Contents

Welcome to Sound Gadget Pro!

Sound Gadget is designed to make editing sample files as easy as possible!

Sound Gadget is Shareware. If you like it then please consider registering it with the Author - it doesn't cost much! Help support shareware software!

Introduction

Features supported in Sound Gadget.

Menu Options

Options as they are seen on the menus

Supported File Formats

Details of the file formats currently supported

Registration Information

Remove the nags by registering now!

(c) 1993-96, Nigel R. Magnay

Portions (c) Microsoft Corp.

All Rights Reserved.


Introduction

A long time ago I wrote an application for windows called 'Sound Gadget'. It's was a single-document interface, 8-bit format-only sound editor for windows. Despite it's limitations, it was one of the first graphical sound editors for Windows. Because of the support I recieved at the time from registrations, I decided to update Sound Gadget to it's current form, and hopefully current registered users of Sound Gadget Prowill be happy with the new features.

Sound Gadget is designed for editing and manipulating audio sound samples. It is a multiple-document interface application, allowing a number of sound samples to be open at once. It is designed to support 8 and 16-bit samples, in both Mono and Stereo. It is designed with a unique single-channel selection feature, allowing you to cut, copy, paste and otherwise manipulate each channel of a stereo sample independantly. Simply hold down Control when making a selection. Paste is intelligent, automatically converting the clipboard's sample type to the target format.

Sound Gadget was designed with the Windows95 interface in mind, and supports the new common controls such as tabbed dialogs, spin controls, floating toolbars and a floating sample properties dialog.

The commonest sample file formats are supported (.WAV, .VOC, .AU/.SND, RAW). Other, more obscure file formats will be supported at a later date.

Sound Gadget (of course) both records and plays samples, the latter featuring a moving marker to help you identify the area of sample that you are interested in.

Other manipulations supported include fading in/out, crossfading, reversing, panning, and more. I hope you will find Sound Gadget to be an intuitive and easy to use program, and that you will consider registering it.

Revision History

v1.5.0

Use of more Win95 artefacts (proportional scrollbars, etc).

More minor bugfixes

Compressor/Expander added

Extended file open / file save dialogs

File formats can now have options to control saved format

Record options dialog overhauled

Record status dialog changed, VU meters added

Support for DDE exec commands for better integration into NT4.0 & win95

‘About’ shows memory & diskspace

v1.0.5

Number of minor bugfixes, installation script revised to deinstall properly

v1.0.1

Initial Release, distributed to a number of FTP sites


Menu Options

File

New	Creates a new sample window

Open...

Close	Closes the current sample

Save	Saves the current sample

Save As...

Exit	Exits Sound Gadget Pro

Edit

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

Properties...

Sample

Play

Record...

Amplify...

Compressor/Expander...

Convert...

Envelope...

Peak Search

Reverse

Stereo Panning

Change Sign

Decode uLaw

View

Toolbars	Controls visibility of Toolbars

Status Bar	Controls visibility of the Status Bar

Zoom In	Zoom into the current selection

Zoom Out	Zoom out

Window

New Window

Cascade

Tile

Close All

Arrange Icons

Help

Contents	Loads this help file

About Sgpro...


Opening Files

The file open dialog operates in the same way as the standard windows dialog, with an extra button ‘Preview’, which allows you to listen to the sample before loading it for editing. The bottom of the dialog contains information about the selected sample.

You narrow the list of samples offered for opening by selecting a particular sample format in the ‘Files of Type’ combo box.


Saving Files

The file save dialog operates in the same way as the standard windows dialog, with an extra ‘Options’ button. This button allows you to change any options associated with a particular file format. For example, the .au file format allows you to change the format between Linear and uLaw.


Play

Plays the current selection. The red marker will show the progress through the sample. If you select play again, the sample will stop playing, and the red marker will show where the last played sample was.


Record

Selecting record brings up a dialog for you to select the options that you want.

Quality: The quality list allows you to quickly select the format of your sample from a list. The items on the list can be added to by pressing the presets button, which lets you define new sample qualities.

Seconds: The number of seconds you wish to allocate memory for. Allocate enough time for your sample - you can press Stop at any time in the recording progress dialog and the sample will be resized to the correct size.

Record As New Sample: If this option is checked, then a new window will be opened for the new sample. Otherwise, the currently selected sample will be overwritten.

Pressing ‘Record’ will start the recording process. The status dialog will show the amount of time remaining, and two VU meters show the current recording levels.


Amplify

Amplify increases the overall volume of the selection. Volume adjustments can either be expressed as a percentage of the original volume, or in decibels.

Lock Left & Right links the left and right volume change in a stereo sample.

Normalise is used to set the amplification to the maximum possible without clipping the sample. If you set the normalisation to over 100%, then the sample will get clipped.

DC Bias Adjust is used to offset the sample from the centre. If you check DC Bias adjust, then Sound Gadget will adjust the bias on the sample. A bias of 0 will mean that it will attempt to centre the sample. Positive and negative offsets will move the sample offcentre. This feature is useful for samples that have been recorded that include a DC component in either the input or output.


Compressor/Expander

The Compressor/Expander allows you to alter the distribution of volume levels in the current selection. In effect, it operates as a variable volume control, allowing you to boost low volumes, cut them off altogether, or make other changes.

The x-axis is the input volume, the y-axis represents the output volume. Hence, any point above the line x=y will be louder, anything below it will be quieter. Sound Gadget comes with a number of examples that demonstrate this operation.

You can load and save presets with the combo-box and Load/Save buttons.


Convert

Convert will change the current sample to the destination format. Alter the format manually, or use any of the quality presets, which you can change with the Presets button.

Note that the conversion function operates in the same way as the convert button on the Properties Dialog


Envelope

The sample envelope dialog changes a selection’s volume with respect to time. Manipulate the handles in the top window to create a path for the envelope to follow.

The top of the scale represents maximum volume, and the bottom of the scale represents minimum volume. The standard Sound Gadget Install comes with a few default presets to demonstrate the useage of the Envelope tool.

You can load and save presets with the combo-box and Load/Save buttons.

Amplification and Normalisation behave in the same way as in the Amplify dialog.


Peak Search

Peak search attempts to find the loudest point of a sample within a given selection. It is useful if you are trying to normalise a sample and only low amplifications are being given due to some piece of noise limiting the amount of amplification that can be achieved without clipping.

The loudest point in the selection will be shown with the red position marker.


Reverse

Reverses the current selection.


Stereo Panning

This dialog allows you to pan the sample between the left and right channel (and hence only works on a stereo sample). To use it modify the window at the top by dragging handles on the window, or by selecting a preset.

The top of the scale represents the left speaker, and the bottom of the scale represents the right hand speaker. A line through the middle is the original position of the sample.

Presets are managed in the same way as the Envelope dialog.


Change Sign

Changes the sign of the current selection (exclusive-OR's each sample with 0x80 or 0x8000). Useful when trying to make sense of some raw formats.


Decode uLaw

Decode uLaw encoded samples. Some formats (notably .au) encode samples on a logarithmic, not a linear scale. This function will decode them. You will not need to use this function unless you are trying to make sense of some foreign sample format.


Editing Functions

The Editing functions in Sound Gadget Pro are the same as in other Windows Applications; Cut removes a selection to the clipboard, Paste places the clipboard into the sample; Copy places a copy of the selection onto the clipboard, and delete removes the current selection.

You can make a selection by using the mouse, hold the left-hand mouse button down and dragging over the view. Once this is done, you can alter the selection either through the Properties dialog, or by dragging the markers at the bottom of the screen in the scale window.

Right-clicking inside the scale window will bring up a menu of different zoom levels for the sample.

You can perform operations on just one channel of a stereo sample by holding the Control key down as you make the selection with the mouse. Any editing functions (cut, copy, paste, etc), and manipulation functions (Amplify, reverse) will only happen on one channel. Try reversing just one side of a stereo sample!


Sample Presets

The Sample presets dialog is brought up from a number of different places. It allows you to create presets for commonly used sample parameters, E.G. CD Quality = 16bit, Stereo, 44.1kHz.

Use the name field to change the name of your preset, and Save to add it.

This information is stored in the registry.


Shortcut Keys

Mouse Shortcuts:

Zoom In	...	...	...	Right mousebutton

Select only one channel	...	...	Hold down control whilst selecting

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Cut	...	...	...	...	Ctrl + X

Copy	...	...	...	...	Ctrl + C

Paste	...	...	...	...	Ctrl + V

Delete	...	...	...	...	Del

New Sample	...	...	...	Ctrl + N

Open Sample	...	...	...	Ctrl + O

Save Sample	...	...	...	Ctrl + S

Play	...	...	...	...	Ctrl + P

Zoom In	...	...	...	Ctrl + I

Zoom Out	...	...	...	Ctrl + O


Window Menu

The Window menu operates in the same way as other Windows Applications

New Window	Provides another view of the current sample

Cascade	Cascades all the windows

Tile	Tiles all the windows

Close All	Closes all the windows

Arrange Icons	Arranges minimised windows


Properties

The properties dialog allows the user to set various parameters of the currently selected selection. It is organised into 3 tabs:

The format sheet allows you to set the current metrics for the sample. Any changes made are not permanent, and can be reversed by pressing the Revert button. If you want to change the format of the sample to the new metrics, then press the Convert button, which performs the same function as the Convert dialog. Sample presets also work in the same way.

The view sheet changes the properties of the view of the sample. You can change the scale (number of samples / pixel), the style (how the sample is drawn), and change the position of the cursor or change the parameters of the current selection.

The information sheet sets extra information about the sample that will be saved if the sample is saved in .WAV format. It is useful if you want to keep a record of the source of a particular sample.


Registration Information

To register this product:

Send a Cheque/Cash/Postal Order/International Money Order for £10 (UK Sterling). to:

Nigel Magnay,

'Beavers'

South Street,

Blewbury,

Didcot,

OXON OX11 9PR

ENGLAND

Containing this information: (or simply print this form out) :

Sound Gadget Pro, Version 1.5.0

Registration Name: ___________________________________

E-Mail address: ______________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Due to the high costs of changing small amounts of foreign currency, it is difficult to convert other currencies. I am happy to deal with US Dollars in cash - send $20 in an envelope to the same address.

Note: I cannot cash foreign cheques, even if they are made out in sterling, unless they are drawn on a UK bank. Otherwise they levy a $25 transaction charge, making foreign cheques impractical.

Registration entitles you to a code that unlocks Sound Gadget and removes the nag-dialog boxes completely, and it will work with any future versions of the program. I can send your registration details to you via Internet e-mail if you wish. Please feel free to add any comments, too!

Nigel Magnay, October 1996

Email: nigel@compsoc.man.ac.uk

Web: http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~nigel/SGPro.html


Supported File Formats

.WAV - The standard format of Microsoft Windows. Loads and saves this format.

.AU - Sun's audio file format. Comes in 8 and 16-bit flavours, both linear and uLaw. Sound Gadget automatically converts these to 16-bit; you can of course convert down to 8-bit if your soundcard doesn't support 16-bit sound. You can save in either format; use the ‘Options’ button in the Save dialog box.

.SND - Variation on .au

.VOC - Creative Labs Voice file format. Sound Gadget loads and saves, though it ignores any repeat information contained in the sample.