percentage parameter, 183
Final Tempo parameter, 183
Find function, 103–5, 223–24
Fine Tune parameter, 277, 280
Flange/Wah-Wah function, 191–93
Floor parameter, 228

9
 Index
FM synthesis, 26
FM Synthesis function, 237–39, 276
folder, temporary storage, 46–47
Format drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Sound Selection dialog box, 74
forums, on Sonic Foundry Web site, 29
Forward function, 87
frame numbers, video, 243
frame rates, 125
Freq To Gap/Snip Events parameter, 210
frequency modulation synthesis, 26
Frequency parameter., 235, 239
frequency response, 26
From CD dialog box, 254
full-duplex sound cards, 26
full-screen mode, 32–33
Function drop-down list, 159
functions. See names of specific functionsts
G
Gain parameter, 162, 206
Gapper/Snipper function, 209–10
gaps
avoiding when editing, 136
finding, 103–5, 112
finding manually, 232–33
producing, 209–10
removing with Pencil Tool, 144–45
repairing in stereo audio, 223–26
General MIDI (GM), 26–27
general options, 31–33
glitches. See gaps
GM (General MIDI), 26–27
Go To drop-down list, 84, 92
Go To End function, 87
Go To function, 81, 84, 91, 100
jumping to specific marker with, 92
jumping to specific region with, 100
Go To option, 243
Go To Start function, 87
Graphic Dynamics function, 202–5, 251
Graphic EQ function, 176, 176–79, 178
Graphic Fade dialog box, 164–65, 237
Graph Resolution drop-down list, 189
H
half-duplex sound cards, 26
Halve Selection Tool, 292
hard disk drive
performance, 20–21, 46

10
 Index
reading sample loops off, 297
Hardware Acceleration slider, 21
Hardware Profiles, 27–28
hardware requirements/performance
hard disk drive, 20–21, 46
hardware profile, 27–28
memory, 19–20
microprocessor, 18–19
network card, 24
sound card, 25–27
video card, 21–24
Harmony Central (Web site), 324
help from Sonic Foundry, 28–29
"hissing" sound, 205
I
IDE drives, 20
IDE/EIDE recordable drives, 300
Ignore Below parameter slider, 168
I Have A Serial Number option, 74–75
Impulse files, 214–15
Infinite Loop option, 279, 282
Input drop-down list, 44, 124
Input Format drop-down list
of Add/Marker Region dialog box, 89, 93
of Edit Marker/Region dialog box, 91, 98
of Go To dialog box, 84
of Record dialog box, 115, 119
of Record Synchronization dialog box, 126
of Set Selection dialog box, 134
Input Format parameter, 183
Input Gain parameter, 188, 190
Input Ports list, 269
Input Synchronization End parameter, 126
Input Synchronization Start parameter, 125–26
inserting silence, 161
Insert New Tone Sequence At parameter, 234
Insert New Waveform At parameter, 236
Insert parameter, 161
installing Virtual MIDI Router, 263–66
Instrument drop-down list, 261
Integral Stretch mode, 246–47
Interleave Every parameter, 74
Internet
preparing audio data for, 249–52
Sound Forge resources on, 317–21
Interpolate parameter, 50
Interpolate Play Position For Inaccurate Devices option, 50
Interpolate Record Position For Position For Inaccurate Devices option, 50
Interpolate settings, 49–50
Interpolation Accuracy parameter Operation parameter slider, 158

11
 Index
interpolation, repairing gaps with, 225–26
InterVoice file format, 55
Invert Data option, 140
Invert/Flip function., 182
inverting audio waveforms, 182
Invert Left Channel Mix option, 170
Invert Right Channel Mix option, 170
ISA-based sound cards, 25
ISA expansion slots, 20
IVC file format, 55
I Would Like To Continue Using The Trial Version option, 75
J
jacks, sound card, 25
jewel case printout, 309–10
K
Keep Edges Outside Of The Selection option, 159
Key Aftertouch, 40
keyboard, computer
Aftertouch, 40
customizing shortcuts, 39–43
keyboards (instrument)
and MIDI, 5–6
Virtual MIDI Keyboard, 257–62
Key Frame Every parameter, 73
Key Frames, 73
L
Largest Peak option, 104
Layouts, for CD-Creator, 305–6
length of audio data, changing, 182–83
Length Of One Event parameter, 210
Level Equal To Or Above option, 104
Level Ruler option, 111
Limit Preview To option, 156
Line Graph mode, 228
Little Endian option, 64
loading
presets, 148
region data, 101
Workspace files, 38–39
Logical Send/Receive Sample Number parameter, 287
logo splash-screen, 31
Look In drop-down list, of Open dialog box, 60
Loop Count option, 279, 286–87
looping. See samples
Loop option, 296, 298
loop samples, 278–80
Loop To Edit parameter, 286
Loop To Edit parameter,, 287

12
 Index
Loop Tuner, 283–85
Low-Pass Start Freq parameter, 188, 200, 202
M
Mac-Binary headers, 55–56
Macintosh
file formats for, 57
Macintosh, file formats for, 55–56
magnifying. See zooming
Marker option, 89
markers
assigning MIDI Triggers to, 89
copying, 91
creating, 88–90
deleting, 91
dropping into audio file when recording, 116
editing, 90–91
navigating with, 91–92
purpose of, 88
Markers in Sound Forge option, 79
Maximum Gain option, 164
Maximum Output Size parameter, 161
Measures parameter, 97
memory, system, 19–20
menus, 16
Merge L/R To Stereo option, 61
microphones
and background noise, 117
effects for, 215
inputs for, 25
microprocessor requirements/performance, 18–19
Microsoft ACM (Audio Compression Manager), 58
Microsoft Sound Mapper, 48–49
MIDI Channel parameter, 288
MIDI for Musicians (Anderton), 40
Midiman (Web site), 124
MIDI Mapper drop-down lists, 45
MIDI Mapper option, 45
MIDI messages, 6, 40
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), 5–6
difference from digital audio, 8–9
General MIDI (GM), 26–27
ports for, 43–45
settings, 43–45
sound cards with MIDI synthesizers, 26
synchronizing of MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge, 268–70
triggering Sound Forge from MIDI sequencer, 270–73
Virtual MIDI Keyboard., 257–62
Virtual MIDI Router, 262–67
MIDI Note Off message, 40
MIDI Note On message, 40

13
 Index
MIDI Ports dialog box, 269, 272
MIDI Time Code, 124
MIDI Triggers, 40–43
assigning, 89
modifying, 90
MIDI Triggers dialog box, 43
Controller option, 41–42
Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option, 42
Note option, 41
MIDI Unity Note Of Sample parameter, 277, 279, 282, 286
MIDI velocity, 6
Mid-Side processing, 174–75
Minimum Beat Duration parameter, 95
Minimum Inter-Phrase Silence parameter, 160
Minimum Length Following Loop End parameter, 160
Minimum Level parameter, 95
Mix dialog box, 139, 147–48, 237
Mix function, Paste, 139–41
Mod Depth parameter, 188
Mode drop-down list
of Pitch Shift dialog box, 196
of Record dialog box, 113, 118, 120, 125
Mode parameter, 183
Mod Freq parameter, 200
modifying
bit depth, 155–56
channels, 169–70
keyboard sounds, 261
names of markers, 90
names of songs, 305
sampling rate, 68, 157–58
video frame size, 72
Mod Rate parameter, 188
Modulation Depth parameter, 190
Modulation Freq parameter, 198
Modulation Rate parameter, 190
Monitor Input option, 229
Monitor option, 113, 118, 125
Monitor Playback option, 229
mono files, combining into stereo files, 61
Mono option, 170
monophonic channel, 110
MPEG file format, 56, 74–76
MPG file format, 56
MTC (MIDI Time Code), 124
mu-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
Multi-Band Dynamics function, 205–7
Multimedia option, 266
Multimedia Properties dialog box, 45, 48, 266–67
Multiple Delays option, 187
multiple-take recording, 117–20

14
 Index
Multi-Tap Delay function, 187–89
Multi-Tap dialog box, 186
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. See MIDI
Music Quest 8Port/SE (MIDI interface), 43, 124
Mute function, 162
muting audio, 162
N
Name drop-down list
of Auto Region dialog box, 96
of Envelope dialog box, 208
of Graphic Fade dialog box, 165
of Mix dialog box, 140, 148
of Paragraphic EQ dialog box, 181
of Pitch Bend dialog box, 194
of Preset Package dialog box, 152
of Raw File Type dialog box, 64, 74
of Save Preset dialog box, 149
of Vibrato dialog box, 197
Name parameter, 271
network card performance, 24
New function, 66
New Height parameter, 72, 77
New Sample Rate parameter, 157
New Width parameter, 72, 77
NeXT/Sun file format, 56
noise
caused when editing, 109, 154
from microphone, 117
quantization, 156
from sound card, 26
when converting audio waveforms to digital, 156
Noise Gate dialog box, 210
noise gates, 94–95, 159, 210–11
Noise Shape Type parameter, 156
Normalize function, 166–68
Normalize To parameter, 167–68, 252
Normalize Using parameter, 166, 168
normalizing audio, 166–69, 252
Normal Zoom Ratio drop-down list, 131
Note drop-down list, 261–62
Note On message, 6
Note option, 41
Note parameter, 41, 89
Notes category, of MIDI messages, 40
Number Frames option, 243
Number Of Beats In A Measure parameter, 96
Number Of Beats parameter, 297–98
Number Of Taps parameter, 189
O

15
 Index
octaves, keyboard, 260
One-Shot option, 277
One-Shot sample, 296
Open As Read-Only option, 61
Open Impulse File dialog box, 215
Open Loop option, 288
Open Picture dialog box, 69
Open Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Open Workspace dialog box, 39
Operate Directly On The Sound File option, 61, 65
Operators, 238
Operator Shape parameter, 238
options
See also names of specific options
general, 31–33
Original option, 76
Output Channels parameter, 170
Output drop-down list, 44, 127
Output Gain parameter slider, 173, 175
Output parameter drop-down list, 269
Output Ports list, 272
Overview area, of Data Window, 86
P
Pan/Expand function, 171, 173–74
Pan (Mix Channels Before Panning) option, 171
panning, 171–72
Pan parameter, 189, 216
Pan (Preserve Stereo Separation) option, 171
Paragraphic EQ dialog box, 250
Parameter EQ function, 179–81
Paste Crossfade function, 142
Paste Mix function, 139, 141, 182
Paste Overwrite function, 137
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
pasting
data to video file, 244–45
Paste Crossfade function, 141–42
Paste Mix function, 139–41
Paste Overwrite function, 137–38
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
Patch Changes, 40
Pause Character parameter, 234
Pause Length parameter, 234
PCI-based connections, 20
PCI-based sound cards, 25
PCM (pulse code modulation), 55
Peak Level option, 166
Pencil Tool, 144–45

16
 Index
Pentium processors, 18
Perry, Kevin, 27
phase cancellation, 182
phone tones, 233
Pitch Bend function, 193–95
Pitch Bend messages, 40
pitch effects, 193
Pitch Bend, 193–95
Pitch Shift, 195–96
Vibrato, 196–98
pitch, of loops, 297
Pitch Shift function, 195–96
Playback drop-down list, of WAV tab, 49
playback, settings, 48–51
Playbar, of Data Window, 82
Player Compatibility drop-down list, 77
Play function, 41
playing
audio backwards, 182
MIDI keyboard, 259–60
Playlist File format, 101
Playlists, saving, 68
pops, removing, 144
ports, MIDI. See MIDI, ports
Position Bias parameters, 50
Position Bias settings, 49–50
Power Presets (Web site), 318
Pre-Delay parameter, 213
Preload parameter, 50–51, 51
Pre/Post Fade Destination Edges option, 140
Preserve Duration option, 196
Preset Manager dialog box, 149
Preset Package dialog box, 152
presets
See also Audio Plug-In Chainer
deleting, 149
loading, 148
opening Preset Package file, 152–53
Preset Manager, 149–50, 153
saving, 148–49
saving Preset Package file, 150–51
previewing songs, 305
Private option, 76
PRM File format, 101
Process menu, 16
Process Mode parameter, 171, 173–74
Product Support page, of Sonic Foundry Web site, 29
product updates, 12–13
Program Changes, 40
program close confirmation option, 33
Project Options dialog box, 268

17
 Index
Properties dialog box, 24
hard drive, 20–21
Interpolate settings, 48
Position Bias settings, 49–50
property markings, 76
pulse code modulation, 55
punch-in recording, 115, 120–22
Q
Quality slider setting, 75
Quality/Speed option, 216
quantization, 156
Quantization Depth parameter slider, 155
QuicKeys (software application), 43
R
RAM (Random Access Memory), 19
RAM buffer, 50
and wavetable synthesis, 26
Range parameter, 193, 195
Rate parameter, 192
Ratio parameter, 204, 206, 252
RAW file format, 58, 63–65
Raw File Type dialog box, 63
Read By Range option, 255
Read By Tracks option, 254–55
Read Entire CD option, 255
read-only memory. See ROM
read-only mode, 61
RealMedia file format, 57, 74–76
RealNetworks developers' Web site, 78
rearranging song order, 305
Recent drop-down list, 68
Recently Used File List option, 59
reconfiguring Virtual MIDI Router, 266–67
Record drop-down list, of WAV tab, 49
recording sound
See also digital audio; synchronization
accessing Record dialog box, 108
DC offset, 110–12
gap detection, 112
multiple-take recording, 117–20
process, 113–17
punch-in recording, 120–22
recording attributes, 108–10
Remote Recording mode, 122
settings, 48–51
while playing back, 26
Record Synchronization dialog box, 125
recovery, crashed file, 65–66
redoing actions, 143–44

18
 Index
Regions
saving, 68
separating multiple recordings into different, 117
Regions feature, 92
creating, 93–97
editing, 97–99
and Extract Regions function, 102
loading region data, 101
navigating with, 100
saving region data, 101
Regions window, 92, 100
Release option., 287
Release parameter, 204
Release samples, 286–87
Release Sensitivity parameter, 95
Release Threshold parameter, 160
Release Time parameter, 168, 211
Remote Recording mode, 122
Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, 160
Remove Data From Start And Limit File Length option, 161
Remove Edges Outside Of The Selection option, 159
Remove Silence Between Phrases option, 160
removing silence, 159–61
Repair Channel function, 224
repairing gaps in stereo audio, 223–26
Repair Interpolate function, 225–26
Repair Replace function, 225
replacement, repairing gaps with, 225
Replicate dialog box, 138
Replicate function, Paste, 138
Resample dialog box, 157
Resample function, 68, 157
resampling, to new sampling rate, 157–58
Re-size Video Frames To drop-down list, 72, 77
resizing, MIDI keyboard, 260
resolution, 23
Resonance parameter, 192
resources, Web-based, 317–21
Response Width parameter, 215
retrieving samples, 289
Reverb dialog box, 212, 237
reverberation, 211
See also echo effects
Acoustic Mirror function, 214–16
reverb function, 211–14
Reverberation Mode parameter, 212
Reverb Out parameter, 212
reverse, playing in, 182
Review Pre/Post-Roll option, 121
Rewind function, 87
Rgns/Playlist drop-down list, 68, 272

19
 Index
Rgns/Playlist parameter, 287
RM file format, 57
RMS power, 167–69
Roland GS format, 27
ROM (read-only memory), and wavetable synthesis, 26
root mean square power, 166–69
root node, finding, 297
Root Note For Transposing parameter, 297–98
Rotate Audio Tool, 294–95
Rotation Speed, 20
S
Sample Rate drop-down list, 64, 66
Sample Rate parameter, 276, 278, 280
Sampler Configuration dialog box, 288–89
Sampler dialog box, 287
Sampler Model drop-down list, 288
samples, 7–8, 275–76
See also ACID (composing software)
creating and editing
Loop Tuner, 283–85
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
saving and transmitting, 287–89
Sample Size parameter, 276, 278, 280
Sample Type parameter, 277, 279, 282, 286
sampling rate, 7
changing, 68, 157–58
and Noise Shape Type parameter, 156
selecting for new files, 66
selecting for RAW files, 64
setting, 108–9, 117
and sound cards, 26
Save As Type drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Save Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Save Audio To A New Stream option, 72
Save ID3 Tag To File option, 76
Save In drop-down list, 68, 151
Save Preset dialog box, 42, 64, 148
Save Preset Package dialog box, 151
Save Raw File Type dialog box, 71
Save Regions And Playlist In .WAV/AVI Files option, 272
Save/Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Save Sampler Information In File option, 70
Save Summary Information In File option, 68, 68–69
Save Summary Information In The Preset Package option, 151
Save Workspace dialog box, 38–39
saving

20
 Index
files, 68–70
after recording, 117
MPEG files, 74–76
RAW, 71
video, 71
Windows Media Audio, 78–79
Layouts for CD-Creator, 305–6
Playlists, 68
Preset Package file, 150–51
presets, 148–49
region data, 101
Regions, 68
samples, 287–89
Workspace files, 38–39
screen mode, full, 32–33
screen savers, 22
scrolling, 130
SCSI drives, 20
SCSI option, 288
SCSI recordable drives, 300
SD file format, 57
SDS Capable Sampler option, 288
Selected Length In Beats parameter, 97
selecting when editing, 133–36
Selection drop-down list, 121
Selection Status Bar, 133
Select option, 114, 118, 125
Semitones parameter, 197–98
Semitones To Shift Pitch By parameter, 196
sending samples, 287–89
Send Program Changes option, 261
Send Request When Retrieving Samples option, 289
Sensitivity parameter, 105
Session 8 File format, 101
Set Selection dialog box, 121, 134, 287
Set Sonogram Resolution parameter, 231
Set the Measures parameter, 97
Set The Sample Rate Only option, 158
SFI file format, 214–15
SFL File format, 101
SFZ files, 150–51
Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools, 293–94
Show Logo Splash-Screen, 32
Show Wave drop-down list
of Envelope dialog box, 208
of Graphic Fade dialog, 165
of Pan/Expand dialog box, 173
of Pitch Bend dialog box, 194
Show Wave option, 165, 172, 194, 208
sibilance, 205
signal-to-noise ratio, 26

21
 Index
Signed option, 64
silence, manipulating, 158
inserting, 161
muting audio, 162
removing, 159–61
Simple Delay dialog box, 186
Simple Delay function, 186–87
Simple Synthesis dialog box, 236
Simple Synthesis function, 235–37
Single Tone Length parameter, 234
sizing video frames, 72
Slew Rate parameter, 202
Slices Displayed parameter, 229
Smooth/Enhance function, 158
Smooth Gain To Minimize Distortion On Steep Slopes option, 209
Smoothing Window parameter, 230
SMPTE Format/Offset parameter, 286
SMPTE Format parameter, 280, 282
SMPTE/MIDI Time Code, 123–27
SMPTE Offset parameters, 278, 280, 282
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), 85
snapping selections, 135
SND file format, 55–56
Snipper option, 210
snips. See gaps
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 85
software
problems with, 13
updates, 12–13
Solo option, 207
songs, previewing and rearranging order, 305
Sonic Foundry
download page, 12–13
reporting software bugs to, 13
Web site, 29
Sonic Foundry Forums, 320
Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option., 269, 272
Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box, 267
Sonic Foundry MP3 Plug-In dialog box, 75
Sonic Foundry's ACID. See ACID
Sonic Foundry Technical Support Homepage, 319
Sonogram mode, 230–31
sound cards, 7
audio input level, 47–48, 114–15, 118, 125
brands, 25–27
and DC offset, 110–11
gaps caused by, 112
performance, 25
Sound Designer 1 file format, 57
Sound File dialog box, 34
Sound Forge function, 41

22
 Index
Sound Forge Power! (Web site), 317–18
Sound Forge's Sampler function, 287
Sound Forge Users Mailing List, 323
Sound Forge XP, 17
Sound Mapper, 48
Sound Selection dialog box, 73–74
sound waves, 15
Source Volume slider, 139
speakers, connections for, 25
Special menu, 16
Spectrum Analysis, 17, 226–31
applications for, 231–33
finding root node with, 297
Spectrum Settings dialog box, 228–30
Speed parameter, 255
splitting
files, 102
regions, 99
Start Crossfade At End Of Selection option, 142
Start Crossfade At Start Of Selection option, 142
Start File Counter Index parameter, 102
Start Mix At End Selection option, 139
Start Mix at Start Selection option, 139
Start parameter, 120–21
Statistics dialog box, 154
stereo
See also equalization
applying fade to, 165
changing channels, 169–70
combining mono files into, 61
compress/expanding fields, 173–74
Mid-Side processing, 174–75
panning, 171–72
recording in, 110
repairing gaps in audio, 223–26
stereo channel, 110
Stereo option, 170
Stereo Pan parameter, 200
streaming audio, file formats for, 57
stretching video, 247–48
striping, 124
summary information, 68–69
Sun file format, 56
support, user, 28–29
Sustained Data Transfer Rate, 20
Sustaining option, 279, 282, 286
Sustaining samples, 280–83
Sustaining With Release option, 286
swap file, 19
synchronization
of MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge, 268–70

23
 Index
overview, 122–23
synchronization features, 43
Sync Stereo Channels option, 207
Sync Stereo Gain option, 204
synthesis functions, 233
DTMF/MF function, 233–35
FM Synthesis function, 237–39
Simple Synthesis function, 235–37
System Exclusive messages, 40
System Monitor, 18–19
system requirements/performance. See hardware requirements/performance
T
Tap Gain parameter, 189
Technical Support, Sonic Foundry, 29
telephone tones, 233
Tempo In Beats Per Minute parameter, 97
tempo, of loops, 297
Tempo parameter, 297
temporary files, 61
temporary storage folder, 47–48
Test and Create CD option, 306
Test Only option, 306
Threshold Level parameter, 211
Threshold parameter, 104–5, 204, 206
Time Code generator, 123–24
Time Compress/Expand dialog box, 183
Time Compress/Expand function, 182–83
Time Display, 82–83
Time Ruler, 86
Time Zoom Resolution, 130
timing
See also synchronization
Current Position feature, 81–86
Tip of the Day dialog box, 31–32
Tone Style To Generate parameter, 234
toolbars
creating, 43
customizing, 36–37
Tools menu, 16
Total Buffer Size setting, 50
Total Output Waveform Length parameter, 238
Track-at-once option, 307
Transition Width parameter, 180
transmitting samples, 287–89
Transport menu, 87
Trigger drop-down list, 89, 271
Tune parameter, 140, 142
Tune Position controls, 284
"Tuning a Digital Audio Workstation" (article), 28
TUTFILL.WAV file, 298

24
 Index
TXT File format, 101
Type parameter, 206
U
u-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
unbalanced connections, for sound cards, 25
Undo function, 142
Undo/Redo functions, 46
Undo/Redo History log, 143
updates, 12–13
Use 30 Frames Per Second For SMPTE Non-Drop option, 269
Use Current Scan Level option, 167
Use Long File Names For Destination File Names option, 102
Use Markers In Source File option, 79
Use Release Point For End Of Region option, 96
user support, 28–29
Use Script Commands In Source File option, 79
V
Value parameter, 42
VBR Quality option, 75
versions of Sound Forge, 11–12
Vibrato dialog box, 197
Vibrato function, 196–98
video
See also synchronization
editing, 244–45
frame rates, 125
saving files, 71–74
Video Preview Window, 245–49
Video Strip, 242–43
viewing, 245–49
video card performance, 21–24
Video Compression dialog box, 72
Video Quality drop-down list, 77
Video Save Options dialog box, 71
Video Stream dialog box, 61–63
virtual memory, 19–20
Virtual MIDI Keyboard, 257–62
Virtual MIDI Router, 262–67
Virtual MIDI Routing Ports drop-down list, 267
VMR. See Virtual MIDI Router
volume, 162
effects
Amplitude Modulation function, 200
distortion, 200–202
Envelope function, 207–9
Gapper/Snipper function, 209–10
Graphic Dynamics function, 202–5
Multi-Band Dynamics function, 206–7
fading, 140, 163–65

25
 Index
normalizing audio, 166–69
setting for keyboard, 259
Volume function, 162–63
Volume dialog box, 162
Volume function, 163, 166
VOX file format, 54
W
Wait For Request When Sending Samples option., 288
"warble" effect, 188, 191
waveforms, 130
finding clicks and pops in, 144
inverting, 182
noise when converting audio to digital, 156
Waveform Shape parameter, 235–36
Wave Hammer dialog box, 217
Wave Hammer function, 217–18
wavetable synthesis, 26
WAV files, 58
and loops, 287
used with Acoustic Mirror function, 215
Web, World Wide. See Internet
Whole Copies option, 138
win386.swp file, 19
Windows Bitmap file format, 69
Windows File Open dialog box, 60
Windows Media Audio files, 58
opening, 63–64
saving, 78–79
Windows Media dialog box, 78–79
Windows Media Script File format, 101
Windows Media Web site, 79
Windows MIDI Mapper, 45
Windows Setup tab, 18
WMA files. See Windows Media Audio files
Workspace, 14–15
customizing
colors, 35–36
data window layouts, 37–39
keyboard shortcuts, 39–43
record and playback settings, 48–51
toolbars, 36–37
saving and loading, 38–39
World Wide Web. See Internet
X
XG format, 27
Y
Yamaha's XG format, 27
Z

26
 Index
zero amplitude, 111
zero axis, 111, 135, 182
zero crossing, 135–36
zooming, 131–32
A
About Sound Forge dialog box, 12
Accuracy parameter, 179–80, 196
ACID (composing software)
Double Selection Tool, 292–93
editing loop properties, 296–97
Halve Selection Tool, 292
Rotate Audio Tool, 294–95
Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools, 293–94
ACIDizing, 291, 298
ACM (Audio Compression Manager), 58
Acoustic Mirror function, 214–16
Adaptec DirectCD (software), 315
adaptive delta pulse code modulation, 55
Add Marker/Region dialog box, 88–89, 93
Add New Hardware Wizard, 263
Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, 18
Add to open the Add Marker/Region dialog box, 271
Adjust DC Offset By option, 154
ADPCM (adaptive delta pulse code modulation), 55
Advanced Graphics Settings dialog box, 21
Aftertouch, 40
Aggressive Update option, 113
AGP-based graphics cards, 22
AIFF file format, 55
A-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
Allow Mobile Play option, 78
Allow Recording option, 78
Always Open Full-Screen option, 33
AMD Athlon processors, 18
Amount parameter, 180, 206
amplitude level, 104
Amplitude Modulation function, 199–200
Amplitude parameter, 199–200, 234, 236, 239
Anderton, Craig, 40
Animate option, 242
Apply An Anti-Alias Filter During Pitch Shift option, 196
Apply An Anti-Alias Filter During Resample option, 158
Apply Destination Volume To Overlapping Area Only option, 140
Apply Dynamic Compression option, 169
Apply Envelope And Limit Decay To parameter, 216
Apply Envelope parameter, 216
ASF file format, 58
Associate Sound File Extensions option, 33–34
associating file formats, 33–34
At drop-down list, 162

27
 Index
Athlon processors, 18
Attack parameter, 204
Attack Sensitivity parameter, 95
Attack Threshold parameter, 160
Attack Time parameter, 168, 206, 211
Attenuate Bass Freqs Below parameter, 213
Attenuate High Frequencies parameter, 191
Attributes drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Sound Selection dialog box, 74
Audio Compression Manager, 58
audio compression schemes, 55
Audio File Format FAQ (Web site), 58
audio file formats. See file formats
Audio Format drop-down list, 77
AudioForums.com (Web site), 322
audio input level, 114–15, 118, 125
audio interfaces, 25
Audio Plug-In Chainer (plug-in), 219–21
Audio Plug-In dialog box, 220
audio waveform, 111
AU file format, 56
Auto Delete From Start parameter, 161
Auto Gain Compensate option, 204
Automatically Detect And Remove option, 154
Automatic Retake recording mode, 113, 116, 125
Auto Play option, 60
Auto Region function, 93–94,
Auto Trim/Crop function, 159–61
Average RMS Power option, 168
Average Seek Time, 20
AVI files, 57
opening, 63–64
saving, 71–74, 78–79
B
backing up files, 129, 311
with Easy CD-Creator, 311–12
with Windows, 313–15
backwards, playing audio, 182
balanced connections, for sound cards, 25
Band 1 Bypass option, 206
Band # Bypass option, 205–6
Band-Notch option, 206
Band Width parameter, 180
Bar Graph mode., 228
Beats parameter, 97
Big Endian option, 64
bit depth, 7
changing, 155–56
setting, 108–9, 117

28
 Index
bit rate, 75
bits, 7, 26
Blackman-Harris setting,, 230
Blend Graph Edges option, 197
BMP file format, 69
breaking up files, 102
Break Length parameter., 234
Bright Small Room option, 212
Browse For Folder dialog box, 47–48
buffer, RAM, 50
bugs, software, 13
Build Regions Using The Current Tempo option, 97
burning CDs, 253–54
C
Capture Threshold option, 206
case printout, jewel, 309–10
Cavernous Space option, 212
CD Creation Process dialog box, 307–8
CD Creation Setup dialog box, 306
CD functions, 253–55
CD players, attaching sound cards to, 25
CD-R (CD-Recordable) drives, 300
CD recorders, purchasing, 299–302
CD-RW (CD-Read-Write) drives, 300
CDs (compact discs)
See also Easy CD-Creator
burning of, 253–54, 299–302
printouts for cases, 309–10
and sampling rate and bit depth, 109, 157–58
Ceiling parameter, 228
Center Frequency parameter, 180, 192
Center parameter, 206
central processing unit performance, 18–19
Cents To Shift Pitch By parameter, 196
changing. See modifying
Channel Aftertouch, 40
Channel Converter function., 169
Channel drop-down list, 134
Channel parameter, 41–42, 89
channels
changing, 169–70
setting, 110
Channels parameters, 276, 278, 280
Choose A Stream drop-down list, 72–73
chords, keyboard, 261–62
Chorus function, 189–91
Chorus Out Delay parameter, 190
Chorus Out parameter, 190
Chorus Size parameter, 191
clicks, removing, 144

29
 Index
Clipboard functions
See also copying; pasting
and temporary folder storage, 46
clipping, 103–5, 163, 167, 169
closing program, confirmation option for, 33
colors
customizing, 35–36
depth of, 23
compact discs. See CDs
compress and expanding stereo fields, 173–74
compressing data, 72–74
See also Graphic Dynamics
Compute DC Offset From First 5 Seconds Only option, 154
computers.com (Web site), 301–2
computershopper.com (Web site), 301–2
Configuration parameter., 238
Configure Sonic Foundry VMR dialog box, 267
Confirm On Close option, 33
connectors, sound card, 25–26
Controller MIDI messages, 40
Controller option, 41–42
Convert Mono To Stereo option, 216
Convert To Mono option, 75
Convert To Specified Output Channels Only option, 170
copying
data, 137
markers, 91
video frames to clipboard, 243
Copy Manufacturer's Files From parameter, 265
Copy Partials option, 138
Copy Profile dialog box, 28
Copyrighted option, 76
CPU performance, 18–19
crashes, computer, 65–66, 266
Create CD function, 254, 306
Create Markers For Each Index Change option., 255
Create Regions For Each Track option, 255
creating
markers, 88–90
new files, 66–67
new window for each take when recording, 120
Regions feature, 93–97
samples
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
crescendo, 163
Crossfade function, 141–42
Ctrl+Shift+Z command, 142
CTRL+Y (shortcut keys), 105

30
 Index
Ctrl+Z command, 142
Current Operator parameter, 238
Current Position feature, 81–86
See also markers
changing with Transport menu, 87
Cursor option, 161
customizing Sound Forge
colors, 35–36
data window layouts, 37–39
file associations, 33–34
general options, 31–33
keyboard shortcuts, 39–43
record and playback settings, 48–51
temporary storage folder, 47–48
toolbars, 36–37
cutting, audio from video file, 244
D
Data Rate parameter, 73
Data Window, 15, 130
audio waveform in, 111
Current Position feature, 82–86
customizing, 37–39
Edit Tool, 133–36
Overview area, 86
scrolling, 130
zooming, 131–32
DAT decks, attaching sound cards to, 25
dB's (decibels), 104
DC Adjust option, 111, 113, 118, 124
DC offset
overview, 110–12
removing, 153–54, 250
Decay Time parameter, 187, 213
decibels, 104
decrescendo, 163
de-essing, 205
Default option, 36
delay effects. See echo effects; reverberation
Delay Out parameter, 187, 190
Delay parameter, 189
Delay Time parameter, 186
deleting
data, 136
markers, 91
presets, 149
regions, 99
Depth parameter, 192
Destination Folder parameter, 102
Destination Volume slider, 139–40
Device Manager tab, 20

31
 Index
Dialogic VOX file format, 54
Dial String parameter, 234
DIG file format, 57
digital audio
difference from MIDI, 8–9
noise when converting audio to, 156
overview, 7–8
tape decks, 25
digital noise gates. See noise gates
DirectX plug-ins, 218–21
Disc-at-once option, 307
Disc Information dialog box, 308
disk-based samples, 297
disk drive performance, 20–21
Display Properties dialog box, 22–23
distortion
finding, 103–5
overview, 200–202
Dither function, 155
DMA access, 20
Do Not Save Regions option, 68
Do Not Save Regions or Playlist option, 65
Double Selection Tool, 292–93
downloads, product update, 12–13
Drive parameter, 254
drop-down lists. See names of specific drop-down lists
Drums, Unpitched option, 183
Dry Out parameter
of Acoustic Mirror dialog box, 215
of Amplitude Modulation dialog box, 200
of Chorus dialog box, 190
of Distortion dialog box, 202
of Flange/Wah-Wah dialog box, 192
of Multi-Tap Delay dialog box, 188
of Reverb dialog box, 212
of Simple Delay dialog box, 187
DTMF/MF function, 233–35
ducking, 141
dull audio, causes of, 158
dynamic processing, 251–52
E
Early Out parameter, 213
early reflections, 213
Easy CD-Creator (CD recording software)
advanced features, 305–10
backing up files, 311–12
basics of using, 302–5
echo effects, 185
See also reverberation
Chorus function, 189–91

32
 Index
Flange/Wah-Wah function, 191–93
Multi-Tap Delay function, 187–89
Simple Delay function, 186–87
Echogram, 189
Edit ACID Properties dialog box, 296, 298
editing
See also presets
ACID loop properties, 296–97
copying data, 137
and Data Window layout, 37–39
Edit Tool, 133–36
errors, 142–44
markers, 90–91
pasting
Paste Crossfade function, 141–42
Paste Mix function, 139–41
Paste Overwrite function, 137–38
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
Pencil Tool, 144–45
preparing audio data for
changing bit depth, 155–56
changing sampling rate, 157–58
removing DC offset, 153–54
Regions feature, 97–99
samples
Loop Tuner, 283–85
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
scrolling, 130
selecting, 133–36
speed of, 20
video, 244–45
zooming, 131–32
Edit Marker/Region dialog box, 90, 98
Edit Sample dialog box, 277, 279, 282, 286–87
Edit Tempo dialog box, 96
Edit Tool, 136
Effect parameter, 192, 210
effects. See names of specific types of effects
Enable 2-Pass Encoding option, 77
Enable/Disable Triggers function, 42
Enable High-Shelf option., 250
Enable Loss Protection option, 77
Enable Low-Shelf option., 250
Enable Meters option, 207
Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option, 42, 42
Enable MTC/SMPTE Input Synchronization option, 125
Enable parameter, 218

33
 Index
Enable Perfect Play option, 78
Enable SMPTE Playback Offset option, 127
Enable Variable Bit Rate Encoding option, 77
End Of Silent Region option, 104
End parameter, 120
Envelope function, 207–9
equalization, 175–76
applying, 250–51
Graphic EQ function, 176–79
Parameter EQ function, 179–81
Equal Loudness Contour option, 168
errors, editing, 142–44
expanding and compress stereo fields, 173–74
Extended Summary dialog box, 69–70
extracting audio from CDs, 254–55
Extract Regions function, 102, 119
F
Fade Edges Of Each Event parameter, 210
Fade In and Fade Out parameters, 160
Fade The Edges Of Each Tone option., 234
fading, 140, 163–65
feedback, 187
Feedback parameter, 188–89, 239
FFT Overlap parameter, 230
FFT Size parameter, 230
file formats, 14, 53–54
See also files; names of specific file formats
customizing, 33–34
for Macintosh, 55–56
File Name parameter, 38
File Name Prefix parameter, 102
files
See also file formats
breaking up, 102
crash recovery, 65–66
creating new, 66–67
opening
existing files, 60–62
multiple files simultaneously, 62
previously opened files, 59
RAW files, 63–65
video for Windows (.AVI) files, 62–63
saving, 68–70
temporary, 61
Files Of Type drop-down list, 101
Filled Graph mode, 228
Filter Style parameter drop-down list, 179
Final Percentage parameter, 183
Final Tempo parameter, 183
Find function, 103–5, 223–24

34
 Index
Fine Tune parameter, 277, 280
Flange/Wah-Wah function, 191–93
Floor parameter, 228
FM synthesis, 26
FM Synthesis function, 237–39, 276
folder, temporary storage, 46–47
Format drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Sound Selection dialog box, 74
forums, on Sonic Foundry Web site, 29
Forward function, 87
frame numbers, video, 243
frame rates, 125
Freq To Gap/Snip Events parameter, 210
frequency modulation synthesis, 26
Frequency parameter., 235, 239
frequency response, 26
From CD dialog box, 254
full-duplex sound cards, 26
full-screen mode, 32–33
Function drop-down list, 159
functions. See names of specific functionsts
G
Gain parameter, 162, 206
Gapper/Snipper function, 209–10
gaps
avoiding when editing, 136
finding, 103–5, 112
finding manually, 232–33
producing, 209–10
removing with Pencil Tool, 144–45
repairing in stereo audio, 223–26
General MIDI (GM), 26–27
general options, 31–33
glitches. See gaps
GM (General MIDI), 26–27
Go To drop-down list, 84, 92
Go To End function, 87
Go To function, 81, 84, 91, 100
jumping to specific marker with, 92
jumping to specific region with, 100
Go To option, 243
Go To Start function, 87
Graphic Dynamics function, 202–5, 251
Graphic EQ function, 176–79, 178
Graphic Fade dialog box, 164–65, 237
Graph Resolution drop-down list, 189
H
half-duplex sound cards, 26

35
 Index
Halve Selection Tool, 292
hard disk drive
performance, 20–21, 46
reading sample loops off, 297
Hardware Acceleration slider, 21
Hardware Profiles, 27–28
hardware requirements/performance
hard disk drive, 20–21, 46
hardware profile, 27–28
memory, 19–20
microprocessor, 18–19
network card, 24
sound card, 25–27
video card, 21–24
Harmony Central (Web site), 324
help from Sonic Foundry, 28–29
"hissing" sound, 205
I
IDE drives, 20
IDE/EIDE recordable drives, 300
Ignore Below parameter slider, 168
I Have A Serial Number option, 74–75
Impulse files, 214–15
Infinite Loop option, 279, 282
Input drop-down list, 44, 124
Input Format drop-down list
of Add/Marker Region dialog box, 89, 93
of Edit Marker/Region dialog box, 91, 98
of Go To dialog box, 84
of Record dialog box, 115, 119
of Record Synchronization dialog box, 126
of Set Selection dialog box, 134
Input Format parameter, 183
Input Gain parameter, 188, 190
Input Ports list, 269
Input Synchronization End parameter, 126
Input Synchronization Start parameter, 125–26
inserting silence, 161
Insert New Tone Sequence At parameter, 234
Insert New Waveform At parameter, 236
Insert parameter, 161
installing Virtual MIDI Router, 263–66
Instrument drop-down list, 261
Integral Stretch mode, 246–47
Interleave Every parameter, 74
Internet
preparing audio data for, 249–52
Sound Forge resources on, 317–21
Interpolate parameter, 50
Interpolate Play Position For Inaccurate Devices option, 50

36
 Index
Interpolate Record Position For Position For Inaccurate Devices option, 50
Interpolate settings, 49–50
Interpolation Accuracy parameter Operation parameter slider, 158
interpolation, repairing gaps with, 225–26
InterVoice file format, 55
Invert Data option, 140
Invert/Flip function., 182
inverting audio waveforms, 182
Invert Left Channel Mix option, 170
Invert Right Channel Mix option, 170
ISA-based sound cards, 25
ISA expansion slots, 20
IVC file format, 55
I Would Like To Continue Using The Trial Version option, 75
J
jacks, sound card, 25
jewel case printout, 309–10
K
Keep Edges Outside Of The Selection option, 159
Key Aftertouch, 40
keyboard, computer
Aftertouch, 40
customizing shortcuts, 39–43
keyboards (instrument)
and MIDI, 5–6
Virtual MIDI Keyboard, 257–62
Key Frame Every parameter, 73
Key Frames, 73
L
Largest Peak option, 104
Layouts, for CD-Creator, 305–6
length of audio data, changing, 182–83
Length Of One Event parameter, 210
Level Equal To Or Above option, 104
Level Ruler option, 111
Limit Preview To option, 156
Line Graph mode, 228
Little Endian option, 64
loading
presets, 148
region data, 101
Workspace files, 38–39
Logical Send/Receive Sample Number parameter, 287
logo splash-screen, 31
Look In drop-down list, of Open dialog box, 60
Loop Count option, 279, 286–87
looping. See samples
Loop option, 296, 298

37
 Index
loop samples, 278–80
Loop To Edit parameter, 286
Loop To Edit parameter,, 287
Loop Tuner, 283–85
Low-Pass Start Freq parameter, 188, 200, 202
M
Mac-Binary headers, 55–56
Macintosh, file formats for, 55–57
magnifying. See zooming
Marker option, 89
markers
assigning MIDI Triggers to, 89
copying, 91
creating, 88–90
deleting, 91
dropping into audio file when recording, 116
editing, 90–91
navigating with, 91–92
purpose of, 88
Markers in Sound Forge option, 79
Maximum Gain option, 164
Maximum Output Size parameter, 161
Measures parameter, 97
memory, system, 19–20
menus, 16
Merge L/R To Stereo option, 61
microphones
and background noise, 117
effects for, 215
inputs for, 25
microprocessor requirements/performance, 18–19
Microsoft ACM (Audio Compression Manager), 58
Microsoft Sound Mapper, 48–49
MIDI Channel parameter, 288
MIDI for Musicians (Anderton), 40
Midiman (Web site), 124
MIDI Mapper drop-down lists, 45
MIDI Mapper option, 45
MIDI messages, 6, 40
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), 5–6
difference from digital audio, 8–9
General MIDI (GM), 26–27
ports for, 43–45
settings, 43–45
sound cards with MIDI synthesizers, 26
synchronizing of MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge, 268–70
triggering Sound Forge from MIDI sequencer, 270–73
Virtual MIDI Keyboard., 257–62
Virtual MIDI Router, 262–67
MIDI Note Off message, 40

38
 Index
MIDI Note On message, 40
MIDI Ports dialog box, 269, 272
MIDI Time Code, 124
MIDI Triggers, 40–43
assigning, 89
modifying, 90
MIDI Triggers dialog box, 43
Controller option, 41–42
Enable MIDI Input Sync/Trigger option, 42
Note option, 41
MIDI Unity Note Of Sample parameter, 277, 279, 282, 286
MIDI velocity, 6
Mid-Side processing, 174–75
Minimum Beat Duration parameter, 95
Minimum Inter-Phrase Silence parameter, 160
Minimum Length Following Loop End parameter, 160
Minimum Level parameter, 95
Mix dialog box, 139, 147–48, 237
Mix function, Paste, 139–41
Mod Depth parameter, 188
Mode drop-down list
of Pitch Shift dialog box, 196
of Record dialog box, 113, 118, 120, 125
Mode parameter, 183
Mod Freq parameter, 200
modifying
bit depth, 155–56
channels, 169–70
keyboard sounds, 261
names of markers, 90
names of songs, 305
sampling rate, 68, 157–58
video frame size, 72
Mod Rate parameter, 188
Modulation Depth parameter, 190
Modulation Freq parameter, 198
Modulation Rate parameter, 190
Monitor Input option, 229
Monitor option, 113, 118, 125
Monitor Playback option, 229
mono files, combining into stereo files, 61
Mono option, 170
monophonic channel, 110
MPEG file format, 56, 74–76
MPG file format, 56
MTC (MIDI Time Code), 124
mu-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
Multi-Band Dynamics function, 205–7
Multimedia option, 266
Multimedia Properties dialog box, 45, 48, 266–67
Multiple Delays option, 187

39
 Index
multiple-take recording, 117–20
Multi-Tap Delay function, 187–89
Multi-Tap dialog box, 186
Musical Instrument Digital Interface. See MIDI
Music Quest 8Port/SE (MIDI interface), 43, 124
Mute function, 162
muting audio, 162
N
Name drop-down list
of Auto Region dialog box, 96
of Envelope dialog box, 208
of Graphic Fade dialog box, 165
of Mix dialog box, 140, 148
of Paragraphic EQ dialog box, 181
of Pitch Bend dialog box, 194
of Preset Package dialog box, 152
of Raw File Type dialog box, 64, 74
of Save Preset dialog box, 149
of Vibrato dialog box, 197
Name parameter, 271
network card performance, 24
New function, 66
New Height parameter, 72, 77
New Sample Rate parameter, 157
New Width parameter, 72, 77
NeXT/Sun file format, 56
noise
caused when editing, 109, 154
from microphone, 117
quantization, 156
from sound card, 26
when converting audio waveforms to digital, 156
Noise Gate dialog box, 210
noise gates, 94–95, 159, 210–11
Noise Shape Type parameter, 156
Normalize function, 166–68
Normalize To parameter, 167–68, 252
Normalize Using parameter, 166, 168
normalizing audio, 166–69, 252
Normal Zoom Ratio drop-down list, 131
Note drop-down list, 261–62
Note On message, 6
Note option, 41
Note parameter, 41, 89
Notes category, of MIDI messages, 40
Number Frames option, 243
Number Of Beats In A Measure parameter, 96
Number Of Beats parameter, 297–98
Number Of Taps parameter, 189

40
 Index

O
octaves, keyboard, 260
One-Shot option, 277
One-Shot sample, 296
Open As Read-Only option, 61
Open Impulse File dialog box, 215
Open Loop option, 288
Open Picture dialog box, 69
Open Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Open Workspace dialog box, 39
Operate Directly On The Sound File option, 61, 65
Operators, 238
Operator Shape parameter, 238
options
See also names of specific options
general, 31–33
Original option, 76
Output Channels parameter, 170
Output drop-down list, 44, 127
Output Gain parameter slider, 173, 175
Output parameter drop-down list, 269
Output Ports list, 272
Overview area, of Data Window, 86
P
Pan/Expand function, 171, 173–74
Pan (Mix Channels Before Panning) option, 171
panning, 171–72
Pan parameter, 189, 216
Pan (Preserve Stereo Separation) option, 171
Paragraphic EQ dialog box, 250
Parameter EQ function, 179–81
Paste Crossfade function, 142
Paste Mix function, 139, 141, 182
Paste Overwrite function, 137
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
pasting
data to video file, 244–45
Paste Crossfade function, 141–42
Paste Mix function, 139–41
Paste Overwrite function, 137–38
Paste Replicate function, 138
Paste To New function, 139
Patch Changes, 40
Pause Character parameter, 234
Pause Length parameter, 234
PCI-based connections, 20
PCI-based sound cards, 25
PCM (pulse code modulation), 55
Peak Level option, 166

41
 Index
Pencil Tool, 144–45
Pentium processors, 18
Perry, Kevin, 27
phase cancellation, 182
phone tones, 233
Pitch Bend function, 193–95
Pitch Bend messages, 40
pitch effects, 193
Pitch Bend, 193–95
Pitch Shift, 195–96
Vibrato, 196–98
pitch, of loops, 297
Pitch Shift function, 195–96
Playback drop-down list, of WAV tab, 49
playback, settings, 48–51
Playbar, of Data Window, 82
Player Compatibility drop-down list, 77
Play function, 41
playing
audio backwards, 182
MIDI keyboard, 259–60
Playlist File format, 101
Playlists, saving, 68
pops, removing, 144
ports, MIDI. See MIDI, ports for
Position Bias parameters, 50
Position Bias settings, 49–50
Power Presets (Web site), 318
Pre-Delay parameter, 213
Preload parameter, 50–51, 51
Pre/Post Fade Destination Edges option, 140
Preserve Duration option, 196
Preset Manager dialog box, 149
Preset Package dialog box, 152
presets
See also Audio Plug-In Chainer
deleting, 149
loading, 148
opening Preset Package file, 152–53
Preset Manager, 149–50, 153
saving, 148–49
saving Preset Package file, 150–51
previewing songs, 305
Private option, 76
PRM File format, 101
Process menu, 16
Process Mode parameter, 171, 173–74
Product Support page, of Sonic Foundry Web site, 29
product updates, 12–13
Program Changes, 40
program close confirmation option, 33

42
 Index
Project Options dialog box, 268
Properties dialog box, 24
hard drive, 20–21
Interpolate settings, 48
Position Bias settings, 49–50
property markings, 76
pulse code modulation, 55
punch-in recording, 115, 120–22
Q
Quality slider setting, 75
Quality/Speed option, 216
quantization, 156
Quantization Depth parameter slider, 155
QuicKeys (software application), 43
R
RAM (Random Access Memory), 19
RAM buffer, 50
and wavetable synthesis, 26
Range parameter, 193, 195
Rate parameter, 192
Ratio parameter, 204, 206, 252
RAW file format, 58, 63–65
Raw File Type dialog box, 63
Read By Range option, 255
Read By Tracks option, 254–55
Read Entire CD option, 255
read-only memory. See ROM
read-only mode, 61
RealMedia file format, 57, 74–76
RealNetworks developers' Web site, 78
rearranging song order, 305
Recent drop-down list, 68
Recently Used File List option, 59
reconfiguring Virtual MIDI Router, 266–67
Record drop-down list, of WAV tab, 49
recording sound
See also digital audio; synchronization
accessing Record dialog box, 108
DC offset, 110–12
gap detection, 112
multiple-take recording, 117–20
process, 113–17
punch-in recording, 120–22
recording attributes, 108–10
Remote Recording mode, 122
settings, 48–51
while playing back, 26
Record Synchronization dialog box, 125
recovery, crashed file, 65–66

43
 Index
redoing actions, 143–44
Regions
saving, 68
separating multiple recordings into different, 117
Regions feature, 92
creating, 93–97
editing, 97–99
and Extract Regions function, 102
loading region data, 101
navigating with, 100
saving region data, 101
Regions window, 92, 100
Release option., 287
Release parameter, 204
Release samples, 286–87
Release Sensitivity parameter, 95
Release Threshold parameter, 160
Release Time parameter, 168, 211
Remote Recording mode, 122
Remove Data Beyond Loop Points option, 160
Remove Data From Start And Limit File Length option, 161
Remove Edges Outside Of The Selection option, 159
Remove Silence Between Phrases option, 160
removing silence, 159–61
Repair Channel function, 224
repairing gaps in stereo audio, 223–26
Repair Interpolate function, 225–26
Repair Replace function, 225
replacement, repairing gaps with, 225
Replicate dialog box, 138
Replicate function, Paste, 138
Resample dialog box, 157
Resample function, 68, 157
resampling, to new sampling rate, 157–58
Re-size Video Frames To drop-down list, 72, 77
resizing, MIDI keyboard, 260
resolution, 23
Resonance parameter, 192
resources, Web-based, 317–21
Response Width parameter, 215
retrieving samples, 289
Reverb dialog box, 212, 237
reverberation, 211
See also echo effects
Acoustic Mirror function, 214–16
reverb function, 211–14
Reverberation Mode parameter, 212
Reverb Out parameter, 212
reverse, playing in, 182
Review Pre/Post-Roll option, 121
Rewind function, 87

44
 Index
Rgns/Playlist drop-down list, 68, 272
Rgns/Playlist parameter, 287
RM file format, 57
RMS power, 167–69
Roland GS format, 27
ROM (read-only memory), and wavetable synthesis, 26
root mean square power, 166–69
root node, finding, 297
Root Note For Transposing parameter, 297–98
Rotate Audio Tool, 294–95
Rotation Speed, 20
S
Sample Rate drop-down list, 64, 66
Sample Rate parameter, 276, 278, 280
Sampler Configuration dialog box, 288–89
Sampler dialog box, 287
Sampler Model drop-down list, 288
samples, 7–8, 275–76
See also ACID (composing software)
creating and editing
Loop Tuner, 283–85
One-Shot samples, 276–78
Release samples, 286–87
sample loops, 278–80
Sustaining samples, 280–83
saving and transmitting, 287–89
Sample Size parameter, 276, 278, 280
Sample Type parameter, 277, 279, 282, 286
sampling rate, 7
changing, 68, 157–58
and Noise Shape Type parameter, 156
selecting for new files, 66
selecting for RAW files, 64
setting, 108–9, 117
and sound cards, 26
Save As Type drop-down list
of Save As dialog box, 68
of Save Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Save Audio To A New Stream option, 72
Save ID3 Tag To File option, 76
Save In drop-down list, 68, 151
Save Preset dialog box, 42, 64, 148
Save Preset Package dialog box, 151
Save Raw File Type dialog box, 71
Save Regions And Playlist In .WAV/AVI Files option, 272
Save/Regions/Playlist dialog box, 101
Save Sampler Information In File option, 70
Save Summary Information In File option, 68, 68–69
Save Summary Information In The Preset Package option, 151
Save Workspace dialog box, 38–39

45
 Index
saving
files, 68–70
after recording, 117
MPEG files, 74–76
RAW, 71
video, 71
Windows Media Audio, 78–79
Layouts for CD-Creator, 305–6
Playlists, 68
Preset Package file, 150–51
presets, 148–49
region data, 101
Regions, 68
samples, 287–89
Workspace files, 38–39
screen mode, full, 32–33
screen savers, 22
scrolling, 130
SCSI drives, 20
SCSI option, 288
SCSI recordable drives, 300
SD file format, 57
SDS Capable Sampler option, 288
Selected Length In Beats parameter, 97
selecting when editing, 133–36
Selection drop-down list, 121
Selection Status Bar, 133
Select option, 114, 118, 125
Semitones parameter, 197–98
Semitones To Shift Pitch By parameter, 196
sending samples, 287–89
Send Program Changes option, 261
Send Request When Retrieving Samples option, 289
Sensitivity parameter, 105
Session 8 File format, 101
Set Selection dialog box, 121, 134, 287
Set Sonogram Resolution parameter, 231
Set the Measures parameter, 97
Set The Sample Rate Only option, 158
SFI file format, 214–15
SFL File format, 101
SFZ files, 150–51
Shift Selection Left and Shift Selection Right tools, 293–94
Show Logo Splash-Screen, 32
Show Wave drop-down list
of Envelope dialog box, 208
of Graphic Fade dialog, 165
of Pan/Expand dialog box, 173
of Pitch Bend dialog box, 194
Show Wave option, 165, 172, 194, 208
sibilance, 205

46
 Index
signal-to-noise ratio, 26
Signed option, 64
silence, manipulating, 158
inserting, 161
muting audio, 162
removing, 159–61
Simple Delay dialog box, 186
Simple Delay function, 186–87
Simple Synthesis dialog box, 236
Simple Synthesis function, 235–37
Single Tone Length parameter, 234
sizing video frames, 72
Slew Rate parameter, 202
Slices Displayed parameter, 229
Smooth/Enhance function, 158
Smooth Gain To Minimize Distortion On Steep Slopes option, 209
Smoothing Window parameter, 230
SMPTE Format/Offset parameter, 286
SMPTE Format parameter, 280, 282
SMPTE/MIDI Time Code, 123–27
SMPTE Offset parameters, 278, 280, 282
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), 85
snapping selections, 135
SND file format, 55–56
Snipper option, 210
snips. See gaps
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, 85
software
problems with, 13
updates, 12–13
Solo option, 207
songs, previewing and rearranging order, 305
Sonic Foundry
download page, 12–13
reporting software bugs to, 13
Web site, 29
Sonic Foundry Forums, 320
Sonic Foundry MIDI Router option., 269, 272
Sonic Foundry MIDI Router Properties dialog box, 267
Sonic Foundry MP3 Plug-In dialog box, 75
Sonic Foundry's ACID. See ACID
Sonic Foundry Technical Support Homepage, 319
Sonogram mode, 230–31
sound cards, 7
audio input level, 47–48, 114–15, 118, 125
brands, 25–27
and DC offset, 110–11
gaps caused by, 112
performance, 25
Sound Designer 1 file format, 57
Sound File dialog box, 34

47
 Index
Sound Forge function, 41
Sound Forge Power! (Web site), 317–18
Sound Forge's Sampler function, 287
Sound Forge Users Mailing List, 323
Sound Forge XP, 17
Sound Mapper, 48
Sound Selection dialog box, 73–74
sound waves, 15
Source Volume slider, 139
speakers, connections for, 25
Special menu, 16
Spectrum Analysis, 17, 226–31
applications for, 231–33
finding root node with, 297
Spectrum Settings dialog box, 228–30
Speed parameter, 255
splitting
files, 102
regions, 99
Start Crossfade At End Of Selection option, 142
Start Crossfade At Start Of Selection option, 142
Start File Counter Index parameter, 102
Start Mix At End Selection option, 139
Start Mix at Start Selection option, 139
Start parameter, 120–21
Statistics dialog box, 154
stereo
See also equalization
applying fade to, 165
changing channels, 169–70
combining mono files into, 61
compress/expanding fields, 173–74
Mid-Side processing, 174–75
panning, 171–72
recording in, 110
repairing gaps in audio, 223–26
stereo channel, 110
Stereo option, 170
Stereo Pan parameter, 200
streaming audio, file formats for, 57
stretching video, 247–48
striping, 124
summary information, 68–69
Sun file format, 56
support, user, 28–29
Sustained Data Transfer Rate, 20
Sustaining option, 279, 282, 286
Sustaining samples, 280–83
Sustaining With Release option, 286
swap file, 19
synchronization

48
 Index
of MIDI sequencing application to Sound Forge, 268–70
overview, 122–23
synchronization features, 43
Sync Stereo Channels option, 207
Sync Stereo Gain option, 204
synthesis functions, 233
DTMF/MF function, 233–35
FM Synthesis function, 237–39
Simple Synthesis function, 235–37
System Exclusive messages, 40
System Monitor, 18–19
system requirements/performance. See hardware requirements/performance
T
Tap Gain parameter, 189
Technical Support, Sonic Foundry, 29
telephone tones, 233
Tempo In Beats Per Minute parameter, 97
tempo, of loops, 297
Tempo parameter, 297
temporary files, 61
temporary storage folder, 47–48
Test and Create CD option, 306
Test Only option, 306
Threshold Level parameter, 211
Threshold parameter, 104–5, 204, 206
Time Code generator, 123–24
Time Compress/Expand dialog box, 183
Time Compress/Expand function, 182–83
Time Display, 82–83
Time Ruler, 86
Time Zoom Resolution, 130
timing
See also synchronization
Current Position feature, 81–86
Tip of the Day dialog box, 31–32
Tone Style To Generate parameter, 234
toolbars
creating, 43
customizing, 36–37
Tools menu, 16
Total Buffer Size setting, 50
Total Output Waveform Length parameter, 238
Track-at-once option, 307
Transition Width parameter, 180
transmitting samples, 287–89
Transport menu, 87
Trigger drop-down list, 89, 271
Tune parameter, 140, 142
Tune Position controls, 284
"Tuning a Digital Audio Workstation" (article), 28

49
 Index
TUTFILL.WAV file, 298
TXT File format, 101
Type parameter, 206
U
u-Law (audio compression scheme), 55
unbalanced connections, for sound cards, 25
Undo function, 142
Undo/Redo functions, 46
Undo/Redo History log, 143
updates, 12–13
Use 30 Frames Per Second For SMPTE Non-Drop option, 269
Use Current Scan Level option, 167
Use Long File Names For Destination File Names option, 102
Use Markers In Source File option, 79
Use Release Point For End Of Region option, 96
user support, 28–29
Use Script Commands In Source File option, 79
V
Value parameter, 42
VBR Quality option, 75
versions of Sound Forge, 11–12
Vibrato dialog box, 197
Vibrato function, 196–98
video
See also synchronization
editing, 244–45
frame rates, 125
saving files, 71–74
Video Preview Window, 245–49
Video Strip, 242–43
viewing, 245–49
video card performance, 21–24
Video Compression dialog box, 72
Video Quality drop-down list, 77
Video Save Options dialog box, 71
Video Stream dialog box, 61–63
virtual memory, 19–20
Virtual MIDI Keyboard, 257–62
Virtual MIDI Router, 262–67
Virtual MIDI Routing Ports drop-down list, 267
VMR. See Virtual MIDI Router
volume, 162
effects
Amplitude Modulation function, 200
distortion, 200–202
Envelope function, 207–9
Gapper/Snipper function, 209–10
Graphic Dynamics function, 202–5
Multi-Band Dynamics function, 206–7

50
 Index
fading, 140, 163–65
normalizing audio, 166–69
setting for keyboard, 259
Volume function, 162–63
Volume dialog box, 162
Volume function, 163, 166
VOX file format, 54
W
Wait For Request When Sending Samples option., 288
"warble" effect, 188, 191
waveforms, 130
finding clicks and pops in, 144
inverting, 182
noise when converting audio to digital, 156
Waveform Shape parameter, 235–36
Wave Hammer dialog box, 217
Wave Hammer function, 217–18
wavetable synthesis, 26
WAV files, 58
and loops, 287
used with Acoustic Mirror function, 215
Web, World Wide. See Internet
Whole Copies option, 138
win386.swp file, 19
Windows Bitmap file format, 69
Windows File Open dialog box, 60
Windows Media Audio files, 58
opening, 63–64
saving, 78–79
Windows Media dialog box, 78–79
Windows Media Script File format, 101
Windows Media Web site, 79
Windows MIDI Mapper, 45
Windows Setup tab, 18
WMA files. See Windows Media Audio files
Workspace, 14–15
customizing
colors, 35–36
data window layouts, 37–39
keyboard shortcuts, 39–43
record and playback settings, 48–51
toolbars, 36–37
saving and loading, 38–39
World Wide Web. See Internet
X
XG format, 27
Y
Yamaha's XG format, 27

51
 Index

Z
zero amplitude, 111
zero axis, 111, 135, 182
zero crossing, 135–36
zooming, 131–32

52