The Effects Menu

The effects functions allow you to modify sound files in a variety of ways.  Most of the functions can be applied to single channels within stereo files as well as areas selected within the file.

DC Offset

Delay/Echo

Distortion

Fade In

Fade Out

Fade Custom

Fade Graphic

Flange

Flip

Insert Silence

Noise Gate

Pan Left to Right

Pan Right to Left

Pan Graphic

PreDelay

Resample Down

Resample Up

Reverse

Smooth

Volume Mute

Volume Normalize

Volume Set

Loop Sample


Loop Sample

Use this command to specify whether Sound Forge should loop the sample selection continuously during play back.

This function does not change any sample data.

Shortcut:

Toolbar:


DC Offset

Use this command to change the base line of a sample section.

Dialog Box Options

Offset Value

Enter the offset value.  The offset can be from -32768 to 32767.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the DC Offset menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous offset value.


Delay/Echo

Use this command to add delay or echo to a sample selection.

Dialog Box Options

Sample Delay

Enter the delay time in the Sample Delay field.

Feedback

Select a feedback percentage from 1 to 200%.  The feedback is a measure of how the echo fades with time.

Multiple Echo

Check this box to have a continuously fading echo rather than a single delay.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Delay... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous delay, feedback, and echo options.


Distortion

Use this command to add distortion to a sample selection.

Dialog Box Options

Threshold Level

Enter the threshold level from 0 to 32767.  Any sample which has a value greater than or equal to the specified level will be set to the value specified in the Output Level.

Output Level

Enter the output level from 0 to 32767.  The Output Level is the level to which distorted samples are set.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Distortion... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous threshold and output levels.


Fade In

Use this command to linearly fade a sample selection from a volume of 0 to a volume of 100%.


Fade Out

Use this command to linearly fade a sample selection from a volume of 100% to a volume of 0.


Fade Custom

The Custom Fade command allows you to create a custom linear fade across the length of a sample selection.

Dialog Box Options

Start

Set the starting fade percentage from 0 to 100%.  This is the volume level from which the fade will begin at the start of the selection.

End

Set the ending fade percentage from 0 to 100%.  This is the volume level at which the fade will be at the end of the selection.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Fade Custom... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous Start and End percentages.


Fade Graphic

The Graphic Fade window allows you to draw a fade envelope which will be applied across the current data selection.

Draw the envelope by pulling the small square boxes (drag points) up or down.  You can create a new drag point by double clicking with the left mouse button on any point of the fade envelope.  To delete a drag point double click on it with the right mouse button.  Once you have finished with the envelope press the OK button to apply the fade.


Flange

Use this command to perform a flange effect.  Flanging gives a "sweeping wind" effect to a sound.  Flanging used on voices can add a mechanical sound to the voices.

Dialog Box Options

Light

Has a lower feedback ratio giving a less pronounced flange effect.

Medium

Has a medium feedback ratio giving a medium flanging effect.

Heavy

Has a high feedback ratio giving a very pronounced flange effect.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Flange... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous flange setting.


Flip

Use this command to invert the sample about the base line.  Although this does not make an audible difference, it can be useful for matching a sample transition when executing certain pastes, mixes, or loops


Insert Silence

Use this command to insert a section of silence data into the sample.

Dialog Box Options

Silence Length

Enter the length of the silence block in seconds.

Insert at

Start of File	Inserts the silence at the beginning of the file.

End of File	Inserts the silence at the end of the file.

Insertion Point	Inserts the silence at the current insertion point.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Insert Silence... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous Silence Length setting.


Noise Gate

Use this command to apply a noise gate to a sample section.

Dialog Box Options

Attack

The attack specifies the amount of time that the signal must be below the threshold before the noise gate begins setting all sample values to silence.

Release

Specifies the amount of time after the signal goes above the threshold before the noise gate turns off.

Threshold Level

Specifies the level at which the noise gate turns on/off.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Noise Gate... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous Noise Gate settings.


Pan Left to Right

Use this command to pan the sound data in a stereo file from the left channel to the right.

Panning the data will mix both channels and then perform a fade across the channels which simulates sound moving from the left to the right.

Panning can only be used on stereo files.


Pan Right to Left

Use this command to pan the sound data in a stereo file from the right channel to the left.

Panning the data will mix both channels and then perform a fade across the channels which simulates sound moving from the right to the left.

Panning can only be used on stereo files.


Pan Graphic

The Graphic Pan window allows you to draw a pan envelope which will be applied across the current data selection.

Draw the pan by pulling the small square boxes (drag points) up or down.  You can create a new drag point by double clicking with the left mouse button on any point of the pan envelope.  To delete a drag point double click on it with the right mouse button.  Once you have finished with the envelope press the OK button to apply the fade.

Panning can only be used on stereo files.


PreDelay

Use this command to add delay or echo to a sample selection.

Pre Delay is similar in function to delay except that the delay or echo occurs prior to the actual sound.  Some very interesting effects can be added with Pre-Delay.

Dialog Box Options

Sample Delay

Enter the delay time in the Sample Delay field.

Feedback

Select a feedback percentage from 1 to 200%.  The feedback is a measure of how the echo fades with time.

Multiple Echo

Check this box to have a continuously fading echo rather than a single delay.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the PreDelay... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous delay, feedback, and echo options.


Resample Down

Use this command to convert a sample to play at 1/2 its current sample rate.

This command is especially useful when you are trying to reduce the size of a sample file.  Downsampling reduces the playback rate by 1/2 and also reduces the sample size by 1/2.  For many samples playing them at 1/2 the sample rate will result in little loss in fidelity.


Resample Up

Use this command to convert a sample to play at twice its current sample rate.

This command is especially useful when you are trying to combine files of different rates.  Upsampling increases the playback rate by a factor of 2, but also increases the sample size by a factor of 2.


Reverse

Use this command to reverse a sample selection.


Smooth

Use this command to smooth a sample selection.  This function will remove some of the high frequency content of the sample selection.  It is equivalent to a very fast low pass filter.


Volume Mute

Use this command to set a sample selection to a volume of 0 (silence).


Volume Normalize

Use this command to maximize the volume of a sample selection without clipping.

When using Normalize on stereo data, if the selection includes both channels, normalization is computed on the loudest sample found in either channel.  If a single channel is selected in a stereo file then Normalization will effect only that channel.


Volume Set

Use this command to change the volume of a sample selection.

Dialog Box Options

Scale by

Select a percentage from 1 to 200%.  A value of 50% will change the volume to 1/2 of it's original.  A percentage of 200% will double the volume.

Shortcut!

Holding down the shift key while selecting the Volume Set... menu item will skip the dialog box and use the previous volume percentage setting.