Manual Soundforge

SOUND FORGE
SOUND FORGE
A
UDIO STUDIO
English language manual
This documentation is protected by copyright law.
All rights, especially the right of duplication, circulation, and translation are reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in form of copies, microfilms or other processes, or transmitted into a language used for
machines, especially data processing machines, without the express written consent of the publisher.
All rights of reproduction are reserved. Errors in and changes to the contents as well as program modifications reserved.
Copyright © MAGIX Software GmbH, 1994 – 2022. All rights reserved.
MAGIX, Vegas and all mentioned MAGIX product names are registered trademarks of MAGIX Software GmbH
Other mentioned product names may be registered trademarks of the respective manufacturer.
"ATRAC," "ATRAC3," "ATRAC3plus," "ATRAC Advanced Lossless," and the ATRAC logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.
http://www.sony.net/Products/ATRAC3/
This program uses libsox in parts, which is licensed under the LPGL 2.
More license information can be found online at the MAGIX web sites.
MAGIX licensing conditions are included in the installation and also at www.magix.com under EULA.
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents 3
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 16 17
What's new in version 16? 17
Customer support 17
Interactive Tutorials 18
The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Window 19
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Toolbars 19
Show or hide toolbars 19
Customize a toolbar 20
Dock or float (undock) a toolbar 20
The Standard Toolbar 20
The Status Toolbar 21
The Transport Toolbar 24
The Status Bar 25
Edit the sample rate, bit depth, or channels 26
Change the status display format 26
Data Windows 27
Title bar 27
Overview bar 27
Video strip 29
Time ruler 29
Next Edit Tool button 29
Minimize channel height 29
Level ruler 29
CD layout bar 30
Level zoom 30
Playbar 30
Scroll bar 31
Scrub control 31
Selection status bar 32
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Time zoom 32
Time zoom resolution 32
Maximize width 33
Close data window 33
Choosing a Status Format 33
Editing Tempo 35
Arranging Data Windows 35
Saving and Recalling Window Layouts 36
Save a window layout 36
Load a saved layout 37
Add a layout to the View > Window Layouts submenu 37
Remove a layout from the View > Window Layouts submenu 38
Delete a layout from your computer 38
The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Windows 38
Docking and Undocking Windows 38
The Explorer Window 39
File Properties 42
Time Display 44
Channel Meters 45
Loudness Meters 47
Record Options 50
Instant Actions 52
Metadata Windows 54
How Do I. . . ? 63
Mixing Multiple Files 63
How Do I Create ACID Loops with SOUND FORGE Audio Studio? 64
How Do I Create a New File Using Part of Another File? 65
How Do I Record from an External Source? 66
Connect an audio source to your sound card's input 66
Choose an input device and adjust levels 67
Adjust for DC offset 69
Working with Files 70
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Creating a New Window 70

Opening a File 70
Open a file 71
Open a file as read-only 71
Preview files 71
Merge two mono files into a single stereo file 71
Display more information about the selected file 72
Change file reader settings for VOX, IVC, and RAW files 72
Opening a Raw Data File 72
Closing a File 73
Saving a File 73
Save As/Render As 74
Using SOUND FORGE Audio Studio with the Windows Explorer Context Menu 75
Custom File Templates 77
Create or edit a template 77
Delete a template 78
Copy rendering templates between computers or user accounts 78
Working with Projects 79
Project References in Rendered Files 80
Save the project path in the rendered file 80
Edit a referenced project 80
Saving all Open Files 81
Extracting Audio from CDs 81
Creating Track-at-Once (TAO) CDs 83
Creating Disc-at-Once (DAO) CDs 84
Creating and Editing Tracks for a Disc-at-Once CD 85
Moving Tracks on the CD Layout Bar 90
Editing Pause Time for a Disc-at-Once CD 91
The Track List Window 92
Rearrange tracks 92
Edit track position and length 92
Adjust pause time 93
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Toggle protection and emphasis flags 93

Edit ISRC codes 93
Create a track list (PQ list or cue sheet) 94
Creating a Track List for a Disc-at-Once CD 94
Burning a Disc-at-Once CD 96
Viewing File Statistics 97
Crash Recovery 98
Working with Video Files 100
Attaching or Detaching a Video Stream 100
Attaching video to an audio file 100
Detaching video from a file 100
The Video Strip 100
Show or hide the video strip 101
Turn animation on or off 101
Display frame numbers 102
Video Preview 102
Copy the current frame to the clipboard 102
Change Video Preview window settings 102
Multichannel Audio - Overview 104
Routing Channels to Hardware Outputs 104
Opening and Editing Multichannel Audio Files 104
Stereo-to-Mono (or Mono-to-Stereo) Conversion 105
Convert a mono file to stereo 105
Convert a stereo file to mono 106
Customize the mix 106
Recording Multichannel Audio 106
Previewing a File 110
Data Window Scrolling 110
Preview Cut/Cursor 110
Pre-Roll to Cursor 111
Scrubbing 111
Use the scrub control in the data window 111
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Scrub using the keyboard 111

Scrub by dragging the cursor 112
Scrub with the audio event locator 112
Monitoring Levels in Digital Audio 113
Decibels 113
Digital versus analog levels 113
Setting digital audio levels 114
Channel Meters 114
Show or hide the Play Meters window 114
Reset clip indicators 114
Change the meters' display resolution 115
Change the meters' display options 115
Route channels to hardware outputs 116
Loudness Meters 116
Choose a metering mode 117
Choose a loudness scale 118
Configure peak meters 118
Peak Meter V2 119
K-Metering 119
Oscilloscope 120
Recording 121
Creating a New Recording 121
Create a recording 122
Set up pre- and post-roll 123
Set a prerecord buffer 123
Review recorded takes 124
Recording into an Existing Sound File 124
Record at the current cursor position or into a selection 125
Record multiple takes into a selection 126
Set up pre- and post-roll 127
Set a prerecord buffer 127
Review recorded takes 128
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Recording Audio Automatically 128

Record audio over a set threshold 129
Record using a timer 130
Record Options 131
Choose a recording method 131
Choose a recording mode 131
Set up input monitoring 132
How Do I Record from an External Source? 133
Connect an audio source to your sound card's input 133
Choose an input device and adjust levels 135
Using the Vinyl Recording and Restoration Tool 136
Recording Multichannel Audio 138
Remote Record 141
Selecting Data and Positioning the Cursor 142
Selecting Data Using the Mouse 142
Make a selection 142
Select channels 143
Lock selected channels 144
Adjust the length of a selection 144
Shift a selection left or right 144
The Set Selection Dialog 145
Select data 145
Specify an input format 145
Preview your selection 145
Snap selection ends to zero crossings 146
Snap selection ends to the time ruler 146
Mark In 146
Marking Out 146
Looped Playback 147
Quantize to Frames 147
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Enable Snapping 147

Turn snapping on or off 148
Automatically snap to the grid 148
Automatically snap to markers 148
Automatically snap to events 149
Automatically snap to zero crossings 149
Turn off automatic snapping at high zoom levels 149
Snap an existing selection to the grid or zero crossings 149
Selection Snapping 149
Snap to Grid 150
Snap Edge to Grid 150
Snap to Zero 150
Snap Edge to Zero 151
Extend to Next Zero 151
Extend Edge to Next Zero 151
Adjusting Selections 151
Halve Selection 152
Double Selection 152
Shift Selection Left 152
Shift Selection Right 152
Rotate Audio 152
Using Selection Grid Lines 153
Toggling and Cycling Selections 153
Select All 153
Go To 154
Centering the Cursor 154
Basic Editing 156
Editing Tools 156
The Edit Tool 156
The Magnify Tool 156
The Pencil Tool 157
Cut 157
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Copy 157
Viewing Clipboard Contents 158
Playing Clipboard Contents 158
Paste 158
Paste by dragging and dropping a selection 159
Paste audio from the clipboard 159
Paste Special 160
Mix 160
Mix by dragging and dropping a selection 160
Mix audio from the clipboard 161
Overwrite 162
Replicate 162
Example: 163
Paste to New 163
Delete (Clear) 163
Trim/Crop 164
Magnification and Zooming 164
Use the Magnify tool 164
Zoom horizontally 165
Zoom vertically 165
Zoom to a selection 166
Zoom to an event 166
Return to the default zoom ratio 166
Use custom zoom ratios 166
Undoing and Redoing Edits 167
Undo a single operation 167
Undo all edits 167
Redo a single operation 167
Repeat 168
The Event Tool 169
Creating Events 169
Create events by cutting, copying, or pasting sound data 169
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Split events 169

Create events by dragging files from the Explorer 169
Create events by dragging selections 170
Create events by processing a selection 170
Moving Events 171
Splitting Events 171
Split events at the cursor 172
Split events at region boundaries 172
Cutting, Copying, Pasting, Mixing, and Deleting Events 172
Cut events 172
Copy events 172
Paste events 173
Mix events 173
Delete events 173
Selecting Events 174
Selecting events with the mouse 174
Selecting events using menu commands 174
Selecting events using keyboard shortcuts 175
Crossfading Events 175
Create an automatic crossfade 175
Create a manual crossfade 175
Change the fade type 176
Event Envelopes (ASR) 176
Adjust an event's volume 176
Fade an event in or out 176
Change the fade type 177
Slipping and Trimming Events 177
Trim an event 177
Slip (shift the contents of) an event 178
Slip-trim an event 178
Auto Ripple Events 179
Applying Processes and Effects to Events 179
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Using Markers, Regions and Commands 181

Using Markers 181
Insert a marker 181
Name or rename a marker 181
Move a marker 181
Delete a marker 181
Delete all markers and regions 182
Delete all markers and regions within the selected area 182
Preview a marker 182
Inserting Regions 182
Insert a region 182
Name or rename a region 182
Select a region 183
Move a region 183
Delete a region 183
Delete all markers and regions 183
Delete all markers and regions within the selected area 183
Preview a region 183
Updating Marker or Region Positions 183
Replicating Markers or Regions 184
Deleting Markers or Regions 184
Copying Regions to the Clipboard 185
Clearing Markers and Regions 185
Inserting Commands 185
Insert a command marker 185
Delete a command marker 186
Edit a command marker 186
Move the cursor to a command marker 187
Use command templates 187
Applying Processes and Effects 188
The Process, Effects, and FX Favorites Menus 188
Applying an effect 188
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Previewing a processing operation 189

Saving a preset 189
Changing the selection while previewing 189
Adjusting previewing and processing settings 190
Applying Processes and Effects to Events 190
Applying a Plug-In Chain 190
Creating a plug-in chain 190
Adding, removing, or arranging plug-ins on a chain 191
Set a plug-in's properties 192
Load an effects chain or plug-in preset 192
Preview the effects chain 194
Apply the effects chain 194
Save the plug-in chain as a preset 194
Save the settings from an individual plug-in as a preset 195
Using Processing Dialogs 196
Preview audio 198
Preview with pre- or post-roll 198
Choose a processing mode for tail data 198
Create a preset 198
Delete a preset 199
Use SOUND FORGE Audio Studio controls 199
Change the data window selection 200
Processes 202
Bit-Depth Converter 202
Change a file's bit depth 202
Set the bit depth for playback only 203
Removing DC Offset 203
Automatically detect and remove DC offset 203
Specify an offset value 204
Equalization 204
Fading In and Out 204
Perform a graphic fade 204
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Fade in 205
Fade out 206
Inserting Silence 206
Inverting Data 206
Muting Sound 206
Normalizing Audio 206
Pan/Expand 207
Pan audio and preserve stereo separation 207
Pan mixed channels 208
Display the waveform 209
Perform stereo expansion 209
Mix a mid-side mix to right and left channels 210
Resampling 212
Resample your data 212
Set the sample rate without resampling 212
Reversing Sound 213
Smooth/Enhance 213
Time Stretch 213
Changing Volume 214
Effects 214
Amplitude Modulation 214
Chorus 214
Delay/Echo 214
Distortion 215
Dynamics 215
Envelope 215
Apply an amplitude envelope 215
Display the waveform 216
Flange/Wah-Wah 216
Noise Gate 216
Pitch 217
Bend 217
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Shift 218
Resonant Filter 218
Reverb 218
Modern Equalizer 218
wizardFX Suite 221
Synthesis 225
Generating DTMF/MF Tones 225
Simple Synthesis 226
Customizing Sound Forge 227
General Preferences 227
Display Preferences 231
File Type Preferences 233
Preview Preferences 233
Status Preferences 234
Toolbar Preferences 235
Display or hide toolbars 235
Display or hide ToolTips 235
Customize a toolbar 236
CD Settings Preferences 236
Preferences - Audio Tab 236
Advanced Audio Configuration 238
Microsoft Sound Mapper or Windows Classic Wave Driver 239
ASIO 239
Video Preferences 240
Preferences - VST Effects 240
Shortcuts 242
Keyboard Shortcuts 242
Project File Shortcuts 242
Magnification and View Shortcuts 242
Data Window Shortcuts 244
Cursor Movement Shortcuts 245
Data Selection Shortcuts 246
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Navigation and Playback Shortcuts 247

Event Tool Shortcuts 248
Regions List Shortcuts 249
Drag-and-Drop Shortcuts 249
Mouse Shortcuts 250
Glossary 252
-A- 252
-B- 254
-C- 255
-D- 257
-E- 259
-F- 259
-H- 260
-I- 260
-L- 261
-M- 262
-O- 264
-R- 267
-U- 271
Index 274
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SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 16
SOUND FORGE AUDIO STUDIO 16

SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software is the workhorse of countless audio
professionals, and it just keeps getting better. You'll find that the new features in this
version will help simplify your life by consolidating common tasks and allowing you to
customize the software to suit your needs.
What's new in version 16?

■ Optimized workflow for effect processing: In the processing dialog, the selection to
be processed can now be edited even if the dialog is already open.
■ New Resampling algorithms: For the Sample Rate Conversion there are new,
better sounding algorithms.
■ With the wizardFX Modern Reverb you have a new, high-quality reverb effect at
your disposal. Based on the proven wizardFX concept without complicated settings,
but with many excellent presets.
■ The Modern EQ is a new, flexible equalizer with up to eight bands.
■ Many small improvements and bug fixes.
Customer support
Dear MAGIX customer,
Our aim is to provide convenient, fast and solution-focused support – that's why you can
access unlimited web support and help through our online community at www.magix.info.
As a registered MAGIX customer, you have unlimited access to web support offered by
the MAGIX service portal in the Support area at www.magix.info. You have access to an
intelligent help wizard, high-quality FAQs, patches and user reports that are constantly
updated.
The Online Community is available for free to all registered MAGIX customers in the
Forum area. The community enables you to ask members questions concerning MAGIX
products as well as use the search function in order to search for specific topics or
answers. In addition to questions & answers, the knowledge pool includes a glossary,
video tutorials and a discussion forum. A wide range of software experts are on
www.magix.info everyday and are ready to provide quick answers, sometimes even
within minutes.
Note: Registration is required to place a support request at www.magix.info.
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SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 16
MAGIX Sales Department

You can reach the MAGIX Sales Department workdays for help with the following
questions and problems:
■ Orders
■ Product consulting (pre-purchase)
■ Upgrade requests
■ Returns
Phone: +49 5741 3455-31, Monday to Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Email: [email protected]
Address: MAGIX Software GmbH, Borsigstraße 24, 32312 Lübbecke, Germany
Particularities for purchases made through Steam™

Different conditions apply if you have purchased the program through Steam™. You can
find more information at https://support.steampowered.com.
Interactive Tutorials
From the Help menu, choose Interactive Tutorials to start an interactive guide that will
show you each part of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio interface and teach you how to
edit audio.
Choose a topic from the Interactive Tutorials overview to start a tutorialyou'll be up and
running in no time!
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The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Window
THE SOUND FORGE AUDIO STUDIO

WINDOW
The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window is divided into five main areas, and you can
use views to manage the appearance of the window.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Toolbars

The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window provides toolbars to help you find and use
commands quickly. You can use the Toolbars (⇗235) tab in the Preferences dialog to
specify which toolbars you want to display on the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
workspace.
Show or hide toolbars

1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars to display the Toolbars tab in the
Preferences dialog.
2. Specify which toolbars you want to see:
■ Select the check box for the toolbars you want to see.
■ Clear the check box for the toolbars you want to hide.
3. Click the OK button.
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Customize a toolbar
1. From the View menu, choose Toolbars to display the Toolbars tab in the
Preferences dialog.
2. Select the check box for the toolbars you want to customize. If the check box is
already selected, click the toolbar's name to select it.
3. Click the Customize button. The Customize Toolbar dialog is displayed.
4. Use the controls in the Customize Toolbar dialog to add, remove, or rearrange the
buttons on the selected toolbar:
■ Select a button in the Available tools column and click Add to add the button
to the toolbar before the currently selected button.
■ Select a button in the Current tools column and click Remove to remove the
button from the toolbar.
■ Select a button in the Current tools column and click Move Up or Move Down
to rearrange the buttons.
5. Click Reset to restore the toolbar to its default setting.
Dock or float (undock) a toolbar

You can dock toolbars to the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace or allow them to
float freely over the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window.
Docking a floating toolbar

1. Click the toolbar's title bar and drag it to one of the borders of the workspace.
2. When the toolbar's outline changes, release the mouse button to dock it to the
mouse position.
You can click an empty area of a toolbar and drag it to move the toolbar to a new
location.
Floating a docked toolbar

1. Click an empty area of the docked toolbar and drag it to the center of the
workspace.
2. When the toolbar's outline changes, release the mouse to dock it to the mouse
position.
The Standard Toolbar

The Standard toolbar provides quick access to commonly used file and edit commands.
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Button Description
New: click to create a new (⇗70) window.
Open: click to open (⇗70) a file.
Save: click to save the current file.
Save As: click to save (⇗74) the current file with a new name or format.
Render As: click to render your SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project (⇗79)
file as a media file.
Cut: click to remove (⇗157) the selected sound data and move it to the
clipboard.
Copy: click to copy (⇗157) the selected sound data to the clipboard.
Paste: click to insert (⇗158) a copy of the clipboard contents at the current
insertion point.
Mix: click to mix (⇗160) a copy of the clipboard contents at the current
insertion point.
Play Clipboard: click to play the contents of the clipboard.
Trim/Crop: click to remove (⇗164) all data from the file except the current
selection.
Undo: click to reverse the last action performed.
Redo: click to reverse an undo operation.
Repeat: click to repeat (⇗168) the last performed operation.
Edit Tool: click to select the Edit tool (⇗156). Use the Edit tool to select data.
Magnify Tool: click to select the Magnify tool. Use the Magnify tool to zoom in
to a particular region without losing your selection.
Pencil Tool: click to select the Pencil tool. Use the Pencil tool to edit the
waveform by drawing on it.
Event Tool: click to select the Event tool. Use the Event tool to perform event-
based editing (⇗169).
The Status Toolbar

Use the Status toolbar to set the status format for display and to control selection
snapping.
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Button Description
Samples: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and selection in
samples.
Time: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and selection in
hours:minutes:seconds.seconds.
Seconds: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and selection in
seconds.
Time and Frames: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and
selection in hours:minutes:seconds.frames.
Absolute Frames: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and selection
in absolute frames from the beginning of the file.
Measures and Beats: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and
selection in measures:beats.quarter-beats.
SMPTE Film Sync: click to display the time ruler, cursor position, and
selection in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of 24 frames per
second. This frame rate matches the standard crystal-sync 16/33 mm film
rate of 24 fps.
SMPTE EBU: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with
a frame rate of 25 frames per second. This is known as SMPTE EBU
(European Broadcasting Union) because European television systems run at
25 fps.
Use SMPTE 25 EBU format for PAL DV/D1 projects.
SMPTE Non-Drop: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames
with a frame rate of 29.97 frames per second, which leads to a discrepancy
between real ("wall clock") time and the SMPTE time, because there is no
compensation in the counting system as there is in Drop Frame.
Use SMPTE Non-Drop format for NTSC D1 projects that will be recorded on
master tapes striped with Non-Drop timecode.
SMPTE Drop: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds;frames with
a frame rate of 29.97 fps to match the frame rate used by NTSC television
systems (North America, Japan).
Use SMPTE Drop Frame format for NTSC DV/D1 projects.
Both SMPTE Drop and SMPTE Non-Drop run at 29.97 fps. In both formats,
the actual frames are not discarded, but they are numbered differently.
SMPTE Drop removes certain frame numbers the counting system to keep
the SMPTE clock from drifting from real ("wall clock") time. The time is
adjusted forward by two frames on every minute boundary except 0, 10, 20,
30, 40, and 50. For example, when SMPTE Drop time increments from
00:00:59.29, the next value will be 00:01:00.02.
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SMPTE 30: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a

frame rate of 30 frames per second.
This rate is exactly 30 fps and is commonly used when synchronizing audio
applications such as multitrack recorders or MIDI sequencers. This format
should not be used when working with video.
Audio CD Time: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames
with a frame rate of 75 frames per second for creating Red Book CDs.
If you want to display disc-at-once CD track numbers in the Time Display
window, right-click the Time Display window and choose CD Track Position
from the shortcut menu. In this mode, the Time Display will show track
numbers and the running time for each track. Negative values indicate the
pause time before a track:
Edit Tempo: click to display the Edit Tempo (⇗35) dialog.
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The Transport Toolbar

Use the Transport toolbar to perform playback and recording functions.
Button Description
Arm: When you click Arm, the wave device is opened and all recording
buffers are loaded in order to minimize the amount of time between clicking
the Record button and when recording starts.
When Create new window is selected in the Mode drop-down list in the
Record Options (⇗121) window, the Arm and Record buttons are
enabled even when no data windows are open. When Normal or Create
regions is selected, the Arm and Record buttons are not available until
you create a data window (⇗70) or open a file (⇗70).
Record: Starts/Stops the recording. For more information, please see one of
the following topics:
■ Create a new recording (⇗121)
■ Record into an existing sound file (⇗124)
■ Recording Audio Automatically (⇗128)
Loop Playback: Plays the selected (⇗142) data in a continuous mode.
If there is no selection, the entire sound file is played in an endless loop.
Play All: click to play the entire file from beginning to end, regardless of
cursor position, selection, or playlist.
Playback for musical instrument files behaves slightly differently than
playback in a normal data window.
■ If no samples are selected, click Play All to play all samples in the data
window.
■ If you have samples selected, click Play Allto play all selected samples
in the data window.
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Play: click to play back the file in current playback mode.

Playback for musical instrument files behaves slightly differently than
playback in a normal data window.
■ If no samples are selected, click Play to play all samples from the
cursor position to the end of the data window.
■ If you have samples selected, click Play to play all selected samples
from the cursor position to the end of the data window.
Select the Spacebar and F12 Play/Pause instead of Play/Stop check
box in the General Preferences (⇗227) tab if you want the F12 and
spacebar keyboard shortcuts to toggle between Play and Pause mode.
In this mode, the cursor will maintain its position.
Pause: click to pause playback and leave the cursor at its current position.
Stop: click to stop playback and return the cursor to its position prior to
playback.
Go to Start: click to move the cursor to the beginning of the current file.
Rewind: click to move the cursor backward through the current file.
Forward: click to move the cursor forward through the current file.
Go to End: click to move the cursor to the end of the current file.
Remote Record: Click this button to display the Remote Record (⇗141)
window and hide the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio main window from view.
The Status Bar

The Status Bar is displayed across the bottom of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
window.
Notes:
■ The CD Time Remaining box is displayed only when CD tracks exist in the
active data window. You can use the CD Settings tab in the Preferences
dialog to specify whether the software should automatically detect CD lengths
or to set a default CD length.
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■ If the active data window's sample rate is not supported by your audio
hardware, the output will be resampled to a supported rate for playback when
you're using an ASIO audio device (⇗236). During playback, the Sample Rate
box in the Status Bar is displayed in italics to indicate that the output has been
resampled.
Edit the sample rate, bit depth, or channels

Right-click the Sample Rate, Bit Depth, or Channels box and choose a setting from the
shortcut menu, or double-click a box to display an edit box that you can use to type a new
value.
Change the status display format

Right click the Selection Length box and choose a format from the shortcut menu.
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Data Windows
Each sound file is opened in a data window. Each data window shows you a graphical
representation of the waveform and other information about the file.
You can quickly toggle the display of portions of a data window (decorations) by
right-clicking the Next Edit Tool button and choosing a command from the shortcut
menu or choosing Options > Data Window:
Title bar
Displays the sound file's title. If no title is specified on the Summary Information (⇗60)
window, the file name will be displayed.
Double-click to maximize and restore the window.
Overview bar
Allows for quick navigation and playback of any part of the file:
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■ The full waveform is displayed in the overview bar.

■ The unshaded portion of the waveform display represents the portion of the
waveform shown in the data window. You can drag this portion to navigate the
waveform.
■ The current selection is also represented in the overview bar.
■ Click in the overview bar to move the cursor.
■ Double-click to center the cursor in the waveform display.
■ Right-click in the overview bar to toggle playback of the file from the cursor position
in the data window.
■ To navigate the waveform, you can drag the unshaded portion of the waveform
display:
Hold Ctrl and drag the unshaded portion of the waveform display to scrub (⇗111)
with the audio event locator.
■ To zoom horizontally, you can drag the ends of the unshaded portion of the
waveform display:
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Video strip
When you open a file that contains a video stream, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
displays a video strip above the audio waveform to help you navigate the file. For more
information about the video strip, click here (⇗100).
Time ruler
Shows the current location in the data window as well as ruler tags.
■ Right-click to display the time ruler shortcut menu.
■ Drag to scroll the data window.
Next Edit Tool button

Click to toggle through the Edit (⇗156), Magnify (⇗156), Pencil (⇗157), and Event (⇗169)
tools.
The Pencil tool is available only at magnification levels below 1:32.
Minimize channel height

Click the Minimize button to reduce the height of individual channels, or click the
Restore button to restore their height.
Hold Shift while clicking a Minimize button to minimize all channels except for the one
you clicked.
Level ruler
Shows the amplitude of the waveform.
■ Right-click to display the level ruler shortcut menu, which allows you to change the
zoom level and labels.
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■ Drag to shift the view up or down when zoomed in vertically.
CD layout bar
The CD layout bar displays information about the tracks you've created for a disc-at-once
CD. Each CD track shows the track's number and length.
Red indicators are drawn at the right end of the CD layout bar to represent the end of the
disc (if the disc length is known).
You can use the CD layout bar to perform many of the track-editing functions from the
Track List window. (⇗92)
For more information about using the CD layout bar, please see The CD Layout Bar
(⇗90).
Level zoom
To zoom in and out vertically by small increments, click the Level Zoom In/Out buttons, or
click and drag the area between the buttons to zoom quickly.
For more information about magnification, please see Magnification and Zooming
(⇗164).
Playbar
Use the playbar transport buttons to control playback:
Button Description
Arm: opens the wave device and loads all recording buffers in order to
minimize the amount of time between clicking the Record button and
when recording starts.
When Create new window is selected in the Mode drop-down list in the
Record Options window, the Arm and Record buttons are enabled
even when no data windows are open. When Normal or Create regions is
selected, the Arm and Record buttons are not available until you create
a data window (⇗70) or open a file (⇗70).
Record: starts and stops recording. For more information, please see one of
the following topics:
■ Creating a New Recording
■ Recording into an Existing Sound File
■ Recording Audio Automatically
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Go to Start: Moves the cursor to the start of the file.

Go to Previous Track: Moves the cursor to the previous disc-at-once track or
index. Hold Ctrl while clicking to skip index markers, or hold Shift to extend a
selection.
This button is displayed only if disc-at-once tracks are present in your
data window.
Go to Next Track: Moves the cursor to the next disc-at-once track or index.
Hold Ctrl while clicking to skip index markers, or hold Shift to extend a
selection.
This button is displayed only if disc-at-once tracks are present in your
data window.
Go to End: Moves the cursor to the end of the file.
Stop: Stops playback and returns the cursor to its position prior to playback.
Play NormalPlays the file in Normal mode. —
■ If there is no selection, playback occurs from the cursor to end of file.
■ If there is a selection, playback occurs from the beginning of the
selection to the end of the selection.
Scroll bar
Within the scroll bar, the box represents the portion of the waveform shown in the
waveform display. Drag to scroll the sound file forward and backward in time to see parts
of the file not currently visible in the waveform display.
You can drag the end of the scroll box to zoom in or out:
Scrub control
Drag the scrub control ( ) at the bottom of a data window to shuttle forward or
backward from the cursor position to find an edit point.
Hover over the scrub control and roll the mouse wheel forward or backward.
You can drag the Normal Rate indicator ( ) below the scrub control to adjust playback
speed (or double-click the label to type a playback rate).
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Selection status bar

Shows the beginning, end, and length of a selection. If no selection has been made, only
the cursor position is displayed:
■ Double-click the Selection Start box to edit the current value. Press Tab or Enter
to move the cursor to the new position.
■ Double-click the Selection Start or Selection Length box to edit beginning or
ending of the selection. Press Tab or Enter to update the selection.
To update the Selection Start, Selection End, or Selection Length values quickly,
you can type + or - and a numeric value. For example, to extend the right end of a
selection one second, double-click the Selection End box and type +1. To move the
left end of a selection one minute to the left, type -1:00.
■ Right-click to display the Status Format shortcut menu, which allows you to
choose a time format (⇗33).
Time zoom
To zoom in and out horizontally by small increments, click the Time Zoom In/Out buttons,
or drag the area between the buttons to zoom quickly.
(⇗164).
Time zoom resolution

Indicates the number of samples of data represented by each point on the screen
horizontally. This determines the length of time shown in the waveform display. With a
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small resolution value (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, ...), a shorter length of time is displayed.
(⇗164).
Maximize width
Click to stretch the width of the data window to fit within the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace.
Press Ctrl+Enter.
Close data window

Click the Close button to close a data window.
If you have maximized your data windows, click the Close button in a data window
tab to close that data window.
Choosing a Status Format

From the Options menu, choose Status Format and choose a setting from the submenu
to specify the format that will be used to display the time ruler, cursor position, and
selection. A bullet is displayed next to the selected format.
Right-click the time ruler and choose a format from the shortcut menu.
Format Description
Samples Displays the ruler in samples.
Time Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds.milliseconds.
Seconds Displays the ruler in seconds.
Time & Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds.frames.
Frames
Absolute Displays the ruler with all frames numbered sequentially from the
Frames beginning of your project.
Measures Displays the ruler in measures.beats.quarter beats. Use the Edit Tempo
and Beats (⇗35) dialog to specify the tempo of a file.
SMPTE Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of
Film Sync 24 frames per second. This frame rate matches the standard crystal-sync
(24 fps) 16/33 mm film rate of 24 fps.
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EBU (25 25 frames per second. This is known as SMPTE EBU (European
fps, Video) Broadcasting Union) because European television systems run at 25 fps.
Use SMPTE 25 EBU format for PAL DV/D1 projects.
Non-Drop 29.97 frames per second, which leads to a discrepancy between real
(29.97 fps, ("wall clock") time and the SMPTE time, because there is no
Video) compensation in the counting system as there is in Drop Frame.
Use SMPTE Non-Drop format for NTSC D1 projects that will be recorded
on master tapes striped with Non-Drop timecode.
SMPTE Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds;frames with a frame rate of
Drop 29.97 fps to match the frame rate used by NTSC television systems (North
(29.97 fps, America, Japan).
Video) Use SMPTE Drop Frame format for NTSC DV/D1 projects.
Both SMPTE Drop and SMPTE Non-Drop run at 29.97 fps. In both
formats, the actual frames are not discarded, but they are numbered
differently. SMPTE Drop removes certain frame numbers the counting
system to keep the SMPTE clock from drifting from real ("wall clock") time.
The time is adjusted forward by two frames on every minute boundary
except 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50. For example, when SMPTE Drop time
increments from 00:00:59.29, the next value will be 00:01:00.02.
SMPTE 30 Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of
(30 fps, 30 frames per second.
Audio) This rate is exactly 30 fps and is commonly used when synchronizing
audio applications such as multitrack recorders or MIDI sequencers. This
format should not be used when working with video.
Audio CD Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of
Time 75 frames per second for creating disc-at-once (⇗84) CDs.
Edit If the timeline format is set to beats,SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
Tempo... requires a tempo in order to know what the duration of a beat is. This
dialog lets you specify the tempo or obtain the tempo from the current
selection.
You can also specify a beat type and manually enter the tempo in BPM.
PPQ specifies the number of ticks within a quarter note and also specifies
the precision of the beat display.
Get BMP from sel. range uses a selection and the specification Beats in
selected range to find the tempo. Snap/Grid sets grid resolution in musical
beats. Offset to project start sets an interval where the first bar in the file
should begin.
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Editing Tempo
From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and then choose Edit Tempo from the
submenu to calculate the musical tempo (in beats per minute) of a file. This tempo is used
when you use the Measures & Beats status format.
Use Time Stretch (⇗213) to change the tempo of a sound.
Specify the tempo for a file with a known tempo

1. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and then choose Edit Tempo from
the submenu. The Edit tempo dialog is displayed.
2. In the Tempo in beats per minute box, enter the tempo of the specified selection.
Changing this value will automatically change the Selection length in beats control.
3. In the Number of beats in a measure, enter the number of beats in a measure.
Calculate the tempo for a file based on a selection

1. Create a selection equal to one measure. If no selection is made, the entire file will
be used.
The easiest way to tune a selection to be exactly one measure long is to play
the selection looped and change the selection points until a constant
downbeat is heard.
2. From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and then choose Edit Tempo from
the submenu. The Edit tempo dialog is displayed.
3. In the Selection length in beatsbox, enter the number of beats in the current
selection.
4. In the Number of beats in a measure, enter the number of beats in a measure.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software calculates the tempo and updates the
Tempo in beats per minute control.
Arranging Data Windows

You can use the commands on the Window menu to arrange data windows in the
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace.
Press Ctrl+Tab to switch forward through the open windows, or press
Ctrl+Shift+Tab to switch backward through the open windows.
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Command Description
New Creates a new data window. For more information, see Creating a New
Window Window (⇗70)
Cascade Arranges all open data windows so they overlap with the title bar of each
window remaining visible.
Tile Arranges all open data windows top to bottom with no overlapping.
Horizontally This command affects only nonminimized windows.
Tile Arranges all open data windows left to right with no overlapping.
Vertically This command affects only non-minimized windows.
Arrange Arranges minimized data windows at the bottom of the workspace.
Icons For example, if you had scads of minimized data windows littering the
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace, this command would arrange
them neatly at the bottom of the workspace. Mom would be so pleased!
Maximize Maximizes all open data windows. Tabs for each data window also appear if
All the Tabs for maximized data windows setting on the Preferences > Display
tab is set to Top or Bottom. For more information, see Display Preferences
(⇗231)
Minimize All Minimizes all open data windows.
Restore All Restores all minimized windows to their previous window size and position.
Close All Closes all open data windows.
Window List Displays a list of all open data windows. Choose a window from the menu to
switch focus to that data window.
Saving and Recalling Window Layouts

A window layout stores the sizes and positions of all windows and floating window docks
in the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace.
You can store any number of window layouts on your computer, and up to ten window
layouts are available in the View menu (and via keyboard shortcuts) so you can quickly
recall frequently used layouts. For example, you could have a layout dedicated to disc-at-
once CD creation and another for ADR work.
Window layouts are saved in C:\Users\[user
name]\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\SOUND FORGE Audio Studio\16.0\. You can
transfer layouts between computers by copying the .ForgeWindowLayout files.
Save a window layout

Press Ctrl+Alt+D, release the keys, and then press a number on your keyboard (not
the numeric keypad) to save the layout in that space.
1. Arrange the windows and docked windows as desired.
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2. From the View menu, choose Window Layouts, and then choose Save Layout As
from the submenu. The Save Layout As dialog is displayed.
Choose Save Layout from the submenu if you want to update the current window
layout. A bullet ( ) is displayed next to the current layout.
3. In the Name box, type the name you want to use to identify the layout. This name
will be used in the Organize Layouts dialog.
4. Choose a setting from the Shortcut drop-down list to set the shortcut that will be
used to load the layout.
For example, if you choose 4, you could press Alt+Shift+D, release the keys, and
then press 4 on your keyboard to load the layout.
5. The Folder box displays the path to the folder where the layout will be saved.
Window layouts are saved to C:\Users\[user
name]\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\SOUND FORGE Audio Studio\16.0\ by default.
You can click the Browse button to choose a different folder.
6. Click OK to save the new layout.
Load a saved layout

From the View menu, choose Window Layouts, and then choose the window layout you
want to use from the submenu.
To load a layout quickly, press Alt+Shift+D, release the keys, and then press a
number on your keyboard (not the numeric keypad) to recall the layout saved in that
in that space. If no layout is saved in that space, nothing will happen when you
press the shortcut.
If you've modified the current window layout, choose Window Layouts, and then choose
Reload Selected Layout from the submenu to reset the window layout to the last-saved
version.
Add a layout to the View > Window Layouts submenu

1. From the View menu, choose Window Layouts, and then choose Organize Layouts
from the submenu. The Organize Layouts dialog is displayed.
2. Select a layout in the Available layouts in current folder box.
This box lists the .ForgeWindowLayout files in the folder displayed in the Current
layout folder box. If the layout you want to use is saved in a different folder, you can
click the Browse button to choose a new folder.
3. Select a layout in the Current layouts in menu box.
4. Click the Assign (or Replace) buttonor double-click a layout in the Available layouts
in current folder box -to add the layout to the View > Window Layouts submenu.
You can click the Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the order of the
layouts in the menu.
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5. Click the Activate button -or double-click a layout in the Current layouts in menu box
-to apply the selected layout to the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace.
6. Click OK to close the Organize Layouts dialog and apply your changes.
Remove a layout from the View > Window Layouts submenu

2. Select a layout in the Current layouts in menu box.
3. Click the Clear button to remove the selected layout from the View > Window
Layouts submenu.
If you want to replace the selected layout, select a layout in the Available layouts in
current folder box and click the Replace button.
Removing a layout from the View > Window Layouts submenu does not remove the
.ForgeWindowLayout file from your computer.
Delete a layout from your computer

2. Select a layout in the Available layouts in current folder box.
3. Click the Delete Layout button to remove the selected layout from your computer.
You cannot delete a layout that is included in the Current layouts in menu list. First,
select the layout in the Current layouts in menu list and click the Clear button. Next,
select the layout in the Available layouts in current folder list and click the Delete
Layout button.
The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Windows

Docking and Undocking Windows
Your workspace can become cluttered quickly if you have several windows and toolbars
visible.
You can create multiple window docks to organize your SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
windows. These docks can be anchored to the perimeter of the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace, or they can float over the workspace or on a secondary monitor.
Tips:
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■ To dock a window, drag it to a floating dock or to any edge of the SOUND

FORGE Audio Studio workspace.
■ To undock a window, click the handle and drag it out of the docking area or
floating dock.
■ To prevent a window from docking when you drag it, hold the Ctrl key.
When the Allow floating windows to dock check box on the General (⇗227) tab of the
Preferences dialog is cleared, windows will not dock unless you hold the Ctrl key. When
the check box is selected, you can prevent a window from docking by holding the Ctrl key.
■ To expand a docked window so it fills the docking area, click the Maximize button .
Click again to restore the window to its previous size.
■ To close a window in the docking area or a floating dock, click the Close button .
You can dock several windows in the same area of the screen, and the windows will be
layered. Click a window’s tab to bring it to the top.
The Explorer Window

From the View menu, choose Explorer to toggle the display of the Explorer window.
You can use the Explorer window to find, preview, and open media files. You can also
drag files or regions from the Explorer window to an open data window to paste (⇗158) or
mix (⇗160) the data. Click the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste
drag-and-drop modes.
If the Always open dropped files in new window check box on the General (⇗227)
page of the Preferences dialog is cleared, you can also drag a file (or region) from
the Explorer window to a data window to paste (⇗158) or mix (⇗160) the data. Click
the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste drag-and-drop
modes.
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Learn more about the Explorer window
Item Name Description

Address Displays the current folder. You may also specify a particular file
Bar type to display. To specify a file type, make sure that All Files is not
selected in the Views button menu and click on the combo box.
Type the wildcard followed by the extension. For example, *.wav
or ?intro?.avi
Tree View Displays all of the available files and folders where you can find
media files.
Contents Displays the folders and media files contained in the active folder.
Pane
Up Opens the folder one level above the active folder.
Refresh Refreshes the contents of the active folder.
If you insert a new CD (or other removable media), click to refresh
the Explorer.
New Creates a new folder within the active folder.
Folder
Delete Deletes the selected folder or file.
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Add to My Adds the selected folder to the Favorites folder in the address bar.
Favorites The Favorites folder contains links to folders that you use most
often.
Start Plays the selected media file.
Preview
Stop Stops the playback of the selected media file.
Preview
Auto Automatically preview media files when you click them in the
Preview Explorer window.
Views Allows you to change the way the files are viewed in the list view.
Tree View: Displays all of the available drives and folders
that you may choose from to find files.
Region Displays any regions that have been defined in
View: the selected media file.
Summary Displays a short description of the selected
View: media file at the bottom of the Explorer window.
Details: Displays the file size, date and when the
filewas last created or last modified.
All Files: Displays all file types in the active folder.
Preview a file
If the Auto Preview button is selected, you can click a file in the Explorer to audition it.
You can stop the preview by clicking the Stop Preview button in the Explorer, or you
can turn off the preview feature by deselecting the Auto Preview button.
When the Auto Preview button is not selected, click the Start Preview button to start
preview.
Open files
Double-click a file in the Explorer or drag it to the workspace.
Tips:
■ To open multiple files, Ctrl+click (or Shift+click) to select the files and drag
them to the workspace.
■ To add a track from an audio CD, browse to your CD drive and double-click a
.cda file (or drag it to the workspace). SOUND FORGE Audio Studio will
prompt you to enter a name for the file and will extract the CD track.
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Use the Favorites folder

Select the Favorites folder or choose Favorites from the Address Bar to view the
contents of the Favorites folder. This folder contains shortcuts to folders that you use
often.
Favorites are saved in the following folder: C:\Users\[user
name]\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio\16\ExplorerFavorites.txt. The file is saved whenever you close the Explorer
window or exit the application. You can copy the file to different computers or user
accounts to migrate Favorites settings. To see this file, you must have the Show
hidden files and folders radio button selected on the View tab of the Folder Options
Control Panel.
Adding a folder to the Favorites folder

1. Browse to the folder you want to add.
2. Right-click the folder and choose Add Folder to My Favorites from the shortcut
menu to create a shortcut to the folder.
Removing a folder from the Favorites folder

1. Select the Favorites folder.
2. Right-click the folder you want to delete and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Deleting a folder from Favorites deletes only the shortcut to the folder; the target folder is
unaffected.
File Properties
From the View menu, choose File Properties to view or edit information saved in the
active file.
This information is saved with the file and can be displayed by media players when you
save your project in a different file format.
Tips:
■ Double-click the Sample Rate, Bit Depth, Channels, or File Length box in the status
bar (⇗25) to edit properties quickly:
■ If you want to sort the contents of a metadata window, you can click a column
heading to sort in ascending or descending order. Hold Ctrl and click a column
heading to return to the default sort order.
■ If you want to copy metadata to the clipboard, right-click the window and choose
Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu.
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■ If you want to customize the format for copying metadata to the clipboard, right-click
the window and choose Custom Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu.
The Copy Metadata dialog is displayed to let you choose whether you want to copy
the data as formatted text or delimited text, set a delimiter, and choose whether you
want to include a header row. Click OK to copy the metadata to the clipboard, and
you can then paste the information wherever you need it.
Item Description
File The name of the file saved on disk.
name
Location The folder where the file is saved.
File size The size of the file on disk.
File Indicates whether file attributes (read-only, hidden, etc.) have been set.
attributes
Last The date and time the file was saved.
saved
File type The file type for the file.
Audio The format used to save the audio stream.
format
Audio Click the down arrow and choose a sample rate from the drop-down
sample list, or choose Custom to type a value in the edit box to set the number of
rate samples per second used to represent the audio.
Notes:
■ This setting will not resample the sound file. If the playback
rate is different from the originally recorded rate, the pitch will
vary unless the file is resampled.
■ If the active data window's sample rate is not supported by
your audio hardware, the output will be resampled to a
supported rate for playback when you're using an ASIO audio
device (⇗236). During playback, the Sample Rate box in the
Status Bar is displayed in italics to indicate that the output has
been resampled.
Audio bit Displays the bit rate of the audio file.

rate
Audio bit Click the down arrow and choose a bit depth from the drop-down list to
depth set the number of bits used to represent each sample.
Use the Bit-Depth Converter (⇗202) to perform advanced conversion.
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Audio Click the down arrow and choose a setting from the drop-down list to
channels set the number of channels stored in the file.
Use the Channel Converter to perform advanced channel mixing.
Audio The duration (in time and samples) of the audio file.
length
Video Displays the format used to save the video stream.
format
Video Displays the frame size, color depth and frame rate of the video stream.
attributes
Video Displays the length (in time and frames) of the video stream.
length
Video Displays the field order of the video stream. Click the down arrow and
field choose a setting from the drop-down list to change the field order.
order
Video Displays the pixel aspect ratio of the video stream. Click the down arrow
pixel and choose a setting from the drop-down list to change the pixel aspect
aspect ratio.
ratio Computers display pixels as squares, or a ratio of 1.0. Televisions display
pixels as rectangles (ratios other than 1.0).
Using the incorrect setting can result in distortion or stretching. Consult
your capture/video output card's manual for the proper settings.
Time Display
From the View menu, choose Time Display to open or close the Time Display window.
The Time Display window displays the current cursor or play position.
To change the display options (⇗44), right-click the Time Display window and choose a
command from the shortcut menu, or choose Time Display from the Options menu and
choose a command from the submenu.
Choosing Time Display Options

From the Options menu, choose Time Display and choose an option from the submenu to
adjust the Time Display (⇗44) window settings.
To display the Time Display window, choose Time Display from the View menu.
Right-click the Time Display window and choose an option from the shortcut menu.
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Passive Update: When selected, the Time Display window will only be updated when the
processor is idle. Use this when using a slow computer to prevent the audio from
glitching. The smallest increments may not be exact, but the major time increments will
be accurate.
Selecting this option can prevent gapping during playback on slower computers.
Channel Meters
From the View menu, choose Channel meters to show or hide the channel meters. peak
level meters are provided in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio to monitor audio levels.
The peak meters display instantaneous levels during playback to help you determine the
loudest level in your audio signal and whether the signal is clipping.
To prevent clipping, keep an eye on your peak meters. Peak levels should never exceed
0 dB.
Peak Meter V2 (⇗119) or Oscilloscope (⇗120)

Peak Meter (⇗1)
Show or hide the Play Meters window

From the View menu, choose Channel Meters to open or close the channel meters. You
can dock (⇗38) the Channel Meters window on any edge of the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace.
Reset clip indicators

When clipping is detected, the peak meter displays a red clipping indicator.
Do any of the following to reset the indicator:

■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, and then choose Reset Clip from
the submenu.
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■ Right-click the play meter and choose Reset Clip from the shortcut menu.
■ Click the red Clip indicator.
Change the meters' display resolution

The peak meters display levels in dB FS. To change the resolution of the meters, do
either of the following:
■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, choose Peak Range from the
submenu, and then choose a display range. Next, choose a peak range.
■ Right-click the channel meter, choose Peak Range from the submenu, and then
choose a display range.
Choosing a wide range allows you to see low-level signals at the expense of precision
display at high levels.
Change the meters' display options

You can choose whether labels, peaks, and valleys are displayed in the meters and
whether the meters are displayed on top of other windows when they are not docked.
Do either of the following to change the meters' display options:
■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, and then choose a command
from the submenu.
■ Right-click the meters and choose a command from the shortcut menu.
Command Function
Show Toggles the meter level labels on and off.
Labels
Hold Peaks When selected, the highest peak levels are represented by a thin line on the
meter.
Hold When selected, the lowest peak levels are represented by a thin line on the
Valleys meter.
To change the layout of the meters in the Channel Meters window, right click the meters,
choose Layout from the shortcut menu, and then choose a command from the submenu.
Command Function
Stretch to When selected, the meters will stretch to fit the size of the window.
Fit
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Narrow Toggles narrow- or normal-width meters. Using narrow meters can

Width conserve screen space.
Narrow meter
Normal Display
Route channels to hardware outputs

You can change channel assignments from the Audio tab (⇗236) in the Preferences
dialog or the Channel Meters window. Changing the setting in either location updates
your preferences and affects all open data windows.
To change a channel's output device using the Channel Meters window, click the channel
number and choose a new output port from the menu:
Loudness Meters
From the View menu, choose Loudness Meters to display the Loudness Meters window.
The Loudness Meters tool provides data about an audio file's momentary loudness,
short-term loudness, integrated (overall) loudness, and loudness range. You can use
these values when mastering for broadcast to ensure compliance with loudness
standards (such as the CALM Act).
The meters display real-time values for each of the following measurements:
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■ The M meter represents the momentary loudness — in loudness units (LU) — across
all audio channels based on 400-millisecond integration windows. The Momentary
box displays a numeric representation of the momentary loudness.
■ The S meter represents the short-term loudness — in loudness units — across all
audio channels based on 3-second integration windows. The Short box displays a
numeric representation of the short-term loudness.
■ The I meter represents the integrated loudness — in loudness units — across all
audio channels over the duration of the program. The Integrated box displays a
numeric representation of the integrated loudness and includes an over-target
indicator.
■ The LRA meter represents the loudness range — in loudness units — of the
momentary and short-term levels. The Loudness Range measurement provides a
standardized method of determining the dynamic range of the signal.
■ The True peaks meter represents the peak levels in dB FS. True peaks are
calculated using a higher sample rate than peaks in the Channel Meters window for
increased accuracy.
The True Peaks indicator shows you whether the target loudness has been
exceeded. The indicator is reset when you restart playback, or you can right-click
the Loudness Meters window and choose Reset Clip from the shortcut menu.
The statistics on the left side of the window display the last-calculated values and are
reset when you restart playback. You can reset the values by right-clicking the Loudness
Meters window and choosing Reset Metering Engine from the shortcut menu.
Tips:
■ Loudness is recalculated whenever you start, stop, seek, or change playback
direction. If you want to force a recalculation, right-click the window and
choose Reset Metering Engine from the shortcut menu.
■ Select the Enable surround processing for files with 6 channelscheck box on
the Status (⇗234) tab of the Preferences dialog if you want to treat audio with
six channels as surround audio when measuring loudness (a gain of ~1.5 dB
is applied to the left and right surround channels). When the check box is
cleared, all channels contribute equally to the loudness measurement.
Choose a metering mode

To change the mode of the meters, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu, and
then choose EBU R 128 Mode or ATSC A 85 Mode from the submenu (you can also right-
click the meter to set its options).
■ When using EBU R 128 Mode, the target value of the Integrated meter is -23 LUFS,
and the maximum True peak value is -1.0 dB FS. Use this mode when you're
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mastering to European Broadcasting Union (EBU) standards.

■ When using ATSC A 85 Mode, the target value of the Integrated meter is -24 LUFS,
mastering to North American Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)
standards.
The over-target indicators will be triggered if the target values for Integrated and True
peak meters are exceeded.
Choose a loudness scale

To change the scale of the meter, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu,
choose Loudness Scale, and then choose EBU +9 or EBU +18 from the submenu (you
can also right-click the meter to set its options).
■ When using EBU +9, the meters are displayed with a range of -18 to +9 LU.
Select Absolute (-23 LUFS) if you want to display loudness values as Loudness Units Full
Scale (LUFS). When Absolute (-23 LUFS) is not selected, all values are expressed as
Loudness Units (LU) relative to the selected mode (EBU R 128 Mode or ATSC A 85
Mode).
Configure peak meters

To toggle the True Peaks meters in the Loudness Meters window, choose Loudness
Meters from the Options menu, and then choose Show True Peak Meter from the
submenu (you can also right-click the meter to set its options).
Please note that true peaks are calculated using a higher sample rate than peaks in
the Channel Meters (⇗114) for increased accuracy.
Peak levels may be miscalculated if audio signals are asymmetrical or if a DC offset is

present. To enable filtering, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu, and then
choose True Peak Blocking Filter from the submenu (you can also right-click the meter to
set its options). When True Peak Blocking Filter is selected, peaks are calculated as the
maximum of the filtered and unfiltered signals.
The True Peaks meters display levels in dB FS. To change the resolution of the meters,
do either of the following:
■ From the Options menu, choose Loudness Meters, choose True Peak Range from
the submenu, and then choose a display range.
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■ Right-click the Loudness meter, choose True Peak Range from the submenu, and
then choose a display range.
Record Options
From the View menu, choose Record Options to open the Record Options window. You
can use this window to configure various options for recording in SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio.
The top of the Record Options window displays the current record status, attributes,
time recorded, and time left on your hard drive.
Choose a recording method

Choose a setting from the Method drop-down list to choose what happens when you start
recording:
■ Manual: Recording starts at the cursor position or selection. Use this mode for
general-purpose recording, punch-in recording, or voiceover work. For more
information, please see Creating a New Recording or Recording into an Existing
Sound File.
■ Automatic: Threshold: Recording starts when the audio reaches a specified level
and stops when the audio falls below that level for a specified duration. For more
information, please see Recording Audio Automatically.
■ Automatic: Time: Recording starts at the date and time you specify and stops after
the specified duration. For more information, please see Recording Audio
Automatically.
Choose a recording mode

Choose a setting from the Mode drop-down list to choose what happens after you stop (or
pause) and restart recording:
■ Normal: Click the Record or Stop button to end recording, or click the Pause
button to suspend recording and leave the recording device armed.
■ Create regions: A new region is created each time you restart or resume recording.
If you're recording into a time selection with Loop Playback enabled, SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio does not create a new region for each loop.
■ Create new windows: A new window is created each time you restart or resume
recording.
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Notes:
■ When Create new window is selected, the Arm and Record buttons on
the main toolbar are enabled even when no data windows are open. When
Normal or Create regions is selected, the Arm and Record buttons are
not available until you create a data window (⇗70) or open a file.
■ When Create new window is selected, punch-in recording is not available. For
more information, please see Recording into an Existing Sound File.
Set up input monitoring
Turning input monitoring on or off

Choose On,Off, or Auto from the Monitor drop-down list to toggle record input monitoring.
When Auto is selected, the input is monitored during pre/post-roll and during recording
only.
Monitoring unselected channels when recording

Select the Play unselected channels when recording check box to if you want to monitor
additional channels while recording.
■ When the check box is selected, all unselected audio channels will play when
you're recording into the selected channels.
This setting is useful when you're recording to backing tracks. For example, if you
have a four-channel audio file, you could place backing tracks on channels 1 and 2
and record into channels 3 and 4. Select channels 3 and 4, and select the Play
unselected channels when recording check box. When you start recording, your
audio is recorded into channels 3 and 4, and you'll be able to monitor channels 1
and 2 while recording.
■ When the check box is cleared, unselected audio channels will play only during
pre/post roll.
Adjust for DC offset

SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software can automatically adjust for any DC offset
(⇗257) produced by your audio hardware during the recording process.
1. Set up your hardware. For more information see Recording Setup (⇗133).
2. From the View menu, choose Record Options to open the Record Options window.
3. Click the Arm button on the main toolbar.
4. Ensure your recording input is quiet.
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5. Select the DC adjust check box.

6. Click the Calibrate button.
If you change sound cards or are recording from different digital sources or at different
sample rates, you should recalibrate the DC offset before recording.
Instant Actions
In the Instant Actions window, various frequently used tasks are available as quick
shortcuts.
It is split into several sections.

■ Workspace: Here you can access frequently used program preference settings and
Window Layouts (⇗36).
■ Default Layout: Minimal standard layout, only the data windows, instant
actions and the level display (⇗114) are open.
■ Audio Editing Layout: In addition to the level meters, the time display (⇗44) is
opened.
■ Mastering Layout: In addition, Explorer, Loudness Meter (⇗116), the File
Properties (⇗42) and the Overview Information (⇗60) are displayed.
■ VST Settings and Audio Settings opens the corresponding tabs VST (⇗240)
and Audio (⇗236) in the Preferences dialog.
■ With Level meters, Oscilloscope and Spectroscope you can switch the level
display.
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■ Import: Here you will find the most important tasks for loading audio into SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio: creating new files and opening existing files, the most
recently used files list, the CD import and the recording function.
■ Effects: Here you have access to effects processing by the wizardFX (⇗221),
Ozone Elements and Normalize (⇗206) .
■ Editing: Here you can find scripts for automatic editing of audio files.
Most functions are also accessible from the Explorer context menu. (⇗75).
Additionally there are the Instant Actions
■ Shorten Silence: This option creates regions over all sections that contain
spoken word. A dialog asks for the maximum level of silence and the
maximum length of pauses within a region. You can also determine the level
of silence by selecting an area in the file that contains silence before
performing the action.
■ Word Regions: This option creates regions over all sections that contain
spoken word. A dialog asks for the maximum level of silence in between and
the maximum length of the pauses within a region. Here, too, the maximum
level of silence can be determined by a prior range selection.
■ Mastering: Here you will find a number of presets for mastering audio material.
■ The first 6 mastering presets (Modern Master, Smooth Limiting...) are presets
for the included iZotope Ozone mastering plugin.
■ There are also presets for mastering to the specifications of the Youtube,
Spotify and Soundcloud publishing platforms.
■ Export: The most important export functions are available here.
■ Save and Save as...
■ Burn CD
■ Youtube, Spotify, SoundCloud: The file is saved in the format recommended
for the respective publishing platform.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio cannot upload audio files to these
platforms, you have to upload it on the web site of the platform!
■ ACX Check: Check, if you audio file complies to the ACX standard with this
action.
■ ACX Export: Saves the file conforming to the ACX standard for audio books.
■ Regions: The regions marked in the audio file are exported as individual files.
The result files receive the original file name, supplemented by the number
and the name of the region.
■ Region list: A list of the regions contained in the file is exported as a text file.
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■ Statistics: The function Statistics (⇗97) is executed and the results are saved
in a text file.
The areas can be opened and closed individually with a simple mouse click on its name.
To show or hide the Instant Action window, use Menu View > Instant Actions or keyboard
shortcut Ctrl + Alt + 6.
Metadata Windows
From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose a command from the submenu
to display metadata windows, where you can view and edit information about the current
data window.
Tips:
heading to sort in ascending or descending order.
■ If you want to copy metadata to the clipboard, right-click the window and
choose Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu.
■ If you want to display all metadata windows docked together, choose View >
Metadata > Show All, and then choose a command from the submenu to
indicate where you'd like to display the docked window.
Regions List
From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Regions List to open or close
the Regions List window. The Regions List contains all regions (⇗182) and markers
(⇗181) that exist in the active data window.
Tips:
■ To play a region, click the Play button to the left of each region.
■ Selecting a marker or region (by clicking the leftmost numbered column)
moves the cursor or selection in the data window.
■ Click a column heading to sort the results in ascending or
descending order based on the column's contents.
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■ You can edit a region by typing new values in the Name, Start, End, or Length
boxes.
The Track List Window

From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Track List to toggle the display
of the Track List window.
The Track List window is essentially a text representation of the events on the CD layout
bar (⇗90) for a disc-at-once CD. You can use the Track List window to view track and
index markers, edit track position and length, edit track names, adjust pause time, toggle
protection and emphasis flags, and edit ISRC data.
You can also copy, save, and print the contents of the Track List window if you need to
provide a track list to a CD duplicator.
Rearrange tracks
1. Click in the numbered column to select a row.
2. Drag the row to a new position.
The track is moved to the position where you drop it, and the timeline is updated.
Edit track position and length

Double-click the Start, End, and Length boxes and type a new value in the box to edit a
CD track's starting or ending point or length.
Typing a new value in the boxes has the same effect as moving or resizing the CD track
on the CD layout bar:
■ Editing the Start or End value moves the track forward or backward in time while
preserving its length.
■ Editing only the Length value changes the track's ending time while preserving its
start time.
Adjust pause time

Double-click the Pause box to edit the pause time (⇗264) between tracks. Type a new
value in the box, and tracks will move accordingly in the timeline.
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Toggle protection and emphasis flags

Select the Prot check box to add a flag to the Q subcode (⇗266) to prevent digital copying
of your CD.
In order to use copy protection, the CD player must support the copy-protection flag.
Select the Emph check box to add a pre-emphasis flag to the Q subcode.
Pre-emphasis is a basic noise-reduction process that is implemented by a CD player.
Emphasis involves boosting high frequencies during CD writing and cutting those
frequencies during playback. The emphasis process reduces high-frequency noise
without disrupting the natural frequency of the source material.
Selecting the Emph check box does not impart the pre-emphasis boost on a track; it can
only set the flag. In order for pre-emphasis to occur, the CD recorder and player must
support the flag. Check your CD drive documentation to determine whether your drive
supports pre-emphasis flags.
Edit ISRC codes

The Track List window allows you to specify an ISRC (International Standard Recording
Code) that will be used to identify the tracks on your disc.
For more information about ISRC codes, click here.
1. Double-click the ISRC box in a track row.
2. Type the appropriate code for the track.
3. Press Enter.
Industry Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) were designed to identify CD tracks.
The ISRC code is a 12-character alphanumeric sequence in the following format:
Field A B C D E
Sample ISRC SE T38 86 302 12
Field Description
A Country — Represents the recording's country of origin.
B First Owner — Assigned ID for the producer of the project. Each country has
a board that assigns these codes.
C Year of Recording — Represents the year the recording was made.
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D Recording — Represents the recording's serial number made by the same

producer in that year:
■ This value will use three digits (300-999) when the CD has 10 or more
tracks.
■ This value will use four digits (0001-2999) when the CD has 9 or fewer
tracks.
E Recording Item (1 or 2 digits) — Identifies tracks on a CD (each track can
have a different ISRC code).
Create a track list (PQ list or cue sheet)

You can right-click the Track List window and choose Copy Track List to Clipboard,
Export Track List, or Print Track List to share your track list information with another
application or with a CD-replication house.
For more information about creating track lists, click here (⇗94).
ACID Properties
From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose ACID Properties from the
submenu to display the ACID Properties window, where you can view and edit ACID-
specific information in a sound file.
Tips:
heading to sort in ascending or descending order.
■ If you want to copy metadata to the clipboard, right-click the window and
choose Copy to Clipboard from the shortcut menu.
■ If you want to display all metadata windows docked together, choose View >
Metadata > Show All, and then choose a command from the submenu to
indicate where you'd like to display the docked window.
Item Description
Time Displays the number of beats in your clip and the note that receives one
signature beat.
You can double-click the value to edit it
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ACID type Displays the clip's ACID type.

Click the down arrow and choose a setting from the drop-down list to
change the clip type:
One-Shot Choose One-Shot if you want ACID to treat your file
as a one-shot.
One-shots are RAM-based audio clips that do not
change tempo or pitch with an ACID project and are
not designed to loop. Sounds such as cymbal crashes
and sound bites could be considered one-shots.
Longer files can be treated as one-shots if your
computer has sufficient memory.
Loop Choose Loop and specify a Number of beats and
Root note for transposing if you want ACID to treat
your file as a loop.
Loops are small audio clips that are designed to
create a repeating beat or pattern. Loops are usually
one to four measures long and are stored completely
in RAM for playback. Loop files change tempo and
can pitch shift with an ACID project.
■ Root note for transposing: Click the down arrow
and choose a note from the drop-down list to
set the base note for tracks that you want to
conform to the project key.
If you do not want a track transposed to the
project key (a track that contains a drum
sample, for example) choose Don’t transpose.
■ Number of beats: Double-click to edit the length
of the file. Selecting a value that does not match
the actual file will cause ACID to play the loop at
a different speed than normal. For example,
specifying a length of 8 beats for a 4-beat loop
will cause the loop to play at half speed at any
given tempo.
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ACID Choose ACID Beatmapped if you want to add key

Beatmapped and tempo information to a long audio file. By
default, ACID will start the Beatmapper Wizard for
files longer than 30 seconds.
■ Root note for transposing: Click the down
arrow and choose a note from the drop-
down list to set the base note for tracks that
you want to conform to the project key.
If you do not want a track transposed to the
project key (a track that contains a drum
sample, for example) choose Don’t
transpose.
■ Tempo: Double-click to edit the original
tempo of the clip.
■ Downbeat offset (samples): Double-click to
edit the location (in samples) of the track's
first downbeat.
CD Information
From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose CD Information from the
submenu to display the CD Information metadata window, where you can view and edit
information about a disc-at-once (⇗84) audio CD.
Item Description
Universal Universal product codes (UPC) or media catalog numbers (MCN) can
Product be written to a CD as a means of identification. However, not all CD-R
Code/Media drives support this feature. Check your CD-R drive documentation to
Catalog determine if your drive will write these codes.
Number Type the code in this box, and the codes will be written to the CD with
the rest of the project.
Universal product codes are administered by GS1 US. For more
information, click here.
First track Type a number in the box to specify the track number of the first track.
number on Specifying a value other than 1 will produce a valid Red Book CD, but
disc some audio CD players may be unable to play the disc
Name/Title Type a title for the project.
Artist Type the name of the artist.
Engineer Type the name of the person who mixed or edited the project.
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Copyright Type copyright information for the project.

Comments Type any comments you want to associate with the project.
Summary Information
From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Summary Information from the
submenu to display the Summary Information window, where you can view and edit
information saved in the active file.
If the data you want to edit is not displayed in the window, you can right-click the window,
choose Insert from the submenu, and then choose a metadata field from the submenu.
FourCC Name Description
Code
IARL Archival Indicates where the subject of the file is archived.
Location
IART Artist (CD Text) The artist of the original subject of the file.
ICMS Commissioned The name of the person or organization that
commissioned the subject of the file.
ICMT Comments General comments about the file or the subject of the file.
If the comment is several sentences long, end each
sentence with a period. Do not include new-line
characters.
ICOP Copyright Copyright information for the file. For example, ©
Copyright 2022 MAGIX Software GmbH If there are
multiple copyrights, separate them with a semicolon
followed by a space.
ICRD Creation Date The date the subject of the file was created. List dates in
year-month-day format, padding one-digit months and
days with a zero on the left. For example, 1964-03-02 for
March 2, 1964.
ICRP Cropped Describes whether an image or sound has been cropped
and, if so, how it was cropped. For example, Third
movement, first through fourth bars.
IDIM Dimensions The size of the original subject of the file. For example,
8.5 in h, 11 in w.
IDPI Dots Per Inch The dots-per-inch setting of the digitizer used to produce
the file.
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IENG Engineer The name of the engineer who worked on the file. If there
are multiple engineers, separate the names by a
semicolon and a blank: Engineer, Joe; Mixer, Matt.
IGNR Genre Describes the classification of the original work.
IKEY Keywords Separate multiple keywords with a semicolon and a
blank: Madison; aerial view; scenery.
ILGT Lightness Describes the changes in lightness settings on the
digitizer required to produce the file. The format of this
information depends on hardware used.
IMED Medium Describes the format of the original subject of the file.
INAM Name/Title (CD The title of the subject of the file, such as Madison From
Text) Above.
IPLT Palette Setting The number of colors requested when digitizing an
image.
IPRD Product The name of the title the file was originally intended for,
such as Encyclopedia of Midwest Geography.
ISBJ Subject Describes the contents of the file, such as Aerial view of
Madison.
ISFT Software The name of the software package used to create the file.
ISHP Sharpness Identifies the changes in sharpness for the digitizer

required to produce the file. The format of this
information depends on the hardware used.
ISRC Source The name of the person or organization who supplied the
original subject of the file.
ISRF Source Form The original form of the material that was digitized, such
as slide, paper, map, and so forth. This is not necessarily
the same as IMED.
ITCH Technician The technician who digitized the file.
DISP Sound Scheme Sets the title that is displayed for Microsoft Sound
Title Systems.
TLEN Text Length The length of the file in milliseconds.
(ms)
TRCK Track Number The track number of the media from the original source
media.
TURL URL The Web address associated with the file.
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TVER Version Sets the version of the file. You can use versioning
information to keep track of multiple mixes.
LOCA Location Identifies the location where the file was recorded.
TORG Organization Identifies the organization that produced the track.
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How Do I. . . ?
HOW DO I. . . ?
This section of the help file answers some commonly asked questions about SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio software.
We also maintain forums on our Web site where you can share tips and tricks with other
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio users.
Mixing Multiple Files

While SOUND FORGE Audio Studio is not a multitrack editor check out our Vegas and
ACID family of products for full multitrack recording and editing you can perform basic
mixing from separate audio files.
1. Open (⇗70) the files you want to mix.
2. Click the New button on the toolbar to create a new data window.
This step is optional, but for this example, we're going to perform our mixing in a
new data window so we don't change our original sound files.
3. From the Window menu, choose Tile Horizontally or Tile Vertically so you can see
all open data windows.
4. Copy the first file to your new (blank) data window:
A Click the first data window to give it focus, and then press Ctrl+A to select all
sound data.
B Click the Copy button on the toolbar to copy the data to the clipboard.
C Click the blank data window to give it focus.
D Click the Paste button on the toolbar to paste the data to the new data
window.
5. Mix the second file to the new data window:
A Click the second data window to give it focus, and then press Ctrl+A to select
all sound data.
B Click the Copy button on the toolbar to copy the data to the clipboard.
C Click the blank data window to give it focus.
D Click to position the cursor where you want to mix your audio.
6. Click the Mix button on the toolbar to mix the audio from the clipboard at the
cursor position. The Mix dialog is displayed.
7. Use the faders in the Mix dialog to adjust your mix and fade in/out levels. You can
click the Preview button to audition your mix.
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How Do I. . . ?
For more information about using the controls in the Mix dialog, please see the Mix
(⇗160) help topic.
8. Click the OK button when you're satisfied with your mix.
How Do I Create ACID Loops with SOUND FORGE

Audio Studio?
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio makes it easy to create ACID loops from other audio files.
In this example, we'll create a loop from a longer recording, and then we'll edit the loop's
ACID properties (⇗57) so it is properly detected when you add it to an ACID project.
1. Open (⇗70) the file you want to use to create your new loop.
2. Create a one-measure selection (⇗142).
From the Options menu, choose Selection Grid Lines. Grid lines are displayed over
your selection to divide the selection into equal parts.
You can use these grid lines to align your selection with beats:
To change the number of divisions that will be used, choose Options > Set
Grid Divisions, and then choose a setting from the submenu.
3. Select the Loop Playback button , and then click the Play button to preview
your selection. Drag the ends of the selection as necessary until you hear a steady
downbeat.
4. Now let's create a new window for our loop so we don't modify the original file:
A Click the Copy button on the main toolbar to copy the selection to the
clipboard.
B From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Paste to New. A
new data window is created from your selection.
5. Now we're ready to set the loop's tempo:
A From the Options menu, choose Status Format, and then choose Edit Tempo
from the submenu. The Edit tempo dialog is displayed.
B Use the Selection length in beats control to indicate the number of beats in the
current selection. If you're creating a loop in 4/4 time, type 4 in this box.
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How Do I. . . ?
C Use the Number of beats in a measure control to indicate the number of beats
in a measure. Again, if you're creating a loop in 4/4 time, type 4 in this box.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio calculates the tempo of the selection and
updates the Tempo in beats per minute value.
If the tempo seems too high (200 BPM when you expected 100 BPM, for
example), the selection you created in step 2 may have been only half a
measure. Repeat from step 2 and use the Menu Edit > Selection > Double
command to extend your selection.
If the tempo seems too low (50 BPM when you expected 100 BPM, for
example), the selection you created in step 2 may have been two measures
long. Repeat from step 2 and use the Menu Edit > Selection > Double
command to reduce your selection.
6. Setting the loop's ACID properties will allow the loop to be time-stretched and pitch-
shifted correctly when you load it in an ACID project:
A From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose ACID Properties
from the submenu to display the ACID Properties window.
B Click the down arrow next to the ACID type setting and choose a setting
from the drop-down list to indicate whether you want ACID to treat your loop
as a one-shot, loop, or an ACID Beatmapped track. For more information
about the controls in this dialog, please see ACID Properties (⇗57).
In this example, imagine we'd created a 4/4 drum loop:
■ Type 4/4 in the Time signature box.
■ Choose Loop from the ACID type drop-down list.
■ Choose Don't transpose from the Root note for transposing drop-down
list
■ Type 4 in the Number of beats box.
7. Save (⇗74) your file, and be sure to select the Save metadata with file check box to
save the ACID information in the file.
How Do I Create a New File Using Part of Another File?

As you're editing audio, it's often useful to create a new file using part of a larger file. Do
you want to create a short preview of your next single? Do you need to extract the perfect
drum loop out of a two-hour recording? It's a breeze in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio.
If you want to create new files from regions (⇗182) in a sound file, you can use the
Extract Regions (⇗1) command.
1. Start by selecting (⇗142) the part of the file you want to use to create a new file.
2. Now perform either of the following steps:
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How Do I. . . ?
3. Drag the selection to an empty area of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
workspace to create a new window using the selected data.
4. Copy (⇗157) the selection and then choose Edit > Paste Special > Paste to New. A
new data window is created from your selection.
How Do I Record from an External Source?

This topic provides general guidelines to help you record sound from an external source
using SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software. Your specific hardware may vary. Please
refer to your hardware documentation for more information.
If you're recording from a turntable, use a phono preamplifier between your
turntable's output and your sound card's line input. Most turntables' outputs are
phono-level (rather than line-level) outputs. Phono-level outputs are quieter than
line-level outputs and have special equalization applied. A phono preamplifier will
convert the phono-level signal to a line-level signal that you can record.
Connect an audio source to your sound card's input
Basic setup
In this setup, an audio source is connected to an input on your sound card, and your
powered speakers are connected to a Line Out output. You could connect a
computer microphone to your sound card's Mic In input, or you can connect line-level
outputs from a tape deck or other source to a Line In input.
Basic setup with mixer/preamplifier

In this setup, your speakers and audio source are connected to a mixer or preamplifier.
The mixer/preamplifier is then connected to Line In and Line Out connections on your
sound card.
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How Do I. . . ?

phono-level (rather than line-level) outputs. Phono-level outputs are quieter then
Digital input/output with MIDI synchronization

In this setup, an audio source with digital input/output is connected to a sound card with
digital input and outputs. Dashed lines represent a sync connection from your audio
source to a MIDI timecode converter to a MIDI card.
Choose an input device and adjust levels

The Record tab in the Audio Preferences page allows you to choose the audio inputs
from which you want to record. Before recording, you'll need to verify that your sound
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How Do I. . . ?
card's recording inputs are active.

The maximum number of channels recorded depends on the data window where you're
recording. For example, if you enabled six inputs on the Record tab in Audio Preferences
(⇗236), you need to record into a six-channel data window to record all six inputs. If you
record to a stereo data window, only two inputs will be recorded.
To choose your recording input, use the Audio (⇗236) tab in the Preferences dialog or
click a channel number in the Record Options window and choose a new input port from
the menu.
1. Ensure all cables are connected and that your audio source is generating a signal.
2. Adjust your recording levels:
■ If your audio device provides a console application to adjust levels, open the
application and adjust its gain controls while monitoring the peak meters on
the Meters tab in the recording dialog. Adjust the gain controls in the console
application so SOUND FORGE Audio Studio receives a strong signal with no
clipping.
For more information about using your sound card and its console application,
please refer to the manufacturer's documentation.
■ If you're using your Windows sound card, perform the following steps to open
the recording controls:
1. Double-click the speaker icon in your system tray to open the Volume
Control window.
2. From the Options menu, choose Properties.
3. Click the Recording radio button and click OK.
4. Select (or unmute) the device from which you want to record.
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5. Adjust the Volume faders for the selected device and for the Master
Record level while monitoring the recording meters in the SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio Record dialog.
For example, if you want to record from an audio CD in your CD-ROM
drive, the CD Mute check box should not be selected, and the CD and
Master Record Volume faders must be adjusted so SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio receives a strong signal with no clipping.

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WORKING WITH FILES

For your editing enjoyment, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software can open and save
a wide range of audio and video file formats.
Creating a New Window

Each sound file is opened in a separate data window. You can have multiple windows
open at once; click anywhere in a data window to make it active.
Press Ctrl+E to quickly create a new data window using the contents of the clipboard.
1. From the File menu, choose New to open a new window.
Shortcuts:
■ Click the New button on the toolbar (or hold the Shift key while choosing
New from the menu) to skip the New Window dialog and use the previously
selected window settings.
■ Click and drag a selection box on a blank area of the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace to create a new window using the previously selected
window settings.
■ Drag a selection from a data window to an empty area of the SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio workspace to create a new window using the selected data.
2. Use the New Window dialog to specify the parameters for the new window:
■ Choose a sample rate from the Sample rate drop-down list, or type a custom
value in the edit box.
■ Choose a setting from the Bit depth drop-down list to specify the number of
bits that should be used to store each sample.
■ Choose a setting from the Channels drop-down list (or type a value in the box)
to specify the number of channels (⇗104) that will be used in the window.
Maximum editing time displays the maximum time currently available on the hard drive
for editing a file of the specified type.
Opening a File
Use the Open command to open a media file in a new SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
window. You may quickly reopen one of the previously opened files by selecting it from
the bottom of the File menu.
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Open a file
1. From the File menu, choose Open. The Open dialog is displayed.
2. Choose the folder where the file you want to open is stored:
■ Choose a drive and folder from the Look in drop-down list.
or
■ Choose a folder from the Recent drop-down list to quickly select a folder from
which you have previously opened files.
3. Select a file in the browse window or type a name in the File name box. Detailed
information about the selected file appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
If you know that the file format is unsupported, choose Raw File and click the Open
button to display the Raw File Type (⇗72) dialog, where you can specify format
parameters.
To limit the files displayed in the dialog, choose a file type from the Files of
Type drop-down list or enter *. and an extension in the File name box. For
example, enter *.wav to display all wave files in the current folder, or enter
*guitar*.wav to display all wave files that have the word guitar in the file name.
4. Click the Open button.
Open a file as read-only

On the Open dialog, select the Open as read-only check box if you want to open a sound
file but do not want to alter the data in the file.
This feature is useful if you only need to play the file or copy sections from the file.
Preview files
On the Open dialog, select the Auto play check box if you want to automatically begin
playback when a file is selected.
When the Auto play check box is not selected, you can click the Play button to audition
the selected sound file without opening it. During playback, the button changes to a Stop
button; click again to stop playback.
If playing a file from a slow network or CD-ROM, some skipping might occur.
Merge two mono files into a single stereo file

In the Open dialog, select the Merge L/R to stereo check box and hold the Ctrl button
while selecting two mono files in the browse window. The two mono files will be merged
to the left and right channels of a new stereo file.
The first file you select will be placed in the left channel, and the second file will be placed
in the right channel.
Compressed files are not supported for merging.
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Display more information about the selected file

In the Open dialog, click the More button to display the File Properties window.
Change file reader settings for VOX, IVC, and RAW files
When you choose Dialogic VOX ADPCM (*.vox), Intervoice (*.ivc), or RAW File (*.raw)
from the Files of type drop-down list, you can click the Custom button to display the
Custom Template dialog, where you can set options for reading files of the selected type.
Select the Remember my preference and apply it in the future check box in the Custom
Template dialog if you want to use your settings each time you open a file of the selected
type.
Opening a Raw Data File

The Raw File Type dialog is displayed when you select RawFilefrom Files of Type list in
the Open dialog to open a file. Use this function to open a file that is not stored in one of
the standard sound file formats supported by SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software.
The options on this dialog are explained below.
1. From the File menu, choose Open or click the Open button on the toolbar. The
Open dialog is displayed.
Press Ctrl+O, Ctrl+F12, or Ctrl+Alt+F2.
2. Choose the folder where the file you want to open is stored:
Choose a drive and folder from the Look in drop-down list or
Choose a folder from the Recent drop-down list to quickly select a folder from which
you have previously opened files.
3. Select a file in the browse window or type a name in the File name box. Detailed
information about the selected file appears at the bottom of the dialog box.
4. Choose Raw File from the Files of Type drop-down list.
5. Click the Open button. The Raw File Type dialog is displayed.
6. Specify format parameters for your file:
A Choose the sample rate used in your file from the Sample Rate drop-down list
or enter a number in the edit box. This setting specifies the sample playback
rate that will be used when playing the file.
B In the Sample Type box, click the radio button that corresponds to the format
used to store each sample value.
C In the Format box, click the radio button that corresponds to the sample
format of data storage. Sound files on the PC are most often saved using the
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Signed format.
D Click the Little endian or Big endian radio button to specify the order in which
the high and low bytes of a 16-bit sample are stored. Little Endian is used by
Intel microprocessors, while Big Endian is used by Motorola microprocessors.
E Choose a setting from the Channels drop-down list to specify the number of
channels stored in the file.
F In the Header box, specify the number of bytes stored in the file before the
sound data.
G In the Trailer box, specify the number of bytes stored in the file after the sound
data.
The settings you choose for opening the file with the exception of the sample rate
will be used when you click Save or save the file using the Default Template
setting in the Save As dialog as long as the number of channels in the source file
matches the number of channels in the file you're saving. The sample rate will be
determined from the source file.
If you do not always use the same settings for reading raw files, make sure the
Keep media files locked check box is selected on the General (⇗227) tab of
the Preferences dialog. Otherwise, the individual settings will be lost if you
have multiple raw files open and switch away from the SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio window.
Closing a File
From the File menu, choose Close to close the current sound file. If the data has been
modified, you will be prompted to save your changes:
■ Click No if you want to close the file without saving it.
■ Click Yes to save your changes.
■ Click Cancel to return to your current project.
Saving a File
1. Click anywhere in the data window to select it.
2. From the File menu, choose Save to save the current sound data.
If the active window contains new data that was not retrieved from a previous file or was
loaded from a format that is not supported for saving, you will be prompted with the Save
As dialog (⇗74).
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Save As/Render As
From the File menu, choose Save As to save the current sound data in a different file
and/or file format.
If you're working with a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project file, choose Render As
from the File menu to commit your edits to a media file.
2. From the File menu, choose Save As to display the Save As dialog. If you're
working with a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project file, you can use the Save As
dialog to save your project to a different name or location. Choose Render As to
save your project as a media file.
3. Select the folder where you want to save the file:
■ Choose a drive and folder from the Save in drop-down list or
■ Choose a folder from the Recent drop-down list to quickly select a folder
where you have previously saved files.
4. Type a name in the File name box, or select a file in the browse window to replace
an existing file.
5. Choose a file type from the Save as type drop-down list.
If you know that the file format is unsupported, choose Raw File and click the
Custom button to display the Custom Template (⇗77) dialog, where you’ll be able to
specify format parameters.
6. Choose a setting from the Template drop-down list to choose the attributes that will
be used to save your file, or click the Custom button to create a new template (⇗77).
Notes:
■ When you convert from mono to stereo, the data will be stored in both
channels. When converting from stereo to mono, the data from both
channels will be mixed to a single channel.
■ When determining bit rates, 1K=1024.
7. Select the Save metadata with file check box if you want to preserve metadata
(⇗54) (such as embedded data from other applications, regions, markers, disc-at-
once CD tracks) in your file. If the check box is cleared, the data will be ignored.
If the selected file type doesn’t support all the metadata in your file, you will be
prompted to save the metadata to an external file with an .sfl extension (using the
same base name as your media file). Metadata can be saved internally for the
following file formats:
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■ MP3
■ PCA
■ SFA
■ WAV
■ WAV64
■ Windows Media Format (WMA and WMV)
8. Select the Stretch video to fill output frame (do not letterbox) check box if you are
saving to a format with a different aspect ratio than your source media settings.
When this check box is cleared, black bars may appear at the top and bottom
(letterboxing) or sides (pillarboxing) of the frame to preserve the aspect ratio.
9. Clear the Fast video resizing check box if you see unacceptable video artifacts in
the rendered video (these artifacts are most obvious with MPEG and streaming
formats). Turning this option off can correct the artifacts, but your rendering times
will increase significantly.
10. Click the Save button.
Using SOUND FORGE Audio Studio with the

Windows Explorer Context Menu
For minor routine tasks, such as converting to other file formats, normalizing, or removing
silence at the beginning and end of a recording, there is no need to open SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio.
Normally, for example, to convert you would first have to launch the program, browse for
the corresponding audio file in the Explorer window and open it, make your edits, then
click Save As..., set the desired format and click Save. And then the new file is still in the
default folder and not just next to the source file, so you might have to move it around.
This is much faster from the Windows Explorer context menu! Simply right-click on the
audio file and select the desired action from the context menu.
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The conversion takes place in the background, without the program window being
opened or any output taking place. If user input is required, it is requested in a small
dialog box. The edited file will be saved in the same folder as the source file under the
same name, at the end of the name an abbreviation corresponding to the chosen action
will be added, in case of conversion to another file format with the new file extension, e.g.
file.wav will become file.wav.mp3.
You can also find the actions from the context menu in the program itself, in the Instant
Actions (⇗52) in the areas Edit and Export.
Open with With this context menu option you can open the program and load the
SOUND file.
FORGE
Audio
Studio 16.0
Convert Use this context menu item to convert audio files to other file formats.
After selecting this option, a prompt for the desired file format and the
corresponding template appears.
For more information on file format templates, visit Save As/Render
As (⇗74)
Normalize Use this option to normalize the audio file, i.e. increase the level to a
maximum value. To do this, select a template in the following dialog.
In addition to a pure level increase to 0dB or -0.3dB, there are also
templates for RMS normalization (Loudness Normalization). The
level is raised to a target value for the average loudness. If the file has
large level differences, the peak levels can exceed 0dB, then a limiter
is used. The result file gets the original file name and "_N" is
appended.
Trim silence This option removes silence at the beginning and end of the file. The
from Start result file gets the original file name and "_T" is appended.
and end
Fade in/out Use this option to fade in and fade out the file. A query is made for the
length of the fades. The result file gets the original file name and "_F"
is appended.
Split into The audio file is divided into a number of equal-sized parts. It asks for
equidistant the number. The resulting files will have the original file name, with "_
parts Part "+<Part number> added.
Clean For an export of the regions into individual files (see below), the
region region names are used as file names. This function ensures that the
names for names do not contain any characters that are forbidden for file names
export (e.g. : or ?).
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Export A list of the regions contained in the file is exported as a text file.
region list
Export The regions marked in the audio file are exported as individual files.
Regions as The result files receive the original file name, supplemented by the
files number and the name of the region.
Generate The function Statistics (⇗97) is executed and the results are saved in
statistics a text file.
The context menu entries are only available if you activated the corresponding
option when installing SOUND FORGE Audio Studio.
If this was not the case, you must uninstall the program and reinstall it with the
option enabled to create the context menu entries.
Custom File Templates

If the selected file type supports it, the Save As/Render as (⇗74) dialog allows you to
enter custom settings and create templates for saving files, if the chosen file format
supports this.
Create or edit a template

1. Use the Save As (⇗74) dialog to specify a location and name for the file you want to
save.
2. Click the Custom button to open the Custom Template dialog.
3. Choose a template from the Template drop-down list, or enter a new name in the
edit box.
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Notes:
■ Built-in templates cannot be edited.
■ When determining bit rates, 1K=1024.
4. Use the Custom Template dialog to set the template's properties.

For information about specific controls in each file type's Custom Template
settings, click the Help button .
5. Click the Save Template button .

6. Click OK to return to the Save As dialog.
Delete a template
1. Use the Save As (⇗74) dialog to specify a location and name for the file you want to
save.
2. Click the Custom button to open the Custom Template dialog.
3. Choose a template from the Template drop-down list.
4. Click the Delete Template button .
Built-in templates cannot be deleted.
5. Click OK to return to the Save As dialog.
Copy rendering templates between computers or user accounts

You can make your customized rendering templates available on another computer or
user account by copying .sft2 files to the appropriate location in the new account or
computer.
Rendering templates are stored in the following folder:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\Render Templates\<plug-in name>.
The "AppData" folder is not visible unless the the option Hidden Items is selected
on the "View" tab of the Windows Explorer
You can find a plug-in's name by clicking the About button in the Save As/Render
As dialog.
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To make a template available on another computer or user account, copy the .sft2 file to
the same location in another account.
For example, to make JSmith's custom wave template available for the AJones user
account, copy the appropriate .sft2 file from this folder:
C:\User\JSchmidt\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\Render Templates\wave\
to this folder:
C:\User\AMueller\AppData\Roaming\MAGIX\Render Templates\wave\.
Working with Projects

Projects are a relatively new concept to SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software, but if
you've used ACID or VEGAS software, they'll be familiar territory to you. SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio projects function somewhat differently than ACID and VEGAS
projects.
When you save a project file (.sfas), SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software creates a
.sfas file and creates a subfolder that contains your media file and all temporary files
created by your editing operations.
Deleting a project's [filename]_sfas folder will break the project.
A project file is not a multimedia file. It contains pointers to the original source files, so you
can edit your project non-destructively you can be creative without worrying about
corrupting your source files. When you edit a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project, you
can undo (⇗167) edit operations even past your last save.
When you're ready to commit your edits to a media file, choose Render As from the File
menu.
2. From the File menu, choose Save As to display the Save As dialog.
3. Select the folder where you want to save the file:
■ Choose a drive and folder from the Save in drop-down list or
■ Choose a folder from the Recent drop-down list to quickly select a folder
where you have previously saved files.
4. Type a name in the File name box, or select a file in the browse window to replace
an existing file.
5. From the Save as type drop-down list, choose SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
Project File (*.sfas).
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software creates an .sfas file in the folder you
specified and creates a subfolder to store your sound and temporary files. For
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example, if you saved My_Masterpiece.sfas to your D:\ drive, the software will
create D:\My_Masterpiece.sfas and a D:\My_Masterpiece_sfas folder.
Because a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project contains your original sound
data plus all uncompressed PCM temporary files, they can take some time to
create.
Project References in Rendered Files

When a media file is rendered (⇗74) with an embedded project path reference, you can
easily open the source project in the associated application if you need to edit the media
later. ACID 5.0, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 8.0, and Vegas 6.0 or later allow you to
save the project path reference when you render files.
For example, imagine that you have an audio file open that was rendered from an ACID
project. In previewing your SOUND FORGE Audio Studio data window, you discover
that you'd accidentally rendered your ACID project with a critical track muted. You could
simply right-click the waveform in the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio data window,
choose Edit Source Project from the shortcut menu to reopen your ACID project, unmute
the track, and then re-render it.
The project information in the rendered file is a reference to a project file only. If you
modify the project file after rendering, the project data will no longer match the rendered
file. To edit a project using a path reference, the project file and all media must be
available on your computer.
Save the project path in the rendered file

1. Save (⇗79) your SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project. The project must be saved
before you can embed the project reference in the rendered file.
2. Perform the procedure described in the Rendering Files topic to choose the file type
and location for rendering your files, and then select the Save project as path
reference in rendered media check box.
The check box will be unavailable if you haven't saved your project or if you're rendering
using a third-party file-format plug-in.
Edit a referenced project

1. Right-click the waveform in a data window or Right-click a media file in the Explorer
window.
2. From the shortcut menu, choose Edit Source Project. An ACID, Vegas, or SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio window will open with the source project.
To edit a source project using a computer other than the computer where the
project was created, the editing computer must meet the following requirements:
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■ The software that was used to create the project must be installed and the
project file extension (.acd, .acd-zip, .veg, or .sfas) must be registered on the
editing computer.
■ The editing computer must have the same version (or later) of the software
that was used to create the project.
■ The project file must exist on the editing computer using the same file path as
on the computer where the project was created.
■ The project's source media must exist on the editing computer. If the media
files do not use the same file path as on the computer where the project was
created, you will be prompted to choose a new folder or replacement files.
3. Edit the project as necessary.
4. Render the edited project using the same name as the original media file and close
the editing application.
Your project will automatically be updated to use the latest rendered media file.
Saving all Open Files

From the File menu, choose Save All to save all open files. You will be prompted for each
unsaved file.
■ Click Yes to save your changes.
■ Click No if you want to skip the file without saving changes.
■ Click Cancel to return to the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window. All files
remain open without saving changes.
If you hold the Shift key when selecting this command, no prompts will be
displayed.
Extracting Audio from CDs

From the File menu, choose Extract Audio from CD to extract tracks from a CD and open
them as tracks in the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace.
Double-click a .cda file in the Explorer window (or drag it to the workspace) to
extract a CD track without opening the Extract Audio from CD dialog. You can also
extract audio from the Open dialog (⇗70) by choosing CD Audio (*.cda) from the
Files of type drop-down list in the Open dialog.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software is not intended, and should not be used
for, illegal or infringing purposes, such as the illegal copying or sharing of
copyrighted materials. Using SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software for such
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purposes is, among other things, against United States and international copyright
laws and contrary to the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement.
Such activity may be punishable by law and may also subject you to the breach
remedies set forth in the End User License Agreement.
1. From the File menu, choose Extract Audio from CD.

2. Choose a setting from the Action drop-down list to indicate how you want to extract
audio:
Item Description
Read Choose to extract individual CD tracks. Select the tracks you want to
by extract in the Tracks to extract list. Each track is extracted to a new track
track in your project.
Read Choose to extract the current CD to a single file. The disc is extracted to
entire a new track in your project.
disc
Read Choose to extract a time range. You can specify a starting time and
by ending time (or a starting time and length). The time range is extracted to
range a new track in your project.
3. If you choose Read by track or Read by range from the Action drop-down list, select
the tracks or time range you want to extract.
Click Play to preview your selection. During playback, the button changes to a Stop
button.
4. Select the Create regions for each track check box if you want to create regions in
the extracted audio file to indicate each track.
5. Select the Create markers for each index change check box if you want to create
markers in the extracted audio file to indicate each index change.
6. Select the Create CD tracks from full subcode scan check box if you want to create
a disc-at-once CD track for each extracted track.
When you select the Create tracks from full subcode scan check box, the
software will create a disc-at-once track list (⇗94) based on the PQ data on
the disc.
ISRC data is added to each track if the data exists on the disc. Universal
product code/media catalog number information is updated on the CD
Information window.
7. From the Drive drop-down list, choose the CD drive that contains the CD from which
you want to extract audio.
8. From the Speed drop-down list, choose the rate at which you want to extract audio.
If you experience gapping or glitching, decrease the speed or click Configure and
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adjust the Audio extract optimization slider.

9. Click OK to start extracting audio.
Creating Track-at-Once (TAO) CDs

From the Tools menu, choose Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD to save your project as a
track on an audio CD. Before you can use a TAO disc in an audio CD player, however,
you must close the session.
1. From the Tools menu, choose Burn Track-at-Once Audio CD. The Burn Track-at-
Once CD dialog is displayed.
2. Choose a setting from the Action drop-down list:
Item Description
Burn Begins recording audio to your CD when you click the Start button. You
audio will need to close the disc before it can be played in an audio CD player.
Test, Performs a test to determine whether your files can be written to the CD
then recorder without encountering buffer underruns. Recording begins after
burn the test if it is successful.
audio
Test Performs a test to determine whether your files can be written to the CD
only without encountering buffer underruns. No audio is recorded to the CD.
Close Closes your disc without adding any audio when you click the Start
disc button. Closing a disc allows your files to be played on an audio CD
player.
Erase If you're using a rewritable CD, the disc will be erased when you click the
RW disc Start button.
3. Select your burning options:

Item Description
Buffer Select this check box if your CD recorder supports buffer underrun
underrun protection. Buffer underrun protection allows a CD recorder to stop
protection and resume burning.
Erase RW If you're using a rewritable CD, select this check box to erase the
disc before CD before you begin burning.
burn
Close disc Select this check box to close the CD after burning. Closing a disc
when done allows your files to be played on an audio CD player.
burning
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Eject disc Select this check box to eject the CD automatically when burning
when done has completed.
Burn Select this check box to burn only the selected audio. When the
selection check box is cleared, the entire sound file is burned to CD.
only
4. From the Drive drop-down list, choose the CD drive that you want to use to burn
your CD.
5. From the Speed drop-down list, choose the speed at which you want to burn. Max
will use your drive's fastest possible speed; decrease the setting if you have
difficulty burning.
6. Click the Start button.
Clicking the Cancel button after the disc-writing process has begun will render your disc
unusable (though it will still make a fine coaster for your favorite beverage).
Creating Disc-at-Once (DAO) CDs

From the Tools menu, choose Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD to burn a disc-at-once CD
using the current CD layout.
Use DAO CDs when you need to create a master disc for mass replication.
When creating DAO CDs, right-click the ruler (⇗25) or Time Display (⇗44) window
and choose Audio CD Time from the shortcut menu. In Audio CD Time format, the
ruler will display hh:mm:ss:ff (hours:minutes:seconds:frames). Audio CD time uses
a frame rate of 75 fps. Next, choose Quantize to Frames (⇗147) from the Options
menu to ensure that any edits you make will occur on frame boundaries.
If your first track region begins before 00:00:02:00, a timeline offset is automatically
added so the first track begins at exactly two seconds. This offset is added for
burning only and is not reflected in the data window.
If you want to display track numbers in the Time Display window, right-click the
Time Display window and choose CD Track Position from the shortcut menu. In this
mode, the Time Display will show track numbers and the running time for each
track. Negative values indicate the pause time before a track:
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Creating and Editing Tracks for a Disc-at-Once CD

A disc-at-once CD requires that you define a track list before burning.
From the Insert menu, choose CD Track to add a CD track using the current selection as
the track length.
Tips:
■ To preserve events in a file after saving, use a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
project file (⇗79) for editing. You can then edit the tracks' events over multiple
editing sessions.
■ You can use event envelopes (⇗176) to adjust track volume.
Add CD tracks to a sound file

1. Select (⇗142) the time range (or event (⇗174)) that you want to use to create a
track. A track must be at least four seconds long.
2. From the Insert menu, choose CD Track (or press N). A CD track is added to the CD
layout bar in the data window:
You can drag CD tracks to rearrange them, drag either end of a track to change its
length, or use the Track List window to edit the track's position or name.
Create CD tracks from events in a data window

If you're working with a data window that contains multiple events (⇗169), you can create
CD tracks automatically using the events.
1. Create events on the timeline to lay out your CD.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Create CD Tracks from
Events from the submenu. Each event is marked with a CD track.
Tracks are not created for events less than four seconds long.
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You can drag CD tracks to rearrange them, drag either end of a track to change its length,
or use the Track List window to edit the track's position or name.
When space exists between events, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio creates
separate tracks for each event. If you want to create a track that spans multiple
events, you can abut or overlap the events to create a single track.
Create CD tracks from regions in a file

If you have a live recording that uses regions to indicate the sections of the recording, you
can use this feature to create tracks without having to scan through the audio and create
tracks manually.
1. Add regions (⇗182) as necessary to indicate the tracks in your recording.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Create Tracks from
Regions. Each region is marked with a CD track.
You can drag CD tracks to rearrange them, drag either end of a track to change its
length, or use the Track List window to edit the track's position or name.
Combine open data windows in a new CD layout

If you have multiple data windows open, you can easily combine them into a single CD
layout.
1. Open (⇗70) the sound file you want to use for each track.
2. Create a new (⇗70) data window. We'll use this new window to arrange tracks.
3. Copy your tracks to the new data window:
A Switch to the data window that contains the audio you want to use for your first
track.
B From the Edit menu, choose Select All.
C Drag the selected data to the new data window. While you're dragging, click
the right mouse button toggle CD Track drag-and-drop editing mode. In this
mode, the cursor is displayed as a to show you where the track will be
added.
4. Repeat step 3 for each track.
When you drag a file to the CD layout bar at the bottom of a data window. An
indicator is displayed to show you where the track will be added when you release
the mouse. When you drop the file, a track is created, and pause time (⇗264) is
added before the new track.
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If you want to add a CD track without pause time, drag the file to the waveform
display above the CD layout bar.
5. Save the new data window as a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project file (⇗79).
When you save a project file (.sfas), SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software
creates a .sfas file and creates a subfolder that contains your media file and all
temporary files created by your editing operations.
6. When you're finished editing tracks, you can burn (⇗96) your disc-at-once CD.
Add files to a data window and create tracks
Dragging files to the CD layout bar

Drag a file to the CD layout bar at the bottom of a data window. An indicator is displayed
to show you where the track will be added when you release the mouse. When you drop
the file, a track is created, and pause time (⇗264) is added before the new track.
If you want to add a CD track without pause time, drag the file to the waveform
display above the CD layout bar. If Options > Drag-and-Drop Editing > CD Track
isn't selected, click the right mouse button while dragging until the cursor is
displayed as a to show you where the track will be added.
Dragging files to the Track List window

Drag a file to the Track List window. An indicator is displayed to show you where the track
will be added when you release the mouse. When you drop the file, a track is created,
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and pause time is added before the new track.
Dragging files from the Explorer window

From the Options menu, choose Drag-and-Drop Editing, and choose CD Track from the
submenu if you want to create disc-at-once tracks by dragging files from the Explorer
window (⇗39) or Windows Explorer to a data window. Choosing this command has the
same effect as toggle-clicking the right mouse button while dragging until the cursor is
displayed as a to show you where the track will be added.
When you drop the file, the audio in the data window will be replaced, and no pause time
will be added.
You can use the Default time between CD tracks control on the CD Settings tab of
the Preferences dialog to adjust the default pause time.
Open multiple files as CD tracks

In the Open dialog, hold Ctrl or Shift to select the files you want to open as CD tracks and
then select the Open as CD tracks and Append to current data window check boxes.
The files will be added to the end of the current data window and a CD track will be
created for each file.
You can use the Default time between CD tracks control on the CD Settings tab of
the Preferences dialog to adjust the default pause time.
Create a new data window using audio files on your computer

If no audio files are open in the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace, a new data
window will be created when you drop files on the Track List window.
1. Close all open data windows.
2. In the Windows Explorer or Explorer window, select the files that you want to
include in your CD. You can hold Shift or Ctrl to select multiple files.
3. Drag the files to the Track List window.
When you drop the files, a track is created for each file, and pause time (⇗264) is
added before each track.
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Tips:
■ You can use the Default time between CD tracks control on the CD Settings
tab of the Preferences dialog to adjust the default pause time.
Use the Track List window to create tracks

The Track List window is essentially a text representation of the markers on the CD layout
bar.
You can use the Track List window to view track and index markers, edit track position
and length, edit track names, adjust pause time, toggle protection and emphasis flags,
and edit ISRC data.
For more information about using the Track List window, please see The Track List
Window (⇗92).
Add a bonus track at the end of a CD

You can hide a track at the end of a CD by adding silence at the end of the last track and
adding the new track after the silence. Drag the end of the final track marker to the new
end of the CD.
Because both events exist within a single track, they will be treated as one track by an
audio CD player.
1. Lay out your audio and CD tracks.
2. Insert silence before the bonus track if desired.

3. Delete the last CD track from the CD layout bar (if necessary).
4. Drag the end of the final track marker to the new end of the CD.
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Moving Tracks on the CD Layout Bar

The CD layout bar displays information about the tracks (⇗85) you've created for your
disc-at-once CD project. Each CD track shows the track's number, active take name, and
length.
A red indicator is drawn at the end of the CD layout bar to represent the end of the disc (if
the disc length is known). You can use theDefault CD length controls on the CD Settings
(⇗236) tab of the Preferences dialog to set CD length.
You can use the CD layout bar to perform many of the track-editing functions from the
Track List (⇗92) window.
Change a track's starting or ending point

Drag either end of the track to adjust the track's starting or ending position. The pause
time (⇗264) between tracks is displayed:
Reorder tracks
Drag a CD track to move the track, its associated media, and the pause time before the
track. An indicator is displayed to show you where the event will be moved:
If you drag a track in a project where a single event spans more than one track, SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio will split the event as necessary.
Tips:
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■ Hold Shift while clicking CD tracks to select a range of tracks.

■ From the Options menu, choose Lock to Selection, and then choose Audio and CD
Tracks if you want to drag CD tracks when moving audio in the data window.
■ Regions, markers, and envelope points are moved with a CD track. To turn this
feature off, turn off the Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions and Envelope Points
commands on the Options menu.
Editing Pause Time for a Disc-at-Once CD

Pause time is the space between CD tracks. This space may contain silence — as in a
standard commercially produced CD — or can contain audio — as in a live performance
captured on CD.
The Red Book standard calls for two seconds of pause time, but you can edit the default
pause time on the CD Settings tab of the Preferences dialog.
When you hover in the pause time between two tracks, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
displays the pause time.
You can edit the pause time in several ways:

■ Hover your mouse between two tracks in the CD Layout bar. The pause time is
displayed in a ToolTip. Double-click the ToolTip, and the display changes to an edit
box where you can type a new value.
■ Right-click between two tracks and choose a command from the shortcut menu:
Command Description
Select Pause Creates a time selection equal to the pause time between
Time tracks.
Set to Default Moves all tracks upstream so the default pause time exists
Pause Time between the tracks where you clicked.
Edit Pause Time Changes the pause time display to an edit box where you can
type a new value.
■ Drag either end of the track to adjust the track's starting or ending position. The
pause time between tracks is displayed in a ToolTip:
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■ The Pause column in the Track List window (⇗92) allows you to edit the pause time
between tracks. Type a new value in the box, and tracks will move accordingly in
the timeline.
The Track List Window

From the View menu, choose Metadata, and then choose Track List to toggle the display
of the Track List window.
The Track List window is essentially a text representation of the events on the CD layout
bar (⇗90) for a disc-at-once CD. You can use the Track List window to view track and
index markers, edit track position and length, edit track names, adjust pause time, toggle
protection and emphasis flags, and edit ISRC data.
You can also copy, save, and print the contents of the Track List window if you need to
provide a track list to a CD duplicator.
Rearrange tracks
1. Click in the numbered column to select a row.
2. Drag the row to a new position.
The track is moved to the position where you drop it, and the timeline is updated.
Edit track position and length

Double-click the Start, End, and Length boxes and type a new value in the box to edit a
CD track's starting or ending point or length.
Typing a new value in the boxes has the same effect as moving or resizing the CD track
on the CD layout bar:
■ Editing the Start or End value moves the track forward or backward in time while
preserving its length.
■ Editing only the Length value changes the track's ending time while preserving its
start time.
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Adjust pause time

Double-click the Pause box to edit the pause time (⇗264) between tracks. Type a new
value in the box, and tracks will move accordingly in the timeline.
Toggle protection and emphasis flags

Select the Prot check box to add a flag to the Q subcode (⇗266) to prevent digital copying
of your CD.
In order to use copy protection, the CD player must support the copy-protection flag.
Select the Emph check box to add a pre-emphasis flag to the Q subcode.
Pre-emphasis is a basic noise-reduction process that is implemented by a CD player.
Emphasis involves boosting high frequencies during CD writing and cutting those
frequencies during playback. The emphasis process reduces high-frequency noise
without disrupting the natural frequency of the source material.
Selecting the Emph check box does not impart the pre-emphasis boost on a track; it can
only set the flag. In order for pre-emphasis to occur, the CD recorder and player must
support the flag. Check your CD drive documentation to determine whether your drive
supports pre-emphasis flags.
Edit ISRC codes

The Track List window allows you to specify an ISRC (International Standard Recording
Code) that will be used to identify the tracks on your disc.
For more information about ISRC codes, click here.
1. Double-click the ISRC box in a track row.
2. Type the appropriate code for the track.
3. Press Enter.
Industry Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) were designed to identify CD tracks.
The ISRC code is a 12-character alphanumeric sequence in the following format:
Field A B C D E
Sample ISRC SE T38 86 302 12
Field Description
A Country — Represents the recording's country of origin.
B First Owner — Assigned ID for the producer of the project. Each country has
a board that assigns these codes.
C Year of Recording — Represents the year the recording was made.
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D Recording — Represents the recording's serial number made by the same

producer in that year:
■ This value will use three digits (300-999) when the CD has 10 or more
tracks.
■ This value will use four digits (0001-2999) when the CD has 9 or fewer
tracks.
E Recording Item (1 or 2 digits) — Identifies tracks on a CD (each track can
have a different ISRC code).
Create a track list (PQ list or cue sheet)

You can right-click the Track List window and choose Copy Track List to Clipboard,
Export Track List, or Print Track List to share your track list information with another
application or with a CD-replication house.
For more information about creating track lists, click here (⇗94).
Creating a Track List for a Disc-at-Once CD

If you need to share your track list information with another application or with a CD
replication house, you can copy the track list information to the clipboard, save it to a text
file, or print a hard copy.
Copy the track list to the clipboard

1. From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Copy Track List to
Clipboard from the submenu. The Copy Track List to Clipboard dialog is displayed.
Right-click the Track List window and choose Copy Track List to Clipboard from the
shortcut menu.
2. Choose the format you want to apply to your track list information:
■ Cue sheet for replication — the track list is formatted so track times are listed relative
to the beginning of the CD. This is the preferred format for CD replication houses.
■ CD liner notes — the track list is formatted so track times are listed relative to the first
track on the disc.
3. Select the Include summary information with track list output check box if you want
to include UPC/MCN, title, engineer, and comment information with the track list.
4. Click OK to send the track list information to the clipboard. You can then paste the
information into a text editor or e-mail message.
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Export the track list as a text file

1. From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Export Track List from the
submenu. The Export Track List dialog is displayed.
Right-click the Track List window and choose Export Track List from the shortcut
menu.
■ Cue sheet for replication — the track list is formatted so track times are listed
relative to the beginning of the CD. This is the preferred format for CD
replication houses.
■ CD liner notes — the track list is formatted so track times are listed relative to
the first track on the disc.
■ Export as formatted text — track information is formatted in a table. Select the
Include summary information with track list output check box if you want to
include UPC/MCN, title, engineer, and comment information with the track list.
■ Export as delimited text — you can choose the character that will separate
columns of text and choose whether to include a header row to identify the
columns.
4. Click OK to save your file.
Print the track list

1. From the Edit menu, choose Track List, and then choose Print Track List from the
submenu. The Print Track List dialog is displayed.
Right-click the Track List window and choose Print Track List from the shortcut
menu.
■ Cue sheet for replication — the track list is formatted so track times are listed
relative to the beginning of the CD. This is the preferred format for CD
replication houses.
■ CD liner notes — the track list is formatted so track times are listed relative to
the first track on the disc.
3. Select the Include summary information with track list output check box if you want
to include UPC/MCN, title, engineer, and comment information with the track list.
4. Click OK to send the track list information to your printer.
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Burning a Disc-at-Once CD
After you've created tracks (⇗85) in a disc-at-once CD project, you're ready to burn your
disc. If you want to burn multiple copies, the application will prompt you to burn another
copy after each disc is completed.
1. From the Tools menu, choose Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD. The Burn Disc-at-
Once Audio CD dialog is displayed.
2. From the Drive drop-down list, choose the CD drive that you want to use to burn
your CD.
3. From the Speed drop-down list, choose the speed at which you want to burn. Max
will use your drive's fastest possible speed; decrease the setting to prevent the
possibility of buffer underruns.
4. Select the Buffer underrun protection check box if your CD recorder supports buffer
underrun protection. Buffer underrun protection allows a CD recorder to stop and
resume burning.
Buffer underrun protection can create a disc that can be played in CD players but
may contain a bit error where burning stopped and restarted. Consider clearing this
check box when creating a premaster disc.
5. Choose a radio button in the Burn mode box:
Item Description
Burn Begins recording audio to your CD immediately.
CDs
first, recorder without encountering buffer underruns. No audio is recorded to
then the CD during the test, and recording begins after the test if it is
burn successful.
CDs
only (do recorder without encountering buffer underruns. No audio is recorded to
not burn the CD.
CDs)
6. Select the Render temporary image before burning check box if you want to render
your CD project to a temporary file before recording. Prerendering can prevent
buffer underruns if you have a complex project that cannot be rendered and burned
in real time.
The rendered temporary file will remain until you modify your project or exit the
application. If an image file exists when you open the Burn Disc-at-Once Audio CD
dialog, the check box is displayed as Use existing rendered temporary image.
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7. Select the Automatically erase rewritable discs check box if you're burning to
rewritable media and want to erase the disc before burning.
8. Select the Eject when done check box if you want to eject the CD automatically
when burning has completed.
9. Click OK to start burning.
Viewing File Statistics

The Statistics dialog displays information about the selected sound file region. To display
the dialog, choose Statistics from the Tools menu.
Item Description
Ruler Format Choose a setting from the drop-down list to choose the format
that will be used to display the Cursor position, Minimum sample
position, and Maximum sample position values.
Level Format Choose a setting from the drop-down list to choose the format
that will be used to display the Sample value at cursor, Minimum
sample value, Maximum sample value, RMS level, and Average
value values.
Sample Displays audio levels as integers.
value ■ In 32-bit (IEEE float) audio, these values range
from -1.0000000 to 1.0000000.
■ In 24-bit audio, they range from -8388608 to
8388607.
■ In 16-bit audio, they range from -32768 to 32767.

Percent Displays audio levels as percentages of the maximum
allowed sample value. The range is from -100 to 100
percent.
Decibels Displays audio levels in decibels. A value of 0 dB
(dB) corresponds to maximum absolute amplitude and
negative infinity (-Inf.) corresponds to complete
silence. In 16-bit audio, -90.3 dB is the lowest possible
dB value (sample value of 1).
Cursor position The cursor position from the start of the sound file.
Sample value at The number stored by a single sample at the cursor position.
cursor
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Minimum/Maximum The maximum and minimum sample values and the locations
sample position and where they occur.
sample value These values can help you determine if any clipping occurs in
the sound file. It can also be used to determine the noise level of
a signal for use with the Noise Gate effect. For example, to find
the noise amplitude, run the Statistics function on a region of
noisy silence.
RMS level The Root Mean Square of the sample values relative to the
RMS value of a maximum-amplitude square wave (the loudest
possible recording).
When used on short intervals, this value relates to the volume
level of the sound file. However, if used on a large selection with
large volume variation, this value becomes less meaningful. For
another way to measure loudness, use the Scan Levels button
in the Normalize dialog.
Average value The sum of all sample values in the selected region divided by
the number of samples.
An average value that does not equal zero (-inf dB) can indicate
a DC offset (⇗257).
Zero crossings The number of times per second that the waveform changes
from a negative value to a positive value.
This value can be used as a rough estimate of the frequency of
the sound data for very simple waveforms.
Copy to Clipboard Copies the contents of the window to the clipboardespecially
handy if you want to compare statistics from multiple files in a
spreadsheet.
If you want to copy only the data in the table (or specific
data cells), select the cells you want to copy and press
Ctrl+C.
Crash Recovery
When a file is modified, changes and undo information are saved in temporary files until
the file is saved (⇗73). If SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software terminates improperly,
these temporary files remain on your hard drive. The software can use these temporary
files to restore the changes and the undo history for the file.
When you start the application after a crash, the Crash Recovery dialog is displayed if
temporary files are detected in the temporary file folder specified on the General (⇗227)
tab of the Preferences dialog:
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■ Click the Recover button to restore the changes and undo history for the files listed
in the Files that can be recovered list.
■ Click the Cancel button to discard your edits and undo history. The original media
files will remain unchanged.
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Working with Video Files
WORKING WITH VIDEO FILES

Although SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software is not a video editor, you can open
(⇗70) and save (⇗74) video files just as you would any other supported file type, allowing
you to edit the audio track with familiar SOUND FORGE Audio Studio tools.
Attaching or Detaching a Video Stream

You can create new media files by attaching video to an existing audio file or removing
the video stream from a video file.
Attaching video to an audio file

1. Open the audio file you want to use. For more information, see Opening a File
(⇗70)
2. From the File menu, choose Attach Video. The Open dialog is displayed.
3. Browse to the file that contains the video stream you want to use and click Open.
4. Save your file in a video format. For more information, see Saving a File (⇗73)
Detaching video from a file

1. Open the video file you want to use. For more information, see Opening a File (⇗70)
2. From the File menu, choose Detach Video to remove the video stream.
3. Save your file in an audio format. For more information, see Saving a File (⇗73)
The Video Strip

When you open a file that contains a video stream, a video strip is displayed above the
audio waveform to help you navigate the file.
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Show or hide the video strip

To toggle the display of the video strip, choose Options > Data Window > Video Strip or
right-click the edit tool selector and choose Video Strip from the shortcut menu:
You can adjust the height of the video strip by dragging the separator between the
video strip and time ruler.
Turn animation on or off

When you play back a video file, the video strip can display animated or still frames.
Right-click the video strip and choose Animate from the shortcut menu to toggle frame
animation. A check mark is displayed next to the command when the feature is turned on.
When the video strip is animated, the video strip always displays the frame that
corresponds to the cursor position. Press Alt+Right or Left Arrow to move the cursor one
frame.
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When frame animation is turned off, the video strip always shows the frame that
corresponds to the left edge of each image in the video strip.
If you experience slow or stuttering video preview, turn off animated video to reduce
the load on your CPU.
Display frame numbers

You can choose to number the frames in the video strip to help you navigate a file.
Turning on frame animation will ensure that the displayed frame number matches the
cursor position.
Right-click the video strip and choose Number Frames from the shortcut menu to toggle
frame numbering. As you zoom in, each thumbnail will eventually represent one frame.
To choose the numbering format, choose a setting from the Frame numbering on
thumbnails drop-down list on the Video (⇗240) tab of the Preferences dialog.
Video Preview
From the View menu, choose Video Preview to open or close the Video Preview window.
This window shows the video frame at the current cursor or play position.
Copy the current frame to the clipboard

Click the Copy Frame to Clipboard button to copy the current frame to the Windows
clipboard.
If the button is not visible, right-click the Video Preview window and choose Show
Toolbar from the shortcut menu.
Change Video Preview window settings

Right-click within the Video Preview window to display a shortcut menu.
Command Description
Copy Frame Copies the current frame to the clipboard.
Default Sets the background color of the Video Preview window to the default
Background texture.
White Sets the background color of the Video Preview window to white.
Background
Black Sets the background color of the Video Preview window to black.
Background
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Integral When selected, the Video Preview frame will only be stretched by integral
Stretch amounts. Turning this setting on usually provides faster drawing.
Simulate Compensates for any spatial distortion due to nonsquare pixel aspect
Device ratios when viewed on a computer monitor.
Aspect Ratio
Passive Reduces the overhead needed to update the Video Display window. The
Update Video Display is updated when the processor is idle.
Show Displays the Video Preview window toolbar. The toolbar includes buttons
Toolbar to copy the current frame to the clipboard and send your preview to an
external monitor.
Show Status Displays the Video Preview window status bar. The status bar provides
Bar you with information about media and preview frame size and frame rate,
as well as the Video Preview window frame number.
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Multichannel Audio - Overview
MULTICHANNEL AUDIO - OVERVIEW

With SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, you can edit audio files with up to 6 channels in the
same way you've always worked with mono or stereo files.
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio supports multichannel files in the following formats:
■ Wave (.wav) and Wave64 (.w64)
■ Video For Windows (.avi) , specifically DV, SDI
■ Windows Media Audio/Video (.wma or .wmv)
■ ATRAC (.oma)
■ Raw Audio (.raw)
Routing Channels to Hardware Outputs

If you're working with multichannel files and have a sound card with multiple outputs,
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio provides you with a great deal of flexibility in routing the
channels to the outputs on your sound card: you can route each channel to a separate
output, or you can route all the stereo pairs to a single set of outputs to simulate a stereo
downmix.
dialog or the Channel Meters window (⇗114). Changing the setting in either location
updates your preferences and affects all open data windows.
■ For information about using the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog to enable and
map channels, please see the Preferences - Audio Tab help topic.
■ To change a channel's output device using the Channel Meters window, click the
channel number and choose a new output port from the menu:
Opening and Editing Multichannel Audio Files

If you've used SOUND FORGE Audio Studio to edit stereo files before, you already
know everything you need to know to edit multichannel files.
You can open (⇗70) multichannel audio files just like any other supported media type.
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When you open the file, you'll notice that the data window displays the channels as stereo
pairs:
You can then edit (⇗156) the file just as you would any mono or stereo file.
Click the Minimize button to reduce the height of individual channels, or click the
Restore button to restore a channel's height. Hold Shift while clicking a Minimize button
to minimize all channels except the one you clicked.
You can use the Display (⇗231) tab in the Preferences dialog to change the colors
used to represent each channel.
Stereo-to-Mono (or Mono-to-Stereo) Conversion

To perform quick channel conversion without specifying the mix, use the Audio channels
control on the Properties (⇗42) dialog or right-click the Stereo/Mono box in the status bar
(⇗25) and choose Stereo or Mono from the shortcut menu.
You can use mono files in the Pan/Expand dialog (⇗207) if you choose Pan (preserve
stereo separation) or Pan (mix channels before panning) from the Process mode drop-
down list. When you click OK to apply your changes, the file will be converted to stereo
and your panning settings will be applied.
Convert a mono file to stereo

1. Perform either of the following actions to display the Mono to Stereo dialog:
■ Right-click the Mono box in the status bar (⇗25) and choose Stereo from the
shortcut menu.
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■ Click the down arrow for the Audio channels control on the Properties (⇗42)
dialog and choose Stereo from the menu.
2. Specify the channel where you want to put the sound data:
■ Click the Left Channel radio button to place the mono data in the left channel
and set the right channel to silence.
■ Click the Right Channel radio button to place the mono data in the right
channel and set the left channel to silence.
■ Click the Both Channels radio button to place the mono data in the right and
left channels.
Convert a stereo file to mono

1. Perform either of the following actions to display the Stereo to Mono dialog:
■ Right-click the Stereo box in the status bar (⇗25) and choose Mono from the
shortcut menu.
■ Click the down arrow for the Audio channels control on the Properties (⇗42)
dialog and choose Mono from the menu.
2. Specify which channel you want to use in the resulting mono file:
■ Click the Left Channel radio button to preserve only the data in the left
channel.
■ Click the Right Channel radio button to preserve only the data in the right
channel.
■ Click the Mix Channels radio button to place the mono data in the right and left
channels.
Customize the mix

The Channel Converter allows independent level settings for each channel and can be
used to inter-mix the left and right channels of a stereo file to create interesting pan
effects. For simple conversions, use the included presets.
Recording Multichannel Audio

If you have an audio device that supports multiple inputs, you can use SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio to perform multichannel recording.
Tips:
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■ SOUND FORGE Audio Studio is not a multitrack editor check out our Vegas
and ACID family of products for full multitrack recording and editing. You can
use multichannel recording to create surround audio or capture field
recordings.—
■ If you experience gapping or glitching when recording multichannel audio, try
increasing your buffer size. You can increase the Record buffering setting on
the Audio (⇗236) tab of the Preferences dialog or click the Advanced button
on the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog to increase your device's buffers.
1. Connect your audio sources to your sound card's inputs. For more information,
please see Recording Setup.
2. Enable your recording inputs:
A From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and click the Audio tab.
B Choose your recording device from the Audio device type drop-down list.
C Click the Record tab.
D Select the Enable check box for each input you want to enable for recording,
and then select a radio button to assign the input to an audio channel.
In the following example, the signal from Analog in 1 is recorded to channel 1,
Analog In 2 is recorded to channel 2.
E Click OK to close the Preferences dialog and save your changes.

3. Verify that your recording mode is set to Manual.
A From the View menu, choose Record Options. The Record Options window is
displayed.
B From the Method drop-down list, choose Manual.
C If you want to set up pre-roll, post-roll, or a prerecord buffer, click the Settings
button. For more information about other recording modes and methods,
please see Recording Options (⇗131).
4. Create a data window for your recording:
A From the File menu, choose New.
B Choose a sample rate from the Sample rate drop-down list.
C Choose a setting from the Bit depth drop-down list to specify the number of
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D Choose a setting from the Channels drop-down list to specify the number of
channels that will be used in the window.
E Click OK. A new, untitled sound file is created.
The maximum number of channels recorded depends on the data
window where you're recording. For example, if you enabled six inputs
on the Record tab in Audio Preferences, you need to record into a six-
channel data window to record all six inputs. If you record to a stereo
data window, only two inputs will be recorded.
To choose your recording input, use the Audio (⇗236) tab in the Preferences dialog
or click a channel number in the Record Options window and choose a new input
port from the menu.
5. Select (⇗142) the sound data you want to replace, or click to position the cursor
where you want to begin recording.
If you want to check your input levels before or during recording, you can use
the meters. The peak meters represent the volume of the recording input. For
best results, the peak level should be somewhere in the yellow range with an
occasional red segment: you want your input to be as loud as possible without
clipping.
6. Click the Arm button if you want to begin recording as soon as possible after
clicking the Record button . The Arm button is optional, but can allow for more
accurate takes. When you click Arm, the wave device is opened and all recording
buffers are loaded in order to minimize the amount of time between clicking the
Record button and when recording starts.
7. Click the Record button (or press Ctrl+R). Recording begins, and the Time
Display (⇗44) window and the data window's selection status bar will show the
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current record position.

During recording, playback commands, the Preferences dialog, and commands
that affect the recording data window are unavailable.
8. Recording will stop automatically at the end of the selection. If you're recording
without a selection, existing data is overwritten during recording, and you can click
the Record or Stop button to end recording.
Clicking Pause suspends recording, clearing the selection and moving the
cursor to the end of the recorded data. When you pause recording, the recording
device remains armed.
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Previewing a File
PREVIEWING A FILE
Previewing a file allows you to witness the results of your meticulous editing. You can
preview an audio file from the main SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window or using the
playbar in each data window. Additionally the Video Preview window allows you to
preview video files natively or send them to an external monitor.
Data Window Scrolling

From the Options menu, choose Scroll Playback (or press F6) to enable automatic data
window scrolling during playback. When the cursor moves off of the current window, it will
quickly scroll to show another full window of data.
To enable smooth scrolling, choose Scroll Smoothly from the Options menu (or press
Shift+F6). When this option is selected, the cursor will slowly move back to the center of
the display, and the wave data will scroll past it. This allows you to view upcoming data
while the file is being played.
Preview Cut/Cursor
Press Ctrl+K to play the data before and after the current selection or cursor position.
This command lets you preview the result of a Cut (⇗157) or Clear (⇗163) operation
without altering the file.
Notes:
■ To set the amount of pre- and post-roll that will be played when you preview a
cut, choose Preferences from the Options menu and choose the Previews
(⇗233) tab. Type values in the Pre-roll and Post-roll boxes in the Cut preview
configuration section of the dialog.
■ If there is no selection, the playback will pre- and post-roll around the cursor
position.
■ Choose Preview Cut/Cursor from the Transport menu to preview a cut or the
cursor position.
Hold the Ctrl key and click the Play Normal button in the data window's playbar.
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Previewing a File
Pre-Roll to Cursor
Press Ctrl+Shift+K to play the data before the cursor position for the default pre-roll
length.
Notes:
■ To set the amount of pre- and post-roll that will be played when you preview a cut,
choose Preferences from the Options menu and choose the Previews (⇗233) tab.
Type values in the Pre-roll and Post-roll boxes in the Cut preview configuration
section of the dialog.
■ If a selection is made the pre-roll will occur for whichever end of the selection is
active. To toggle between ends of the selection, use the Home and End keys.
■ Choose Pre-Roll to Cursor to play the data before the cursor position for the default
pre-roll length.
Hold the Shift and Ctrl keys and click the Play Normal button in the data
window's playbar..
Scrubbing
You can use scrubbing to scroll playback of your project at varying speeds.
Choose a setting from the JKL / shuttle speed drop-down list on the Editing tab of the
Preferences dialog to control the scrub speed and range when you scrub with the JKL
keys.
Use the scrub control in the data window

Drag the scrub control ( ) at the bottom of a data window to shuttle forward or
backward from the cursor position to find an edit point.
Hover over the scrub control and roll the mouse wheel forward or backward.
You can drag the Normal Rate indicator ( ) below the scrub control to adjust playback
speed (or double-click the label to type a playback rate).
Scrub using the keyboard

Press and hold K while pressing K or L to emulate a shuttle knob mode. Press K+J
to turn the knob to the left or K+L to turn the knob to the right.
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Previewing a File
Press the J, K, or L keys to use the keyboard as a scrub control. The scrub control at the
bottom of the active data window will reflect the current rate and direction of playback.
Item Description
J Scrub reverse mode. Press again to accelerate the playback rate.
K Pause.
L Scrub forward mode. Press again to accelerate the playback rate.
Scrub by dragging the cursor

1. Hover over the cursor and press Ctrl. The mouse pointer is displayed as a
when you click.
2. Drag left or right to scrub playback.
The Allow Ctrl+drag cursor style scrub in data windows check box on the General (⇗227)
tab of the Preferences dialog must be selected to scrub by dragging the cursor.
Scrub with the audio event locator

Holding Ctrl and dragging the mouse within the overview bar initiates playback of small
audio loops adjacent to the cursor position. This is not technically a scrub function, but it
serves a similar purpose. It allows you to audition brief audio segments and quickly locate
specific events within a file. Playback stops when the mouse button is released.
You can set the amount of pre-roll and the loop duration for the audio event locator
on the Previews (⇗233) tab of the Preferences dialog.
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Monitoring Levels in Digital Audio
MONITORING LEVELS IN DIGITAL AUDIO

The SOUND FORGE Audio Studiochannel meters (⇗114) display peak levels during
playback. Use the meters to monitor levels and ensure no clipping occurs in your file.
Decibels
The standard method for digital metering is to use the maximum possible sample value
(⇗269) as a reference point. This value is referred to as 0 dB. Decibels are used to
represent fractions logarithmically. In this case, the fraction is: sample amplitude divided
by the maximum possible amplitude. The actual equation used to convert to decibels is:
dB = 20 log (amplitude/32,768)
To illustrate this, consider a sine wave with a peak amplitude of 50% of full scale.
Inserting the values in the appropriate places yields 20 log (0.50) = -6.0 dB. Each time a
signal's amplitude is divided by two, its dB value is decreased by 6 dB. Likewise, doubling
the amplitude of a signal increases its dB value by 6 dB. Dividing the sine wave until its
peak amplitude is equal to 1 produces lowest peak dB possible, -90.3 dB.
Why are dBs used when talking about audio? Decibels are typically used when dealing
with sound pressure levels because of the vast range of sound (about 120 dB) that the
human ear can perceive. It's also easier to say -90 dB than 0.000030 (1/32,768).
Digital versus analog levels

When recording to an analog medium such as magnetic tape, recording engineers
typically try to keep VU (volume unit) meters as close to zero as possible. This ensures a
high signal-to-noise ratio while preserving adequate headroom to keep the tape from
saturating and distorting. In addition, occasional peaks above 0 do not cause problems
because the tape saturation point is not an absolute.
However, this is not true in the digital realm, where amplitudes are stored as discrete
numbers instead of continuous variables. The flexible recording ceiling of analog is
replaced by the absolute maximum sample values (⇗269) of digital audio. Stored signals
must never have a value above these maximums, as the wave peaks are literally clipped.
This clipping adds audible distortion and though it can go unnoticed, it can also ruin an
entire project. Therefore, sample with the understanding that digital audio has absolutely
no headroom. The following image shows a simple sine wave that has been clipped to 0
dB:
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Setting digital audio levels

Because digital audio has no headroom, setting the sampling level becomes critical. If the
loudest section of the audio is identified in advance, the recording level should be set so
that the peak is as close to 0 dB as possible to maximize the dynamic range of the digital
medium. If the loudest section of audio is unknown, allow 3 to 6 dB of headroom for
unexpected peaks.
Channel Meters
From the View menu, choose Channel meters to show or hide the channel meters. peak
level meters are provided in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio to monitor audio levels.
The peak meters display instantaneous levels during playback to help you determine the
loudest level in your audio signal and whether the signal is clipping.
To prevent clipping, keep an eye on your peak meters. Peak levels should never exceed
0 dB.
Peak Meter V2 (⇗119) or Oscilloscope (⇗120)

Peak Meter (⇗1)
Show or hide the Play Meters window

From the View menu, choose Channel Meters to open or close the channel meters. You
can dock (⇗38) the Channel Meters window on any edge of the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace.
Reset clip indicators

When clipping is detected, the peak meter displays a red clipping indicator.
Do any of the following to reset the indicator:

■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, and then choose Reset Clip from
the submenu.
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■ Right-click the play meter and choose Reset Clip from the shortcut menu.
■ Click the red Clip indicator.
Change the meters' display resolution

The peak meters display levels in dB FS. To change the resolution of the meters, do
either of the following:
■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, choose Peak Range from the
submenu, and then choose a display range. Next, choose a peak range.
■ Right-click the channel meter, choose Peak Range from the submenu, and then
choose a display range.
Change the meters' display options

You can choose whether labels, peaks, and valleys are displayed in the meters and
whether the meters are displayed on top of other windows when they are not docked.
Do either of the following to change the meters' display options:
■ From the Options menu, choose Channel Meters, and then choose a command
from the submenu.
■ Right-click the meters and choose a command from the shortcut menu.
Command Function
Show Toggles the meter level labels on and off.
Labels
Hold Peaks When selected, the highest peak levels are represented by a thin line on the
meter.
Hold When selected, the lowest peak levels are represented by a thin line on the
Valleys meter.
To change the layout of the meters in the Channel Meters window, right click the meters,
choose Layout from the shortcut menu, and then choose a command from the submenu.
Command Function
Stretch to When selected, the meters will stretch to fit the size of the window.
Fit
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Narrow Toggles narrow- or normal-width meters. Using narrow meters can

Width conserve screen space.
Narrow meter
Normal Display
Route channels to hardware outputs

dialog or the Channel Meters window. Changing the setting in either location updates
your preferences and affects all open data windows.
To change a channel's output device using the Channel Meters window, click the channel
number and choose a new output port from the menu:
Loudness Meters
From the View menu, choose Loudness Meters to display the Loudness Meters window.
The Loudness Meters tool provides data about an audio file's momentary loudness,
short-term loudness, integrated (overall) loudness, and loudness range. You can use
these values when mastering for broadcast to ensure compliance with loudness
standards (such as the CALM Act).
The meters display real-time values for each of the following measurements:
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■ The M meter represents the momentary loudness — in loudness units (LU) — across
all audio channels based on 400-millisecond integration windows. The Momentary
box displays a numeric representation of the momentary loudness.
■ The S meter represents the short-term loudness — in loudness units — across all
audio channels based on 3-second integration windows. The Short box displays a
numeric representation of the short-term loudness.
■ The I meter represents the integrated loudness — in loudness units — across all
audio channels over the duration of the program. The Integrated box displays a
numeric representation of the integrated loudness and includes an over-target
indicator.
■ The LRA meter represents the loudness range — in loudness units — of the
momentary and short-term levels. The Loudness Range measurement provides a
standardized method of determining the dynamic range of the signal.
■ The True peaks meter represents the peak levels in dB FS. True peaks are
calculated using a higher sample rate than peaks in the Channel Meters window for
increased accuracy.
The True Peaks indicator shows you whether the target loudness has been
exceeded. The indicator is reset when you restart playback, or you can right-click
the Loudness Meters window and choose Reset Clip from the shortcut menu.
The statistics on the left side of the window display the last-calculated values and are
reset when you restart playback. You can reset the values by right-clicking the Loudness
Meters window and choosing Reset Metering Engine from the shortcut menu.
Tips:
■ Loudness is recalculated whenever you start, stop, seek, or change playback
direction. If you want to force a recalculation, right-click the window and
choose Reset Metering Engine from the shortcut menu.
■ Select the Enable surround processing for files with 6 channelscheck box on
the Status (⇗234) tab of the Preferences dialog if you want to treat audio with
six channels as surround audio when measuring loudness (a gain of ~1.5 dB
is applied to the left and right surround channels). When the check box is
cleared, all channels contribute equally to the loudness measurement.
Choose a metering mode

To change the mode of the meters, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu, and
then choose EBU R 128 Mode or ATSC A 85 Mode from the submenu (you can also right-
click the meter to set its options).
■ When using EBU R 128 Mode, the target value of the Integrated meter is -23 LUFS,
mastering to European Broadcasting Union (EBU) standards.
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■ When using ATSC A 85 Mode, the target value of the Integrated meter is -24 LUFS,
mastering to North American Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC)
standards.
The over-target indicators will be triggered if the target values for Integrated and True
peak meters are exceeded.
Choose a loudness scale

To change the scale of the meter, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu,
choose Loudness Scale, and then choose EBU +9 or EBU +18 from the submenu (you
can also right-click the meter to set its options).
Select Absolute (-23 LUFS) if you want to display loudness values as Loudness Units Full
Scale (LUFS). When Absolute (-23 LUFS) is not selected, all values are expressed as
Loudness Units (LU) relative to the selected mode (EBU R 128 Mode or ATSC A 85
Mode).
Configure peak meters

To toggle the True Peaks meters in the Loudness Meters window, choose Loudness
Meters from the Options menu, and then choose Show True Peak Meter from the
submenu (you can also right-click the meter to set its options).
Please note that true peaks are calculated using a higher sample rate than peaks in
the Channel Meters (⇗114) for increased accuracy.
Peak levels may be miscalculated if audio signals are asymmetrical or if a DC offset is

present. To enable filtering, choose Loudness Meters from the Options menu, and then
choose True Peak Blocking Filter from the submenu (you can also right-click the meter to
set its options). When True Peak Blocking Filter is selected, peaks are calculated as the
maximum of the filtered and unfiltered signals.
The True Peaks meters display levels in dB FS. To change the resolution of the meters,
do either of the following:
■ From the Options menu, choose Loudness Meters, choose True Peak Range from
the submenu, and then choose a display range.
■ Right-click the Loudness meter, choose True Peak Range from the submenu, and
then choose a display range.
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Peak Meter V2
The Peak Meter V2 is a new metering instrument that combines a PPM meter and VU
meter in one combined display. The thinner, outer bars show the Program Peak Meter
(PPM Meter) and the thicker, inner bars display the VU meter, which you might be familiar
with from analog equipment.
Both meter displays are based on a standardized peak meter with precisely defined
display characteristics. The PPM meter displays the peaks of an audio signal, whereas
the VU meter displays the metered values over a specific metering time period.
Open the Peak Meter V2 context menu by Shift+right-click and select from several
presets for PPM and VU meter scales. The Peak range for the Peak Meter is set by the
Peak Range option in the Channel Meters context menu.
K-Metering
The presets for the Peak meter V2 include a number of presets for the K-metering
system. These presets can be opened by Shift + right-clicking on the peak meter display.
Here you'll find the presets „K-12 Broadcast“, „K-14 Music“ and „K-20 Cinema“.
K-metering enables uniform reference volumes for different media especially when
mastering under normalized listening conditions. The peak hold display continues to
show signal peaks and can be used to avoid clipping.
The "K-system" refers to the metering system developed by Bob Katz, and it has become
the standard for monitoring audio signals during mastering. K-system metering enables
uniform calibration and monitoring. You can use it to easily exchange audio material
between different studios and have matching monitoring results. The K-metering system
focuses more on musical dynamics and less on loudness. Setting the level to 0 dB sets
the reference volume which no longer matches the maximum level, as often used to be
the case.
Depending on the application and audio material, three different meter scales can be
used:
■ K-20 = 0 dB reference (83 dB SPL) at -20 dB FS
K-20 is recommended when using audio with large dynamics like classical music or
film sound.
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K-14 is recommended for rock and pop productions or for Surround sound.
K-12 is recommended for radio and television networks.
The corresponding scale for setting up the monitoring volume is calibrated with pink
noise. If you set pink noise to 0dB, you get a level of 83dB SPL, a volume reference that
originated in the film world.
Oscilloscope
The oscilloscope displays the signal amplitude over the time curve.
To display the Oscilloscope, right-click the Channel Meters and check the Show
Oscilloscope option in the context menu.
You can display either the Peakmeter V2 or the Oscilloscope in the Channel meters.
To change the look of the Oscilloscope you can choose from several presets: Right-click
the Channel meters and choose a preset from the Oscilloscope Presets sub-menu.
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Recording
RECORDING
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio can record audio into multiple audio channels while
simultaneously playing back existing audio tracks. You are limited only by the
performance of your computer system and audio hardware.
You can use the Stereo Recording window layout (⇗36) to optimize the SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio interface for recording.
Creating a New Recording

After you've connected an audio source and verified your recording setup, you're ready to
start recording audio.
When you click the Arm or Record button when no data windows are open,
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio creates a new window automatically using the last-used
new window settings. When Create new windows is selected in the Mode drop-down list
in the Record Options window (⇗131), a new window appears each time you start
recording.
If you want to record into an existing sound file, please see Recording into an Existing
Sound File.
recording. For example, if you enabled six inputs on the Record tab in Audio Preferences,
you need to record into a six-channel data window to record all six inputs. If you record to
a stereo data window, only two inputs will be recorded.
the menu.
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Recording
Create a recording
1. Verify that your recording method is set to Manual.
2. From the View menu, choose Record Options. The Record Options window is
displayed.
3. From the Method drop-down list, choose Manual.
4. If you want to set up pre-roll, post-roll, or a prerecord buffer, click the Settings
button. For more information, see "Set up pre- and post-roll" or "Set a prerecord
buffer" in this help topic.
5. Use one of the following methods to create a new window:
■ Choose File > New.
■ When you click the Arm or Record button when no data windows are
open, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio creates a new window automatically
using the last-used new window settings.
■ When Create new windows is selected in the Mode drop-down list in the
Record Options window (⇗131), a new window is each time you start
recording.
6. Click the Record button to start recording. During recording, the Time Display
window and the data window's selection status bar will show the current record
position.
7. Click the Record or Stop button to end recording, or click the Pause button
to suspend recording and leave the recording device armed.
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Recording
By default, the cursor goes back to where the recording started after it ends. You
can change this by unchecking the Option Rewind cursor position after recording in
the Preferences window > General tabGeneral Preferences (⇗227)
Set up pre- and post-roll

Using pre- and post-roll can help you when recording voiceovers or overdubs:
■ When you're performing punch-and-roll recording from the cursor, pre-roll allows
you to hear the material before the cursor position.
■ When you're recording into a selection, pre- and post-roll allow you to hear the
material before and after the selection.
displayed.
3. Click the Settings button in the Record Options window.
4. Select the Pre-roll check box and type a value in the edit box to set the amount of
time before the cursor (or selection) that you want to play when recording.
5. Select the Post-roll check box and type a value in the edit box to set the amount of
time after the selection that you want to play when recording into a selection.
When performing punch-in recording, recording occurs underneath the pre- and
post-roll. If your subject starts early, for example, you can adjust the event to
uncover the recording. You can use the Event Tool to slip or trim the edges of
the recorded event to expose the recorded pre- and post-roll. For more information,
please see Slipping and Trimming Events.
During recording, the Record status value in the Record Options window indicates
that recording is armed, in pre-roll, recording, or in post-roll. The meters in the
Record Options dialog monitor the level from your recording input.
Set a prerecord buffer

A prerecording buffer helps to ensure you won't miss a perfect take when you're
recording. When the prerecording buffer is enabled, sound data is written continuously to
the buffer after you click the Arm button . When you start recording, the sound data in
the buffer is committed to disk.
After you finish recording, the buffer is not displayed in the window, but you can use the
Event Tool to slip or trim the left edge of the recorded event to expose the buffer. For
more information, please see Slipping and Trimming Events.
displayed.
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Recording

4. Select the Prerecord buffer check box and type a value in the edit box to set the
duration of the buffer.
Review recorded takes

Click the Play button to review your recording. Click the Stop button to end
playback.
Recording into an Existing Sound File

After you've connected an audio source and verified your recording setup, you're ready to
start recording audio.
Click the Record button (or choose Transport > Record) to record into an existing
sound file (also called punch-in recording).
If you want to record to a new file, please see Creating a New Recording.
the menu.
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Recording
Record at the current cursor position or into a selection

displayed.
■ If you want to set up pre-roll, post-roll, or a prerecord buffer, click the Settings
button. For more information, see "Set up pre- and post-roll" or "Set a
prerecord buffer" in this help topic.
■ From the Mode drop-down list, ensure Normal or Create new regions is
selected.
the meters.
The peak meters represent the volume of the recording input. For best results,
the peak level should be somewhere in the yellow range with an occasional
red segment: you want your input to be as loud as possible without clipping.
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Recording

the Record or Stop button to end recording. Clicking Pause suspends
recording, clearing the selection and moving the cursor to the end of the recorded
data. When you pause recording, the recording device remains armed.
By default, the cursor goes back to where the recording started after it ends. You
can change this by unchecking the Option Rewind cursor position after recording in
the Preferences window > General tabGeneral Preferences (⇗227)
Record multiple takes into a selection

displayed.
■ If you want to set up pre-roll, post-roll, or a prerecord buffer, click the Settings
button. For more information, see "Set up pre- and post-roll" or "Set a
prerecord buffer" in this help topic.
■ From the Mode drop-down list, ensure Normal or Create new regions is
selected.
clipping.
3. Select the Loop Playback button .

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Recording
current record position. During recording, playback commands, the Preferences

dialog, and commands that affect the recording data window are unavailable.
6. When recording reaches the end of the time selection, the cursor returns to the
beginning of the selection, and a new take is recorded.
7. Click the Record or Stop button to end recording.
8. You can use the Undo and Redo commands to cycle through your recorded takes
while previewing in the data window.
Set up pre- and post-roll

Using pre- and post-roll can help you when recording voiceovers or overdubs:
■ When you're performing punch-and-roll recording from the cursor, pre-roll allows
you to hear the material before the cursor position.
■ When you're recording into a selection, pre- and post-roll allow you to hear the
material before and after the selection.
displayed.
4. Select the Pre-roll check box and type a value in the edit box to set the amount of
time before the cursor (or selection) that you want to play when recording.
5. Select the Post-roll check box and type a value in the edit box to set the amount of
time after the selection that you want to play when recording into a selection.
When performing punch-in recording, recording occurs underneath the pre- and
post-roll. If your subject starts early, for example, you can adjust the event to
uncover the recording. You can use the Event Tool to slip or trim the edges of
the recorded event to expose the recorded pre- and post-roll. For more information,
please see Slipping and Trimming Events.
During recording, the Record status value in the Record Options window indicates
that recording is armed, in pre-roll, recording, or in post-roll. The meters in the
Record Options dialog monitor the level from your recording input.
Set a prerecord buffer

A prerecording buffer helps to ensure you won't miss a perfect take when you're
recording. When the prerecording buffer is enabled, sound data is written continuously to
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Recording
the buffer after you click the Arm button . When you start recording, the sound data in
the buffer is committed to disk.
After you finish recording, the buffer is not displayed in the window, but you can use the
Event Tool to slip or trim the left edge of the recorded event to expose the buffer. For
more information, please see Slipping and Trimming Events.
displayed.
4. Select the Prerecord buffer check box and type a value in the edit box to set the
duration of the buffer.
Review recorded takes

Click the Play button to review your recording. Click the Stop button to end
playback.
If you've recorded multiple takes, you can use the Undo and Redo commands to cycle
through your recorded takes while previewing in the data window.
Recording Audio Automatically

You can set up recording to begin automatically from the selected input device (⇗133)
using a timeror by detecting when audio exceeds a set threshold.
When you're using threshold-triggered recording, you can choose to record continuously:
set a buffer size, and the recorded audio will fill the buffer, discarding the oldest data as
new data is recorded. If you want to save data from the buffer, you can save it to disk.
When recording automatically, you can use the Record button to manually begin
recording. Automatic recording settings will then be used to determine when recording
ends.
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Recording
the menu.
Record audio over a set threshold

displayed.
2. Use the Record Options window to set the audio levels at which recording will start
and stop:
A From the Method drop-down list, choose Automatic: Threshold.
B Choose a setting from the Mode drop-down list to choose whether to create
regions or record to a new window when recording is suspended and
resumed. For more information, please see Recording Options.
C Click the Settings button. The Threshold Settings tab in the Record Settings
dialog is displayed.
D Drag the Threshold fader to set the audio level at which recording will begin.
E Drag the Release slider to set the amount of time the audio level should be
below the Threshold setting before recording will stop.
F Select the Automatically rearm after record check box if you want to continue
monitoring audio levels and recording until you click the Stop button .
G Click OK to close the Record Settings dialog.
3. Click the Arm button in the data window where you want to record. The Record
status value in the Record Options window indicates that recording is armed, and
the meters in the Record Options window monitor the level from your recording
input.
Recording will begin when the audio signal meets the threshold level and will stop
after the level falls below the threshold for the specified release time. recording
begins at the cursor position, and the Time Display (⇗44) window and the data
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Recording
window's selection status bar will show the current record position.
If the destination window contains a selection that is shorter than the timer
duration, recording will stop at the end of the selection. If the destination window
contains a selection that is longer than the timer duration, recording will stop at the
end of the timer duration.
Record using a timer

displayed.
2. Use the Record Options window to specify when you want to record:
A From the Method drop-down list, choose Automatic: Time.
B Choose a setting from the Mode drop-down list to choose whether to create
regions or record to a new window when recording is suspended and
resumed. For more information, please see Recording Options (⇗131).
C Click the Settings button. The Time Settings tab in the Record Settings dialog
is displayed.
D Click the Add button to create a timer setting (or click the Edit button to
edit an existing setting). The Record Timer Event dialog is displayed.
Tips:
■ If you want to remove a timer setting, select it and click the Delete
button .
■ If you want to remove all past timer settings, click the Remove All
Past Events from List button .
E Type a name in the Name box to create a name to identify the preset.
F Choose a setting from the Recurrence drop-down list to indicate whether you
want to record one time only or repeat the timed recording at a regular
interval.
G Use the Start date, Start time, and Duration boxes to indicate when you want
to start and stop recording.
H Click OK to close the Record Timer Event dialog.
I Click OK to close the Record Options dialog.
3. Click the Arm button in the data window where you want to record. The Record
status value in the Record Options window will display a countdown to show you
when recording will begin.
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Recording
When the timer is activated, recording begins at the cursor position, and the Time
If the destination window contains a selection that is shorter than the timer duration,
recording will stop at the end of the selection. If the destination window contains a
selection that is longer than the timer duration, recording will stop at the end of the
timer duration.
Record Options
From the View menu, choose Record Options to open the Record Options window. You
can use this window to configure various options for recording in SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio.
The top of the Record Options window displays the current record status, attributes,
time recorded, and time left on your hard drive.
Choose a recording method

Choose a setting from the Method drop-down list to choose what happens when you start
recording:
■ Manual: Recording starts at the cursor position or selection. Use this mode for
general-purpose recording, punch-in recording, or voiceover work. For more
information, please see Creating a New Recording or Recording into an Existing
Sound File.
■ Automatic: Threshold: Recording starts when the audio reaches a specified level
and stops when the audio falls below that level for a specified duration. For more
information, please see Recording Audio Automatically.
■ Automatic: Time: Recording starts at the date and time you specify and stops after
the specified duration. For more information, please see Recording Audio
Automatically.
Choose a recording mode

Choose a setting from the Mode drop-down list to choose what happens after you stop (or
pause) and restart recording:
■ Normal: Click the Record or Stop button to end recording, or click the Pause
button to suspend recording and leave the recording device armed.
■ Create regions: A new region is created each time you restart or resume recording.
If you're recording into a time selection with Loop Playback enabled, SOUND
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Recording
FORGE Audio Studio does not create a new region for each loop.
■ Create new windows: A new window is created each time you restart or resume
recording.
Notes:
■ When Create new window is selected, the Arm and Record buttons on
the main toolbar are enabled even when no data windows are open. When
Normal or Create regions is selected, the Arm and Record buttons are
not available until you create a data window (⇗70) or open a file.
■ When Create new window is selected, punch-in recording is not available. For
more information, please see Recording into an Existing Sound File.
Set up input monitoring
Turning input monitoring on or off

Choose On,Off, or Auto from the Monitor drop-down list to toggle record input monitoring.
When Auto is selected, the input is monitored during pre/post-roll and during recording
only.
Monitoring unselected channels when recording

Select the Play unselected channels when recording check box to if you want to monitor
additional channels while recording.
■ When the check box is selected, all unselected audio channels will play when
you're recording into the selected channels.
This setting is useful when you're recording to backing tracks. For example, if you
have a four-channel audio file, you could place backing tracks on channels 1 and 2
and record into channels 3 and 4. Select channels 3 and 4, and select the Play
unselected channels when recording check box. When you start recording, your
audio is recorded into channels 3 and 4, and you'll be able to monitor channels 1
and 2 while recording.
■ When the check box is cleared, unselected audio channels will play only during
pre/post roll.

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Recording

How Do I Record from an External Source?

This topic provides general guidelines to help you record sound from an external source
using SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software. Your specific hardware may vary. Please
refer to your hardware documentation for more information.
phono-level (rather than line-level) outputs. Phono-level outputs are quieter than
Connect an audio source to your sound card's input
Basic setup
In this setup, an audio source is connected to an input on your sound card, and your
powered speakers are connected to a Line Out output. You could connect a
computer microphone to your sound card's Mic In input, or you can connect line-level
outputs from a tape deck or other source to a Line In input.
Basic setup with mixer/preamplifier

In this setup, your speakers and audio source are connected to a mixer or preamplifier.
The mixer/preamplifier is then connected to Line In and Line Out connections on your
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Recording
sound card.
phono-level (rather than line-level) outputs. Phono-level outputs are quieter then
Digital input/output with MIDI synchronization

In this setup, an audio source with digital input/output is connected to a sound card with
digital input and outputs. Dashed lines represent a sync connection from your audio
source to a MIDI timecode converter to a MIDI card.
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Recording
Choose an input device and adjust levels

The Record tab in the Audio Preferences page allows you to choose the audio inputs
from which you want to record. Before recording, you'll need to verify that your sound
card's recording inputs are active.
recording. For example, if you enabled six inputs on the Record tab in Audio Preferences
(⇗236), you need to record into a six-channel data window to record all six inputs. If you
record to a stereo data window, only two inputs will be recorded.
the menu.
1. Ensure all cables are connected and that your audio source is generating a signal.
2. Adjust your recording levels:
■ If your audio device provides a console application to adjust levels, open the
application and adjust its gain controls while monitoring the peak meters on
the Meters tab in the recording dialog. Adjust the gain controls in the console
application so SOUND FORGE Audio Studio receives a strong signal with no
clipping.
For more information about using your sound card and its console application,
please refer to the manufacturer's documentation.
■ If you're using your Windows sound card, perform the following steps to open
the recording controls:
1. Double-click the speaker icon in your system tray to open the Volume
Control window.
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Recording
2. From the Options menu, choose Properties.

3. Click the Recording radio button and click OK.
4. Select (or unmute) the device from which you want to record.
5. Adjust the Volume faders for the selected device and for the Master
Record level while monitoring the recording meters in the SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio Record dialog.
For example, if you want to record from an audio CD in your CD-ROM
drive, the CD Mute check box should not be selected, and the CD and
Master Record Volume faders must be adjusted so SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio receives a strong signal with no clipping.

Using the Vinyl Recording and Restoration Tool

The Vinyl Recording and Restoration tool makes it easy to record audio from vinyl
records (or other external sources, such as a tape deck), maximize volume, and remove
noise.
If you're recording from a turntable, use a phono preamplifier between your turntable's
output and your sound card's line input. Most turntables' outputs are phono-level (rather
than line-level) outputs. Phono-level outputs are quieter than line-level outputs and have
special equalization applied. A phono preamplifier will convert the phono-level signal to a
line-level signal that you can record.
1. Before you get started, connect your turntable to your sound card (or to a USB port
on your computer if applicable). In the following example, we have our turntable
connected to the Phono In port of a phono preamplifier, and the preamplifier's Line
Out port is connected to the Line In port of our sound card:
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Recording
If your turntable has line-level outputs, you can skip the phono preamplifier and
connect the turntable's Line Out directly to the Line In of your sound card.
2. From the Tools menu, choose Vinyl Recording and Restoration to start the tool.
3. Use the first page of the wizard to set your recording level:
a Start playing your record. If possible, play the loudest track.
In most cases — especially if you're using the Microsoft Sound Mapper
as your audio device — you can leave the Monitor recording level check
box cleared. However, if the record meters are displaying a signal and
you can't hear your record player, select the Monitor recording level
check box.
b If necessary, adjust your recording level until the Vinyl Recording and
Restoration tool receives a strong signal with no clipping:
If your audio device provides a console application to adjust levels, open the
application and adjust its gain controls while monitoring the meters. For more
information about using your sound card and its console application, please
refer to the manufacturer's documentation. If you're using the Microsoft Sound
Mapper as your audio device (⇗236), you can click the Device Properties
button to open the control panel for your sound device, where you can adjust
the gain of your recording input.
c Click the Next button.
4. Click the Record button and start playing your record. During recording, the
button is displayed as a Pause button .
If you miscue the record, you can click the Pause button and then click the Delete
Recording button to clear the recording and start over.
When you're ready to record side two, click the Pause button, turn the record over,
and then click the Record button and start playing the second side.
After you've finished recording, click the Pause button and then click the Next
button.
5. If you're working with a noisy record, you may want to remove noise and increase
the overall volume.
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6. Select the Audio restoration check box if you want to remove hiss, crackling, and
popping.
7. Select the Peak normalization check box if you want to increase the volume of the
recording without changing the relative volume of the tracks.
Click the Next button.
8. The next page of the wizard lets you fine-tune track positions. A marker is displayed
in the waveform to show you where tracks were detected.
■ You can drag a track marker to change its start time.
■ Right-click a marker to delete it.
■ Press M to add a new track marker at the cursor position.
Tracks may not be detected correctly for all recordings (classical albums with
long pauses or spoken-word recordings, for example). If the number of tracks
displayed does not match the number of tracks on your album, you can adjust
the track regions (⇗182) manually.
9. The next page of the wizard lets you type information about the album you're
recording. Type information as needed, and then click the Next button.
10. Finally, you can tell the wizard what you want to do with the recorded audio:
11. Select the Burn a CD check box if you want to burn your recording to a disc-at-once
(⇗84) CD.
12. Select the Save tracks as audio files on your hard drive check box if you want to
save each track as a file on your computer. You can use the Destination folder
control to tell Sound Forge Audio Studio where to save the files, and you can
choose a setting from the Format drop-down list to indicate the settings you want to
use to save the files.
If you want to edit the recorded files later (or just want to save with the highest-
possible quality), use the Wave Audio setting. If you want to transfer the files to your
MP3 player, use one of the MP3 settings.
Recording Multichannel Audio

If you have an audio device that supports multiple inputs, you can use SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio to perform multichannel recording.
Tips:
■ SOUND FORGE Audio Studio is not a multitrack editor check out our Vegas
and ACID family of products for full multitrack recording and editing. You can
use multichannel recording to create surround audio or capture field
recordings.—
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Recording
■ If you experience gapping or glitching when recording multichannel audio, try

increasing your buffer size. You can increase the Record buffering setting on
the Audio (⇗236) tab of the Preferences dialog or click the Advanced button
on the Audio tab of the Preferences dialog to increase your device's buffers.
1. Connect your audio sources to your sound card's inputs. For more information,
please see Recording Setup.
2. Enable your recording inputs:
A From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and click the Audio tab.
B Choose your recording device from the Audio device type drop-down list.
C Click the Record tab.
D Select the Enable check box for each input you want to enable for recording,
and then select a radio button to assign the input to an audio channel.
In the following example, the signal from Analog in 1 is recorded to channel 1,
Analog In 2 is recorded to channel 2.
E Click OK to close the Preferences dialog and save your changes.

3. Verify that your recording mode is set to Manual.
displayed.
C If you want to set up pre-roll, post-roll, or a prerecord buffer, click the Settings
button. For more information about other recording modes and methods,
please see Recording Options (⇗131).
4. Create a data window for your recording:
A From the File menu, choose New.
B Choose a sample rate from the Sample rate drop-down list.
C Choose a setting from the Bit depth drop-down list to specify the number of
D Choose a setting from the Channels drop-down list to specify the number of
channels that will be used in the window.
E Click OK. A new, untitled sound file is created.
The maximum number of channels recorded depends on the data
window where you're recording. For example, if you enabled six inputs
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on the Record tab in Audio Preferences, you need to record into a six-
channel data window to record all six inputs. If you record to a stereo
data window, only two inputs will be recorded.
To choose your recording input, use the Audio (⇗236) tab in the Preferences dialog
or click a channel number in the Record Options window and choose a new input
port from the menu.
clipping.
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Recording
the Record or Stop button to end recording.

Remote Record
The Remote Record window reduces the program interface of SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio to the control elements that are necessary to perform recordings.
When you open this window with the button on the Transport toolbar, the main window
of SOUND FORGE Audio Studio is hidden at the same time. This frees up the screen to
display text or sheet music, for example.
File: In the list box, you can select the file for recording among the open files. If no file is
open, a new file is created by clicking on Prepare recording or Recording.
Transport controls: Buttons to control recording and playback, For more information, see
The Transport ToolbarThe Transport Toolbar (⇗24)
Set markers: This button allows you to set markers, even while recording.
Go to...: This button opens the dialog Go to... (⇗154) to quickly reach a position in the
file.
Monitoring: This sets the monitoring mode. For more information, see Set up input
monitoringSet up input monitoring (⇗132)
Peak meter: The peak meter for checking the recording level.
Status information: The recording status information is displayed here. This is the same
information as displayed in the Recording Options window.
Back: Click on Back to display the main window again. The remote recording window
remains open. The button label changes to Remote. With a click on it you can hide the
main window again.
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Selecting Data and Positioning the Cursor
SELECTING DATA AND POSITIONING THE

CURSOR
Selecting data and positioning the cursor are the first steps in most editing processes.
After you have selected data, you can cut (⇗157), copy (⇗157), paste (⇗158), mix
(⇗160), add effects (⇗188), and more.
The selection status bar in each data window shows the beginning, end, and length of a
selection. If no selection has been made, the cursor position is displayed.
■ Double-click the Selection Start box to type a value and move the cursor.
■ Double-click the Selection End or Selection Length box to type values in the boxes
to specify or edit a selection.
■ Right-click to display the Status Format shortcut menu, which allows you to choose
a time format (⇗33).
Selecting Data Using the Mouse

Using your mouse, you can select data simply by clicking and dragging in a data window.
Make a selection
1. Select the Edit tool .
2. Click to position the cursor, hold the mouse button, and drag over an area of the
data window to select data. As you drag past markers (⇗181) and regions (⇗182),
the selection edge will snap to the marker/region tag. For more information about
channel selection, please see "Select Channels" in this help topic.
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Select channels
When you are working with stereo or multichannel files, you can select data from the
individual channels or all channels:
■ Drag within a channel to select that channel only:
■ Drag across channels to select multiple channels:
■ Drag along the divider between channels (or the loop bar above the ruler) to select
all channels:
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■ Hold Ctrl and click a channel to add or remove it from the current selection:
Lock selected channels

Click the Lock Channel Selection button in the top-left corner of a data window to lock
or unlock the current channel selection.
■ When the channel selection is locked, you can drag anywhere in the data window to
change the selection length or position without changing the currently selected
channels (you can still Ctrl+click to add or remove channels from the selection).
■ When the channel selection is not locked, dragging over a non-selected channel
clears the current channel selection and selects the channels where you drag.
Adjust the length of a selection

2. Move the mouse over the edge of a selection. The cursor will be displayed as a .
3. Drag to change the length of the selected region.
You can also drag the ends of the loop region to adjust the selection length. Right-
click the loop bar above the time ruler to display a shortcut menu, where you can set
the selection to the visible portion of the waveform, select the entire file, or create a
time selection from the loop region.
Shift a selection left or right

2. Move the mouse over the edge of a selection. The cursor will be displayed as a .
3. Hold the Shift key.
4. Drag to move the selected region.
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You can also drag the center of the loop region to move a selection without
resizing it:
The Set Selection Dialog

To display the Set Selection dialog, choose Selection from the Edit menu, and then
choose Set from the submenu.
This dialog allows you to select data by specifying starting and ending points or choosing
a region from the Selection drop-down list.
Select data
1. From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Set from the submenu.
2. Choose a selection type or region from the Selection drop-down list, or choose
Custom to specify a custom selection:
a Type a value in the Start edit box or use the spin controls to specify a starting
point for your selection.
b Type a value in the End edit box or use the spin controls to specify an ending
point for your selection.
Specifying a value in the End box will modify the value in the Lengthbox.
Specifying a value in the Length box will modify the value in the Endbox.
c Type a value in the Length edit box or use the spin controls to specify the
length of your selection.
3. Choose Left, Right, or Both from the Channeldrop-down list to specify which
channels will be selected.
Specify an input format

Choose a setting from the Input format drop-down list. This setting specifies the units for
thedialog's Start, End, and Length boxes.
Preview your selection

Click the Play button to preview the selection. During playback, the button will change to
a Stop button. Click again to stop playback.
Select the Play Looped check box to enable looped playback of the current
selection. You can modify the selection during playback.
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Snap selection ends to zero crossings

Click the Snap Zero button to snap the beginning and end of the current selection to the
nearest zero-crossing (⇗273). (⇗273)
Snap selection ends to the time ruler

Click the Snap Time button to snap the beginning and end of the current selection to the
nearest division on the time ruler.
Mark In
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Mark In to set the beginning of
the loop region at the current cursor position.
You can then right-click bar at the top of the loop region to insert a region (⇗182), toggle
looped playback, or select (⇗142) the loop region.
Marking Out
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Mark Out to set the end of the
loop region at the current cursor position.
You can then right-click bar at the top of the loop region to insert a region (⇗182), toggle
looped playback, or select (⇗142) the loop region.
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Looped Playback
From the Options menu, choose Loop Playback to repeatedly play back a section of your
project.
When Options > Seek Cursor on Playback is selected, playback will restart when
you position the cursor. If you do not want to interrupt playback when positioning
the cursor, clear this command.
1. Drag the cursor to make a selection (or hold down the Shift key and use the arrow
keys to make the selection).
2. From the Options menu, choose Loop Playback.
3. Click the Play button to hear your selection looped.
If there is no selection, the entire sound file is played in an endless loop.
Quantize to Frames
From the Options menu, choose Quantize to Frames to force edits to occur on project
frame boundaries. This setting is independent of grid and marker snapping (⇗147) and is
useful when editing audio for video and creating disc-at-once (⇗84) CD projects.
When Quantize to Frames is turned on, the following actions will always occur on frame
boundaries:
■ Positioning the cursor
■ Making selections
■ Placing markers and regions
If you drag to a snap point that does not occur on a frame boundary when Quantize to
Frames is enabled, the snap point will be quantized to the nearest frame boundary.
Enable Snapping
From the Options menu, choose Snapping and then choose Enable from the submenu to
turn automatic snapping on or off in data windows.
Snapping helps you position the cursor, make selections (⇗142) and align items along
the grid when you paste (⇗158), mix (⇗160), trim (⇗164), or work with markers (⇗181)
and regions (⇗182).
As you drag items in a data window, snap points are highlighted:
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If you want to modify an existing selection, you can use the commands on the Edit >
Selection submenu to snap the selection to the grid and to zero crossings.
Hold the Shift key to temporarily override snapping.
In previous versions of SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, both ends of a selection would
snap to the grid when you released the mouse. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio now uses
a softer snapping mechanism that gives you more control: if you click near a grid line with
snapping enabled, the cursor will snap to that grid line. As you drag a selection along the
timeline, the cursor will stick to grid lines to allow you to snap to them. If you want to snap
both edges of a selection to the grid as in previous versions of SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio, you can press T.
Turn snapping on or off

From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Enable from the submenu
(or press F8) to turn snapping on or off. When snapping is enabled, objects will snap to
the following points:
■ The cursor
■ Time selection edges
You can also choose to snap events to grid divisions, markers, or zero crossings.
Automatically snap to the grid

When snapping is enabled, you can also choose to have objects snap to whole time
divisions as designated by the marks on the time ruler above the data window.
From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Grid from the submenu (or
press Ctrl+F8) to toggle snapping to grid lines.
To change the resolution of the grid, choose Status Format from the Options menu
and then choose a setting from the submenu (or right-click the time ruler and
choose a format from the shortcut menu).
Automatically snap to markers

When snapping is enabled, you can also choose to have elements in the data windows
snap to markers.
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From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Markers from the submenu
(or press Shift+F8) to toggle snapping for the following marker types:
■ Markers (⇗181)
■ Regions (⇗182)
■ Command (⇗185) markers
■ Disc-at-once CD tracks and indexes
Automatically snap to events

When snapping is enabled, you can also choose to have elements in the data windows
snap to event (⇗169) boundaries.
From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Events from the submenu
(or press Ctrl+Shift+F8) to toggle snapping to event edges.
Automatically snap to zero crossings

When snapping is enabled, you can also choose to have elements in the timeline snap to
zero-crossings (⇗273).
From the Options menu, choose Snapping, and then choose Crossings from the
submenu (or press Ctrl+B) to toggle snapping to zero crossings.
Turn off automatic snapping at high zoom levels

When you're zoomed (⇗164) in, you may wish to turn off snapping so you can position a
selection's start and end points exactly where you choose.
1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and then click the Editing tab.
2. Select the Disable auto-snapping below 1:4 zoom ratios check box.
3. Click OK.
Snap an existing selection to the grid or zero crossings

If you've created a selection (⇗142) without automatic snapping enabled or have
modified a selection so its edges no longer align with the grid/zero crossings, you can use
the commands on the Edit > Selection submenu to snap the selection to the grid and to
zero crossings.
Selection Snapping
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose a command from the submenu
to force the edges of the current selection to the points you choose. Snapping helps you
align your selection with items in the data window.
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If you want to use automatic snapping when positioning the cursor and making
selections, use the commands on the Options menu to enable snapping and set snapping
options.
Snap to Grid
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Snap to Grid from the submenu
(or press T) to force both edges of a selection to a whole time division as designated by
the marks on the time ruler above the data window.
Before snapping.
After snapping, the edges of the selection snap to the 2.000 and 3.000 divisions on the
ruler.
Snap Edge to Grid

From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Snap Edge to Grid from the
submenu (or press Shift+T) to force the active edge of a selection to a whole time division
as designated by the marks on the time ruler above the data window.
The active edge of a selection is defined by the blinking cursor. Press Home or End to
change the active edge.
Before snapping.
After snapping, the active (right) edge of the selection snaps to the 3.000 division on the
ruler.
Snap to Zero
Performing edits at zero-crossings (⇗273) reduces the possibility of introducing glitches
in your sound file.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Snap to Zero from the submenu
(or press Z) to force both edges of a selection to the next zero-crossing of the waveform.
Before snapping.
After snapping, the edges of the selection snap to the nearest locations where the
waveform crosses the baseline.
The Editing tab in the Preferences dialog allows you to choose whether this is a negative,
positive or any zero-crossing.
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Snap Edge to Zero

in your sound file.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Snap Edge to Zero from the
submenu (or press Shift+Z) to force the active edge of a selection to the next zero-
crossing of the waveform.
Before snapping.
After snapping, the active (right) edge of the selection snaps to the nearest location
where the waveform crosses the baseline.
Extend to Next Zero

in your sound file.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Extend to Next Zero from the
submenu (or press Z) to force both edges of a selection to the next zero-crossing of the
waveform.
Extend Edge to Next Zero

in your sound file.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Extend Edge to Next Zero from
the submenu (or press Shift+Z) to force the active edge of a selection to the next zero-
crossing of the waveform.
Adjusting Selections
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio includes tools that are designed to help you create your
own loops for ACID software and other loop-based audio applications.
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From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose a command from the submenu
to quickly adjust your selection length and position.
Halve Selection
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Halve from the submenu (or
press the ; key) to reduce the current selection by half.
For example, if you have four measures selected and choose halve the selection, only
measures one and two will be selected.
Double Selection
From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Double from the submenu (or
press the ' key) to double the current selection.
For example, if you have four measures selected and double the selection, an additional
four measures will be selected.
Shift Selection Left

From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Shift Left from the submenu (or
press the < key) to move the current selection left by the length of the selection.
Because the exact length of the selection is maintained, this tool is perfect for moving the
selection a beat or measure at a time.
Shift Selection Right

From the Edit menu, choose Selection, and then choose Shift Right from the submenu (or
press the > key) to move the current selection left by the length of the selection.
Because the exact length of the selection is maintained, this tool is perfect for moving the
selection a beat or measure at a time.
Rotate Audio
From the Process menu, choose Rotate Audio (or press the : key) to change the feel of a
given loop by moving the selection to the opposite end of the file.
The function of this command depends on the current selection:
■ If there is no selection, the first quarter of the file will be moved to the end.
■ If a selection is made at the very beginning of the file, that audio will be cut and
pasted at the end of the file. If a selection is made at the very end of the file, that
audio will be cut and pasted at the beginning of the file.
This command has no effect if the selection does not touch the beginning or end of the
file.
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Using Selection Grid Lines

From the Options menu, choose Selection Grid Lines to display grid lines that divide the
selection (⇗142) into four equal parts. These lines make creating loops from existing
material easier.
To change the number of divisions that will be used, choose Options > Set Grid Divisions,
and then choose a setting from the submenu.
For example, if you're trying to create a loop in 3/4 time, changing the grid divisions to 3
allows you to divide a selection into three beats.
Toggling and Cycling Selections

Whoops! You just adjusted your selection until it was perfect, and now you've lost it with a
stray click? No problem it's not lost at all.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection and then choose Toggle (or press S or /) to switch
between the last selection and the last cursor position. For instance, you may be setting
the cursor in various places while navigating throughout a sound file. If you use the
Toggle command, the last selected region will immediately return to the display.
From the Edit menu, choose Selection and then choose Cycle(or press Backspace) to
step backward through the previous five time selections.
Select All
From the Edit menu, choose Select All to select all data in the current window.
Double-click in the waveform display to select all data.
■ If a file contains regions, triple-click to select all data (if the Disable triple clicking to
select all sound file data check box on the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog is
cleared).
■ If you're working with multichannel audio, only the channel you click is selected.
Hold Ctrl while clicking additional channels to add or remove them from the
selection.
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Go To
From the Edit menu, choose Go Toto move the cursor to a specific location in a sound
file.
1. From the Edit menu, choose Go To. The Go To dialog is displayed.
2. Choose a preset from the Go To drop-down list, or choose Custom to specify a
cursor position using the Position and Input Format controls:
■ Type a value in the Position box or use the up and down arrows to determine
where the cursor will be moved.
■ Choose a setting from the Input Format drop-down list to determine the format
(⇗33) used by the Position box.
3. Click OK to close the dialog and move the cursor.
Press F5 and type a value in the Selection Start box in the data window to navigate
to a specific location quickly.
Centering the Cursor

From the Edit menu, choose Center Cursor to center the display so that the cursor
appears in the center of the data window.
Notes:
■ This command does not actually move the cursor to a new position in the data
window; it simply redraws the display so that you will see the areas of the
sound file equally on either side of the cursor. If the cursor does not seem to
center, the cursor may be very close to the beginning or end of the sound file
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(and therefore cannot be centered), or you may be zoomed out so the entire
waveform is already visible.
■ If you have a range of data selected, you can switch the cursor between
selection points using the Home and End keys.
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BASIC EDITING
The edit operations used most often include cut, copy, paste, clear/delete, mix, and
trim/crop. Most of these functions use the clipboard, which is a temporary storage area.
The clipboard can also be used to move data from one window to another.
Editing Tools
From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose a tool from the submenu to change
the active tool.
Click the edit tool selector in the data window (or press D or Shift+D) to toggle
through the Edit, Magnify, Pencil and Event tools.
The Edit Tool

From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Edit from the submenu to select the
Edit tool. Use the Edit tool to select data and position the cursor.
The Magnify Tool

From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Magnify from the submenu to select
the Magnify tool.
Use the Magnify tool to zoom in to a region without losing your selection. Drag the mouse
over an area to zoom in. A dotted rectangle is drawn around the area, and the area is
magnified when you release the mouse button.
While holding the left mouse button, click the right mouse button to toggle through the
three magnification modes:
■ Zoom Time only: magnifies horizontally without changing the vertical level of the
data window.
■ Zoom Level only: magnifies vertically without changing horizontal zoom level of the
data window.
■ Time/ Zoom Level: magnifies horizontally and vertically.
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For more information about zooming and magnification please see Magnification and
Zooming (⇗164).
The Pencil Tool

From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Pencil from the submenu to select the
Pencil tool.
Use the Pencil tool to edit the waveform by drawing on it. For example, if you have a glitch
in the sound data, zoom in to the glitch and smoothly redraw the waveform.
While holding down the left mouse button, you can also use the arrow keys to fine
tune the pencil position.
The Pencil tool is available only at magnification levels below 1:32.
Cut
From the Edit menu, choose Cut to remove the selected sound data and copy it to the
clipboard. Cutting sound data replaces the previous contents of the clipboard.
1. Choose the Edit tool .
2. Select (⇗142) the data that you want to cut.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Cut. The data is removed and copied to the clipboard.
If you cut data from individual channels of multichannel files, the waveform will contain
silence at the end of the cut channel. The channels in a multichannel file must always be
equal in length.
Before Cut
After Cut
Copy
From the Edit menu, choose Copy to copy the selected sound data to the clipboard.
Copying sound data replaces the previous contents of the clipboard.
2. Select (⇗142) the data that you want to copy.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Copy. The data is copied to the clipboard.
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Viewing Clipboard Contents

From the View menu, choose Clipboard and choose Contents from the submenu to view
information about the sound data on the clipboard.
If no data is in the clipboard, this command is unavailable.
Playing Clipboard Contents

From the View menu, choose Clipboard and choose Play from the submenu to play the
contents of the clipboard.
If no data is in the clipboard, this command is unavailable.
Paste
From the Edit menu, choose Paste to insert a copy of the clipboard contents at the current
cursor position. If there is a selection, the Paste command deletes the selected data
before inserting.
Notes:
■ From the Options menu, choose Drag-and-Drop Editing, and choose Paste
from the submenu if you want to use paste mode during drag-and-drop
editing. Choosing this command has the same effect as toggle-clicking the
right mouse button while dragging until the cursor is displayed as a .
You can click the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste
(⇗158) drag-and-drop modes.
■ Pasting into a multichannel file will insert data to all channels the channels in a
multichannel file must always be equal in length.—
Before Paste
(clipboard contents are highlighted)
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After Paste
Silence is pasted to the unselected channel.
If multiple channels were selected, the same data would be pasted to all
selected channels, and silence would be pasted to the unselected channel
If no channels were selected, the same data would be pasted to all
channels.
■ Pasting data of different sample rates will cause the data in the clipboard to
play at the same rate as the rate of the window in which the data is pasted.
■ If any regions, markers, or loops are present in the original sound data, they
will also be pasted into the destination sound file. To turn this feature off, turn
off the Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions command on the Options menu.
Paste by dragging and dropping a selection

2. Drag the mouse over an area of the data window to select (⇗142) the data you want
to paste.
If the Always open dropped files in new window check box on the General (⇗227)
page of the Preferences dialog is cleared, you can also hold Ctrl while dragging a
file (or region) from the Explorer window to a data window to paste sound data.
When the check box is selected, dropping a file on the SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio workspace always creates a new data window.
3. Drag the selection to the location where you want to paste the data and then press
and hold Ctrl. The cursor is displayed as a , and a vertical line is displayed to
show you where the paste will occur.
You can click the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste (⇗158)
4. When you release the mouse button to drop the selection, the selection is pasted.
Paste audio from the clipboard

to mix or crossfade, and then click Cut (⇗157) or Copy (⇗157) to place the
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audio on the clipboard.

3. Click to position the cursor where you want to paste the contents of the clipboard.
4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.
Paste Special
From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special and choose a command from the submenu to
specify how you want to paste the contents of the clipboard.
Mix
From the Edit menu, choose PasteSpecial, and then choose Mix from the submenu to
mix a copy of the clipboard contents at the current cursor position.
Notes:
■ From the Options menu, choose Drag-and-Drop Editing, and choose Mix from
the submenu if you want to use mix mode during drag-and-drop editing.
Choosing this command has the same effect as toggle-clicking the right
mouse button while dragging until the cursor is displayed as a .
You can click the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste
(⇗158) drag-and-drop modes.
■ If any regions, markers, or loops are present in with the original sound data,
they will also be pasted into the destination sound file. To turn this feature off,
turn off the Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions command on the Options
menu.
Mix by dragging and dropping a selection

to mix.
If the Always open dropped files in new window check box on the General
(⇗227) page of the Preferences dialog is cleared, you can also drag a file (or
region) from the Explorer window to a data window to paste sound data.
When the check box is selected, dropping a file on the SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio workspace always creates a new data window.
3. Drag the selection to the location where you want to mix the data. The cursor is
displayed as a , and a shaded selection box is displayed to show you where the
mix will occur. An envelope is drawn to show you the mix and fade levels (the last-
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used settings from the Mix/Replace dialog are used by default).

You can click the right mouse button while dragging to toggle mix and paste (⇗158)
4. When you release the mouse button to drop the selection, the Mix/Replace dialog is
displayed. If you want to bypass the Mix/Replace dialog, hold Shift when you
release the mouse button.
To customize your mix settings, choose a setting from the Preset drop-down list in
the Mix/Replace dialog, or adjust the controls as needed:
Item Description
Source Drag the Source fader to adjust the volume of the selection you
want to mix.
Select the Invert Data check box to invert (⇗261) the source audio
at the baseline (reverse the phase). Inverting data can help match
transitions and compare the phase relationship of the two sound
files.
Destination Drag the Destination fader to adjust the volume of the selection
you want to mix over.
Select the Invert Data check box to invert (⇗261) the destination
audio at the baseline (reverse the phase). Inverting data can help
match transitions and compare the phase relationship of the two
sound files.
More Click to display additional controls at the bottom of the dialog that
you can use to change the selection you want to process.
5. Click the OK button to apply the mix.
Mix audio from the clipboard

to mix or crossfade, and then click Cut (⇗157) or Copy (⇗157) to place the
audio on the clipboard.
3. Click to position the cursor where you want to mix or crossfade the contents of the
clipboard.
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4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Mix from the
submenu. The Mix/Replace dialog is displayed.
5. Choose a setting from the Preset drop-down list, or adjust the controls as needed.
(see above (⇗161))
6. Click the OK button to apply the mix.
Overwrite
From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Overwrite to replace the
selected sound data with the contents of the clipboard.
The Overwrite command replaces data using the following rules:
■ If the selected area is greater than the length of the clipboard, the data is
overwritten from the beginning of the selection for the length of the clipboard.
■ If the selected area is less than or equal to the length of the clipboard, the data is
overwritten for the length of the selection only.
1. Copy (⇗157) the sound you want use to overwrite the current data.
2. Select (⇗142) the data you want to replace.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Overwrite.The
selected data is replaced with the contents of the clipboard.
Replicate
From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Replicate to paste multiple
copies of the clipboard contents to the current selection.
The Replicate command will paste as many copies of the clipboard as will fit in the current
selection. If no selection exists in the data window, the command is not available.
1. Copy (⇗157) the sound you want to paste.
2. Select (⇗142) the area where you want to paste the contents of the clipboard.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Replicate. The
Replicate dialog is displayed.
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4. Use the Replicate dialog to specify how you want to paste data.
Item Description
Copy Click to fill the selected region completely, using a partial copy of the
partials clipboard if needed.
Whole Click to use only whole copies of the clipboard contents to fill the selected
copies region. The selected region will not be completely filled if its length is not
an exact multiple of the clipboard length.
Example:
1. Copy a 1-second section of sound data onto the clipboard.
2. Insert 5.5 seconds of silence in the data waveform.
3. Select the 5.5 second area and select Replicate:
■ If you choose Whole copies, 5 copies of the clipboard will be placed in the area
the silence previously occupied and 0.5 seconds of silence will remain at the
end.
■ If you choose Copy partials, 5.5 copies of the clipboard will be placed in the
data. No silence will remain.
The Replicate command is useful when you are trying to replace silent sections of
audio with background noise. It can also be used to introduce stuttering effects or
echoes.
Paste to New
From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, and then choose Paste to New to create a
new data window (⇗27) that contains the contents of the clipboard.
Delete (Clear)
From the Edit menu, choose Delete (Clear) to remove selected sound data without
copying it onto the clipboard.
If the Treat as Cutlist command is selected (Edit > Playlist/Cutlist > Treat as Cutlist),
deleting a selection creates a region in the Cutlist window, but does not remove the
selection.
1. Select (⇗142) the data you want to delete.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Delete (Clear).
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If you delete data from individual channels of multichannel files, the waveform will contain
silence at the end of the deleted channel. The channels in a multichannel file must always
be equal in length.
Before Delete
After Delete
Trim/Crop
From the Edit menu, choose Trim/Crop to remove all data outside the current selection
from the selected channel.
This command does not copy sound data to the clipboard.
1. Select (⇗142) the data you want to keep.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Trim/Crop.
Magnification and Zooming

Depending on the editing operations you want to perform, you may want to view the
entire file or only a small section. You can change the magnification of each data window.
Tips:
■ You can use the mouse wheel to zoom quickly: roll the wheel forward or back
to zoom horizontally, or hold Ctrl while rolling the wheel to zoom vertically.
■ If the Allow Ctrl+drag style zoom in data windows check box is selected on the
General (⇗227) tab in the Preferences dialog, you can hold Ctrl while
dragging in a window to switch to the Magnify tool temporarily.
If you're using the Pencil tool and zoom out past the Pencil tool maximum zoom ratio
setting on the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog, the tool will automatically revert to the
Edit tool (⇗156).
Use the Magnify tool

From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Magnify from the submenu (or click
the Magnify Tool button on the toolbar) to select the Magnify tool.
Use the Magnify tool to zoom in to a region without losing your selection. Drag the mouse
over an area to zoom in. A dotted rectangle is drawn around the area and will magnify the
area when the mouse button is released.
While holding the left mouse button, click the right mouse button to toggle through the
three magnification modes:
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■ Zoom Time only: magnifies horizontally without changing the vertical level of the
data window.
■ Zoom Level only: magnifies vertically without changing horizontal zoom level of the
data window.
■ Time/Zoom Level: magnifies horizontally and vertically.
Zoom horizontally
Zooming incrementally
To zoom in and out in time by small increments, press the Up Arrow/Down Arrow keys or
use the Zoom buttons on the lower right-hand side of the data window:
Tips:
■ Drag the splitter between the + and - buttons to zoom in large increments.
■ You can also drag the end of the scroll box to zoom in or out:
Zooming in fully
From the View menu, choose Zoom Time, and then choose In Full from the submenu (or
press Ctrl+Up Arrow) to maximize the horizontal magnification to 24:1 (24 pixels per
sample).
Zooming out fully

From the View menu, choose Zoom Time, and then choose Out Full from the submenu
(or press Ctrl+Down Arrow) to zoom out to the lowest magnification so that the entire
sound file will fit on the screen.
Zoom vertically
Zooming incrementally
To zoom in and out vertically by small increments, click the Level Zoom In/Out buttons, or
click and drag the area between the buttons to zoom quickly.
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Zooming out fully

From the View menu, choose Zoom Level, and then choose Out Full from the submenu to
zoom out vertically to allow viewing of the entire amplitude range. This command also
centers the centerline.
Zooming to fit the waveform to the window

From the View menu, choose Zoom Level, and then choose Window from the submenu
to zoom in or out vertically to the maximum zoom ratio that allows you to view the entire
waveform. This command also moves the centerline if the maximum positive and
negative peaks are different.
Zoom to a selection
From the View menu, choose Zoom Time or Zoom Level, and then choose Selection from
the submenu to maximize the current selection vertically and horizontally.
The Selection command calculates the maximum zoom factor for the size of a selection
area, draws the data at this zoom factor, and centers the selection in the data window.
Press Ctrl+Up Arrow (when a selection is active) or double-click the Level Ruler.
Zoom to an event
When using the Event tool (⇗169) , you can zoom to the selected event.
Right-click the event and choose Zoom Event from the shortcut menu (or press Ctrl+Up
Arrow). The event is zoomed to fit the width of the data window.
Return to the default zoom ratio

From the View menu, choose Zoom Time, and then choose Normal from the submenu to
zoom out to the default zoom ratio. If the entire sound file can fit in the window at a closer
magnification, zoom normal will only zoom out to that ratio.
To change the default for the Normal zoom ratio, go to the Display (⇗231) tab in the
Preferences dialog.
Use custom zoom ratios

You can define two custom zoom ratios to quickly adjust your magnification to frequently
used settings.
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Defining custom zoom ratios

1. From the Options menu, choose Preferences.
2. Select the Display tab.
3. Choose the zoom ratios you want to use from the Custom zoom ratio 1 and Custom
zoom ratio 2 drop-down lists.
Displaying custom zoom ratios

Perform any of the following actions to display your custom zoom ratios:
■ Press 1 or 2 on your numeric keypad.
■ From the View menu, choose Zoom Time, and then choose a Custom Zoom
command from the submenu.
■ Right-click in a data window, choose Zoom from the shortcut menu, and then
choose a Custom Zoom command from the submenu.
Undoing and Redoing Edits

When the Undo past Save check box is selected on the General (⇗227) tab in the
Preferences dialog, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software maintains your undo history
until you close the data window (or exit the application) so you can undo edit operations
even if you've saved your file.
If you want to be able to undo edit operations even after closing and reopening your file,
save a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio project (⇗79).
Undo a single operation

From the Edit menu, choose Undo to reverse the last action performed. For example, if
you deleted a section of data accidentally, use the Undo command to put the data back.
Undo all edits

From the Edit menu, choose Undo All to undo all operations performed on a file. Undo All
will return your file to its original state.
Redo a single operation

From the Edit menu, choose Redo to reverse an undo operation.
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Repeat
From the Edit menu, choose Repeat to repeat the last-performed operation. This can be
used with most processing functions.
The last dialog settings will be used unless you hold the Shift key, which allows you to
change the operation's parameters.
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The Event Tool
THE EVENT TOOL

From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Event from the submenu to select the
Event tool.
Use the Event tool to edit multiple audio events in a single data window, which can be an
easier way to edit edges and fades and lay out tracks for disc-at-once CDs. (⇗84)
Notes:
■ Events do not loop and cannot exceed the start, end, or channels of the
underlying media. For example, you cannot trim an event past its right edge to
insert silence.
■ To preserve events in a file after saving, use a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
project file (⇗79) for editing.
Creating Events
Events are created when you cut/copy/paste sound data, split events, drag sound data to
existing data windows, or process selections.
Create events by cutting, copying, or pasting sound data

Cutting (⇗157), copying (⇗157), pasting (⇗158), or mixing (⇗160) sound data will create
events in a data window.
After performing one of these edits, select the Event tool to work with the new event.
Split events
From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Split from the submenu (or press S)
to split one or more selected events at the current cursor position.
For more information about splitting events, please see Splitting Events (⇗171).
Create events by dragging files from the Explorer

You can create events in a data window by dragging files from the Explorer window (⇗39)
or Windows Explorer.
The Always open dropped files in new window check box on the General (⇗227)
page of the Preferences dialog must be cleared if you want to create events with
drag-and-drop operations. When the check box is selected, dropping a file on the
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace always creates a new data window.
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The Event Tool
1. Drag a file from the Explorer window to a data window. The cursor indicates where
the sound data will be added.
2. When you release the mouse button to drop the selection, the selection is pasted,
and an event is created.
3. From the Edit menu, choose Tool, and then choose Event from the submenu.
4. When you click in the data window with the Event tool, events are selected. You can
hold Ctrl or Shift to select multiple events.
In the following example, the data window contains four events, and the second
event is highlighted to indicate that it is selected.
Create events by dragging selections

You can create events in a data window by dragging sound data within a data window or
to another data window.
The Always open dropped files in new window check box on the General (⇗227)
page of the Preferences dialog must be cleared if you want to create events with
drag-and-drop operations. When the check box is selected, dropping a file on the
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio workspace always creates a new data window.

2. Create a time selection in a data window.
3. Drag the selection to the location where you want to mix or paste it.
4. When you release the mouse button to drop the selection, the selection is pasted or
mixed, and an event is created.
5. Select the Event tool . You can then use the Event tool to work with the new
event.
Create events by processing a selection

When you apply processes or effects to a portion of a sound file, SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio creates an event from the selection.
2. Create a time selection in a data window.
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The Event Tool
3. Apply a process or effect to your time selection. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
creates an event from the selection.
4. Select the Event tool . You can then use the Event tool to work with the new
event.
Moving Events
You can move events horizontally along the timeline by dragging them with the Event tool
.
Moving an event past the end of the current file inserts time into the data window. You
must remove any unwanted silence when you are finished editing the file.
When dragging events vertically across channels, you are limited to the number of
channels in the current file. You cannot drag an event past the top or bottom channel in a
data window to create more channels in the file.
Events can cross channel boundaries, but overlapping events must lie on the same
channels. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio automatically splits or merges channels as you
move events.
Crossfaded The channels in both events are split when the first event is moved
events before to channels 2 and 3 because overlapping events must lie on the
channel split. same channels.
You can also Ctrl+drag events to other data windows or to the workspace to create new
data windows.
Regions, markers, and envelope points are moved with an event. To turn this
feature off, turn off the Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions and Envelope Points
commands on the Options menu.
Splitting Events
From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Split or Split Regions from the
submenu to split one or more selected events.
Splitting an event allows you to adjust a small part of an event or break a single event into
multiple sections that you can edit independently.
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The Event Tool
Split events at the cursor

1. Select the Event tool (⇗169) .
2. Position the cursor where you want to split the events.
3. Select (⇗174) the events you want to split.
4. From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Split from the submenu (or
press S):
■ If no events are selected, the events located at the current cursor position will be
split throughout all of the channels.
■ If events are selected, only the selected events will be split at the current cursor
position.
Split events at region boundaries

1. Add regions (⇗182) as needed.
2. Select the Event tool (⇗169) .
3. Select (⇗174) the events you want to split.
4. From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Split Regions from the
submenu (or press Ctrl+Alt+T):
5. If no events are selected, the events located at the current cursor position will be
split throughout all of the channels at region boundaries.
6. If events are selected, only the selected events will be split at region boundaries.
Cutting, Copying, Pasting, Mixing, and Deleting Events

When working with the Event tool (⇗169) , you can easily cut, copy, paste, mix, and
delete events in a data window.
Cut events
1. Select the events you want to cut.
For more information about selecting events, please see Selecting Events.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Cut, or click the Cut button on the Standard toolbar.
The selected events are removed from the data window and placed on the
clipboard.
Copy events
1. Select the events you want to copy.
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The Event Tool
2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy, or click the Copy button on the Standard
toolbar.
The selected events are copied to the clipboard and the waveform is unchanged.
Paste events
After events are copied or cut to the clipboard, you can paste them to a different place in
the data window or to a different data window.
Notes:
■ If any regions or markers are present in the original sound data, they will also
be pasted into the destination sound file. To turn this feature off, turn off the
Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions command on the Options menu.
■ Envelope points from the original sound data are not pasted into the
destination sound file.
1. Move the cursor to the desired location on the timeline.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Paste, or click the Paste button on the Standard
toolbar.
The clipboard events are inserted into the data window, and existing events on the
selected channels are moved in the data window by the total length of the pasted
events. If no channels are selected, the clipboard events are pasted to all channels.
Mix events
You can mix files, events, and selections when using the Event tool by dragging audio
from the current data window, other data windows, the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
Explorer window, or Windows Explorer.
Mixed audio is inserted as new events over existing events in a data window. Crossfades
(⇗175) are created, but the Mix dialog is not displayed.
Delete events
1. Select the events you want to delete.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Delete (Clear), or press Delete.
The selected events are removed from the data window, but they are not placed on
the clipboard.
Regions, markers, and envelope points are deleted with an event. To turn this feature off,
turn off the Lock to Selection > Markers/Regions command on the Options menu.
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Selecting Events
When working with the Event tool (⇗169) , you can select one or more events, but you
cannot create time selections (⇗142).
If you want to zoom to an event, right-click the event and choose Zoom Event from
the shortcut menu (or press Ctrl+Up Arrow). The event is zoomed to fit the width of
the data window.
schow all
Selecting events with the mouse

To select an event, click it with the Event tool . To deselect an event, hold Ctrl while
clicking it.
To select multiple nonadjacent events, hold the Ctrl key and click each event you want to
select.
To select multiple adjacent events, hold the Shift key and click the first and last event you
want to select. All events between the first and last selected events are also selected.
Double-click an event to select it and adjust the loop bar to the length of the event.
You can drag the top and bottom edges of events if you want to use only a subset of
the channels in a multichannel file. This method is also useful for duplicating or
rearranging channels without performing channel conversion, which always
processes the entire file:
You can quickly restore contiguous channels by dragging the event edge back.
Selecting events using menu commands

From the Edit menu, choose Event, and then choose Select Next Event or Select
Previous Event from the submenu to select the next or previous event in the data window.
Choose Select First Event or Select Last Event to select the first or last event in the data
window.
Choose Extend to Next Event or Extend to Previous Event to extend the current selection
to the next or previous event in the data window.
Choose Extend to First Event or Extend to Last Event to extend the current selection to
the first or last event in the data window.
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The Event Tool
Selecting events using keyboard shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to select events while using the Event tool.
Crossfading Events
From the Options menu, choose Event, and then choose Automatic Crossfades from the
submenu if you want to automatically create crossfades (⇗256) when you overlap two
events on the same channel.
When Automatic Crossfades is turned off, overlapping events punch in and out with no
fades.
You can show or hide the crossfade length ToolTip by selecting Event and then Show
Crossfade Lengths from the Options menu or pressing Ctrl+Shift+T.
Create an automatic crossfade

You can easily create crossfades between audio or events by simply dragging an event.
1. From the Options menu, choose Event, and then choose Automatic Crossfades
from the submenu to turn on automatic crossfades.
2. Drag an event so that it overlaps another event on the same channel.
3. A crossfade is automatically added to transition between the two events.
Create a manual crossfade

An automatic crossfade is not inserted if a shorter event is placed on top of a longer event
(as in a punch-in). You can manually create a crossfade to fade in to or out of the shorter
event.
This is a fast and effective method of punching in to replace a bad section of audio.
1. Drag a shorter event so it overlaps a longer event.
2. Hover over upper-left or upper-right corner of an audio event until the cursor is
displayed as a .
3. Click the corner of the event and drag to create a fade.
4. Repeat step 3 for the other end of the event.
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The Event Tool
Change the fade type

You can change a crossfade to use one of many combinations of fast, slow, linear,
smooth, and sharp fade curves.
1. Right-click the crossfade region to display a shortcut menu.
2. Choose Fade Type from the shortcut menu and choose a fade curve from the
submenu.
Event Envelopes (ASR)

You can apply envelopes to individual events. Events, known as ASRs (attack sustain,
and release) give you the ability to control an event's fade-in, fade-out, and overall level.
When you create an event, handles are added that are used to set the envelope. As you
drag these handles, a volume envelope appears.
Adjust an event's volume

1. Hover over the top of an audio event.
2. When you see the envelope cursor ( ), drag the volume line to the desired level.
As you drag the envelope, the event’s gain is displayed in dB.
Tips:
■ Hold Ctrl (or hold the right mouse button) while dragging the sustain portion of
the envelope to adjust the value in fine increments.
■ When you have multiple events selected, the gain of all selected events is
adjusted simultaneously.
Fade an event in or out

1. Hover over upper-left or upper-right corner of an audio event until the cursor is
displayed as a .
2. Click the corner of the event and drag to create a fade.
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The Event Tool
To remove a fade, drag the end of the fade curve back to the edge of the event.
Change the fade type

1. Right-click the fade-in or fade-out region to display a shortcut menu.
2. Choose Fade Type from the shortcut menu and choose a fade curve from the
submenu.
Slipping and Trimming Events

You can use any of the following methods to adjust events.
You can drag the top and bottom edges of events if you want to use only a subset of
the channels in a multichannel file. This method is also useful for duplicating or
rearranging channels without performing channel conversion, which always
processes the entire file:
You can quickly restore contiguous channels by dragging the event edge back.
Trim an event
1. With the Event tool selected, hover over the edge of an event. The cursor is
displayed as a .
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The Event Tool
2. Drag the edge of the event to trim it.
Events do not loop and cannot exceed the start, end, or channels of the underlying
media. For example, you cannot trim an event past its right edge to insert silence.
Slip (shift the contents of) an event

Hold Alt while dragging an event. The cursor is displayed as a .
As you drag the event, the contents of the event shift, but the event will not move. You
can use this technique when you want to maintain an event's length and position, but
have the event play a different section of the source media file.
Tips:
■ Hold the Shift key to temporarily override snapping.
■ Regions, markers, and envelope points are moved with the contents of the
event. To turn this feature off, turn off the Lock to Selection >
Markers/Regions and Envelope Points commands on the Options menu.
Slip-trim an event
Hold Alt while dragging the right or left edge of an event. The cursor is displayed as a .
As you drag the event edge, the opposite edge of the event will remain fixed, trimming the
media from the edge you drag.
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The Event Tool
Tips:
■ Hold Alt+Shift while dragging any portion of an event to slip-trim the right
edge. The left edge of the event will remain fixed on the timeline, and the
media is slipped past the left edge of the event. This slip mode is useful when
you want to slip an event without changing its last frame.
■ Holding the Shift key temporarily overrides snapping if it is enabled. Release
the Shift key while dragging to snap the event to available snap points.
■ Regions, markers, and envelope points are moved with the contents of the
event. To turn this feature off, turn off the Lock to Selection >
Markers/Regions and Envelope Points commands on the Options menu.
Auto Ripple Events

You can ripple the contents of the data window following an edit after performing the
following tasks:
■ Adjusting an event's length by trimming, slipping, or slip-trimming.
■ Moving events.
■ Cutting events.
■ Pasting events.
■ Mixing events.
■ Deleting events.
1. Select Options > Event > Auto Ripple (or press Ctrl+Shift+R) to turn on auto ripple.
2. Perform one of the edits listed above. The contents of the data window are rippled
after the edit.
If no channels are selected, events are rippled across all channels. If channels are
selected, only events on the selected channels are rippled. For more information,
see Selecting Data Using the Mouse (⇗142)
Applying Processes and Effects to Events

When working with the Event tool (⇗169) , you can process multiple selected events at
once, but SOUND FORGE Audio Studio processes each event individually. The
processed result is only the length and number of channels in the event at the time of
processing, not the entire length and number of channels of the underlying media.
Notes:
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The Event Tool
■ You cannot use format-changing processes such as bit-depth conversion or

resampling when working with the Event tool.
■ Effects are applied to events before any event envelope (⇗176), and event
fades are reapplied after processing.
■ Processing multiple events creates a single undo operation.
For more information about applying processes and effects, click here (⇗188).
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Using Markers, Regions and Commands
USING MARKERS, REGIONS AND

COMMANDS
Markers and regions serve as reference points along the timeline. You can use markers
for annotations, to insert metadata commands, or for MIDI triggers.
Using Markers
From the Insert menu, choose Marker to add a marker at the current cursor position.
Markers are reference points you can place throughout a file. You can use markers to
identify positions for editing or to seek forward and back within a streaming media file.
Markers can be quickly selected from the list in the Go To dialog. Also, markers are
displayed in the Regions List for quick playback.
Insert a marker
1. Position the cursor where you want to add a marker.
2. From the Insert menu, choose Marker. A marker will be added at the cursor
position.
3. If you want to name the marker, right-click the tag and choose Rename from the
shortcut menu. Type a name for the marker in the edit box and press Enter.
You can also insert markers during playback by pressing the M key.
Name or rename a marker

Right-click the marker tag and choose Rename from the shortcut menu. Type the
name of the marker in the edit box and press Enter when you're finished or double-click to
the right of the marker and type a name in the edit box.
Move a marker
Drag the marker tag to a new location.
Markers will snap to other markers, regions (⇗182), and command markers (⇗185). Hold
Shift while dragging to override snapping.
Delete a marker
Right-click the marker tag and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
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Delete all markers and regions

Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All from
the submenu. All markers and regions (⇗182) are removed.
Delete all markers and regions within the selected area

Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All in
Selection from the submenu. All markers and regions (⇗182) in the selected area
are removed.
Preview a marker
Click a marker's Play button in the Regions list (⇗54).
Inserting Regions
From the Insert menu, choose Region to add region markers at each end of the current
selection. Regions can be used to indicate sections of projects such as choruses or
verses, or they can be used to make notes in the project.
The Regions List (⇗54) window contains all of the regions and markers that exist in the
active data window.
Insert a region
1. Drag the cursor in the data window or marker bar to make a time selection.
2. From the Insert menu, choose Region. Numbered region markers are placed at
the start and end of the selected area.
3. If you want to name the region, right-click the tag and choose Rename from the
shortcut menu. Type a name for the region in the edit box and press Enter.
You can also insert regions by pressing the R key (or Ctrl+Alt+R when the Event
tool (⇗169) is selected).
Name or rename a region

Right-click the starting region marker and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
Type the name of the region in the edit box and press Enter when you're finished.
or——
Double-click to the right of the region marker and type a name in the edit box.
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Select a region
Right-click the starting or ending region marker and choose Select Region from the
shortcut menu. The region is highlighted.
or——
Double-click the start or end region marker. The region is highlighted.
Move a region
Drag either region tag to move the tab and change the region's size.
Hold the Alt key while dragging either region tag to move a region and preserve its length.
Regions will snap to other markers (⇗182), regions, and command markers (⇗185). Hold
Shift while dragging to override snapping.
Delete a region
Right-click the region marker and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Delete all markers and regions

Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All from
the submenu. All markers and regions (⇗182) are removed.
Delete all markers and regions within the selected area

Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All in
Selection from the submenu. All markers and regions (⇗182) in the selected area
are removed.
Preview a region
Click a region's Play button in the Regions list (⇗54).
Updating Marker or Region Positions

From the Edit menu, choose Regions List, and then choose Update from the submenu to
move a marker or region to match the current cursor position or selection.
To update a marker quickly, right-click the marker or region tag and choose
Update from the submenu.
1. If the Regions List isn't already visible, choose View > Metadata > Regions List.
2. In the Regions List window, select the marker (⇗181) or region (⇗182) you want to
update.
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3. In the data window, indicate the new position of the marker or region:
■ If you want to update a marker's position, place the cursor where you want to
move the marker.
■ If you want to update a region's position, select a range of data in the data
window.
4. From the Edit menu, choose Regions List, and then choose Update from the
submenu:
5. If you are updating a marker, the marker moves to the cursor position. If you have a
range of data selected, the cursor will blink at one end of a selection; press the
Home key to move the cursor to the beginning of the selection, or press End to
move to the end of the selection.
6. If you are updating a region, the beginning and ending points of the region are
moved to match the current selection, and the length of the region is modified if the
selection is a different length than the original region.
Hold Alt while dragging a region tag to move a region while preserving its length.
Replicating Markers or Regions

Replicating a marker or region creates an exact copy of an existing marker or region in a
file. You can use the Regions List window to modify the properties of the replicated entry.
1. Select an entry in the Regions List (⇗54).
If the Regions List is not visible, choose Regions List from the View menu.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Regions List and choose Replicate from the submenu.
Right-click an entry in the Regions List and choose Replicate from the shortcut
menu.
Deleting Markers or Regions

From the Edit menu, choose Regions List, and then choose Delete from the submenu to
remove the selected marker or region from the Regions List window.
Tips:
■ Select a region or marker in the Regions List window and press Delete.
■ Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose
Delete All or Delete All in Selection from the submenu.
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Copying Regions to the Clipboard

From the Edit menu, choose Regions List and choose Copy onto Clipboard to copy the
text of the Regions List onto the clipboard for use with a text editor.
Editing a regions list in a text editor allows you to make an annotated list that you can print
for reference.
Right-click the Regions List and choose Copy onto Clipboard from the shortcut
menu.
Clearing Markers and Regions

From the Edit menu, choose Regions List and choose Clear All from the submenu to
remove all markers and regions from the current file. This command will also clear the
Playlist/Cutlist window.
Right-click above the loop region, choose Markers/Regions, and choose Delete All
or Delete All in Selection from the submenu.
Inserting Commands
From the Insert menu, choose Command to place a metadata command marker at the
current cursor position.
Command markers indicate when an instruction (function) will occur in a streaming media
file. You can use command markers to display headlines, captions, link to Web sites, or
any other function you define.
Windows Media Player 9 and later will ignore metadata commands unless the Run script
commands when present check box is selected on the Security tab of the player's
Preferences dialog. Be sure to instruct your audience to select this check box before
playing your file.
Insert a command marker

1. Place the cursor where you want to insert the command marker.
Commands snap to the nearest millisecond.
2. From the Insert menu, choose Command. The Command Properties dialog is
displayed.
3. From the Command drop-down list, choose the type of command you want to
insert, or type a custom command in the box.
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4. In the Parameter box, enter the argument that should be passed to the command.
For example, if you're using an URL command, enter the address of the Web page
you want to display.
Player
Command Description
type
URL Windows Indicates when an instruction is sent to the user's
Media Internet browser to change the content being
displayed.
In the Parameter box, enter the URL that will
display at a specific time during the rendered
project's playback.
Text Windows Displays text in the captioning area of the
Media Windows Media Player located below the video
display area.
In the Parameter box, enter the text that will
display during playback.
To view captions during playback in Windows
Media Player 9, choose Captions and Subtitles
from the Windows Media Player Play menu, and
then choose On if Available from the submenu.
WMClosedCaption Windows Displays the text from the Parameter box in the
Media captioning window that is defined by an HTML
layout file.
WMTextBodyText Windows Displays the text from the Parameter box in the
Media text window that is defined by an HTML layout file.
WMTextHeadline Windows Displays the text from the Parameter box in the
Media headline window that is defined by an HTML layout
file.
5. In the Position box, type the time you want the command to occur in your project.
The command is inserted at the cursor position by default.
Delete a command marker

Right-click the command marker tag and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Edit a command marker

Right-click the command marker tag and choose Edit from the shortcut menu.
or
Double-click the command marker tag.
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Move the cursor to a command marker

Click the command marker tag .
Use command templates

If you frequently insert commands that use similar settings, you can create a template to
insert command settings automatically.
Creating a template
1. From the Insert menu, choose Command to display the Command Properties
dialog.
2. Enter the settings you want to use in the Command, Parameter, and Position
boxes.
3. In the Template box, enter the name you want to use to store the template.
4. Click the Save button .
Recalling a template
1. From the Insert menu, choose Command to display the Command Properties
dialog.
2. Choose the template you want to use from the Template drop-down list. The
Command, Parameter, and Position boxes are automatically filled in using the
information stored in the template.
3. Edit the settings in the Command, Parameter, and Position boxes as necessary.
4. Click OK.
Editing metadata commands

Your metadata command templates are saved in the following file: C:\Users\[user
name]\AppData\Local\MAGIX\SOUND FORGE Audio Studio\16.0\cmdtemp.xml.
You can edit this file directly to modify your templates.
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Applying Processes and Effects
APPLYING PROCESSES AND EFFECTS

SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software includes many processes and effects that you
can use to manipulate the audio in your media files.
The included audio plug-ins can improve the quality of your audio or create unique
sounds. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software also supports additional DirectX and
VST effects from MAGIX or other third parties.
There are several ways to apply a plug-in to an audio file:
■ You can choose a plug-in from the Process, Effects, or FX Favorites menu.
■ You can use the Plug-In Chain to create chains of plug-ins that you can apply
simultaneously.
Use the VST Effects tab in the Preferences dialog to indicate where your VST plug-ins
are installed and which plug-ins you want to make available to SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio software. For more information, see Preferences - VST Effects (⇗240)
The Process, Effects, and FX Favorites Menus

The Process, Effects, and FX Favorites menus allow you to apply audio plug-ins. Most of
the functions can be applied to single channels within multichannel files as well as areas
selected within the file.
The Process and Effects menus are reserved for the plug-ins that are included with
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software.
After installing new DirectX or VST effects, you can use either of the following
methods to add them to the FX Favorites menu:
■ From the FX Favorites menu, choose Recreate by Plug-In Name to clear the
current FX Favorites structure and create new folders based on the first word in the
plug-ins' names.
■ From the FX Favorites menu, choose Organize. In the Organize Favorites dialog,
drag your new plug-ins from the Plug-Ins folder to the desired folder in the FX
Favorites portion of the tree view on the left side of the dialog.
Applying an effect
1. Select the data you want to process. If no data is selected, processing will be
applied to the entire file. For more information, see Selecting Data and Positioning
the Cursor (⇗142)
When using the Event tool , select the events you want to process.
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When you're working with multichannel files, only the selected region in the
selected channel is processed. Most functions can be applied to the individual or all
channels. However, since the channels in a multichannel file must be equal in
length, functions that affect the length of the data cannot be performed on individual
channels. These functions include Insert Silence, Resample, Time Stretch,
Gapper/Snipper, Pitch Bend, and Pitch Shift (without preserving duration).
If you want to apply one of these processes in a single channel, convert the file into
separate mono files (you can select a channel and drag it to the SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio workspace to create a new file quickly), apply the process, and merge
the files into a new multichannel file.
2. Choose a command from the Process, Effects, or FX Favorites menu.
3. Choose a preset from the Preset drop-down list or adjust the dialog controls as
needed. For more information, see Using Processing Dialogs (⇗196)
4. Click the Preview button to hear the effects of your processing settings. Select the
Bypass check box to hear the unprocessed signal.
5. To change the portion of the sound file that will be processed, change the selection:
A Click and drag in the data window to create or change a selection. For more
information, please see Selecting Data Using the Mouse.
B Click the More button in the processing dialog to display Start, End, Length,
and Channels controls at the bottom of the processing dialog.
6. Click the OK button to start processing.
During processing, a progress meter is displayed at the bottom of the data window.
You can cancel the operation at any time by clicking the Cancel button to the left of
the progress meter, or you can press the Escape key.
Previewing a processing operation

Click the Preview button in a processing dialog to audition the function. Select the Bypass
check box to hear the unprocessed sound.
Saving a preset
1. Type a name in the Preset box in the processing dialog.
2. Click the Save Preset button . The current dialog settings are saved in a new
preset.
Changing the selection while previewing

To change the portion of the sound file that will be processed, change the selection:
■ Click and drag in the data window to create or change a selection. For more
information, see Selecting Data Using the Mouse (⇗142)
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■ Click the More button in the processing dialog to display Start, End, Length, and
Channels controls at the bottom of the processing dialog.
For more information, see Using Processing Dialogs (⇗196)
You can also change the selection by right-clicking the processing dialog and
choosing a command from the shortcut menu.
Adjusting previewing and processing settings

You can use the buttons and shortcut menus in processing dialogs to set parameters for
previewing and processing with plug-ins.
Applying Processes and Effects to Events

When working with the Event tool (⇗169) , you can process multiple selected events at
once, but SOUND FORGE Audio Studio processes each event individually. The
processed result is only the length and number of channels in the event at the time of
processing, not the entire length and number of channels of the underlying media.
Notes:
■ You cannot use format-changing processes such as bit-depth conversion or
resampling when working with the Event tool.
■ Effects are applied to events before any event envelope (⇗176), and event
fades are reapplied after processing.
■ Processing multiple events creates a single undo operation.
For more information about applying processes and effects, click here (⇗188).
Applying a Plug-In Chain

From the FX Favorites menu, choose Apply Plug-In Chain to apply a plug-in chain to a
selection or data window.
Creating a plug-in chain

1. Select the data you want to process. For more information, see Selecting Data and
Positioning the Cursor (⇗142)
2. From the FX Favorites menu, choose Apply Plug-In Chain.
3. Choose a preset from the Chain drop-down list to load an existing chain, or add the
desired plug-ins to the chain.
4. Choose which of the chain's plug-ins you want to apply:
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■ Clear an effect's check box to prevent the audio signal from being
sent through the plug-in. This is useful for isolating certain plug-ins without
removing others from the chain
■ Select the check box for each plug-in you want to apply to your signal.
5. If you want to choose a processing mode to determine how SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio software handles the extra audio tail of plug-ins such as reverb or delay,
right-click the processing dialog and choose a command from the shortcut menu:
■ Choose Ignore Tail Data to ignore the tail. The effect will end abruptly at the
end of the selection.
■ Choose Mix Tail Data to mix the tail into the adjacent material. This is the
most natural-sounding option.
■ Choose Insert Tail Data to insert the audio tail. All audio to the right of the tail
will be moved over to accommodate the extra audio.
6. Adjust each plug-in's properties as desired.
Adding, removing, or arranging plug-ins on a chain
Adding a plug-in from the Plug-In Chooser

1. Click the Add Plug-Ins to Chain button in the Apply Plug-In Chain window. The
Plug-In Chooser window appears.
2. Select each plug-in you want to add, and then click the Add button, or browse to an
effects package. The plug-ins appear in the Apply Plug-In Chain window in the
order you added them.
Tips:
You can also double-click a plug-in in the Plug-In Chooser to add it to the
chain.
To reorder the plug-ins within the chain, simply drag a plug-in button to a new
location, or click the Shift Plug-In Left or Shift Plug-In Right buttons.
3. Once you have added all of the plug-ins and specified the plug-in chain order, click
the OK button.
Removing a plug-in
Select a plug-in in the Apply Plug-In Chain window and click the Remove Selected Plug-
In button .
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Editing a plug-in chain

1. From the FX Favorites menu, choose Apply Plug-In Chain.
2. Choose a preset from the Chain drop-down list.
3. To bypass a plug-in without removing it from the chain, clear an effect's check box
.
4. To reorder the plug-ins within the chain, simply drag a plug-in button to a new
location.
5. Click the plug-in's button to select it, and use the bottom half of the dialog box to
adjust the effect's parameters. For more information about using specific plug-ins,
click the Plug-In Help button.
To apply the effects chain to a data window, click the OK button in the Apply Plug-In
Chain window.
When you save a plug-in chain, the order of the effects in the chain and the settings
for each plug-in are saved with the chain.
Set a plug-in's properties

Click the plug-in's button to select it, and use the bottom half of the dialog box to adjust
the effect's parameters. For more information about using specific plug-ins, click the
Plug-In Help button.
Load an effects chain or plug-in preset
Loading a plug-in chain preset

Choose a setting from the Chain drop-down list. The preset chain is loaded using the
saved settings for each DirectX and VST plug-in in the chain.
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Loading a preset for an individual DirectX plug-in

Choose a setting from the Preset drop-down list. The plug-in settings stored in the preset
are loaded.
Loading a preset for an individual VST plug-in

1. Click the VST effect's button to display the effect's parameters in the Apply Plug-In
Chain window.
2. Click the Open VST Preset button .
The Open VST Preset dialog is displayed.

3. Browse to the .fxp file that you want to use.
The current VST preset is replaced with the settings stored in the .fxp file.
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Loading a bank of VST plug-in presets

Chain window.
2. Click the Open VST Bank button .
The Open VST Preset Bank dialog is displayed.

3. Browse to the .fxb file that you want to use.
All presets for the current VST plug-in are replaced with the settings stored in the
.fxb file, and the first preset in the bank is loaded by default
Preview the effects chain

To hear the results of your effects chain without applying it to the sound file, click the
Preview button in the Apply Plug-In Chain window.
You can select the Bypass check box to bypass all effects in the chain, or clear an effect's
check box to bypass individual effects.
You can use the buttons and shortcut menus in processing dialogs to set parameters for
previewing and processing with plug-ins. Click the More button to display controls you
can use to adjust the selection, wet and dry gain, and fade in/out settings.
Apply the effects chain

To apply the effects chain to a data window, click the OK button in the Apply Plug-In
Chain window.
Save the plug-in chain as a preset

When you save a plug-in chain, the order of the effects in the chain and the settings for
each plug-in are saved with the chain.
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1. Add plug-ins to the chain.

2. Adjust each plug-in's properties.
3. Type a name in the Chain box.
You cannot modify default presets.
4. Click the Save Chain Preset button .
Save the settings from an individual plug-in as a preset
Saving a preset for an individual DirectX plug-in

1. Click the effect's button to display the effect's parameters in the Apply Plug-In Chain
window.
2. Type a name in the Preset box.
3. Click the Save Preset button :
Saving a preset for an individual VST plug-in

Chain window.
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2. Click the Save VST Preset As button .
The Save VST Preset dialog is displayed.

3. Browse to the folder where you want to save the .fxp file and type a name in the File
name box.
4. Click the Save button. The current plug-in settings are saved in the .fxp file.
Saving a bank of VST plug-in presets

Chain window.
2. Click the Save VST Bank As button .
The Save VST Preset Bank dialog is displayed.

3. Browse to the folder where you want to save the .fxb file and type a name in the File
name box.
4. Click the Save button. All presets for the current plug-in are stored in the bank.
Using Processing Dialogs

In previous versions of SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, processing dialogs were modal:
after opening a processing dialog, you couldn't adjust the selection in the data window.
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Now you can move freely between processing dialogs and data windows to adjust your
selection.
All processing dialogs share common controls along the right-hand side of the dialog.
Use these controls to save and delete custom presets, preview your changes, and modify
the selection.
Item Description
OK Closes the dialog and processes the dialog settings.
Cancel Closes the dialog without making changes.
Preview Click to begin previewing the processed sound file.
Bypass Select this check box and click Preview to hear the unprocessed audio. This
is a useful feature when comparing the affected and unprocessed signal.
Real-time If the check box is activated, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio creates a
preview of the plug-in in real time. Clear the check box if your computer
does not have enough power.
When the check box is cleared, the maximum preview length is determined
by the Limit non-realtime previews to setting on the Previews (⇗233) tab of
the Preferences dialog.
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More Click to display additional controls at the bottom of the dialog that you can
use to change the selection you want to process.
Preview audio
Click the Preview button to hear the effect of the current dialog settings on the selected
audio.
During playback, you can select the Bypass check box to hear the unprocessed audio.
This is a useful feature when comparing the affected and unprocessed signal.
Preview with pre- or post-roll

If you want to listen to the unprocessed audio before or after the current selection, right-
click the processing dialog and choose Pre-Roll or Post-Roll from the shortcut menu. A
check box is displayed next to the commands when they're selected.
Pre- and post-roll allow you to hear the transition from unprocessed to processed data.
When the Pre-Roll and Post-Roll buttons are selected, the pre/post roll regions are
displayed next to the loop region in the data window:
You can use the Previews (⇗233) tab in the Preferences dialog to specify how many
seconds of unprocessed audio will be played before and after the processed selection.
Choose a processing mode for tail data

If you want to choose a processing mode to determine how SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio software handles the extra audio tail of plug-ins such as reverb or delay, right-click
the processing dialog and choose a command from the shortcut menu:
■ Choose Ignore Tail Data to ignore the tail. The effect will end abruptly at the end of
the selection.
■ Choose Mix Tail Data to mix the tail into the adjacent material. This is the most
natural-sounding option.
■ Choose Insert Tail Data to insert the audio tail. All audio to the right of the tail will be
moved over to accommodate the extra audio.
Create a preset
2. Adjust the dialog controls to create the desired effect.
3. Type a name in the Preset box.
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4. Click the Save Preset button :
Delete a preset
2. Choose a preset from the Preset drop-down list.
3. Click the Delete Preset button .
The Delete Preset button is available only for custom presets.
Use SOUND FORGE Audio Studio controls

Control Description
Slider/Fader Drag the handle to change the setting.
Tips:
■ Hold the left and right mouse buttons (or hold the
Control key) to fine-tune a control's value.
■ You can use the Up, Down, Left and Right arrow
keys to change the value in small increments or
the Page Up and Page Down keys to change the
value in larger increments. The Home and End
keys change the parameter value to its
maximum or minimum.
■ Double-click a handle to return to the default
value (usually 0%, 50%, or 100%). Left-clicking
on the hash marks in a fader also changes the
value by very small increments.
Spin Control Use the up/down buttons or type a value in the edit box to
change the setting.
Tips:
■ Click the button between the up/down buttons
and drag the mouse to change the setting in
large increments.
■ Hold down both mouse buttons (or hold down the
Control key) to fine-tune a control's value.
■ You can use the Up/Down arrow and Page
Up/Page Down keys to alter the value.
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Drop-down Click the drop-down list and choose an item. If you have to
list scroll through a large list, click the scroll buttons or use the
arrow keys.
If you scroll down the drop-down list for a preset, you
can see all of the parameters change for each preset.
This is useful for getting a feel for which parameters
are used to create different effects.
Button Click a button or press the spacebar while it is selected.
Radio Button Radio buttons always come in groups of two or more where
you can select only one option. When you select a radio
button, the previously selected button is turned off.
Check Box Click a check box to select it. You can click a selected check
box to clear it.
Envelope An envelope allows you to change a sound over time.
Graph
■ Drag the small boxes (envelope points) up or down.

■ To create a new envelope point, click the envelope.
■ To delete an envelope point, click it with the right
mouse button, or double-click it with the left mouse
button.
■ To move all envelope points, press Ctrl+A and drag
when the envelope has focus (the cursor will be
displayed as a ).
You can create up to 16 envelope points. Click the Reset
Envelope button to reset the graph.
Change the data window selection

You can adjust the selection to be processed by changing the selection in the data
window or using the controls at the bottom of the processing dialog.
Right-click the processing dialog and choose a command from the shortcut menu to
change the selection quickly. Choose Select Original to restore the selection that
existed when you first opened the processing dialog. Choose Select All to select all
data in the current window.
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1. Click the More button in the processing dialog. Selection and gain controls are
displayed at the bottom of the dialog.
2. Type a value in the Start box (or use the spinner) if you want to change the
beginning of the selection.
Click the Lock Start button if you want to preserve the selection start when
adjusting the Length or End settings.
When using the Event tool (⇗169) , the Start box is automatically locked.
Changing this setting has the same effect as dragging the beginning of the
selection in the data window:
3. Type a value in the End box (or use the spinner) if you want to change the end of
the selection.
When using the Event tool , the End box is not available.
Changing this setting has the same effect as dragging the end of the selection in the
data window:
4. Type a value in the Length box (or use the spinner) if you want to specify the length
of the selection. The beginning of the selection remains fixed. Click the Lock
Selection Length button if you want to preserve the selection length when
adjusting the Start or End settings.
When using the Event tool , the Length box is automatically locked.
5. Type a value in the Channels box to change the current channel selection. You can
separate individual channels with commas or use hyphens to indicate channel
ranges. Click the Lock Channels button if you want to lock the channel selection.
For example, enter 1, 3, 4-6 to select channels 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Changing this
setting has the same effect as holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on the
channels in the data window. When using the Event tool , the Channels box is
automatically locked.
6. When using the Event tool , you can click the Go to Previous Event or Go to
Next Event button at the bottom of the processing dialog to navigate events
when multiple events are selected.
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Processes
Bit-Depth Converter
From the Process menu, choose Bit Depth, and then choose Bit-Depth Converter from
the submenu to convert sound files to different bit depths.
Because the signal-to-noise ratio decreases when you decrease the bit depth of a
file, you should maximize the volume of the sound file using the Volume (⇗214) or
Normalize functions before performing the conversion.
Change a file's bit depth

1. From the Process menu, choose Bit Depth, and then choose Bit-Depth Converter
from the submenu.
2. Choose a preset from the Preset drop-down list or adjust the controls as desired:
A Choose a bit depth from the drop-down list.
Increasing a file's bit depth cannot improve the quality of the existing audio,
but does allow higher resolution for processing.
B Choose a setting from the Dither drop-down list if you're decreasing the file's
bit depth and want to add dither noise to mask quantization noise. (⇗267) For
example, if you want to burn a 24-bit audio file to an audio CD, dithering will
produce a cleaner signal than a simple bit-depth conversion.
Setting Description
Half Eliminates distortion caused by conversion to a lower bit depth,
Rectangular but the noise level is dependent on the signal. This setting
uses a maximum dither noise amplitude of 0.5 LSB (least
significant bit).
Rectangular Identical to Half Rectangular, but with a maximum dither noise
amplitude of 1 LSB (least significant bit).
Triangular Eliminates distortion caused by conversion to a lower bit depth
and eliminates noise floor modulation by producing a slightly
higher noise level.
Highpass Eliminates distortion caused by conversion to a lower bit depth
Triangular and eliminates noise floor modulation by producing a slightly
higher noise level. Noise is shifted to higher frequencies than
standard triangular dithering.
Gaussian Does not perform as well as rectangular or triangular dithering,
but may be suitable for some material.
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In general, Highpass Triangular with noise shaping produces the most

favorable results.
A Choose a setting from the Noise shaping drop-down list to apply noise
shaping to your signal. Noise shaping lowers the perceived noise floor of the
signal by shifting most of the noise into the upper frequencies of human
hearing.
Setting Description
Off Does not apply noise shaping.
High-Pass Moves noise into high frequencies.
Contour The frequencies to which the noise is shifted (shaped) are close
to the Nyquist frequency, so you should not apply noise shaping
to files with a sample rate below 44.1 kHz. For example, a 22 kHz
signal has a Nyquist frequency of 11 kHz. If you move most of the
noise into that range, you are putting it into a sensitive area of
human hearing and will produce a worse-sounding signal.
Equal Distributes noise equally into high and low frequencies.
Loudness
Contour
c. Click OK.
Set the bit depth for playback only

Right click the Bit Depth box on the status bar and choose a new bit depth from the
shortcut menu.
Removing DC Offset
From the Process menu, DC Offset to change the baseline of a sound file to compensate
for electrical mismatches between your sound card and input device. Glitches and other
unexpected results can occur when sound effects are applied to files that contain DC
offsets (⇗257).
An easy way to spot DC offset is to zoom (⇗164) in to a silent section of your sound
file. If the silent waveform matches the centerline in the waveform display, your file
does not contain DC offset.
Automatically detect and remove DC offset

1. From the Process menu, choose DC offset.
2. Click the Automatically detect and remove radio button.
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To speed processing, select the Compute DC offset from first 5 seconds only check
box. Only the first five seconds of a sound file will be analyzed when measuring the
DC offset. The only time that five seconds is not sufficient is if a long fade-in or mute
has been applied at the beginning of the file.
Specify an offset value

1. Determine the amount of DC offset in your file:
A From the Tools menu, choose Statistics.
B Record the values displayed in the Average value (DC offset) columns.
C Click the OK button.
2. Click the Adjust DC offset by radio button and enter a value in the edit box to specify
an offset value.
3. Click the OK button
To speed processing, select the Compute DC offset from first 5 seconds only check
box. Only the first five seconds of a sound file will be analyzed when measuring the
DC offset. The only time that five seconds is not sufficient is if a long fade-in or mute
has been applied at the beginning of the file.
Equalization
From the Process menu, choose EQ, and then choose an equalizer type from the
submenu to adjust the tonal characteristics of your data.
Graphic EQ: For information about using the effect, click the ? button in the FX dialog.
Fading In and Out

From the Process menu, choose Fade, and then choose a command from the submenu
to vary the volume of a sound file over time.
Perform a graphic fade

1. Select (⇗142) the data you want to fade.
If no data is selected, the fade is applied to the entire file.
2. From the Process menu, choose Fade, and then choose Graphic from the
submenu.
3. Adjust the envelope to achieve the desired sound:
■ Drag the small envelope points up or down.
■ To create a new envelope point, double-click the envelope.
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■ To delete an envelope point, right-click it and choose Delete from the shortcut
menu.
■ To change the fade curve between two points, right-click an envelope
segment and choose a command from the shortcut menu:
Fade Type Fade In/Out Envelope
Linear Fade
Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
■ To move all envelope points, press Ctrl+A and drag when the envelope has
focus (the cursor will be displayed as a ).
■ Select a radio button in the Maximum Gain group to adjust the range of the
envelope graph.
You can create up to 16 envelope points. Click the Reset Envelope button to remove all
but the outer two envelope points.
Displaying the waveform

Choose a command from the Show wave drop-down list if you want to display the
waveform in the envelope graph.
If you're working with a multichannel file, you can choose to view individual channels
or the mixed waveform.
The waveform is unavailable when the selection is greater than 300,000 samples.
Fade in
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2. Choose Fade In to perform a linear fade from -Inf. to 0 dB.
Fade out
2. Choose Fade Out to perform a linear fade from 0 dB to -Inf.
Inserting Silence
The Insert Silence dialog allows you to insert a section of silence in a sound file.
1. From the Insert menu, choose Silence.
2. In the Insert box, specify the length of silence that you want to add.
3. Choose a setting from the at drop-down list to specify where the silence should be
inserted.
■ Cursor:inserts silence at the current cursor position.
■ Start of File:inserts silence at the beginning of the file.
■ End of File: inserts silence at the end of the file.
Inverting Data
From the Process menu, choose Invert/Flip to reverse the phase (⇗261) of the sound
data. Although inverting data does not make an audible difference in a single file, it can
be useful for matching a sample transition when executing certain pastes, mixes, or
loops.
If no data is selected, the entire file will be inverted.
Muting Sound
From the Process menu, choose Mute to set the volume of a selection to -Inf dB (silence).
If no data is selected, the entire file will be muted.
Normalizing Audio
From the Process menu, choose Normalize to raise the volume of a selection so that the
highest sample level reaches a user-defined level. Use normalization to ensure you are
using all of the dynamic range available to you without clipping.
When normalizing multichannel data, normalization is computed on the loudest sample
value found in any selected channel and the same gain is applied to all selected
channels. If a single channel is selected, normalization will affect only that channel.
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When you convert files to a compressed format such as MP3, peaks that are at or
near 0 dB may be clipped by the compression process. Consider normalizing first to
reduce the possibility of clipped peaks (normalizing to a peak level of -0.9 dB is a
good starting point).
1. From the Process menu, choose Normalize.

2. Drag the Normalize to fader to specify the level to which the highest peak should be
set.
Pan/Expand
From the Process menu, choose Pan/Expand to change the stereo image of an audio file
by drawing an envelope that will be applied across the current data selection. You can
create up to 16 envelope points.
Pan/Expand can only be used on mono or stereo files.
Pan audio and preserve stereo separation

The Pan (preserve stereo separation) processing mode allows you to perform right- and
left-channel panning effects without mixing the channels together. This is used to
simulate left/right positioning of stereo recordings.
1. From the Process menu, choose Pan/Expand.
2. Choose Pan (preserve stereo separation) from the Process mode drop-down list.
■ Drag the small envelope points up or down to pan the audio left or right at that
envelope point.
For example, panning a stereo file hard right will play only the right channel
through the right speaker.
menu.
Linear Fade
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Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
4. Drag the Output gain fader if you want to apply a gain after processing.
Pan mixed channels

The Pan (mix channels before panning) processing mode allows you to perform right-
and left-channel panning effects by first mixing the two channels and then changing the
volume between channels.
2. Choose Pan (mix channels before panning) from the Process mode drop-down list.
■ Drag the small envelope points up or down to pan the audio left or right at that
envelope point.
For example, panning a stereo file hard right will play the mixed right and left
channels through the right speaker.
menu.
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Linear Fade
Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
4. Drag the Output Gain fader if you want to apply a gain after processing.
Display the waveform

If you're working with a stereo file, you can choose to view individual channels or the
mixed waveform.
The waveform is unavailable with very large selections.
Perform stereo expansion

The Stereo expandprocessing mode allows you to contract or expand the stereo image of
a stereo recording, from dead center (mono), to completely panned wide (no center
channel). For realistic effects, you should not venture too far from Normal.
Notes:
■ This effect works best with true stereo recordings and will not work with mono
material.
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■ Panning a stereo recording toward the center can emphasize vocals;

widening the image can de-emphasize vocals.

2. Choose Stereo expand from the drop-down list.
■ Drag the small envelope points up or down to expand or contract the stereo
image.
menu.
Linear Fade
Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
Mix a mid-side mix to right and left channels

The Mix Mid-Side (MS) recording to left and right channels processing mode allows you
to convert a mid-side (⇗262) recorded track to a left/right track and set the width of the
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stereo image.
Before mixing, you must first ensure that the mid track is in the left channel and the side
track in the right.
2. Choose Mix Mid-Side (MS) recording to left and right channels from the Process
mode drop-down list.
3. Adjust the envelope to set the width of the stereo image:
menu.
Linear Fade
Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
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Resampling
From the Process menu, choose Resample, and then choose Resample from the
submenu to change the sample rate of an existing sound file.
Resampling data changes the number of recorded samples per second. When changing
to a higher sample rate, extra samples are interpolated and the file size increases. When
changing to a lower sample rate, some samples are removed and the file size decreases.
Resample your data

1. From the Process menu, choose Resample.
2. In the New sample rate box, specify the sample rate to which the sound file will be
converted.
Increasing a file's sample rate cannot improve the quality of the existing
audio, but does allow higher resolution for processing.
3. Set the Phase Setting to select from Minimal, Intermediate or Linear processing.
For most use cases, the Intermediate setting delivers best results. When you want
to have a better preservation of the phases of the audio at all frequencies, you can
chose Linear, for the price of the introduction of pre-/post-ringing at the transients.
With the Minimal setting you get the best preservation of the transients, but the
phases of the lower frequencies will vary.
4. Optionally select the Allow aliasing/imaging above 3dB option. Anti-Aliasing usually
should be active to avoid aliasing artifacts, that are created when downsampling a
signal that contains frequencies above half of the new sample rate. When you are
sure that the signal contains no frequency above the one-half of the sampling rate
(the Nyquist frequency (⇗264)) you can activate the option to fasten the processing
speed and reduce ringing artifacts.
Set the sample rate without resampling

When you convert between two very close sample rates and want to process the file
quickly, you can change the sample rate without resampling. However, the original
pitch of the file is not preserved.
1. From the Process menu, choose Resample.
2. In the New sample rate box, specify the sample rate to which the sound file will be
converted.
3. Select the Set the sample rate only check box to change the playback rate without
resampling the data. This means that the original pitch of the file is not preserved.
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To set the sample rate quickly, right-click the Sample Rate box in the status bar and
choose a new rate from the shortcut menu.
Reversing Sound
From the Process menu, choose Reverse to reverse the current selection, creating a
backward-tape effect.
If no data is selected, the entire file will be reversed.
Smooth/Enhance
From the Process menu, choose Smooth/Enhance to add or remove high-frequency
content.
1. From the Process menu, choose Smooth/Enhance.
2. Drag the Operation slider toward Smooth or Enhance:
3. The Smooth function will smooth fast-changing transients in a sound and is useful
for removing glitches.
4. The Enhance function boosts the very highest frequencies (close to the Nyquist
frequency (⇗264)) in the sound file, making the sound file sound more vivid. It is
useful for compensating for the effects of downsampling or for bringing out very fast
transients in a sound file.
Since the enhance function boosts frequencies near the Nyquist frequency, the
current sample rate will determine what frequencies will be affected. At 44,100 Hz,
the effect can be very subtle.
Time Stretch
From the Process menu, choose Time Stretch to change the duration of a sound file.
1. Select (⇗142) the data you want to stretch.
If no data is selected, time stretching is applied to the entire file.
From the Process menu, choose Time, and then choose Time Stretch from the
submenu.
2. For information about using the effect, click the ? button in the FX dialog.
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Changing Volume
The Volume dialog allows you to change the volume of a selection. To display this dialog,
choose Volume from the Process menu.
Excessive volume increases may cause distortion. You can also use the Normalize
dialog to maximize the volume of a sound file.
1. Select (⇗142) the data you want to modify.
If no data is selected, the volume of the entire file will be modified.
2. From the Process menu, choose Volume.
3. Drag the Gain fader to adjust the volume of the selection:
■ Positive values boost the volume.
■ Negative values attenuate the volume.
■ A value of negative infinity mutes the selection (0%).
Effects
Amplitude Modulation
Use the Amplitude Modulation command to apply a sinusoidal or square-shaped periodic
gain to the input signal. The frequency of the gain waveform can be specified to create
effects varying from a slow tremolo to unusual sound distortions.
For information about using the effect, click the ? button in the FX dialog.
Chorus
From the Effects menu, choose Chorus to add a pitch-modulated and delayed version of
the input signal to the unprocessed input signal. The effect simulates the variances in
pitch and timing that occur naturally when two or more people try to play or sing the same
thing at the same time.
Delay/Echo
From the Effects menu, choose Delay/Echo, and then choose a command from the
submenu to apply an echo effect to a selection.
Simple Delay: For information about using the effect, click the ? button in the FX dialog.
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Distortion
From the Effects menu, choose Distortion to tailor the gain at all input levels of a signal.
You can create effects ranging from dramatic to subtle distortion, simple compression,
expansion, and noise gates.
Dynamics
From the Effects menu, choose Dynamics, and then choose a command from the
submenu to modify the dynamic range of a selection.
Graphic Dynamics: For information about using the effect, click the ? button in the FX
dialog.
Envelope
From the Effects menu, choose Envelope to apply an envelope to vary the amplitude of a
waveform over time. Unlike the Graphic Fadecommand, which simply fades a waveform
by a specific amount over time, the gain at each point is dynamically calculated to
achieve the exact specified envelope.
For more information about using processing dialog controls, click here (⇗196).
Apply an amplitude envelope

1. From the Effects menu, choose Envelope.
A Drag the small envelope points up or down.
B To create a new envelope point, double-click the envelope.
C To delete an envelope point, right-click it and choose Delete from the shortcut
menu.
D To change the fade curve between two points, right-click an envelope
Linear Fade
Fast Fade
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Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
3. To move all envelope points, press Ctrl+A and drag when the envelope has focus
(the cursor will be displayed as a ).
You can create up to 16 envelope points. Click the Reset Envelope button to reset
the graph to a simple ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) curve.
4. Select the Smooth gain to minimize distortion on steep slopes check box to prevent
the gain from changing too quickly, which might result in unwanted distortion. Also,
when this option is on, the gain will always begin at 0%.
Display the waveform

If you're working with a multichannel file, you can choose to view individual channels or
the mixed waveform.
Flange/Wah-Wah
From the Effects menu, choose Flange/Wah-Wah to apply flanging, phasing, and wah-
wah effects to a sound.
Noise Gate
From the Effects menu, choose Noise Gate to remove signals below a specified
threshold. This effect is used to remove noise from silent breaks in a sound file.
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Pitch
From the Effects menu, choose Pitch, and then choose a command from the submenu to
change the pitch of a selection.
Bend
The Bend command allows you to draw an envelope that increases or decreases the
pitch of a sound file over time.
1. From the Effects menu, choose Pitch, and then choose Bend from the submenu.
2. Drag the Range slider to determine the maximum and minimum pitch change in
semitones (half-steps). Example: A range of twelve half-steps (one octave) allows
an increase or decrease of the pitch by an octave.
menu.
Linear Fade
Fast Fade
Slow Fade
Smooth Fade
Sharp Fade
Hold
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■ You can create up to 16 envelope points. Click the Reset Envelope button to
remove all but the outer two envelope points.
4. Select the Preserve original duration check box if you do not want pitch bending to
change the size of the sound file. This setting works best when performing small
pitch corrections (up to +/- 2 semitones).
Displaying the waveform

If you're working with a multichannel file, you can choose to view individual channels or
the mixed waveform.
Shift
The Shift command allows you to change the pitch of a sound with or without preserving
the duration of the selection.
Resonant Filter
From the Effects menu, choose Resonant Filter to restrict the range of a sound using low-
pass, band-pass, or high-pass filtering, and then boost and add oscillation to the resonant
frequency.
Reverb
From the Effects menu, choose Reverb to simulate various acoustic spaces. Reverb
consists of early reflections, which are the first reflections that arrive back to your ear, and
the reverb itself.
Modern Equalizer
The Modern Equalizer is the new equalizer from SOUND FORGE Audio Studio and is
loaded as a VST plugin. It is also a fully parametric equalizer and can include up to eight
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bands with a wide variety of filter types.
Filter curves and filter symbols: Each filter band is symbolized by a colored
circle. The filter curve of the individual band is represented by the transparent
colored area below the circle. The thick white line shows the resulting filter curve
of all bands. In the background, the light gray line shows the resulting frequency
spectrum of the signal in real time, and, somewhat paler, the original spectrum
of the signal.
Band selection: The Plus button can be used to add filter bands. With a single
click on the colored area a band can be selected for editing, a double click on
the colored area deletes the band.
The On/Off button can be used to deactivate the bands individually.
Filter Type: Here you set the filter type of the selected band.
High Pass Low Shelving Band Pass
Peaking High Shelving Low Pass
The small number next to the symbol indicates the slope (slew rate) of the filter.
By clicking on the 3 dots on the icon, you can change the slope for high, low and
bandpass in the range between 1 (6dB/octave) and 4 (36dB per octave). The
other filters are fixed at 2 (12dB/octave).
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Filter parameters: In this area the characteristic values of the filter band are set:
Frequency for the cut-off frequency, Gain for the increase or decrease of the
filter, Q for the bandwidth of the filter.
You can set these values graphically in the filter graph by moving the circle in
the filter graph accordingly: Frequency and gain result from the position of the
circle in the filter graph. The Q value of the filter (in the case of the peaking filter)
is set with the mouse wheel.
Channel processing: In this menu you determine whether the filter band affects
both stereo channels, one channel at a time, or the mid or side signal. If one of
the options Left/Right/Center/Side) is selected, the filter curve of the band is
color-coded accordingly:
■ Left: Green
■ Right: Red
■ Mid: Yellow
■ Side: Blue
Delete filter band
Global settings These settings affect all bands.
■ Global Scale: This control allows you to boost or attenuate the Gain values
of all filter bands together. Negative values are also possible, reversing the
effect of the EQ.
■ Mono Below: This is a global high pass for the side signal. Below the cut-
off frequency, the side signal is attenuated. In the filter graphic, this
additional filter is displayed with a green line.
■ Stereo Width: Controls the amount of side signal in all bands and thus the
stereo width of the overall signal.
■ Output Gain: This allows you to compensate for level differences between
the input and output signals.
Scale: With the +/- zoom buttons you can change the value range of the scale.
Peak Meter
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Presets and Settings
A/B comparison: These are two temporary memory locations for A/B
comparison of two settings. You can copy each selected setting to the other
location using the arrow symbol. This way you can experiment with
successful settings without losing them.
Settings: Here you can deactivate the tooltips and make various settings for
performance optimization: The FFT analyzer for the real-time display of the
resulting frequency spectrum can be switched off (Disable FFT analyzer)
and its frame rate can be limited (frame rate limiting).
Previous/next preset
Preset menu: In the menu you can select the presets from different
categories.
Bypass: Use this button to temporarily disable the effect.
Tips:
■ If you move the mouse over the filter parameters, the value is displayed
numerically. By double clicking on this value, it can also be entered
numerically. Use the Tab key to move to the next value.
■ New bands can also be created directly in the filter graphic by double-clicking.
Depending on the location of the click, the correct filter type is selected: Left
above 0db -> Low Shelving, Left below 0dB -> Highpass, Right above 0dB ->
High Shelving, Right below 0dB -> Lowpass, Center -> Peaking.
■ Right-clicking on a circle for a filter band brings up a context menu that allows
you to cut, copy and delete filter bands. A copied or cut filter band can replace
another one with Replace, with Replace (using current position) the frequency
and gain remain unchanged.
wizardFX Suite
In the early years of electronic music, synthesizers were often characterized by the fact
that they could produce billions of different sounds through the combination of their
numerous sound parameters. The legendary Prophet-5 synthesizer was one of the first
synthesizers in the world to offer the ability to save a user's individual tone settings as
presets and load them again at any time. After years of receiving these synthesizers for
repair, service technicians were amazed to discover that the vast majority of them had not
been changed from any of the included factory sounds. The musicians weren't interested
in extensively searching for new sounds and were just satisfied with the sounds provided.
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Not everyone is an audio technology specialist, some musicians would rather work in a
goal-oriented manner than spend hours working on the perfect sound. If you don't have
the time or desire to bother with modulation frequencies, envelope filters or delay times,
then the wizardFX Suite is right for you.
Its radical approach: Provide sophisticated, state-of-the-art algorithms "under the hood",
but without tons of settings, but a reasonable number of presets, carefully designed for
their musical functionality.
With this in mind, we'd like to spare you virtually all the technical details in this manual,
scroll through the presets using the mouse wheel, use your ears, and, if you like what you
hear, concentrate on the most important thing – your music!
The User Interface of the Effects

The effects have a standardized interface, so you shouldn't have to reorient yourself to
each new effect, but immediately "feel at home". Some effects have small differences,
which are addressed individually below.
In the center of the effect's window is the list of presets (1). Use the mouse wheel to
quickly scroll through the presets list. This is sorted by category (2), according to the
selected effect. For example, the Delay is sorted by musical time, the Compressor by
instrument, and the Modern Reverb by room type. Using the arrow keys (3) you can
change individual presets. Using the double arrows , you will move to the
next/previous category.
Every effect has a slider (4) to adjust the intensity of the effect. The label above (5) is a bit
different for each effect (Mix, Amount, Drive...), depending on the specific function, you
can find more information in the descriptions of each effect below.
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With the lock (6) symbol, the slider can be fixed, so it won't change if you load another
preset. This makes it easier to compare different presets in the context of a mix (e.g., a
reverb).
On the sides, there are peak meters for the input level (7) and the output level (8).
For the effects Compressor, Gate, Tube Distortion and Tape the sound of
the effect depends significantly on the proper input level. For adjusting the
input, there is an additional controller over the input peak meter.
For optimum operation, the controller should be set so it just stays gray. If
the level is too high, a warning will appear. Click on the icon to reduce the
input level to the optimal value.
For the Compressor, Gate and Limiter effects, there is an additional
indicator to the left of the output peak meter showing the level reduction.
This helps when estimating how much these dynamic effects are affecting
the sound.
To disable the effect completely, there is the Bypass button in the top right of each effect
(9) .
Overview of the effects

The wizardFX Suite consists of 11 effects that cover the most of useful effects for
everyday studio life. The following is a brief introduction to the effects.
Technical details have been largely omitted. We assume that you would prefer spending
your time making music than reading instruction manuals.
Effect Use for The Intensity fader controls
All echo effects, from a short, retro
Mix: Ratio of original (dry) to
vocal slapback effect to endless,
DELAY processed (wet) signal.
galactic dub echoes.
"Thickens" sound or simulates
several instruments using slight pitch Mix: Ratio of original (dry) to
CHORUS changes or with more drastic pitch processed (wet) signal.
changes useful as a special effect.
The flanger creates a typical, complex
comb filter sequence as an effect on
FLANGER processed (wet) signal.
guitars or drums.
Mix: Ratio of the original (dry)
Reverb effect for virtual spaces
signal to the processed (wet)
ranging from a small chamber to a
MODERN REVERB signal and duration of the
large cathedral.
reverb.
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Effect Use for The Intensity fader controls

Increases the volume through Amount: Compression factor,
dynamic gain, can be used for i.e., how much the differences
COMPRESSOR individual signals or even the overall between loud and quiet parts
sound of a mix. are compensated.
Increases overall volume and
prevents clipping of level peaks, Amount:The limiter's
LIMITER typically used at the end of the signal threshold and input level.
chain.
Avoids undesired noise when Amount: The threshold / level
recording instruments, input signals at which the gate opens or
GATE
below a certain level are cut out. closes.
Creates rhythmic changes in volume
Amount: The level of volume
such as "pumping" chords and
VOLUME FORMER reduction.
creative modulation of drum loops.
Simulates a studio tape machine for
Drive: Level of oversaturation
the typical sound and gentle distortion
TAPE MACHINE on a tape
of analog tape.
A simulated tube amplifier circuit
creates distortion and analog
TUBE processed (wet) signal.
"warmth".
Special effect which creates typical,
digital "crushed" noises – i.e., artifacts Mix: Ratio of original (dry) to
BIT CRUSHER that are made from reducing bit-depth processed (wet) signal.
and sample rate.
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Synthesis
SYNTHESIS
From the Insert menu, choose Synthesis and then choose a command from the submenu
to generate tones and waveforms.
Generating DTMF/MF Tones

You can use DTMF/MF Tones dialog to generate the standard dial tones used by
telephone companies. To display this dialog, choose Synthesis from the Insert menu, and
choose DTMF/MF Tones from the submenu.
1. From the Insert menu, choose Synthesis, and choose DTMF/MF Tones from the
submenu.
2. In the Dial string box, type the phone number to be generated along with any
necessary pause characters. Unknown characters will be ignored.
3. Drag the Amplitude fader to set the peak level of the waveform.
4. Click the radio button that corresponds to the type of tones you want to generate:
■ DTMF: Dual Tone Multi-Frequency signals are used by standard push-button
telephones. They are generated using combinations of 679-, 770-, 852-, 941-,
1209-, 1336-, 1477-, and 1633-Hz sine waves.
■ MF: CCITT R1 signals are used internally by the telephone networks. They are
generated by a combination of 700-, 900-, 1100-, 1300-, 1500-, and 1700-Hz sine
waves.
5. In the Single tone lengthbox, specify the duration of each tone.
6. In the Break lengthbox, specify the duration of the silence between tones.
7. In the Pause lengthbox, specify the duration of the silence that will be inserted when
the Pause character is used.
Select the Fade the edges of each tonecheck box to fade each tone in and out to
prevent glitching.
8. In the Pause characterbox, specify the character that will cause a pause between
successive tones in the dial string.
9. Choose a position from the Insert new tone sequence at drop-down list to determine
where the generated waveform will be placed within the current data window.
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Synthesis
Simple Synthesis
From the Insert menu, choose Synthesis, and then choose Simple from the submenu to
generate a simple waveform of a given shape, pitch, and length.
1. From the Insert menu, choose Synthesis, and then choose Simple from the
submenu.
2. Choose a shape from the Waveform shape drop-down list to specify the shape of a
single period of the waveform.
3. In the Length box, specify the length (in seconds) of the generated waveform.
4. In the Start Frequency box, specify the frequency of the waveform you want to
generate or the starting frequency of the range you want to sweep.
Notes:
■ Aliasing (⇗253) can occur with many of these waveforms when
using high frequencies because they are not band-limited.
■ When you choose Filtered noise from the Waveform shape drop-
down list, Start Frequency determines the low-pass cut-off
frequency.
5. If you want to sweep a range of frequencies, select the End Frequency check box
and specify an ending frequency in the box. Select the Log Sweep check box if you
want to sweep the range logarithmically; when the check box is cleared, the sweep
is linear.
The available frequency range is limited by your current sampling rate. The
highest frequency available will be the Nyquist frequency. (⇗264)
6. Drag the Amplitude fader to set the peak level of the waveform.
When Filtered Noise is selected in the Waveform shape drop-down list, the
amplitude is affected by the frequency.
7. Choose a position from the Insert new waveform at drop-down list to determine
where the generated waveform will be placed within the current data window.
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Customizing Sound Forge
CUSTOMIZING SOUND FORGE

General Preferences
Use the General tab in the Preferences dialog to set miscellaneous SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio options. To display this tab, choose Preferences from the Options menu
and click the General tab.
Option Description
Use Newsfeed When this check box is selected, information from MAGIX will be
to stay displayed periodically at startup. Clear the check box to bypass the
informed about Newsfeed dialog.
Sound Forge
product
updates
Keep media Select this check box if you want to lock media files after you've
files locked opened them.
Clear the check box if you want to unlock media files when you switch
to another application.
Confirm on Select this check box if you want the application to present a
close confirmation message box before exiting.
Always open When this check box is selected, files are opened in new data
dropped files in windows when you drop files (or regions) on the SOUND FORGE
new window Audio Studio workspace.
When the check box is cleared, you can drag files from the Explorer to
an open data window to perform drag-and-drop mixing (⇗160) and
pasting (⇗158).
Always proxy Select this check box if you want to create an uncompressed proxy
compressed (.sfap0) file when you open a compressed file format.
formats Selecting this check box can improve performance on slower
computers or for formats that cannot be decompressed quickly for
real-time playback.
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Ignore fact When this check box is selected, the software will ignore fact chunks in
chunk when compressed WAV files.
opening Compressed WAV files use fact chunks to specify how many actual
compressed samples are represented in the file. If a compressed file is improperly
Wave files authored, this may cause some of the compressed data to not be
loaded. If you suspect that not all sound data is being loaded from a
compressed file, try checking this option and reopening the file.
If you change the setting of this check box, please delete any
proxy (.sfap0) files associated with compressed WAV files.
Remember Select this check box if you want the software to remember the last-
last-used used sample rate when you open a .vox file. When the check box is
sample rate for cleared, you will be prompted to choose a sample rate each time you
.vox and .ivc open a .vox file.
files
Remember Select this check box if you want the software to remember the last-
last-used used settings when you open .raw files. When the check box is
settings for cleared, you will be prompted to choose a settings each time you open
.raw files a .raw file.
Hide new Select this check box if you want to turn on the Hidden file attribute
temporary files when creating new peak (.sfk) and proxy (.sfap0) files.
In the Windows Control Panel, double-click Folder Options and select
the View tab. Select the Show hidden files and folders radio button if
you want to be able to see hidden files.
Delete new Select this check box if you want to delete the peak (.sfk) and proxy
temporary files (.sfap0) files associated with a media file when you close a data
on close window.
Remember Select this check box if you want to use the last folder where you
last-used Save saved a file when using Save As or Render As. The first time you save
As folder a file in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, the Documents folder is used.
When the check box is cleared, files are saved to their current folder.
Allow Wave Select this check box to enable support for WAV files up to 4 GB. Clear
renders up to 4 the check box for compatibility with other software applications.
GB
Warn when Select this check box if you want to be prompted to save metadata to a
metadata separate file if it cannot be saved within the media file.
cannot be When the check box is cleared, metadata will automatically be saved
saved in the to a separate file if necessary.
file
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Automatically Select this check box if you want to automatically reopen files when
reopen file you save to a different format. Changes in bit depth, channels, or
after Save As compression format will result in reopening and will allow you to listen
to any changes in sound quality.
Clear the check box and select the Prompt to open new file after Save
As check box if you want to be prompted to open the saved file in a
new data window.
When both check boxes are cleared, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
software does nothing after saving to a different format. If you’re
saving a file to several compressed formats, clearing these check
boxes prevents you from having to reopen the file after saving each
format.
Prompt to open When the Automatically reopen files after Save As check box is
new file after cleared, select this check box if you want the application to prompt you
Save As to open the destination file to a new data window after saving a sound
file to a different format.
Opening the file in a new data window will allow you to hear any
changes in quality between the original file and the result of the Save
As operation.
Allow Undo When this check box is selected, your undo history is maintained until
past Save you close the data window (or exit the application) so you can undo
edit operations even if you've saved your file.
When this check box is selected, quick file saving may not be
available.
If you want to be able to undo edit operations even after closing
and reopening your file, save a SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
project (⇗79).
Show shuttle When this check box is selected, Rewind and Forward buttons will
controls on appear on each data window's transport controls.
Data Window
transport
Show record When this check box is selected, Arm and Record buttons will
controls on appear on each data window's transport controls.
Data Window
transport
Show When this check box is selected, the waveform is drawn while you're
waveform recording audio.
while recording
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Show free When this check box is selected, the total amount of free disk space
storage space available on your specified temporary drive is displayed on the status
on Status Bar bar.
Use the Temporary files and record folder box at the bottom of the
General tab to set the folder that will be used for temporary files and
recorded data.
Spacebar and Select this check box if you want the F12 and spacebar keyboard
F12 shortcuts to toggle between Play and Pause mode. In this mode, the
Play/Pause cursor will maintain its position.
instead of
Play/Stop
Default to slow In some very fast computers, automatic scrolling while selecting is too
scroll when fast to use accurately. When this option is turned on, drag-selecting
drag selecting will cause a slow scroll.
Click the right mouse button while selecting to toggle slow
scrolling.
Allow When this check box is selected, you can hold Ctrl and drag in a data
Ctrl+drag style window to zoom to a selection.
zoom in data When the check box is selected, you can still use Ctrl+drag to
windows paste a selection; press and hold the Ctrl key after you start
dragging the selection.
Prompt for When this check box is selected, an edit box is displayed so you can
marker and name markers and regions as you place them.
region names
Warn when Select this check box if you want to be warned before pasting or
Paste or Mix mixing data that has different sample rates or bit depths.
formats do not Pasting or mixing data of different formats may produce unintended
match results.
Use SPTI Select this check box if you want to use SPTI (SCSI Pass-Through
direct for CD Interface) to communicate with your CD burning drive.
burning
Allow floating When this check box is selected, windows will automatically be
windows to docked (⇗38) when you drag them to the edges of the SOUND
dock FORGE Audio Studio workspace. You can hold the Ctrl key while
dragging a window to prevent it from docking.
When this check box is cleared, windows will not dock unless you hold
the Ctrl key.
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Recently used Select the check box if you want to display a list of recently used files
file list on the File menu. Use the edit box to specify the number of files you
want to display.
If you do not want to display recently used files on the File menu, clear
this check box.
Rewind cursor Usual behavior when ending a recording is to place the cursor back at
position after the recording start point. You can change this behavior here, then the
recording cursor is placed at the end of the recording.
Temporary Specify a folder for storing temporary files and recorded audio, or click
files and the Browse button to specify a new folder.
record folder Using temporary file space allows you to edit very large files and
keeps SOUND FORGE Audio Studio from using large portions of
RAM on your computer. Your temporary directory must have enough
space to accommodate the total size of all files you plan to edit along
with space for any clipboard data and undo buffers.
If you change the temporary storage folder, you will have to restart
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio for the change to take effect.
Display Preferences
Use the Display tab in the Preferences dialog to specify options for adjusting the
appearance of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window. To display this tab, choose
Preferences from the Options menu and click the Display tab.
Item Description
Interface Select one of the Radio buttons below Interface Type to change the look
Type of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio interface. Click the Apply or OK
button to finish. You will then get an alert stating that the application must
be closed and restarted for the changes to take affect. Click OK and
restart SOUND FORGE Audio Studio.
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Color The color preferences section allows you set a custom color for a variety
preference of graphics within the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio interface.
for 1. Choose a screen element from the Color preference for drop-down
list.
2. Set the color of the selected item:
■ Drag the Hue slider to change the color of the selected item.
■ Drag the Saturation and Brightness sliders to adjust the
intensity of the selected color.
When adjusting the display color for channel waveforms, the
Saturation and Brightness sliders are not available. To adjust
saturation and brightness for all channels, choose Wave: All
Channels from the Color preference for drop-down list and
then adjust the controls.
■ Click the Default button to restore a custom color to the
default setting.
Default Drag the slider to specify the default data window (⇗27) height for a
sound file sound file. This magnification level is used when you load a sound file or
window create a new window.
height
Default Drag the slider to specify the default height of the video strip (⇗100) when
video strip you open a video file.
height
Peak ratio Choose a ratio from the drop-down list to specify the zoom ratio above
default for which the application will use a peak file instead of the original file to draw
new files the waveform.
If you notice problems with waveform scrolling, try decreasing this setting
so it is less than your current zoom ratio.
To calculate the size of the resulting peak files, divide the size of the file
by the peak ratio. For example, a 100 MB sound file will need a 0.39 MB
(100/256) peak file when using 1:256.
Normal Choose a zoom ratio from the drop-down list to specify the default
zoom ratio horizontal magnification (⇗164). This magnification level is used when
you load a sound file, create a new window, or use the Zoom Normal
command.
High values show more data, and small values show more detail.
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Tabs for Choose a setting from the drop-down list to choose whether you want to
maximized display tabs to help you browse maximized data windows:
data ■ Choose None if you do not want to display tabs. You can navigate
windows data windows by choosing a window from the Window menu or by
pressing Ctrl+Tab.
■ Choose Top to display tabs above the waveform display.
■ Choose Bottom to display tabs below the waveform display.
When tabs are displayed, you can click a data window's tab to bring it to
the foreground.
When you have multiple data windows open and maximized, you can
drag files to a specific data window: while dragging a file or selection
hover over a data window's tab to bring it to the foreground. You can then
drop the file or selection in the desired data window.
File Type Preferences

From the Options menu, choose Preferences and click the File Types tab to indicate
which types of files you want to associate with SOUND FORGE Audio Studio. When a
file is associated with SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, you can double-click a sound file in
the Windows Explorer and it will open for editing.
1. Select a file type from the list. The File association details box displays information
about the selected file type, as well as the current association.
2. Select the check box for each sound file format you want to associate with
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio, or clear the check box to remove a file association.
Preview Preferences
Use the Previews tab in the Preferences dialog to specify options for previewing files. To
display this tab, choose Preferences from the Options menu and click the Previews tab.
Item Description
Limit non- Select this check box and specify the length of audio that will be used
realtime when generating a preview. Low values decrease the amount of time
previews to needed to generate a preview when tuning effects or processing
values.
This value is used for non-realtime effects or when the Real-time check
box is cleared in a processing dialog.
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Pre-roll Select this check box and specify how many seconds of unprocessed
audio will be played before the processed selection. Use this to listen
to the transition from unprocessed to processed data.
Post-roll Select this check box and specify how many seconds of unprocessed
audio will be played after the processed selection. Use this to listen to
the transition from processed to unprocessed data.
Reactive Select this check box to automatically recalculate and play back the
Previewing preview buffer if the parameters of an effect change. This allows for
immediate feedback of the effects of a change.
This option is most useful when using a fast computer, limiting preview
times, and not using processor-intensive effects.
Audio event Use the Pre-roll and Loop time settings to control how the audio event
locator locator plays audio:
■ In the Pre-roll box, specify the amount of data played prior to the
cursor position.
■ In the Loop time box, specify the amount of time that will loop
when you stop the cursor while clicking and dragging in the
overview bar.
To use the audio event locator, hold Ctrl, click the overview bar, and
drag the mouse. Similar to a scrub control, playback follows mouse
movement and loops around the cursor position when the mouse is
still. Playback stops when the mouse button is released.
Cut preview Use the Pre-roll and Post-roll settings to control the amount of data that
configuration is played back when you choose Preview Cut/Cursor from the
Transport menu:
■ In the Pre-roll box, specify the amount of data played prior to the
selection or cursor position.
■ In the Post-roll box, specify the amount of data played after the
selection or cursor position.
Play Looped When Loop Playback mode is turned on and you make a selection
adjust pre-roll during playback, playback is pre-rolled from the end of the selection to
help you tune long loops.
Specify the number of seconds before the end of the selection that you
would like to pre-roll.
Status Preferences
From the Options menu, choose Preferences, and then select the Status tab to specify
preferences for displaying information in the status bar.
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Item Description
Default The default frame rate used to calculate frame values.
frames per Frame values are useful when trying to synchronize sound with
second animation. Most animation players specify a playback frame rate at
which video frames are shown to the user. If you are using an animation
that has a frame rate of 15.0 frames per second, you would set the frame
rate to 15.0. When status values are displayed, they will be shown in
values of frames. This allows you to find the frame to which a given point
in the sound file corresponds.
Default The number of beats in each measure for displaying in measures and
beats per beats. For example, 2/4 time would have two beats per measure.
measure This setting will also be used in the Edit Tempo (⇗35) window.
Default The number of beats per minute, i.e. the tempo of a song for displaying
beats per lengths.
minute This setting will also be used in the Edit Tempo window.
Enable Select this check box if you want to treat audio with six channels as
surround surround audio when measuring loudness (a gain of ~1.5 dB is applied
processing to the left and right surround channels). When the check box is cleared,
for files with all channels contribute equally to the loudness measurement.
6 channels
Toolbar Preferences
Use the Toolbars tab in the Preferences dialog to specify which toolbars you want to
display.
Perform either of the following actions to display this tab:
■ Choose Preferences from the Options menu and click the Toolbars tab.
■ From the View menu, choose Toolbars.
Display or hide toolbars

Select the check box to display a toolbar; clear a check box to hide a toolbar.
Display or hide ToolTips

Select the Show ToolTips check box if you want to display pop-up descriptions when the
mouse is held over certain items:
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Customize a toolbar
1. Select the check box for the toolbars you want to customize.
2. Click the Customize button. The Customize Toolbar dialog is displayed.
3. Use the controls in the Customize Toolbar dialog to add, remove, or rearrange the
buttons on the selected toolbar:
A Select a button in the Available tools column and click Add to add the button
to the toolbar before the currently selected button.
B Select a button in the Current tools column and click Remove to remove the
button from the toolbar.
C Select a button in the Current tools column and click Move Up or Move Down
to rearrange the buttons.
4. Click Reset to restore the toolbar to its default setting.
CD Settings Preferences
From the Options menu, choose Preferences and select the CD Settings tab to specify
settings for burning and extracting audio from CDs.
Item Description
Default time Type a value in the edit box to specify the length of time that is
between CD tracks inserted between disc-at-once (⇗84) CD tracks.
(seconds)
Default CD length Type the default length for CD media. This length is used if the
(minutes) software has not yet scanned your CD drive or if no CD is in your
drive.
This length is used to calculate the amount of time remaining on
the disc that is displayed in the status bar.
Default All Restores all CD preferences to the default settings.
Preferences - Audio Tab

From the Options menu, choose Preferences and select the Audio tab to specify
playback and recording options. Click the Advanced button to access the advanced audio
preferences.
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Item Description
Audio Choose a driver type from the drop-down list.
Device ■ Microsoft Sound Mapper: The default setting. Allows the Sound
Type Mapper to choose appropriate playback and recording devices.
■ Windows Classic Wave Driver: Allows you to choose a specific
audio device using a classic Wave driver.
■ ASIO: Allows you to choose a specific audio device using a low-
latency ASIO driver.
Playback Click the Playback tab to adjust playback routing and buffering settings.
Playback The Channel and Device columns indicate which audio output will be
device used to play each channel in a multichannel file. To assign a channel to a
routing different output, click the Device entry and choose a new output from the
drop-down list.
To change a channel's output device using the Channel Meters
window, click the channel number and choose a new output port
from the menu:
Playback Specifies the total amount of buffering that is used during playback.
buffering The larger the number, the more buffering is performed during playback.
(seconds) This value must be as low as possible without gapping. To set it, start at
.25 and play back a typical song. If the playback gaps, try increasing this
slider in small increments until the gapping goes away.
If you simply cannot get playback to be free of gapping, you need to install
more RAM in your computer so you can increase buffering, buy a faster
access hard drive, or minimize the number of audio plug-ins you are
trying to use simultaneously.
Recording Click the Record tab to adjust record input routing and buffering settings.
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Recording The Channel and Device columns indicate which audio output will be
device used to record each channel in a multichannel file. To assign a channel to
routing a different input, click the Device entry and choose a new input from the
drop-down list.
To change a channel's input in the Record Options window, click the
channel number and choose a new input port from the menu.
Record Specifies the total amount of buffering that is used during recording.
buffering If you use your computer for other tasks while recording, increasing this
(seconds) setting can reduce the likelihood of those tasks interrupting recording.
Advanced Click this button to open the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog. For
more information, see Advanced Audio Configuration (⇗238)
Default All Click to restore the Audio tab to the default settings.
Advanced Audio Configuration

The Advanced Audio Configuration dialog allows you to view information about and
adjust settings for audio device selected in the Audio device type drop-down list on the
Audio (⇗236) tab of the Preferences dialog.
To display the dialog, select a device from the Audio device type drop-down list, click
Apply, and then click Advanced.
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Microsoft Sound Mapper or Windows Classic Wave Driver

Item Description
Audio This list contains all of the audio devices that are installed in your
devices computer. Select a device from the list to set the options below for that
device.
Interpolate When this check box is selected, the software will attempt to compensate
position for inaccurate devices by interpolating the playback or recording position.
If you notice that your playback cursor is offset from what you are
hearing, enable this option for the playback device.
Position If the position of playback or recording does not match what you hear
bias after you enable Interpolate position, you can attempt to compensate
using the Position bias slider.
Moving this slider will offset the position forward or backward to
compensate for the inaccuracies of the device.
Do not pre- When this check box is selected, the software will not create buffers prior
roll buffers to starting playback. Some devices do not behave properly if this check
before box is cleared.
starting If your audio stutters when you start playback try selecting this check box.
playback
Audio Drag the slider to set the number of audio buffers that will be used.
buffers Adjusting this setting can decrease gapping or help you synchronize the
input and output.
Buffer size Choose a setting from the drop-down list to indicate the buffer size you
want to use. Choose MMEto use the Playback buffering setting on the
Audio (⇗236) tab in the Preferences dialog.
For example, if you choose MME from the Buffer size drop-down, set the
Audio buffers slider to 5, and set Playback buffering to 0.35 seconds, five
0.07-second buffers are created.
If you choose 1024 from the Buffer size drop-down and set the Audio
buffers slider to 5, five 1024-byte buffers are created.
Priority Choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the priority that is
assigned to your audio buffers.
Increasing the buffers' priority can help you attain smoother playback, but
it can also adversely affect other processes.
ASIO
When an ASIO driver is selected, the Advanced Audio Configuration dialog displays
information about the settings for the selected driver. Click the Configure button to open
the driver manufacturer's configuration applet and adjust settings.
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Video Preferences
Use the Video tab in the Preferences dialog to specify preferences for displaying video.
To display this tab, choose Preferences from the Options menu and click the Video tab.
Item Description
Frame numbering Determines how individual frame information, located in a box at
on thumbnails the lower left-hand corner of each frame, will be displayed in the
video strip (⇗100) when frame numbering is turned on.
The frame information box can include Frame Numbers or Media
Timecode.
Allow pulldown Select this check box if you want to remove pulldown (⇗265)
removal when when you open 24 fps progressive-scan DV video files.
opening 24p DV When the check box is cleared, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
software will read 24p video as 29.97 fps interlaced video (60i).
Deinterlace method Choose a setting from the drop-down list to determine how
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software separates the two fields
that make up a video frame when you render to a progressive
format:
Blend Fields: Maintains the data in the two fields by blending them
together. This method can produce a smooth, motion-blurred
image.
Interpolate: Deletes one field and uses the remaining field to
interpolate the deleted lines. This produces sharper images than
Blend Fields but can introduce jagged motion or stair-stepping
artifacts.
Resample source Select this check box if you want to interpolate video frames when
video when you render to a frame rate that is greater than the source file's
rendering to a frame rate.
higher frame rate
Preferences - VST Effects

From the Options menu, choose Preferences and select the VST Effects tab to indicate
where your VST plug-ins are installed and which plug-ins you want to make available to
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software.
After adding new VST effects, you can use either of the following methods to add
them to the FX Favorites menu:
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■ From the FX Favorites menu, choose Recreate by Plug-In Name to clear the
current FX Favorites structure and create new folders based on the first word
in the plug-ins' names.
■ From the FX Favorites menu, choose Organize. In the Organize Favorites
dialog, drag your new plug-ins from the VST folder to the desired folder in the
FX Favorites portion of the tree view on the left side of the dialog.
Item Description
VST search The dialog displays a list of folders where SOUND FORGE Audio
folders Studio looks for VST effects during startup.
Add path If you want to add a new folder, click the Add path button and then
browse to the folder where your plug-in is installed.
Edit path If you want to edit an existing folder path, select a folder in the VST
search folders column, click the Edit path button, and then browse
to the folder where your plug-in is installed.
Remove path If you want to remove an existing folder, select a folder in the VST
search folders column and click the Remove path button.
Select VST effects Select the check box for each VST plug-in that you want to make
to be available as available in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software. Clear a
audio plug-ins check box to exclude the plug-in.
Generic VST If there are problems with the graphical interface of a particular
editor plug-in, this option allows you to switch the interface to a generic
VST Editor.
Refresh If you have installed a new plugin, click Refresh to rescan the
plugins so that the new plugin appears in the list.
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Shortcuts
SHORTCUTS
The following sections contain information about the shortcuts you can use to make
editing in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software quicker and easier.
Keyboard Shortcuts
From the Help menu, choose Keyboard Shortcuts to view the shortcut keys that are
available in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio. The available shortcut keys are arranged in
tables according to function.
Project File Shortcuts

Command Keyboard Shortcut
Create a new data window Ctrl+N
Create a new data window without displaying the New Ctrl+Shift+N
Window dialog
Open a sound file or project Ctrl+O
Save modified sound data back to the file Ctrl+S
Display File Properties window Alt+Enter
Close the active data window Ctrl+W
Exit SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Alt+F4
Magnification and View Shortcuts

Set input focus to the waveform display in the active Alt+0
window
Show/set input focus to the Explorer window Alt+1
Show/set input focus to the File Properties window Alt+2
Show/set input focus to the Video Preview window Alt+3
Show/set input focus to the Time Display window Alt+4
Show/set input focus to the Channel Meters window Alt+5
Show/set input focus to the Loudness Meters window Alt+6
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Shortcuts
Hide the main window and display the Remote Transport Alt+R
View
Show/set input focus to the Record Options window Ctrl+Alt+5
Show/set input focus to the Instant Actions window Ctrl+Alt+6
Show/set input focus to the Remote Record window Ctrl+Alt+7
Show/set input focus to the Regions List Ctrl+Alt+M, then press 0
Show/set input focus to the Track List window Ctrl+Alt+M, then press 2
Show/set input focus to the ACID Properties window Ctrl+Alt+M, then press 3
Show/set input focus to the CD Information window Ctrl+Alt+M, then press 5
Show/set input focus to the Summary Information window Ctrl+Alt+M, then press 7
Tile the data windows vertically Shift+F4

Restore the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio application Alt+F5
window
Recall window layout Alt+Shift+D, then press 0-9
Save window layout Ctrl+Alt+D, then press 0-9
Load default window layout Alt+Shift+D, then press D
Load Stereo Recording window layout Alt+Shift+D, then press R
Load Red Book authoring window layout Alt+Shift+D, then press B
Load 5.1-channel video window layout Alt+Shift+D, then press V
Cascade the data windows Shift+F5
Restore the active data window Ctrl+F5
Toggle playback scrolling on and off F6
Toggle smooth playback scrolling on and off Shift+F6
Go to the next data window Ctrl+F6
Go to the previous data window Ctrl+Shift+F6
Maximize all data windows Ctrl+F10
Maximize the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio application Alt+F10
window
Show/hide windows docked at the bottom of the F11
workspace
Show/hide windows docked at the sides of the workspace Shift+F11
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Shortcuts
Show/hide all docked windows (excluding floating window Ctrl+F11

docks)
Maximize the width of the active data window Ctrl+Enter
Data Window Shortcuts

Select previous/next editing tool D/Shift+D
Select normal edit tool Ctrl+D
Select all data in the active window Ctrl+A
Copy the selected data onto the clipboard Ctrl+C
Paste the clipboard contents into a new data window Ctrl+E
Mix data from the clipboard with the active window Ctrl+M
Trim (crop) to the current selection Ctrl+T
Paste data from the clipboard into the active window Ctrl+V
Enable locking markers, regions, and envelope points to Ctrl+L
selection
Move (cut) the selected data onto the clipboard Ctrl+X
Repeat last process, effect, or tool Ctrl+Y
Undo the last action Ctrl+Z
Redo the last undone action Ctrl+Shift+Z
Clear (delete) the selected data; nothing will be placed on Delete
the clipboard
Place a command marker at the current cursor position C
Place a marker at the current cursor position M
Place a region at the current cursor position R
Place a region at the current cursor position (when the Ctrl+Alt+R
Event tool is selected)
Enable snapping F8
Toggle auto snap to grid Ctrl+F8
Toggle auto snap to markers Shift+F8
Toggle auto snap to event edges Ctrl+Shift+F8
Toggle auto snap to zero crossings Ctrl+B
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Shortcuts
Split event at cursor position (when the Event tool is S

selected)
Split selected events at region boundaries (when the Ctrl+Alt+T
Event tool is selected)
Cursor Movement Shortcuts

Move one pixel right/left Right/Left Arrow
Go to end of file Ctrl+Right Arrow
Go to the next region, loop or marker boundary (if regions,
loops, or markers exist in the file)
Go to beginning of file Ctrl+Left Arrow
Go to the previous region, loop or marker boundary (if
regions, loops, or markers exist in the file)
Move one video frame right/left (available only if the data Alt+Right/Left Arrow
window contains a video file)
Move one sample right/left Ctrl+Alt+Right/Left Arrow
Show the Go To dialog Ctrl+G
Go to the first sample visible in the waveform display (or Home
beginning of selection)
Go to the first sample in the data window Ctrl+Home
Go to the last sample visible in the waveform display (or End
end of selection)
Go to the last sample in the data window Ctrl+End
Move 10% of the current view prior to the cursor position Page Up
Move 100% of the current view prior to the cursor position Ctrl+Page Up
Move 10% of the current view past the cursor position Page Down
Move 100% of the current view past the cursor position Ctrl+Page Down
Center the cursor in the waveform display \ or .
Go to the next sample + (numeric keypad)
Move 10 samples past the current cursor Ctrl+numeric keypad +
Go to the previous sample - (numeric keypad)
Move 10 samples prior to the current cursor Ctrl+numeric keypad -
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Shortcuts
Data Selection Shortcuts

Show the Set Selection dialog Ctrl+Shift+D
Select from the cursor to the next/previous screen pixel Shift+Right/Left Arrow
Select next/previous event (when the Event tool is
selected)
Select from the cursor to the next/previous sample Shift+Ctrl+Alt+Right/Left
Arrow
Select from the cursor to the next/previous video frame Shift+Alt+Right/Left Arrow
(available only if the data window contains a video file)
Select from the cursor to the first sample visible in the Shift+Home
waveform display
Select from the cursor to the last sample visible in the Shift+End
waveform display
Select from the cursor to the first sample in the data Ctrl+Shift+Home
window
Select from the cursor to the last sample in the data Ctrl+Shift+End
window
Select from the cursor to 10% of the current view prior to Shift+Page Up
the cursor position
Select from the cursor to 10% of the current view past the Shift+Page Down
cursor position
Select 100% of the current view prior to the cursor Shift+Ctrl+Page Up
position
Select 100% of the current view past the cursor position Shift+Ctrl+Page Down
Select from the cursor to the end of the file Select from Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow
the cursor to the next region, loop or marker boundary (if
regions, loops, or markers exist in the file) Extend
selection to the next/previous event (when the Event tool
is selected)
Select from the cursor to the beginning of the file Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow
Select from the cursor to the previous region, loop or
marker boundary (if regions, loops, or markers exist in
the file)
Select from the cursor to the next sample Shift+numeric keypad +
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Shortcuts
Select from the cursor to the previous sample Shift+numeric keypad -

Select 10 samples past the current cursor Shift+Ctrl+numeric keypad
+
Select 10 samples prior to the current cursor Shift+Ctrl+numeric keypad -
Snap to grid T
Snap edge to grid Shift+T
Snap to next zero crossing Z
Snap edge to next zero crossing Shift+Z
Switch the selection through the channels in a Tab/Shift+Tab
multichannel file
Shift current selection to the left by the length of the <
selection
Shift current selection to the right by the length of the >
selection
Cut the current selection length in half ;
Double the current selection length '
Rotate audio :
Restore previous five time selections Backspace
Toggle last selection/cursor position S or /
Create a loop from the current selection Alt+L
Navigation and Playback Shortcuts

Save a view in cell <Number> where <Number> ranges Ctrl+Shift+<Number>
from 1 to 8
Restore a view using cell <Number> where <Number> Ctrl+<Number>
ranges from 1 to 8
Move cursor to corresponding marker or select 0-9 keys (not numeric
corresponding region keypad)
Increase time magnification (zoom in) Up Arrow or mouse wheel
up
Decrease time magnification (zoom out) Down Arrow or mouse
wheel down
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Shortcuts
Increase level magnification Shift+Up Arrow

Decrease level magnification Shift+Down Arrow
Zoom to selection if a selection exists; otherwise Zoom In Ctrl+Up Arrow
Full Zoom event (when the Event tool is selected)
Zoom normal (zooms to default zoom ratio set in Ctrl+Down Arrow
Preferences)
Pan data window up/down if zoomed in vertically Ctrl+Shift+Up/Down Arrow
Switch cursor to opposite end of selection 5 (numeric keypad)
Set Mark In at the current cursor position I
Set Mark Out at the current cursor position O
Arm for recording Ctrl+Shift+A
Start/stop recording Ctrl+R
Toggle looped playback Q
Play or Stop the contents of the data window in default Spacebar or
mode F12
Play All Shift+Spacebar or
Shift+F12
Play/Pause Enter or
Ctrl+F12
Stop playback Esc
Seek cursor on playback F
Preview cut (skip selection on playback with pre-roll) Ctrl+K
Play to cursor with pre-roll Ctrl+Shift+K
Scrub playback J, K, or L
Toggle playback scrolling on and off F6
Toggle smooth playback scrolling on and off Shift+F6
Event Tool Shortcuts

Select the previous/next editing tool D or Shift+D
Split events at cursor S
Show/hide fade lengths between events Ctrl+Shift+T
Toggle automatic crossfades on/off Ctrl+Shift+X
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Shortcuts
Select the next event Shift+Right Arrow

Select the previous event Shift+Left Arrow
Select the first event Shift+Home
Select the last event Shift+End
Extend selection to the next event Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow
Extend selection to the previous event Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow
Extend the selection to the first event Shift+Ctrl+Home
Extend the selection to the last event Shift+Ctrl+End
Auto ripple events Ctrl+Shift+R
Regions List Shortcuts

Play or stop the active marker or region Spacebar
Edit the active marker or region Enter
Delete the active marker or region Delete
Create region from the current selection Ctrl+I
Replicate selected region. Ctrl+D
Update region to match selection Ctrl+U
Drag-and-Drop Shortcuts
Drag-and-drop allows you to quickly perform operations crossing between open data
windows, the Regions List, and the time ruler.
Command Function
Drag to New To create a new file from the current selection, drag the selection to an
open area of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio desktop.
You can also drag regions from the Regions List to the desktop.
Drag Mix To mix (⇗160) a selection, drag the selection from the source to the place
where you want to mix the selected data. You can drag the selection to
the same data window or another data window.
Drag Paste To paste (⇗158) a selection, hold Ctrl and drag the selection from the
source to the place where you want to paste the selected data. You can
drag the selection to the same data window or another data window.
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Shortcuts
Drag to To add the current selection to the Regions List, drag it to the Regions
Regions List List. You can also drag regions from the Regions List to the Playlist.
Drag to To create a region, drag the current selection to the time ruler.
Time Ruler
Drag to To create a disc-at-once CD track, drag a selection to the Track List
Track List window.
Mouse Shortcuts
Command Function
Select All Double-click the waveform display to select the entire sound
file.
Triple-click when regions, loops or markers are present (if the
Disable triple-clicking to select all sound file data check box on
the Editing tab in the Preferences dialog is cleared) .
Zoom Time and Level Double-click the level ruler to zoom the current selection
vertically and horizontally. If no selection exists, the entire
waveform display data is zoomed.
Double-click again to zoom out to the full amplitude and to the
normal horizontal magnification.
Return Control Value Double-click a slider, fader, or spinner to reset it to its default
to Default value.
Fine Tune Control To fine tune a trackbar, fader, or spinner, hold the right and left
Value mouse buttons (or hold the Ctrl key) when dragging.
Preview Shift-click the Preview button to hear the original sound. This is
equivalent to enabling the Bypass check box.
Main Status Bar Double-click the Sample Rate, Sample Size, or Channels box
at the bottom of the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio window to
edit their values.
Selection Status Bar Double-click the Selection Start (leftmost) box in a data window
to type a new value.
Double-click the Selection End or Selection Length box to type
a new value.
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Shortcuts
Go To Marker Click a marker tag to move the cursor to the marker's

position.
Set Selection to Double-click a region in the ruler to change the current
Region/Loop selection to the region or loop end points.
Play Normal Button Ctrl+click the Play Normal button to Preview Cut (skip
(on playbar) selection) on playback. Ctrl+Shift+click to play to cursor with
pre-roll.
Slow and Fast When making a selection past the end or beginning of the
Selection Scroll waveform display, click the right mouse button (while holding
Toggle down the left mouse button) to toggle between fast scrolling
and slow scrolling.
Zoom in horizontally Rotate the mouse wheel forward.
Zoom out horizontally Rotate the mouse wheel back.
Zoom in/out vertically Ctrl + rotate the mouse wheel forward or back.
Scroll left/right 10% of Shift + rotate the mouse wheel forward or back.
the current view prior
Move cursor left or Ctrl + Shift + rotate the mouse wheel forward or back.
right (move current
selection point if
selection exists)
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Glossary
GLOSSARY
A (⇗252)B (⇗254)C (⇗255)D (⇗257)E (⇗259)F (⇗259)H (⇗260)I (⇗260)L (⇗261)M
(⇗262)N (⇗263)O (⇗264)P (⇗264)Q (⇗266)R (⇗267)S (⇗268)T (⇗271)U (⇗271)W
(⇗272)Z (⇗273)
-A-
A-Law
A-Law is a compounded compression algorithm for voice signals defined by the Geneva
Recommendations (G.711). The G.711 recommendation defines A-Law as a method of
encoding 16-bit PCM signals into a nonlinear 8-bit format. The algorithm is commonly
used in United States telecommunications. A-Law is very similar to µ-Law; however, each
uses a slightly different coder and decoder.
Acoustic Signature
The acoustic signature of a system is data containing all of the sound characteristics of a
system. This includes such things as reverb time, frequency response and other timbral
qualities. Impulse files used by Acoustic Mirror can be thought of as acoustic signatures.
Activation Number
This number is based on the Computer ID number of the computer on which SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio software is installed. Each computer has a unique number, similar
to a license plate. An activation number is created based on that number. When you
register the software, MAGIX will generate an activation number for you. Once the
activation number is entered, the software will not time out. Since the activation number is
based on the Computer ID, it is important that you have SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
software installed on the computer where you will be using it.
ActiveX
A Microsoft technology that enables different programs to share information. ActiveX
extends Microsoft Windows-based architecture to include Internet and corporate intranet
features and capabilities. Developers use it to build user interactivity into programs and
World Wide Web pages.
Adaptive Delta Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM)
A method of compressing audio data. Although the theory for compression using ADPCM
is standard, there are many different algorithms employed. For example, Microsoft's
ADPCM algorithm is not compatible with the International Multimedia Association's (IMA)
approved ADPCM.
Advanced Streaming Format (ASF)
See Windows Media Format (⇗272).
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Glossary
Aliasing
A type of distortion that occurs when digitally recording high frequencies with a low
sample rate. For example, in a motion picture, when a car's wheels appear to slowly spin
backward while the car is quickly moving forward, you are seeing the effects of aliasing.
Similarly, when you try to record a frequency greater than one half of the sampling rate
(the Nyquist Frequency (⇗264)), instead of hearing a high pitch, you may hear a low-
frequency rumble.
To prevent aliasing, an anti-aliasing filter is used to remove high frequencies before
recording. Once the sound has been recorded, aliasing distortion is impossible to remove
without also removing other frequencies from the sound. This same anti-aliasing filter
must be applied when resampling to a lower sample rate.
Amplitude Modulation
Amplitude Modulation (AM) is a process whereby the amplitude (loudness) of a sound is
varied over time. When varied slowly, a tremolo effect occurs. If the frequency of
modulation is high, many side frequencies are created that can strongly alter the timbre of
a sound.
Analog
When discussing audio, this term refers to a method of reproducing a sound wave with
voltage fluctuations that are analogous to the pressure fluctuations of the sound wave.
This is different from digital recording in that these fluctuations are infinitely varying rather
than discrete changes at sample time. See Quantization (⇗266).
Attack
The attack of a sound is the initial portion of the sound. Percussive sounds (drums, piano,
guitar plucks) are said to have a fast attack. This means that the sound reaches its
maximum amplitude in a very short time. Sounds that slowly swell up in volume (soft
strings and wind sounds) are said to have a slow attack.
Audio Compression Manager (ACM)
The Audio Compression Manager, from Microsoft, is a standard interface for audio
compression and signal processing for Windows. The ACM can be used by Windows
programs to compress and decompress .wav (⇗272) files.
Audio Event Locator
The Audio Event Locator is similar to a scrub function. However, rather than playing the
sound file at a slow speed, it loops playback around the cursor position. This position can
be selected by dragging the cursor around in the SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
Overview window.
Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF)
An audio file format developed by Apple Computer.
ASX File
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Glossary
ASF Stream Redirector file. See Redirector file.

Attenuation
A decrease in the level of a signal.
-B- (⇗252)
Bandwidth
When discussing audio equalization, each frequency band has a width associated with it
that determines the range of frequencies that are affected by the EQ. An EQ band with a
wide bandwidth will affect a wider range of frequencies than one with a narrow
bandwidth.
When discussing network connections, bandwidth refers to the rate of signals transmitted
or the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time (stated in
bits/second): a 56 Kbps network connection is capable of receiving 56,000 bits of data
per second.
Baseline
The baseline of a waveform is also referred to as the zero-amplitude axis or negative
infinity. In the following image, the red line represents the baseline.
Beats Per Minute (BPM)

The tempo of a piece of music can be written as a number of beats in one minute. If the
tempo is 60 BPM, a single beat will occur once every second.
Bit
The most elementary unit in digital systems. Its value can only be 1 or 0, corresponding to
a voltage in an electronic circuit. Bits are used to represent values in the binary
numbering system. As an example, the 8-bit binary number 10011010 represents the
unsigned value of 154 in the decimal system. In digital sampling, a binary number is used
to store individual sound levels, called samples.
Bit Depth
The number of bits used to represent a single sample. For example, 8- or 16-bit are
common sample sizes. While 8-bit samples take up less memory (and hard disk space),
they are inherently noisier than 16- or 24-bit samples.
Buffer
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Glossary
Memory used as an intermediate repository in which data is temporarily held while

waiting to be transferred between two locations. A buffer ensures that there is an
uninterrupted flow of data between computers. Media players may need to rebuffer when
there is network congestion.
Bus
A virtual pathway where signals from tracks and effects are mixed. A bus's output is a
physical audio device in the computer from which the signal will be heard.
Byte
Refers to a set of 8 bits. An 8-bit sample requires one byte of memory to store, while a 16-
bit sample takes two bytes of memory to store
-C- (⇗252)
Channel Converter
The Channel Converter is a function that converts files from mono to stereo and stereo to
mono with independent level control of the new channels. This function can also create
interesting effects by converting stereo files to stereo with various levels and inversion of
channels.
Channel Meters
The Channel Meters in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software display the peak output
levels of the sound file currently playing. These meters have selectable resolution and
options to hold peaks and valleys.
Chorus
Chorusing is an effect created by combining a signal with a modulating, delayed copy of
itself. This effect creates the illusion of multiple sources creating the same sound.
Clipboard
The clipboard is where sample data is saved when you cut or copy it from a data window.
You can then paste, mix, or crossfade the sample data stored on the clipboard with
another data window. This sample data can also be used by other Windows applications
that support Sound data on the clipboard, such as Sound Recorder.
Clipping
Occurs when the amplitude of a sound is above the maximum allowed recording level. In
digital systems, clipping is seen as a clamping of the data to a maximum value, such as
32,767 in 16-bit data. Clipping causes sound to distort.
Codec
Coder/Decoder: refers to any technology for compressing and decompressing data. The
term codec can refer to software, hardware, or a combination of both technologies.
Compression Ratio (audio)
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Glossary
A compression ratio controls the ratio of input to output levels above a specific threshold.
This ratio determines how much a signal has to rise above the threshold for every 1 dB of
increase in the output. For example, with a ratio of 3:1, the input level must increase by
three decibels to produce a one-decibel output-level increase:
Threshold = -10 dBCompression Ratio = 3:1Input = -7 dBOutput = -9 dB
Because the input is 3 dB louder than the threshold and the compression ratio is 3:1, the
resulting signal is 1 dB louder than the threshold.
Compression Ratio (file size)
The ratio of the size of the original uncompressed file to the compressed contents. For
example, a 3:1 compression ratio means that the compressed file is one-third the size of
the original.
Computer ID
Each computer has a unique number, similar to a license plate. An activation number
(⇗252) is created based on that number. Since the activation number is based on the
Computer ID, it is important that you have SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software
installed on the computer where you will be using it. The Computer ID is automatically
detected and provided to you when you install the software.
The Computer ID is used for registration purposes only. It doesn't give MAGIX
access to any personal information and can't be used for any purpose other than for
generating a unique activation number for you to use the software.
Crossfade
Mixing two pieces of audio by fading one out as the other fades in:
Crossfade Loop
Sometimes a sample loop cannot be easily created from the given source material. In
these instances, a crossfade can be applied to the beginning and end of the loop to aid in
the smooth transition between the two. The Crossfade Loop function provides a method
of creating sampling loops in material that is otherwise difficult to loop.
Cutoff frequency
The cutoff frequency of a filter is the frequency at which the filter changes its response.
For example, in a low-pass filter, frequencies greater than the cutoff frequency are
attenuated, while frequencies less than the cutoff frequency are not affected.
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Glossary
-D- (⇗252)
Data Window
Each opened sound file has its own data window. At the top of each data window is a title
bar displaying either the title of the sample or the name of the file. Also in each data
window are the waveform display, time and level rulers, playbar and other tools that give
you information and allow you to navigate throughout the entire sound file.
DC Offset
DC offset occurs when hardware, such as a sound card, adds DC current to a recorded
audio signal. This current results in a recorded waveform that is not centered around the
baseline (-infinity). Glitches and other unexpected results can occur when sound effects
are applied to files that contain DC offsets. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software can
compensate for this DC offset by adding a constant value to the samples in the sound file.
In the following example, the red line represents the baseline. The lower waveform
exhibits DC offset; note that the waveform is centered approximately 2 dB above the
baseline.
Decibel (dB)
A unit used to represent a ratio between two numbers using a logarithmic scale. For
example, when comparing the numbers 14 and 7, you could say 14 is two times greater
than the number 7; or you could say 14 is 6 dB greater than the number 7. Where did we
pull that 6 dB from? Engineers use the equation dB = 20 x log (V1/V2) when comparing
two instantaneous values. Decibels are commonly used when dealing with sound
because the ear perceives loudness in a logarithmic scale.
In SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software, most measurements are given in decibels.
For example, if you want to double the amplitude of a sound, you apply a 6 dB gain. A
sample value of 32,767 (maximum positive sample value for 16-bit sound) can be
referred to as having a value of 0 dB. Likewise, a sample value of 16,384 can be referred
to having a value of -6 dB.
Device Driver
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Glossary
A program that enables Windows to connect different hardware and software. For
example, a sound card device driver is used by Windows software to control sound card
recording and playback.
Destructive Editing
Destructive editing is the type of editing whereby all cuts, deletes, mixes and other
processes are actually processed to the sound file. Any time you delete a section of a
sound file in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software, the sound file on disk is actually
rewritten without the deleted section. This is different than nondestructive editing.
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
A system for delivering songs, videos, and other media over the Internet in a file format
that protects copyrighted material. Current proposals include some form of certificates
that validate copyright ownership and restrict unauthorized redistribution.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
A general term describing anything that alters digital data. Signal processors have
existed for a very long time (tone controls, distortion boxes, wah-wah pedals) in the
analog (electrical) domain. Digital Signal Processors alter the data after it has been
digitized by using a combination of programming and mathematical techniques. DSP
techniques are used to perform many effects such as equalization and reverb simulation.
Since most DSP is performed with simple arithmetic operations (additions and
multiplications), both your computer's processor and specialized DSP chips can be used
to perform any DSP operation. The difference is that DSP chips are optimized specifically
for mathematical functions while your computer's microprocessor is not. This results in a
difference in processing speed.
DirectX
A set of Application Program Interfaces designed by Microsoft for multimedia
development. A DirectX plug-in, such as the Vegas Noise Reduction DirectX Plug-In,
uses the DirectX Media Streaming Services (DMSS) API. Because DMSS is a standard
API, a DirectX plug-in can be used in any application that supports DMSS.
Dithering
Dithering is the practice of adding noise to a signal to mask quantization noise (⇗267).
Drag and Drop
A quick way to perform certain operations using the mouse. To drag and drop, you click
and hold a highlighted selection, drag it (hold the left mouse button down and move the
mouse) and drop it (let go of the mouse button) at another position on the screen.
Dynamic Range
The difference between the maximum and minimum signal levels. It can refer to a
musical performance (high-volume vs. low-volume signals) or to electrical equipment
(peak level before distortion vs. noise floor).
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Glossary
-E- (⇗252)
Endian (Little and Big)
Little and Big Endian describe the ordering of multi-byte data that is used by a computers
microprocessor. Little Endian specifies that data is stored in a low-to-high byte format;
this ordering is used by the Intel microprocessors. Big Endian specifies that data is stored
in a high-to-low byte format; this ordering is used by the Motorola microprocessors.
Equalization (EQ)
Equalizing a sound file is a process by which certain frequency bands are raised or
lowered in level.
-F- (⇗252)
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Analysis
A Fourier Transform is the mathematical method used to convert a waveform from the
Time Domain to the Frequency Domain.
Since the Fourier Transform is computationally intensive, it is common to use a technique
called a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to perform spectral analysis. The FFT uses
mathematical shortcuts to lower the processing time at the expense of putting limitations
on the analysis size.
The analysis size, also referred to as the FFT size, indicates the number of samples from
the sound signal used in the analysis and also determines the number of discrete
frequency bands. When a high number of frequency bands are used, the bands have a
smaller bandwidth, which allows for more accurate frequency readings.
File Associations
This dialog allows you to associate sound file extensions (such as .wav, .au, .snd, etc.)
with SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software. This dialog is opened from the File tab of
the Preferences dialog.
File Format
A file format specifies the way in which data is stored. In Windows, the most common
audio file format is the Microsoft .wav format. For information on the different file formats
supported by SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software, click here (⇗74).
Frame Rate
Audio uses frame rates only for the purposes of synchronizing to video or other audio. To
synchronize with audio, a rate of 30 non-drop is typically used. To synchronize with video,
30 drop is usually used.
Frequency Modulation (FM)
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Glossary
Frequency Modulation (FM) is a process by which the frequency (pitch) of a sound is

varied over time. Subaudio frequency modulation results in pitch-bending effects
(vibrato). Frequency modulation within audio band frequencies (20 Hz - 20,000 Hz)
creates many different side-band frequencies that drastically alter the timbre of the
sound.
Frequency Modulation (FM) Synthesis
This type of synthesis relies on the principles of Frequency Modulation. The FM
Synthesis tool allows you to use frequency modulation (FM) and additive synthesis to
create complex sounds from simple waveforms.
In frequency modulation, the frequency of a waveform (the carrier) is modulated by the
output of another waveform (the modulator) to create a new waveform. If the frequency of
the modulator is low, the carrier will be slowly detuned over time. However, if the
frequency of the modulator is high, the carrier will be modulated so quickly that many
additional frequencies, or sidebands, are created.
In SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software, up to four waveforms (operators) can be
used in a variety of configurations. Depending on the configuration, an operator can be a
carrier, a modulator, or a simple, unmodulated waveform.
Frequency Spectrum
The frequency spectrum of a signal refers to its range of frequencies. In audio, the
audible frequency range is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. The frequency spectrum
sometimes refers to the distribution of these frequencies. For example, bass-heavy
sounds have a large frequency content in the low end (20 Hz - 200 Hz) of the spectrum.
-H- (⇗252)
Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF)
Sounds are perceived differently depending on the direction the sound comes from. This
occurs because of the echoes bouncing from your shoulders and nose and the shape of
your ears. A head-related transfer function contains the frequency and phase response
information required to make a sound appear to originate from a certain direction in 3-
dimensional space.
Hertz (Hz)
The unit of measurement for frequency or cycles per second (CPS).
High-Pass Filter
A high-pass filter attenuates all frequencies below a cutoff frequency. It is usually used to
remove low-frequency rumble from audio files.
-I- (⇗252)
Insertion Point
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Glossary
The insertion point (also referred to as the cursor position) is analogous to the cursor in a
word processor. It is where markers or commands may be inserted depending on the
operation. The insertion point appears as a vertical flashing black line and can be moved
by clicking the left mouse button anywhere in the data window.
Inverse Telecine (IVTC)
Telecine (⇗271) is the process of converting 24 fps (cinema) source to 30 fps video
(television) by adding pulldown (⇗265) fields. Inverse telecine, then, is the process of
converting 30 fps (television) video to 24 fps (cinema) by removing pulldown.
InterVoice Sound File Support
The InterVoice sound file format (.IVC), commonly used in telephony applications, is now
supported and includes G.711 µ-Law and A-Law, G.721 ADPCM (32 kb/s) and G.723
ADPCM (24 kb/s) data formats.
Invert Data
Inverting sound data reverses the polarity of a waveform around its baseline. Inverting a
waveform does not change the sound of a file; however, when you mix different sound
files, phase cancellation can occur, producing a "hollow" sound. Inverting one of the files
can prevent phase cancellation.
In the following example, the red line represents the baseline, and the lower waveform is
the inverted image of the upper waveform.
-L- (⇗252)
Limiting
Limiting is essentially a hard compressor (⇗255). Limiting is often used to keep signals
from going above a certain level, but can also be applied to create heavily compressed
effects. Limiting should only be performed on peaks; if the Threshold level is set too low,
heavy distortion will occur.
Loop
Loops are small audio clips that are designed to create a repeating beat or pattern. Loops
are usually one to four measures long.
Low-Pass Filter
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Glossary
A low-pass filter attenuates all frequencies above a cutoff frequency. Low-pass filters can
be used as anti-alias filters or for general tonal shaping.
-M- (⇗252)
Marker
A marker is an anchored, accessible reference point in a file. Markers are stored in the
Regions List and can be used for quick navigation.
Media Control Interface (MCI)
A standard way for Windows programs to communicate with multimedia devices such as
sound cards and CD players. If a device has an MCI device driver, it can easily be
controlled by most multimedia Windows software.
Microsoft Sound Mapper
The Sound Mapper is a special device that attempts to select the most appropriate sound
card (map) on which to play a sound, or it will translate the sound into a format that can be
played on your sound card.
Mid-Side recording
Mid-side (MS) recording is a microphone technique in which one mic is pointed directly
towards the source to record the center (mid) channel, and the other mic is pointed 90
degrees away from the source to record the stereo image. For proper playback on most
systems, MS recordings must be converted to your standard left/right (also called AB)
track.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Device Interface)
MIDI is a standard language of control messages that provides for communication
between any MIDI-compliant devices. Anything from synthesizers to lights to factory
equipment can be controlled via MIDI. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software uses
MIDI to trigger sound file playback, transfer audio data to samplers and synchronize to
external software or gear.
MIDI Channels
MIDI allows for 16 discrete channels for sending data. When dealing with MIDI triggers,
SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software needs to know what MIDI channel to look at for
receiving the trigger. The channel this information is sent to in SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio software depends on the device sending the MIDI messages.
MIDI Clock
A MIDI device-specific timing reference. It is not absolute time like MIDI Time Code
(MTC); instead it is a tempo-dependent number of "ticks" per quarter note. MIDI clock is
convenient for synchronizing devices that need to perform tempo changes mid-song.
MIDI Controllers
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Glossary
MIDI controllers are a specific type of MIDI message. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio
software can use MIDI controllers to trigger events and playback of sound files. Consult
your MIDI sending device to see what controller messages it sends.
MIDI Notes
MIDI notes are a specific type of MIDI message. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software
can use MIDI notes to trigger events and playback of sound files. Any MIDI sequencer or
controller will send MIDI notes.
MIDI Port
A MIDI port is the physical MIDI connection on a piece of MIDI hardware. This port can be
a MIDI in, out or through. Your computer must have a MIDI-capable card to output MIDI
time code to an external device or to receive MIDI time code from an external device.
MIDI Time Code (MTC)
MTC is an addendum to the MIDI 1.0 specification and provides a way to specify absolute
time for synchronizing MIDI-capable applications. MTC is essentially a MIDI
representation of SMPTE time code.
Mix
Mixing allows multiple sound files to be blended into one file at user-defined relative
levels.
Multiple-Bit-Rate Encoding
Multiple-bit-rate encoding allows you to create a single file that contains streams for
several bit rates. A multiple-bit-rate file can accommodate users with different Internet
connection speeds, or these files can automatically change to a different bit rate to
compensate for network congestion without interrupting playback.
To take advantage of multiple-bit-rate encoding, you must publish your media files
to a Windows Media server or a RealServerG2.
Musical Instrument Device Interface (MIDI)

A standard language of control messages that provides for communication between any
MIDI-compliant devices. Anything from synthesizers to lights to factory equipment can be
controlled via MIDI. SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software uses MIDI for
synchronization purposes.
-N- (⇗252)
Noise-shaping
Noise-shaping is a technique which can minimize the audibility of quantization noise by
shifting its frequency spectrum. For example, in 44,100 Hz audio quantization noise is
shifted towards the Nyquist Frequency of 22,050 Hz.
Nondestructive Editing
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Glossary
This type of editing involves a pointer-based system of keeping track of edits. When you
delete a section of audio in a nondestructive system, the audio on disk is not actually
deleted. Instead, a set of pointers is established to tell the program to skip the deleted
section during playback.
Normalize
Refers to raising the volume so that the highest level sample in the file reaches a user-
defined level. Use normalization to make sure you are using all of the dynamic range
available to you.
Nyquist Frequency
The Nyquist Frequency (or Nyquist Rate) is one half of the sample rate and represents
the highest frequency that can be recorded using the sample rate without aliasing. For
example, the Nyquist Frequency of 44,100 Hz is 22,050 Hz. Any frequencies higher than
22,050 Hz will produce aliasing distortion in the sample if no anti-aliasing filter is used
while recording.
-O- (⇗252)
Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)
OLE is a technology developed by Microsoft to allow independent applications to behave
as though they are tightly integrated. This allows objects such as SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio audio files to be integrated into other applications such as a Microsoft Word
document.
Overview
The Overview is the area on the data window directly under the title bar. The entire length
of the overview represents the entire sound file. Cursor, selection, and position
information is shown relative to the entire length of the sound file.
One-Shot
One-shots are RAM-based audio clips that are not designed to loop. Things such as
cymbal crashes and sound bites could be considered one-shots. Longer files can be
treated as one-shots if your computer has sufficient memory.
-P- (⇗252)
Pan
To place a mono or stereo sound source perceptually between two or more speakers.
Pause Time
Pause time is the space between CD tracks. This space may contain silence -as in a
standard commercially produced CD -or can contain audio -as in a live performance
captured on CD.
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Glossary
The Red Book standard calls for two seconds of pause time, but you can edit the default
pause time on the CD Settings tab of the Preferences dialog.
Peak Data File
The file created by SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software when a file is opened for the
first time. This file stores the information regarding the graphic display of the waveform so
that opening a file is almost instantaneous. This file is stored in the directory where the
audio file resides and has an .sfk extension. If this file is not in the same directory as the
audio file or is deleted, it will be recalculated the next time you open the file.
Pixel Aspect
The pixel aspect determines whether the pixels are square (1.0) which refers to
computers, or rectangular (settings other than 1.000) which typically refers to televisions.
The pixel aspect ratio is unrelated to the frame's aspect ratio.
Playlist
The Playlist is a list of regions set to play in a specific order. The Playlist allows for
nondestructive editing and rearranging of a sound file quickly and easily. Multiple
versions of the playlist can be saved in an external playlist file for easy comparison.
Pre-roll/Post-roll
Pre-roll is the amount of time elapsed before an event occurs. Post-roll is the amount of
time after the event. Pre and post-roll have various uses in SOUND FORGE Audio
Studio software. Pre-roll can be added to a crossfade preview to listen to the sound
before the crossfade begins to give context to it. Pre-roll can also be used in the Playlist
to hear previous regions when playback is initiated from the middle of the Playlist.
Preset
A preset calls up a bulk setting of a function in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software. If
you like the way you adjusted the EQ but do not want to have to spend the time getting it
back for later use, save it as a preset. All presets show up in the drop-down list on the top
of most function dialogs in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software.
Punch-In
Punching-in during recording means automatically starting and stopping recording at
user-specified times.
Pulldown
In telecine (⇗271) conversion, fields are added to convert 24 fps film to 30 fps video.
In 2-3 pulldown, for example, the first frame is scanned into two fields, the second frame
is scanned into three fields, and so on for the duration of the film. 2-3 pulldown is the
standard for NTSC broadcasts of 24p material. Use 2-3 pulldown when printing to tape,
but not when you intend to use the rendered video as source media. Removing 2-3
pulldown is inefficient because the pulldown fields that are created for frame 3 span two
frames:
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Glossary
24 fps film (top) and resulting NTSC video with 2-3 pulldown fields (bottom)
Use 2-3-3-2 pulldown when you plan to use your rendered video as source media. When
removing 2-3-3-2 pulldown, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software simply discards
frame three and merges the pulldown fields in the remaining frames:
24 fps film (top) and resulting NTSC video with 2-3-3-2 pulldown fields (bottom)
Pulse Code Modulation (PCM)
PCM is the most common representation of uncompressed audio signals. This method of
coding yields the highest fidelity possible when using digital storage. PCM is the standard
format for .wav and .aif files.
-Q- (⇗252)
Q Subcode
Compact disc players use the Q channel to display the music playing time. The Q
channel is broken down into three modes:
■ Mode 1: Contains the running times from both the beginning of the disc (total disc
time) and the beginning of the track (track relative time).
■ Mode 2: Identifies the track number, who recorded the track, where it was recorded
and in what year.
■ Mode 3: Identifies UPC media catalog number for the disc.
A special mode of Q data is stored within the lead-in area. This Q data contains
information on two- or four- channel format, copy protection, and pre-emphasis.
Quantization
Quantization is the process by which measurements are rounded to discrete values.
Specifically with respect to audio, quantization is a function of the analog-to-digital
conversion process. The continuous variation of the voltages of a analog audio signal are
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Glossary
quantized to discrete amplitude values represented by digital, binary numbers. The

number of bits available to describe these values determines the resolution or accuracy
of quantization. For example, if you have 8-bit analog-to-digital converters, the varying
analog voltage must be quantized to 1 of 256 discrete values; a 16-bit converter has
65,536 values.
Quantization Noise
Quantization noise is a result of describing an analog signal in discrete digital terms (see
quantization). This noise is most easily heard in low-resolution digital sounds that have
low bit depths and sounds like a shhhhh-type sound while the audio is playing. It
becomes more apparent when the signal is at low levels, such as during a fade out.
-R- (⇗252)
Reactive Preview
Reactive previews allow for the adjustment of parameters in a function dialog while the
preview is playing. When a parameter is changed, the preview will automatically rebuild
and continue playback.
Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
A proposed standard for controlling broadcast of streaming media. RTSP was submitted
by a body of companies including RealNetworks and Netscape.
Redirector File
A metafile that provides information to a media player about streaming media files. To
start a streaming media presentation, a Web page will include a link to a redirector file.
Linking to a redirector file allows a file to stream; if you link to the media file, it will be
downloaded before playback begins.
Windows Media redirector files use the .asx or .wax extension.
Region
A region in SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software is a subsection of a sound file. You
can define any number of regions in a sound file which are stored in the Regions List.
Regions List
The Regions List is simply the list containing all of the regions and markers defined within
the sound file. From this list you can preview and edit the regions as well as drag them to
the Playlist or to the desktop to create new files from them.
Resample
The act of recalculating samples in a sound file at a different rate than the file was
originally recorded. If a sample is resampled at a lower rate, sample points are removed
from the sound file, decreasing its size, but also decreasing its available frequency range.
Resampling to a higher sample rate, SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software will
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Glossary
interpolate extra sample points in the sound file. This increases the size of the sound file,
but does not increase the quality. When downsampling, be aware of aliasing (⇗253).
Root Mean Square (RMS)
The Root Mean Square (RMS) of a sound is a measurement of the intensity of the sound
over a period of time. The RMS level of a sound corresponds to the loudness perceived
by a listener when measured over small intervals of time.
Ruler, Level
The level ruler is the area on a data window to the left of the waveform display. It shows
the vertical axis units as a percentage or in decibels.
Ruler, Time
The time ruler is the area on a data window above the waveform display. It shows the
horizontal axis units as well as marker, region, and loop tags.
Ruler Tags
Ruler tags are the small tab-shaped controls on the time ruler that represent the location
of markers, regions, and loop points in the waveform display.
-S- (⇗252)
Sample
The word sample is used in many different (and often confusing) ways when talking about
digital sound. Here are some of the different meanings:
■ A discrete point in time which a sound signal is divided into when digitizing. For
example, an audio CD-ROM contains 44,100 samples per second. Each sample is
really only a number that contains the amplitude value of a waveform measured
over time.
■ A sound that has been recorded in a digital format; used by musicians who make
short recordings of musical instruments to be used for composition and
performance of music or sound effects. These recordings are called samples. In
this Help system, we try to use sound file instead of sample whenever referring to a
digital recording.
■ The act of recording sound digitally, i.e. to sample an instrument means to digitize
and store it.
Sample Dump
A sample dump is the process of transferring sample data between music equipment.
Because of the large amounts of data required to store digital sound, sample dumps may
take a very long time when using the MIDI Sample Dump Standard (SDS). However,
when using the faster SCSI MIDI Device Interface (SMDI) protocol, sample dumps can be
performed many times faster.
Sample Dump Standard (SDS)
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Glossary
The MIDI Sample Dump Standard is a way to transfer samples between music
equipment. Samples transferred with SDS are sent across MIDI cables at the MIDI data
rate of 31,250 Hz baud. SMDI is a much faster sample transfer method for musicians.
Sample Rate
The Sample Rate (also referred to as the Sampling Rate or Sampling Frequency) is the
number of samples per second used to store a sound. High sample rates, such as 44,100
Hz provide higher fidelity than lower sample rates, such as 11,025 Hz. However, more
storage space is required when using higher sample rates.
In the following example, each red dot represents one sample. Because the lower
waveform is represented by twice as many samples as the top waveform, the samples
are able to better approximate the original waveform.
Sample Size
See Bit Depth.
Sample Value
The Sample Value (also referred to as sample amplitude) is the number stored by a
single sample. The number stored by a single sample:
■ In 32-bit audio, these values range from -2147483648 to 2147483647.
The maximum allowed sample value is often referred to as 100% or 0 dB.
Sampler
A sampler is a device that records sounds digitally. Although, in theory, your sound card
is a sampler, the term usually refers to a device used to trigger and play back samples
while changing the sample pitch.
Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI)
The Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) is a consortium of recording industry and
technology companies organized to develop standards for the secure distribution of
digital music. The SDMI specification will answer consumer demand for convenient
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Glossary
accessibility to quality digital music, enable copyright protection for artists' work, and
enable technology and music companies to build successful businesses.
SCSI MIDI Device Interface (SMDI)
SMDI is a standardized protocol for music equipment communication. Instead of using
the slower standard MIDI serial protocol, it uses a SCSI bus for transferring information.
Because of its speed, SMDI is often used for sample dumps.
Shortcut Menu
A context-sensitive menu that appears when you click on certain areas of the screen. The
functions available in the shortcut menu depend on the object being clicked on as well as
the state of the program. As with any menu, you can select an item from the shortcut
menu to perform an operation. Shortcut menus are used frequently in SOUND FORGE
Audio Studio software for quick access to many commands.
Sign-Bit
Data that has positive and negative values and uses zero to represent silence. Unlike the
signed format, twos complement is not used. Instead, negative values are represented by
setting the highest bit of the binary number to one without complementing all other bits.
This is a format option when opening and saving RAW sound files.
Signed
Data that has positive and negative twos complement values and uses zero to represent
silence. This is a format option when opening and saving raw sound files.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measurement of the difference between a recorded
signal and noise levels. A high SNR is always the goal.
The maximum signal-to-noise ratio of digital audio is determined by the number of bits
per sample. In 16-bit audio, the signal to noise ratio is 96 dB, while in 8-bit audio its 48 dB.
However, in practice this SNR is never achieved, especially when using low-end
electronics.
Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
SCSI is a standard interface protocol for connecting devices to your computer. The SCSI
bus can accept up to seven devices at a time including CD ROM drives, hard drives and
samplers.
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)
SMPTE time code is used to synchronize time between devices. The time code is
calculated in hours:minutes:second:frames, where frames are fractions of a second
based on the frame rate. Frame rates for SMPTE time code are 24, 25, 29.97 and 30
frames per second.
Sound Card
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Glossary
The sound card is the audio interface between your computer and the outside world. It is
responsible for converting analog signals to digital and vice-versa. There are many sound
cards available on the market today, covering the spectrum of quality and price. SOUND
FORGE Audio Studio software will work with any Windows-compatible sound card.
Status Format
The status format is the format by which SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software
displays the time ruler and selection times. These include: Time, Seconds, Frames,
Audio CD Time, and all Standard SMPTE frame rates. The status format is set for each
sound file individually.
Streaming
A method of data transfer in which a file is played while it is downloading. Streaming
technologies allow Internet users to receive data as a steady, continuous stream after a
brief buffering period. Without streaming, users would have to download files completely
before playback.
-T- (⇗252)
Telecine
The process of creating 30 fps video (television) from 24 fps film (cinema). See inverse
telecine (⇗261) and pulldown (⇗265).
Tempo
Tempo is the rhythmic rate of a musical composition, usually specified in beats per
minute (BPM).
Threshold
A threshold determines the level at which the signal processor begins acting on the
signal. During normalization, levels above this threshold are attenuated.
Time Format
The format by which SOUND FORGE Audio Studio software displays the time ruler and
selection times. These can include: Time, Seconds, Frames and all standard SMPTE
frame rates.
Trim/Crop
Trim/Crop is a function that will delete all data in a sound file outside of the current
selection. This is a necessary function when dealing with samples to be played by a
sampler to get rid of blank time at the beginning and ending of samples.
-U- (⇗252)
µ-Law
µ-Law (mu-Law) is a companded compression algorithm for voice signals defined by the
Geneva Recommendations (G.711). The G.711 recommendation defines µ-Law as a
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Glossary
method of encoding 16-bit PCM signals into a nonlinear 8-bit format. The algorithm is
commonly used in European and Asian telecommunications. µ-Law is very similar to A-
Law, however, each uses a slightly different coder and decoder.
Undo Buffer
This is the temporary file created before you do any processing to a sound file. This undo
buffer allows you to rewrite previous versions of the sound file if you decide you don't like
changes you've made to the sound file. This undo buffer is erased when the file is closed
or the Clear Undo History command is selected.
Undo/Redo
These commands allow you to change a project back to a previous state, when you don't
like the changes you have made, or reapply the changes after you have undone them.
Undo/Redo History
This is a list of all of the functions that have been done to a file that are available to be
undone or redone. Undo/Redo History gives you the ability to undo or redo multiple
functions as well as preview the functions for quick review of the processed and
unprocessed material. This list can be displayed from within the View menu.
Unsigned
Data that has only positive values and uses half the maximum value to represent silence.
This is a format option when opening and saving raw sound files.
-W- (⇗252)
Wave
An digital audio standard developed by Microsoft and IBM. One minute of uncompressed
audio requires 10 MB of storage.
Waveform
A waveform is the visual representation of wave-like phenomena, such as sound or light.
For example, when the amplitude of sound pressure is graphed over time, pressure
variations usually form a smooth waveform.
Waveform Display
Each event shows a graph of the sound data waveform. The vertical axis corresponds to
the amplitude of the wave. For 24-bit audio, they range from -8388608 to 8388607. For
16-bit sounds, the amplitude range is -32,768 to +32,767. For 8-bit sounds, the range is -
128 to +127. The horizontal axis corresponds to time, with the leftmost point being the
start of the waveform. In memory, the horizontal axis corresponds to the number of
samples from the start of the sound file.
Windows Media Format
Microsoft's Windows Media file format that can handle audio and video presentations and
other data such as scripts, URL flips, images and HTML tags.
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Glossary
-Z- (⇗252)
Zero-Crossing
A zero-crossing is the point where a fluctuating signal crosses the baseline.
By making edits at zero-crossings with the same slope, the chance of creating glitches is
minimized.
Zipper Noise
Zipper noise occurs when you apply a changing gain to a signal, such as when fading out.
If the gain does not change in small enough increments, zipper noise can become very
noticeable. Fades are accomplished using 64-bit arithmetic, thereby creating no audible
zipper noise.
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Index
INDEX
.
.frg 79
.sfap0 Files 227
.sfas 79
A
Absolute Frames 22, 33
Absolute Sine 226
Accessibility 242
ACID 70, 151
ACID Loops 64
ACID Properties 57
ACID Type 58
Action 82-83
ACX Check 53
Add Buttons to Toolbars 19
Add Video to an Audio File 100
Adjust DC Offset By 204
Adjust Selection Length 142
ADSR 216
Advanced Audio Configuration 238
Allow Ctrl+Drag Style Cursor Scrub in Data Windows 227
Allow Ctrl+Drag Style Zoom in Data Windows 227
Allow Floating Windows to Dock 38, 227
Allow Pulldown Removal when Opening 24p DV 240
Allow Undo Past Save 229
Always Open Dropped Files in New Window 227
Always Proxy Compressed Formats 227
Amplitude Modulation 214
Animate Video Frames 100
274 / 305
Index
Anti-Alias 212
Append to Current Data Window 70
Apply an Anti-Alias Filter During Resample 212
Apply Dynamic Compression 206
Apply FX Chain 190
Applying Effects 188
Applying Processes and Effects to Events 179, 190
Arrange Icons 36
Artist 59
ASIO 237
ASR 176
Associate Sound File Extensions 233
ATSC A 85 Mode (Loudness) 47, 116
Attach Video 100
Audio 70
Audio Bit Depth 43
Audio Bit Rate 43
Audio Buffers 239
Audio Channels 44
Audio Device 238
Audio Device Type 236
Audio Event Locator 112, 234
Audio Extract Optimization 83
Audio Format 43
Audio Length 44
Audio Preferences 236
Audio Sample Rate 43
Auto-Power MIDI Keyboard Window 227
Auto Play 70
Auto Ripple 179
Automatic Crossfades 175
Automatic Recording 128
275 / 305
Index
Automatic Snapping 147

Automatically Detect and Remove DC Offset 203
Automatically detect CD length 236
Automatically Reopen after Save As 227
Autoupdate BWF Origination Time Reference 227
Available Tools 19
Average RMS Level (Loudness) 206
Average Value 98
B
Background Audio 63
Backward Tape 213
Ballistics 234
Basic Editing 156
Beatmapped 59
Bend 217
Big Endian 73
Bit-Depth Converter 202
Bit Depth 42, 70
Black Background 102
Blending Files 63
Bonus Tracks on DAO CDs 85
Break Length 225
Brightness 232
Brown Noise 226
Buffer Size 239
Buffer Underrun Protection 83
Buffering Audio for Playback and Recording 236
Buffers 239
Burn Audio 83
Burn Selection Only 84
Burning CDs 83
276 / 305
Index
C
CALM 47, 116
CD 81, 83
CD Information 59
CD Layout Bar 90
CD Liner Notes 94
CD Preferences 236
CD Settings 236
CD Track Marker 85
CD Track Position 23
CDDB 39
Center 209
Center Cursor 154
Channel 145
Channel Conversion 105
Channel Meters (Alt+6) 45, 114
Channel Routing 104
Channel Selection 142
Channels 42, 70, 201
Chorus 214
Clear 163
Clearing Markers and Regions 185
Clipboard Contents 158
Clipboard, Copying Sound Data 157
Clipboard, Cutting Sound Data 157
Clipboard, Pasting Sound Data From 158
Clipboard, Playing 158
Clipboard, Viewing 158
Close All 36
Close Disc 83
Close Disc button 83
Close Disc when Done Burning 83
277 / 305
Index
Closing a File 73
Color Preference 232
Command Markers 185
Comments 60, 70
Compatible Draw Mode 227
Compatible Scroll Mode 227
Compute DC Offset from First 5 Seconds Only 203
Configure Drive for CD Extraction 81
Confirm on Close 227
context menu entries 77
Copy 21, 185
Copy (Ctrl+C) 157, 172
Copy File Properties 42
Copy Frame 102
Copy Onto Clipboard 185
Copy Partials 162
Copy Saving/Rendering Templates 77
Copy Statistics to Clipboard 97
Copy Track List to Clipboard 94
Copying Markers or Regions 184
Copyright 60
Crash Recovery 98
Create CD Tracks from Events 85
Create CD Tracks from Regions 86
Create Loudness Log 47, 74, 116
Create Markers for Each Index Change 81
Create Regions for Each Track 81
Create Tracks from Full Subcode Scan 81
Creating a New Window 70, 163
Creating a Track List 94
Creating ACID Loops 64
Creating CDs 83
278 / 305
Index
Creating Events 169

Creating New Files 65
Cropping Sound Data 164
Crossfades 175
Crossfading when Pasting Sound Data 158
Cue Sheet for Replication 94
Current Tools 19
Cursor 142, 206
Cursor Position 97, 154
Custom Templates 74
Custom Zoom 166
Customize Toolbar 20, 236
Cut 21, 157, 172
Cut Preview Configuration 234
Cutlist Regions 163
D
DAO Pause Time 91
Data Window Height 231
Data Window Scrolling 110
Data Windows 27, 35, 163
DC Offset 51, 98, 121, 132, 203
Decorations, Displaying 27
Default Background 102
Default Beats per Measure 234
Default Beats per Minute 234
Default CD Pause Time 236
Default Data Window Height 231
Default Frames per Second 234
Default Recording Device 236
Default time between CD tracks 236
Default to Slow Scroll when Drag Selecting 227
Default Video Strip Height 232
279 / 305
Index
Deinterlace Method 240

Delay 214
Delete 163, 172
Delete Command Marker 185
Delete Markers and Regions 185
Delete Region 182
Delete Temporary Files 227
Delete Temporary Files on Close 227
Deleting Markers or Regions 184
Description 74
Deselecting Channels 142
Destination Volume 160
Detach Video 100
Dial String 225
Dial Tones 225
Digital Levels 113
Disable Auto-Snapping Below 1:4 Zoom Ratios 147
Disable VST Effects 240
DISP 60
Display Selection Grid Lines 153
Display Square Pixels 102
Distortion 215
Dither 202
Do Not Pre-Roll Buffers Before Starting Playback 238
Docking and Undocking Windows 38
Docking Toolbars 19
Docking Windows 227
Double Selection 152
Downbeat Offset 57
Drag-and-Drop 249
Drawing Waveform Data 157
280 / 305
Index
Drive 82, 84
Drop Marker 181
Dropping Markers 181
DTMF/MF Tones 225
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency 225
Duplicating Markers or Regions 184
DX Favorites 188
Dynamics 215
E
EBU R 128 Mode (Loudness) 47, 116

Edge Snapping 149
Edit ACID Properties 64
Edit Command Marker 185
Edit Pause Time 91
Edit Tempo 23, 35, 64
Edit Tool 21, 156
Edit Tool Selector 27
Editing Tools 156
Edits, Undoing 167
Effects 188
Eject 81
Eject Disc When Done 84
Elastique Timestretch 213
Emphasis Flag for DAO CDs 55, 92
Enable Snapping (F8) 147
End 145
End Frequency 226
End of File 206
Engineer 59
Enhance 213
Envelope 204, 215
Envelope Tool 156
281 / 305
Index
Envelope Type 196

EQ 204
Equal Loudness Contour 203
Equalization 204
Erase RW Disc Before Burn 83
Event Envelopes 176
Event Tool 169
Event Zoom 164
Events, Creating 169
Events, Splitting 171
Expand Meters 45, 114
Explorer Window (Alt+1) 39
Export Track List 95
Extend Edge to Next Zero (Shift+Z) 149
Extend to Next Zero (Z) 149
External Monitor Device 240
Extracting Audio from Another File 65
Extracting Audio From CD 81
F
Fade 204
Graphic 204
In 204
Out 204
Fast Video Resizing 75
Favorites 188
Favorites Menu 188
Field Recording and Multichannel Audio 106, 138
File 233
Properties 42
Statistics 97
File Association Details 233
File Attributes 43
282 / 305
Index
File Name 43, 71

File Properties 42
File Reader Settings 72
File Size 43
File Type 43, 71
File Types to Associate 233
Files of Type 70
Files That Can be Recovered 99
Filtered Noise 226
First Track Number on Disc 59
Flange 216
Floating Toolbars 19
Floating Windows 39
Format 71
Forward 25
FourCC 60
Frame Animation 101
Frame Numbering 102
Frame Numbering on Thumbnails 240
Frames, Copying to Clipboard 102
G
Gain 214
Gapping 107, 139
Gaussian Dither 202
Generate Loudness Log 47, 116
Generic VST editor 240
Glitches 106, 138, 157
Go To (Ctrl+G) 154
Go to End (Ctrl+End) 24
Go to Next Track 24
Go to Previous Track 24
283 / 305
Index
Go to Start (Ctrl+Home) 24
Graphic Dynamics 215
Graphic EQ 204
Graphic Fade 204, 215
Grid Lines 153
Grid, Snapping 147
H
Half Rectangular 202
Half Rectangular Dither 202
Halve Selection 152
Hardware Outputs 47, 104, 116
Header Bytes 72
Headphone Jack, Recording From 66, 133
Headroom 113
Hidden Tracks on DAO CDs 85
Hide New Temporary Files 228
High-Pass Contour 203
Highpass Triangular Dither 202
Hold Peaks 45, 114
Hold Valleys 45, 114
Horizontal Meters 45, 114
Hue 232
I
IARL 60
IART 60
ICMS 60
ICMT 60
ICOP 60
ICRD 60
ICRP 60
IDIM 60
284 / 305
Index
IDPI 60
IENG 61
If Clipping Occurs 206
Ignore (Saturate) 206
Ignore Fact Chunk when Opening Compressed WAV Files 227
Ignore Tail Data 196
IGNR 61
IKEY 61
ILGT 61
IMED 61
In Full 165
INAM 61
Include Wide SCSI Devices when Searching for Drives 236
Index Marker for DAO CDs 85
Input Format 145, 154
Input Monitoring 51, 132
Insert CD Index 85
Insert CD Track 85
Insert Command (C) 185
Insert New Tone Sequence At 225
Insert Region 182
Insert Silence 206
Insert Tail Data 196
Instant Actions 52
Integral Stretch 102
Integrated Loudness 48, 117
Interface Type 231
Interleave Peak/VU Meters 45, 114
Interpolate Position 238
Interpolation Accuracy 212
Invert Data 161
Invert/Flip 206
285 / 305
Index
IPLT 61
IPRD 61
ISBJ 61
ISFT 61
ISHP 61
ISRC 61
ISRF 61
ITCH 61
ITU Loudness Metering 47, 116
IVC File Reader Settings 70
J
JKL Scrubbing 111
Jog Playback 111
K
K-Metering 119
Keep Media Files Locked 227
L
Last Saved 43
Layout Settings for Meters 45, 114
Length 70, 145
Letterbox 75
Level Format 97
Level Ruler 29
Level Zoom 30
Limit Non-Realtime Previews to 233
Liner Notes 94
Little Endian 73
LOCA 60
Location 43
Lock Audio and CD Tracks 90
Lock Channel Selection 142
286 / 305
Index
Lock Selection Length 196

Log Sweep 226
Loop 58
Loop Creation 64
Loop Playback 24
Loop Preview 233
Loop(s) 70
Loops 42, 153
Loudness 76
Loudness Meters 47, 116
Loudness Normalization 76
M
Magnification 164
Magnify Tool 21, 156
Manual Crossfades 175
Mapping Channels to Hardware Outputs 45, 104, 114
Mark In 146
Mark Out 146
Markers 121, 181
Adding 181
Clearing 185
Moving 181
Replicating 184
Markers, Deleting 184
Markers, Snapping 147
Maximize Width (Ctrl+Enter) 27
Maximum Editing Time 70
Maximum Gain 205
Maximum Sample Position 97
Maximum Sample Value 97
Measures and Beats 21, 33
Media Catalog Number 59
287 / 305
Index
Merge L/R to Stereo 70

Metadata 74
Metadata Commands 185
Metadata Windows 54
Meter Display Options 45, 114
Meter Preferences 234
Meters 45, 47, 114, 116
Method 50, 131
Mid-Side Mix 210
MIDI
Trigger Types 181-182
Minimize All 36
Minimize Channel Height 29, 104
Minimum Sample Position 97
Minimum Sample Value 98
Mix 21, 160, 172
Mix Channels Before Panning 208
Mix Mid-Side 207
Mix Tail Data 196
Mix/Replace 160
Mixing Files 63
Mixing when Pasting Sound Data 158
Modal Processing Dialogs 196
Mode 50, 131
Modeless Processing Dialogs 196
Momentary Loudness 48, 117
Monitor input through Plug-In Chain 50, 131
Monitoring Levels 113
Mono to Stereo 105
Mouse Shortcuts 250
Move Down 20
Move Marker 181
288 / 305
Index
Move Region 182

Move Up 19
Moving a Selection 142
Moving Events 171
MP3 and Clipping 206
Multichannel Audio Files 104
Multichannel Paste 158
Multichannel Recording 106, 138
Multiple takes 121
Mute 206
N
Name Region 182
Name/Title (CD Text) 59
Narrow Width 45, 114
New 21, 163
New Recording 121
New Sample Rate 212
New Window 36
New Window Dialog 70
Noise Gate 216
Noise Generators 226
Noise Shaping 203
Normal Zoom 166
Normal Zoom Ratio 232
Normalize Peak Value to 0 dB 206
Normalizing 206
Number Frames 100
Number of Beats 57
Number of Beats in a Measure 35, 64
O
One-Shot 58
289 / 305
Index
Open 21
Open as CD Track 70
Open as Read-Only 70
Open Default Workspace on Startup 227
Open editor when new loudness log is generated 234
Open Multichannel Audio Files 104
Opening 70
Opening and Editing Multichannel Audio Files 104
Opening Files 39
Oscilloscope 120
Other Preferences 234
Out Full 165
Output Device 45, 104, 114
Overview Bar 27
Overwrite 162
P
Pan 207
Pan/Expand 207
Paragraphic EQ 204
Parameter 186
Passive Update 44-45, 102
Paste 21, 158, 172
Paste Specia 160
Paste Special
Mix 160
Overwrite 162
Paste to New 163
Replicate 162
Paste to New 66, 160, 163
Path References in Rendered Media 80
Pause (Enter) 24
Pause Character 225
290 / 305
Index
Pause Length 225

Pause Time for DAO CDs 91
Pause Time, Default 236
Peak Level 207
Peak Level Scan Time 234
Peak Meter V2 119
Peak Range 46, 115
Pencil Tool 21, 156-157
Phase 206
Phasing 216
Phonographs, Recording From 66, 133
Pillarbox 75
Pink Noise 226
Pitch 217
Placing Markers 181
Play 110
Looped Mode 147
Play (Spacebar) 24
Play All (Shift+Space) 24
Play Backward 213
Play Clipboard 20, 158
Play Looped Adjust Pre-Roll 233
Play Meters 45, 114
Play unselected channels when recording 50, 131
Playback Buffering 236
Playback Device 236
Playback Device Routing 236
Playback Speed 111
Playbar 30
Playlist 42
Playlist Position 44
Playlist Pre-Roll 233
291 / 305
Index
Position 154, 185

Position Bias 238
Position Scroll Bar 27
Positioning the Cursor 154
Post-Roll 110, 198, 234
Pre-Roll 110, 198, 234
Pre-Roll to Cursor (Ctrl+Shift+K) 111
Preferences 227, 231, 233-236, 240
Audio Preferences 236
CD Settings 236
File Preferences 233
Toolbar Preferences 235
VST Effects Preferences 240
Preserve Metadata 74
Preserve Original Duration 218
Preserve Stereo Separation 207
Presets 197
Saving 196
Preview Cut/Cursor (Ctrl+K) 110
Preview Marker 181
Preview Region 182
Previewing a File 110
Previewing Files 39, 70
Print Track List 95
Priority 239
Process 188
292 / 305
Index
Process Mode 211

Processing Events 179, 190
Project 79
Project Files 79
Project Path 80
Project References in Rendered Files 80
Projects 79
Prompt for marker and region names 227
Prompt to Open New File after Save As 227
Properties 42
Protection Flag for DAO CDs 55, 92
Proxy Compressed Formats 227
Pulldown Removal 240
Punch-In 121, 124
Punch-In Events 175
Q
Quantization Depth 202
Quantize to Frames 147
R
Raw Data Files 70, 72, 74
RAW File Reader Settings 70
Raw File Type 74
Reactive Previewing 233
Read by Range 82
Read by Track 82
Read Entire Disc 82
Recent 74
Recent Files 70
Record (Ctrl+R) 24, 121
Record Buffering 236
Record Counter 227
293 / 305
Index
Record Folder 230

Record New 121
Record Remote 121
Recording 121, 128
DC Offset 121
From CDs 121
Markers 121
Punch-In 121
Recording Modes 121
Recording Audio 121
Recording Audio Automatically 128
Recording Device 237
Recording Device Routing 238
Recording Method 50, 131
Recording Mode 50, 131
Recording Multichannel Audio 106, 138
Recording Options 50, 131
Recording Setup 69, 136
Recover Files 98
Rectangular Dither 202
Redo 21, 167
Referenced Projects 80
region 53
Region 53, 77
Regions
Adding 182
Clearing 185
Copying Regions to the Clipboard 185
Create Region 182
Region Positions 183
Replicating 184
Regions List 54
294 / 305
Index
Regions, Deleting 184

Regions, Updating 183
Regions/Markers 42
Remember Last-Used Sample Rate for .VOX and .IVC Files 227
Remember Last-Used Settings for .RAW Files 227
Remote Recording 121
Remove Buttons from Toolbars 19
Remove Video 100
Removing Sound Data 164
Render As 20, 74
Rendering 75
Rendering Templates 78
Repeat (Ctrl+Y) 20, 168
Replace 160
Replicate 162
Replicating Markers or Regions 184
Resample 212
Resample Source Video when Rendering to a Higher Frame Rate 240
Reset Clip 45, 114
Reset Envelope 204, 215
Reset Fade Values 196
Reset Toolbar 19
Resizing 75
Resonant Filter 218
Restore All 36
Restore Channel Height 27, 104
Restore Selection 153
Reverb 218
Reverse 206, 213
Reverse Edit Operations 167
Rewind 25
Rgns/Play/Cmds 70
295 / 305
Index
Ripple Events 179

RMS Level 97
RMS Level Scan Time 234
Root Note for Transposing 58, 64
Rotate Audio 152
Routing Channels to Hardware Outputs 45, 104, 114
Ruler Format 97
S
Sample Rate 42, 70
Sample Type 72
Sample Value 42
Sample Value at Cursor 97
Samples 22, 33
Saturation 232
Save 21, 73, 81, 83
Save All 81
Save As 20, 74
Save as Type 74
Save Metadata with File 74
Save Options 73
Save Project as Path Reference in Rendered Media 80
Saving a File 73
Saving a File as a Different Name or Type 74
Saving Projects 79
Saving Templates 77
Saving Templates' 77
Saw 226
Scan Levels button 206
Scroll Playback (F6) 110
Scroll Smoothly (Shift+F6) 110
Scrub 28, 111
Seconds 22, 33
296 / 305
Index
Seek Cursor on Playback 147

Select All 153, 200
Select Original 200
Select Pause Time 91
Select VST Effects to be Available as Audio Plug-Ins 240
Selecting Channels 142
Selecting Data 142
Selecting Regions 182
Selection 145, 153
Mark In 146
Mark Out 146
Select All 153
Selecting Data 142
Selecting Data Using the Mouse 142
Selection Status Bar 32
Selection (Zooming) 164
Selection End 196
Selection Grid Lines 153
Selection Length in Beats 35, 64
Selection Start 201
Selection, Modifying 151
Semitones 217
Set Grid Divisions 153
Set Selection Dialog 145
Set the Sample Rate Only (Do Not Resample) 212
Set to Default Pause Time 91
SFL 74
Sharing Saving/Rendering Templates 77
Shifting 151, 217
Shifting a Selection Left or Right 142
Shifting the Contents of an Event 177
Short-Term Loudness 47, 116
297 / 305
Index
Shortcuts 242
Drag-and-Drop 249
Keyboard Shortcuts 242
Mouse 250
Show a Textured Background on the Workspace 227
Show All Metadata Windows 54
Show Free Storage Space on Status Bar 227
Show Labels 45, 114
Show Logo Splash Screen on Startup 227
Show Peak Meter 45, 114
Show Shuttle Controls on Data Window Transport 227
Show Status Bar 102
Show the Position of the Playback Cursor 227
Show the Record Counter while Recording 227
Show Toolbar 103
Show ToolTips 235
Show Transport Menu 227
Show Wave 205, 215
Shuttle Controls on Data Window Transport 227
Shuttle Playback 111
Sign Bit Format 72
Signed Format 72
Silence 206
Simple Synthesis 226
Simulate Device Aspect Ratio 102
Sine 226
Single Tone Length 225
Skip Drive Database; Autodetect Drive Capabilities on Startup 236
Slip-Trim Events 177
Slipping Events 177
Smooth 110
Smooth Gain to Minimize Distortion on Steep Slopes 215
298 / 305
Index
Smooth/Enhance 213
SMPTE 42, 70
SMPTE 30 23, 34
SMPTE Drop 22, 34
SMPTE EBU 22, 34
SMPTE Film Sync 21, 33
SMPTE Non-Drop 22, 34
Snapping 142, 147, 149
Snap Edge to Grid (Shift+T) 149
Snap Edge to Zero (Shift+Z) 149
Snap Time 145
Snap to Grid 147
Snap to Markers 148
Snap to Time (Ctrl+T) 149
Snap to Zero (Z) 149
Snap to Zero Crossings 147
Snap Zero 145
Sort Metadata Window 54
Sound Data Size 42
Source 42
Source Volume 160
Spacebar and F12 Play/Pause Instead of Play/Stop 227
Speed 82, 84
Split Region 171
Splitting Events 171
SPTI Direct 236
Square 226
Stacked Meters 45, 114
Standard Toolbar 20
Start 145
Start Frequency 226
Start of File 206
299 / 305
Index
Statistics 97
Status
Choosing a Format 33
Status Bar 25
Status/Selection Toolbar 21
Stereo 207
Stereo Expand 207
Stereo to Mono 106
Stop 24
Stop (Spacebar) 24
Stretch 213
Stretch Video to Fill Output Frame 74
Subcode Scan 82
Summary Information 60
Sweeping a Frequency Range 226
Sync/Trigger Status 44
Synthesis 225-226
T
Tabbed Windows 231
Tabs for Maximized Data Windows 233
Takes 121
Telephone Tones 225
Template 74, 77, 187
Tempo 35
Tempo in Beats per Minute 35, 65
Temporary Files 228
Test Only 83
Test, Then Burn Audio 83
The Edit Tool (Ctrl+D) 156
The Event Tool 169
The Status Bar 25
300 / 305
Index
Threshold Recording 128

Tile Horizontally 36
Tile Vertically 36
Time 22, 33
Time & Frames 33
Time and Frames 21
Time Compress/Expand 213
Time Display 44
Time Display Window 44
Time Ruler 29
Time Signature 57
Time Snapping 149
Time Stretch 213
Time Zoom 32
Timed Recording 130
Title 42
Title (CD Text) 55, 92
Title Bar 27
TLEN 61
Toggle Selection (Backspace) 153
Toolbars 19
Customize 236
Docking and Undocking 19
Preferences 235
Standard 20
Status/Selection 21
Transport 24
Tools 156
Edit 156
Magnify 156
Pencil 157
TORG 62
301 / 305
Index
Total Mix Length 160

Track List Window 55, 92
Track Marker for DAO CDs 85
Tracks to Extract 81
Trailer Bytes 72
Transport 147
Transport and Status Bar 42
Transport Toolbar 24
TRCK 61
Treat as Cutlist 163
Triangle 226
Triangular Dither 202
Trigger Marker 181
Trim/Crop 21, 164
Trimming Events 177
Trimming Sound Data 164
True Peaks 48, 117
TURL 61
Turntables, Recording From 66, 133
TVER 62
U
Undo 21, 167

Undo All 167
Undo Past Save 229
Unity Note 42, 70
Universal Product Code 59
Unsigned Format 72
Update Marker 183
Update Region 183
URL Flip 185
Use Current Scan Level 206
Use Equal Loudness Contour 206
302 / 305
Index
Use Floating Point Temporary Files 227

Use Net Notify to Stay Informed About MAGIX Product Updates 227
Use SPTI Direct for CD Burning 236
Use Strict Red Book Specification for DAO Validation 236
User defined settings 77
Using Processing Dialogs 196
Using Selection Grid Lines 153
V
Vertical Meters 45, 114
Video 70, 100
Video Attributes 44
Video Format 44
Video Interlace 42
Video Length 44
Video Pixel Aspect 44
Video Preview Window 102
Video Stream 100
Video Strip 29, 100
Video Strip Height 232
Video Tab 240
View Channel Meters 45, 114
View Clipboard Contents 158
View Explorer Window 39
View Regions List 54
View Time Display Window 44
View Video Preview Window 102
Vocal Cut 207
Volume 204, 206, 214
Volume, Event 176
VOX File Reader Settings 70
303 / 305
Index
VST 240
VST Effect Preferences 240
VST Search Folder 240
VU 113
VU Meter Integration Time 234
VU Meter Scan Time (Ballistics) 234
W
Wah-Wah 216
Warn when Metadata Cannot be Saved in the File 227
Warn when Paste or Mix Formats Do Not Match 227
Waveform Display 28
Waveform Shape 226
Wet Gain 198
White Background 102
White Noise 226
Whole Copies 163
Wide 209
Window Height 231
Working with Video Files 100
Z
Zero-Crossings 150
Zero Crossings 97
Zero Crossings, Snapping 147
Zoom Custom 164
Zoom Event 164
Zoom In Full 164
Zoom Level 156, 165
Zoom Normal (Ctrl+Down Arrow) 164
Zoom Out Full 164
Zoom Selection (Ctrl+Up Arrow) 164
Zoom Time 156, 165
304 / 305
Index
Zooming 164
305 / 305

Manual Soundforge

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SOUND FORGE

Creating a New Window 70

Toggle protection and emphasis flags 93

Scrub using the keyboard 111

Recording Audio Automatically 128

Enable Snapping 147

Split events 169

Using Markers, Regions and Commands 181

Previewing a processing operation 189

Navigation and Playback Shortcuts 247

SOUND FORGE AUDIO STUDIO 16

What's new in version 16?

MAGIX Sales Department

Particularities for purchases made through Steam™

THE SOUND FORGE AUDIO STUDIO

SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Toolbars

Show or hide toolbars

Dock or float (undock) a toolbar

Docking a floating toolbar

Floating a docked toolbar

The Standard Toolbar

The Status Toolbar

SMPTE 30: click to display the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a

Edit Tempo: click to display the Edit Tempo (⇗35) dialog.

The Transport Toolbar

Play: click to play back the file in current playback mode.

The Status Bar

Edit the sample rate, bit depth, or channels

Change the status display format

■ The full waveform is displayed in the overview bar.

Next Edit Tool button

Minimize channel height

■ Drag to shift the view up or down when zoomed in vertically.

Go to Start: Moves the cursor to the start of the file.

Selection status bar

Time zoom resolution

Close data window

Choosing a Status Format

SMPTE Displays the ruler in hours:minutes:seconds:frames with a frame rate of

Specify the tempo for a file with a known tempo

Calculate the tempo for a file based on a selection

Arranging Data Windows

Saving and Recalling Window Layouts

Save a window layout

1. Arrange the windows and docked windows as desired.

Load a saved layout

Add a layout to the View > Window Layouts submenu

Remove a layout from the View > Window Layouts submenu

Delete a layout from your computer

The SOUND FORGE Audio Studio Windows

■ To dock a window, drag it to a floating dock or to any edge of the SOUND

The Explorer Window

Learn more about the Explorer window

Item Name Description

Use the Favorites folder

Adding a folder to the Favorites folder

Removing a folder from the Favorites folder

Audio bit Displays the bit rate of the audio file.

Choosing Time Display Options