Copyright: (c) Propellerhead Software 1999
Citation: (c) Propellerhead Software 1999


ReCycle Main Window

To get help on the ReCycle document window, click in the picture below (aim at the section of the window that you want to know more about).


Click this button to stop playback.


Click this button to play back the current loop (the audio between the Left and Right Locator). Playback continues until you click the Stop button.


Click this button to audition the previous Slice (the Slice to the left of the current Slice, indicated by the dotted Slice line), and make this slice the current. Clicking this button repeatedly allows you to step through the slices in reverse order (from right to left) and audition each one.

You can also perform this function by pressing [7] on the numeric keypad.


Click this button to audition the current Slice (the Slice indicated by the dotted Slice line).

You can also do this by pressing [8] on the numeric keypad.


Click this button to audition the current Slice (the Slice indicated by the dotted Slice line), and make the next slice the current. Clicking this button repeatedly allows you to step through the slices from left to right and audition each one.

You can also perform this function by pressing [9] on the numeric keypad.


This slider allows you to set the Stretch value used when transmitting or exporting slices (or when opening them in new windows). The Stretch function adds an extra tail of audio to each slice, making it possible to play back sliced loops at lower tempos without getting silent gaps between the slices. If Stretch is set to 100%, each transmitted slice will be twice its original length.

Since high Stretch values require a lot of extra memory, we recommend that you try to estimate how much you will need to lower the tempo, and set the Stretch value accordingly before transmitting.


Click this button to activate the Transmit As One Sample option (also found on the Sampler menu).

When this option is turned off, the audio gets sliced into individual samples when transmitted, and the MIDI files created will contain one note for each of those slices. This is the preferred mode if you want to use your MIDI sequencer to edit the loop, change its tempo or use the MIDI file as a groove.

When Transmit As One Sample is turned on, the program will transmit the part that stretches from the Left Locator to the Right as one sample. Also, in this mode, the MIDI File will only consist of one event, with the length set using the Bars and Beats settings. This mode is mainly useful if you simply want to use ReCycle to find the right tempo for a loop, when you want to use the New Tempo feature to tune the sample to the right length or when you want to use ReCycle to extract sounds.


Click this button to activate the Normalize option (also found on the Sampler menu). With Normalize turned on, ReCycle will permanently change the gain of each slice before transmitting it to ensure maximum level.


Click this button to activate the Silence Selected option (also found on the Sampler menu). When this option is activated, all slices that have selected markers will be silenced in the final audio.


Click this button to activate the Pitch to New Tempo option (also found on the Sampler menu).

Activate this option when you want to make a loop fit a certain time span by changing its tuning (pitch) in the sampler rather than by slicing it. For it to be useful, you also need to enter a new tempo in the "New Tempo" field in the ReCycle window.


This field is used in conjunction with the Pitch to New Tempo option. Use it to specify the new tempo to which you want to tune the transmitted loop in the sampler.


Click this button to transmit or export the audio between the locators to a sampler or as a file on your hard disk, or to open the audio in new document windows, depending on the selection at the bottom of the Sampler menu. The Transmit Options are taken into account.

For more info, see:

Transmitting to a Sampler

Exporting as a SampleCell file

Exporting as a SoundFont file

Exporting as a Mixman file

Opening in a new window


Click this icon to select the Arrow tool. This is used for selecting Slice markers, by enclosing them in a rectangle.

If you move the Arrow tool into the main waveform area, the pointer is replaced by a speaker symbol. If you click with this within a Slice, the Slice is played back and made current (as indicated by the dotted Slice line).


Click this icon to select the Hide tool. This is used for deactivating Slices by clicking on their markers.

If you move the Hide tool into the main waveform area, the pointer is replaced by a speaker symbol. If you click with this within a Slice, the Slice is played back and made current (as indicated by the dotted Slice line).


Click this icon to select the Lock tool. If you click on a Slice marker with this tool, the Slice is locked, and will remain in place regardless of the Sensitivity setting. Click again on a locked Slice to "unlock" it.

If you move the Lock tool into the main waveform area, the pointer is replaced by a speaker symbol. If you click with this within a Slice, the Slice is played back and made current (as indicated by the dotted Slice line).


Click this icon to select the Pencil tool. This is used for manually adding Slices, by clicking in the waveform display. We recommend that you only use this feature if you are absolutely sure that the Slices cannot be created automatically by the program.


This is the Sensitivity slider. You use this to set the overall amount of slices in the current loop. The higher the Sensitivity, the more Slices you will get.

You can also set the Sensitivity using the computer keyboard: Either type a number (on the "typewriter" part of the keyboard) to set the Sensitivity in coarse steps (typing "1" sets Sensitivity to "11", "2" sets it to "22", etc.), or use the [+] and [-] keys to "nudge" the slider up and down.


This section is used for specifying the length of the loop (necessary for ReCycle to calculate the correct tempo of the loop).

First, select the correct time signature from the "Sign" pop-up menu. This contains the most common time signatures - if none of these fit your purpose, you can still "assemble" a correct loop length by combining "Bars" and "Beats" values. Then you need to specify the length of the loop: Enter the number of bars in the "Bars" field, and use the "Beats" pop-up menu to select the number of extra beats, if necessary. For example, with a 7/4 loop, you would select the 4/4 time signature, set "Bars" to 1 and "Beats" to 3.

Once you have specified the correct loop length this way, the exact tempo of the loop is displayed in the "Tempo" field to the right. This is used when ReCycle creates a MIDI file when transmitting and exporting.


This is the thumbnail overview display, which gives you an overview of the whole audio file.

The rectangle in the thumbnail indicates the area currently shown in the waveform area below. You can scroll the view in the wave display by dragging the rectangle in the thumbnail overview.

If you press [Control] with the pointer in the thumbnail overview, the pointer takes on the shape of a magnifying glass. You can then drag a new rectangle in the thumbnail, thereby quickly selecting a new area for display in the waveform area below.


This is a Slice marker. You can select a Slice by clicking on its marker with the Arrow tool, or select several Slices by enclosing their markers in a rectangle with the Arrow tool.

If you have the Hide tool selected and click on a Slice marker, the Slice is deactivated. Click on it again to re-activate it.

If you have the Lock tool selected and click on a Slice marker, the Slice is locked, and will remain in place even if you change the Sensitivity setting. Click on it again to unlock it.


This is a hidden (deactivated) Slice marker. You can re-activate the Slice by clicking on the marker with the Hide tool.


This is a locked Slice marker. It will stay in place regardless of the Sensitivity setting. You can unlock the Slice by clicking on the marker with the Lock tool.


This is the waveform area. The Slices are indicated by vertical lines, where the dotted line indicates the "Current Slice". You can click on a Slice in the waveform area with any tool except the Pencil tool, to audition a Slice and make it the current.

To quickly zoom in or out in the waveform area, hold down [Control] and click (zoom in) or hold down [Control] and [Alt] and click (zoom out).


This is the ruler, displaying the time in divisions of 1/10 second. The ruler also contains the Left and Right Locator, which indicate the start and end points of the loop.

To move the Left Locator, drag its flag in the ruler, or hold down [Shift] and click where you want the Locator to be placed.

To move the Right Locator, drag its flag in the ruler, or hold down [Control] and click where you want the Locator to be placed.

When you move Locators this way, they snap to the nearest Slice position. This is most often what you want, but if you cannot find a good loop using the Slices, you can move the Locators freely by holding down [Alt] and moving them as described above.


This slider allows you to zoom the waveform area in our out.


Dummy pop-up.


About this help system

This Windows Help system provides reference material for all sections, menu items and dialogs in ReCycle. It is intended as a complement to the operation manual.

To get help on the ReCycle Document window, select Contents from the Help menu, and select one of the topics.

To get help on a dialog or window, press [F1] or click the Help button in the dialog.

To get help on a menu item, pull down the menu and position the mouse pointer over the item. Then press [F1].

To get Help on specific items in dialogs, click on the small '?' symbol in the title bar of the dialog and click on the item you need help on.


Open

This menu item is used to open audio files or saved ReCycle documents. It opens up a regular file dialog where you can locate a file on disk and open it.


Close

This menu item closes the currently active window. If you have made any changes since you saved it last (or not saved the document at all) you will be asked whether you want to save those changes before closing.


Save

This menu item allows you to save the currently active window as a ReCycle document (extension .RCY). The saved file will contain the actual audio data, the calculated Tempo,  the Locators, the Slices (including their status - locked, hidden, etc), the Sensitivity and Length settings and all Transmit options on the Sampler menu. The main advantage of saving ReCycle documents is that you don't need to set up the slices and adjust the settings the next time you want to work with the same file.

If you have not yet saved the document, selecting this is the same as selecting Save As.


Save As

This is used to save a ReCycle document for the first time, or to save an existing document under a new name or at a new location. A regular file dialog allows you to specify a name and location for the file.


Export Sound

This item allows you to save all audio between the Left and Right Locator. The Transmit options on the sampler menu apply, which for example means that if "Transmit as One Sample" is turned off, each slice will be saved as a separate file.

Selecting Export Sound opens an Export dialog, in which you can specify file type (WAV or AIFF), sample rate, name and location for the file(s).


Export Groove MIDI File

This item exports a MIDI file of type 1, containing one Track plus a Tempo Track. The normal use for this feature is to create a separate MIDI file with the timing of the current audio file, by creating a note for each slice between the Locators. The notes in the MIDI file will be laid out chromatically from C1 upwards.

Some considerations:

If the "Transmit as One Sample" option is activated, the MIDI file will only contain one long note. Normally, you would turn this feature off when exporting Groove MIDI files.

If the "Pitch to New Tempo" option is activated, the MIDI file will have the tempo set in the "New Tempo" field in the ReCycle window. Otherwise, it will have the tempo calculated by ReCycle (displayed in the "Tempo" field).

If the "Silence Selected" option is activated, all selected slices will be removed from the resulting MIDI file, resulting in "missing notes" in the file.


Export ReCycle REX File

This item allows you to export the current file as a ReCycle Export (REX) file. The REX file can then be opened in Cubase VST (or other programs capable of reading REX files), and be played back in different tempi, manipulated in various ways, etc, much like when using a sampler.


Recent Documents

This area contains a list of the most recently opened ReCycle documents, allowing you to quickly open a document that you have recently worked with.


Quit

Quits the program. If you have files open, which you have changed after saving them (or which you haven't saved at all), you will be asked whether you want to save the files before quitting.


Magnify To Fit

Selecting this item changes the magnification so that the whole audio file is visible in the current window.


Magnify To Fit Loop

Selecting this item changes the magnification so that the loop (the area between the locators) fills the current window.


Select All

Selects all Slices in the current window.


Invert Selection

Inverts the current selection of the Slices, so that all Slices that were previously selected, are de-selected, and vice versa.


Preferences

Opens the Preferences dialog. Use the Help function in the actual dialog for details.


Sampler Settings

Opens the Sampler Settings dialog, in which you set up and edit the list of connected samplers. Use the Help function in the actual dialog for details.


Transmit/Export/Open Slices

The title of this menu item depends on what is selected at the bottom of the Sampler menu:

If an actual sampler is selected, this item is called "Transmit to...", and is used to transfer the audio between the Locators to the selected sampler, with or without an accompanying MIDI file.

If a "file-based sampler" is selected (SampleCell, SoundFonts or MixMan), this item is called "Export as..." and is used to export the audio between the Locators as a file of the selected format, with or without an accompanying MIDI file.

If the "New Window" option is selected, this item is called "Open Slices in New Windows", and simply opens the slices between the Locators in separate windows.

When you transmit/export/open slices with this item, the Transmit options on the Sampler menu are taken into account. In the Transmit/Export dialog that opens, there may also be other settings, depending on the sampler type.


Receive

This item is only available if you have selected a sampler at the bottom of the Sampler menu. It opens a dialog which allows you to select a sample in the sampler and receive it into a new ReCycle window.


Pitch To New Tempo

Activate this option when you want to make a loop fit a certain time span by changing its tuning (pitch) rather than by slicing it. For it to be useful, you also need to enter a new tempo in the "New Tempo" field in the ReCycle window.

An example: You have set up a loop for which ReCycle calculates the tempo to be 100 BPM (beats per minute). Your Song is in 110 beats per minute. So you type in 110 as your New Tempo, turn on "Pitch to New Tempo" and transmit the sample back to the sampler. Now, ReCycle will reach into your sampler and raise the tuning setting for this particular sample by 0.65 semitones, so that when you press a key, the loop will fit 110 BPM exactly.


Transmit as One Sample

When Transmit As One Sample is turned off, the audio gets sliced into individual samples when transmitted, and the MIDI files created will contain one note for each of those slices. This is the preferred mode if you want to use your MIDI sequencer to edit the loop, change its tempo or use the MIDI file as a groove.

When Transmit As One Sample is turned on, the program will transmit the part that stretches from the Left Locator to the Right as one sample. Also, in this mode, the MIDI File will only consist of one event, with the length set using the Bars and Beats settings. This mode is mainly useful if you simply want to use ReCycle to find the right tempo for a loop, when you want to use the New Tempo feature to tune the sample to the right length or when you want to use ReCycle to extract sounds.


Normalize

With Normalize turned on, ReCycle will permanently change the gain of each slice before transmitting it to ensure maximum level. This is to ensure the noise level is kept as low as possible during playback.

However, if you transmit a loop as a number of slices, normalizing will disrupt the dynamics of the drum loop, since the gain of each slice is changed separately. Therefore, normalizing is probably best used when you have Transmit As One Sample turned on (in this case the entire loop is treated as one long sample when being normalized) or when you use the program to extract individual sounds.


Silence Selected

When this flag is turned on, all slices that have selected markers will be silenced in the final audio.

This feature is probably best used when Transmit As One Sample is turned on, to silence individual sounds in a longer sample. But it can also be used with Transmit As One Sample turned off. In this case, the selected slices will simply be skipped, both when transmitting to the sampler and when creating MIDI Files. This will then create "gaps" in the sampler's keyboard map and  corresponding "gaps" in the MIDI File.


New Window

When this option is selected, the top item on the Sampler menu will be titled "Open Slices in New Windows". It allows you to open the slice(s) between the Locators in new separate windows, taking the Transmit options into account.


SampleCell

When this option is selected, the top item on the Sampler menu will be titled "Export as SampleCell". It then allows you to export the audio between the Locators as a SampleCell Instrument file.


SoundFonts

When this option is selected, the top item on the Sampler menu will be titled "Export as SoundFont File". It then allows you to export the audio between the Locators as a SoundFont bank file.


MixMan TRK File

When this option is selected, the top item on the Sampler menu will be titled "Export as MixMan TRK File". It then allows you to export the audio between the Locators as a MixMan .TRK file, for use in a MixMan program or other compatible software.


Sampler selection

This area contains the samplers on the Sampler List. You set up and edit this list in the Sampler Settings dialog on the Edit menu. If you select one of the samplers on this list, the top item on the Sampler menu will be titled "Transmit to My Sampler" (where "My Sampler" is the name of the selected sampler). It then allows you to transmit the audio between the Locators to the sampler.


Cascade

This adjusts the positions of the document windows, in an overlapping pattern.


Tile horizontally

This adjusts the positions and sizes of the document windows, so that all windows are laid out one above the other, without overlaps.


Tile vertically

This adjusts the positions and sizes of the document windows, so that all windows are laid out next to each other, without overlaps.


Close All

Closes all open document windows. If any of the windows contains unsaved changes (or hasn't been saved at all) you will be asked whether you want to save it before closing it.


Resize Application Window to Documents

This changes the size of the application window so that it exactly fits the document windows.


Document windows

Lists the currently open document windows.


Contents

This menu item opens up the Topic window for the Windows on-line help system.


Go to the Propellerhead Homepage

This menu item will connect you to the Internet using your preferred browser. The browser will then take you to the entrance of the Propellerhead Web site.


Go to the Steinberg Homepage

This menu item will connect you to the Internet using your preferred browser. The browser will then take you to Steinberg Soft- & Hardware's Web site.


Download Drum Loops

This menu item will connect you to the Internet using your preferred browser. The browser will then take you to the Drum Loop page on the Propellerhead Web site, from where you can download free drumloops.


ReCycle Tech Info and Support

This menu item will connect you to the Internet using your preferred browser. The browser will then take you to the ReCycle Support page on Steinberg Soft- & Hardware's Web site.


System Information

Opens a dialog with information about your system. Use the Help feature in the actual dialog for details.


About ReCycle

This will open a dialog that tells you what version of ReCycle you are using and something about the people who created the program.


Open Sound File

This dialog is used to open audio files or saved ReCycle documents. For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the dialog.


If this option is selected when you open a stereo audio file, the left side of the file will be opened in ReCycle.


If this option is selected when you open a stereo audio file, the right side of the file will be opened in ReCycle.


If this option is selected when you open a stereo audio file, a mono mix of the two stereo sides will be opened in ReCycle.


Click this button to audition the selected audio file.


Click this button to stop playback (audition) of the selected audio file.


When this option is activated, audio files are automatically auditioned when you select them in the file list.


Export Sound

This dialog is used to export the audio between the Locators in the currently active ReCycle window to disk, taking the Transmit options on the Sampler menu into account.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample rate for the exported audio files.


Preferences

This dialog is used for making various default settings for the program.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this to select one of the card drivers in your system. The text after "Driver Type", below, displays the type of driver you have selected, MME (Multimedia Extensions) or DirectX.

Selecting the correct driver is very important! See the topic Selecting an Audio Card Driver.


This slider is used to set size of the buffers associated with audio playback. With small buffers (the slider dragged to the left), ReCycle will respond quicker to playback commands. On the other hand, smaller buffers require a faster audio card driver and computer to ensure smooth playback.

Setting this correctly is very important! See the topic Setting the audio card buffer.

The Play ahead figure to the right indicates the size of the audio playback buffer, as adjusted with the slider.

The Underruns figure shows the number of instances that the playback buffers have been too small with the current setting. If the Underruns figure is increasing, you need to raise the size of the buffer, by dragging the slider to the right.


When this option is activated, the Open Sound File dialog appears automatically when you launch ReCycle.


When this option is activated, ReCycle automatically moves the Left Locator to the first Slice point when you open an audio file. If the option isn't activated, you will be asked whether you want ReCycle to do this.


When this option is activated, the ReCycle window will scroll during playback, so that the currently played Slice is always visible. You can toggle this option on and off by pressing F on the computer keyboard.


When this option is activated, the "Bars" figure is automatically set to 1 when you open an audio file. Activate this if you know you are going to work with a lot of one-bar loops.


Allows you to select a look for the waveforms displayed in the ReCycle windows, Plain, 3D or Shaded.


Click this button to select a color for the waveforms displayed in the ReCycle windows.


Allows you to set the contrast between the background and foreground in the waveform displays.


Click this to close the dialog and keep the settings.


Click this to close the dialog, discarding any changes you have made.


Sampler Settings

This dialog is used to set up the Sampler List, i.e. the list of samplers that should be available for transmitting and receiving samples.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


This pop-up contains the samplers currently available on the Sampler List. Select a sampler from this pop-up menu to view and change its settings.


Click this button to rename the sampler currently selected on the Sampler pop-up menu. The names you use will be shown on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.


This is the MIDI In port to which the selected sampler is connected. While this usually is detected automatically using the "Find" or "Find All" functions, you can also change this manually with this pop-up menu.


This is the MIDI Out port to which the selected sampler is connected. While this usually is detected automatically using the "Find" or "Find All" functions, you can also change this manually with this pop-up menu.


This is the System Exclusive ID used by the selected sampler. While this usually is detected automatically using the "Find" or "Find All" functions, you can also change this manually using this pop-up menu.

See the online Sampler Supplement document for information about how to check the SysEx ID setting in your particular sampler model.


This is the SCSI bus to which the selected sampler is connected. While this usually is detected automatically using the "Find" or "Find All" functions, you can also change this manually using this pop-up menu.


This is the SCSI ID number used by the selected sampler. This is usually detected automatically using the "Find" or "Find All" functions. To change the setting manually, pull down this pop-up and select the ID labeled with the name of your sampler (if you cannot find your sampler on this list, you need to check your SCSI settings and connections - see the printed manual!).

For information about how to set the SCSI ID in your particular sampler, see the online Sample Supplement documentation.


Click this button to verify the connection between ReCycle and the selected sampler. The connection status is indicated by the icon to the left of the button (a green tick mark means the connection is OK, while a red cross means the connection status is unknown or broken).


Click this button to open the Add Sampler dialog, where you can manually add samplers to the Sampler List.


Click this button to have ReCycle scan the MIDI and SCSI connections for connected samplers, and automatically add them to the Sampler List.


Click this button to delete the selected sampler from the Sampler List.


Click this button to close the dialog.


System Information

This dialog contains information about your computer system and available drivers.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to view the available sound card drivers. If you select a driver on the pop-up menu, its type and version will be displayed below.
Please note that selecting a driver here doesn't change any actual setting - the pop-up menu is only there to give you an overview of the available options.


Use this pop-up menu to view the available MIDI ports. If you select a port on the pop-up menu, its driver version will be displayed below.

Please note that selecting a port here doesn't change any actual setting - the pop-up menu is only there to give you an overview of the available options.


Use this pop-up menu to view the available SCSI buses.

Please note that selecting a bus here doesn't change any actual setting - the pop-up menu is only there to give you an overview of the available options.


Clicking this button copies all information in the dialog to the Windows Clipboard. You can then paste this into a text file or a mail, e.g. when contacting technical support.


Click this button to close the dialog.


Add Sampler

This dialog is used for adding samplers manually to the Sampler List.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


This pop-up menu contains all supported sampler models. When you want to add a sampler to the Sampler List, you start by pulling down this pop-up menu and selecting the option corresponding to your sampler and connection.


Click this button to add the selected sampler model to the Sampler List, without checking the MIDI/SCSI connections for it first. The sampler model is added to the Sampler List with MIDI/SCSI settings set to default values. You can adjust these settings manually in the Sampler Settings dialog if needed.


Click this button to have ReCycle scan the MIDI/SCSI connections for a sampler of the selected model. If a sampler of the selected model (using the selected connection, MIDI and/or SCSI) is found, it is added to the Sampler List with the correct settings.

Please note that ReCycle will only find one sampler of each model - if you have more than one sampler of the same model connected, you need to add these by clicking "OK" instead, and adjust the MIDI/SCSI settings manually in the Sampler Settings dialog.


Click this button to close the dialog without adding any samplers.


Rename Sampler

This dialog allows you to rename a sampler in the Sampler List. The name you specify will appear on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Type in a new name for the selected sampler here.


Click this button to close the dialog and apply the new name.


Click this button to close the dialog without changing the name.


Found Sampler

This dialog appears because ReCycle has found a sampler connected to your computer. Use the buttons to specify whether this sampler should be added to the Sampler List or not.


Click this button if you don't want to add this sampler to the Sampler List.


Click this button to add this sampler to the Sampler List, and make it available for transmitting and receiving in ReCycle.


Loop Length

This dialog appears because the length of the current loop is set to 0 Bars and 0 Beats, which makes it impossible for ReCycle to calculate a proper tempo. Specify the length of the loop in the Bars field and click OK to continue.


Specify the length of the loop (the audio between the Locators) here. If the loop is not an exact number of bars, you need to click Cancel and specify the length using the Bars and Beats fields in the main ReCycle window, before Transmitting/Exporting again.


Click this button to continue Transmitting/Exporting, using the loop length you have specified in the Bars field to the left.


Click this button to abort the Transmit/Export process.


Enter Serial Number

This is where you register the program on your computer by entering your name and serial number (included in the ReCycle package). This dialog will only appear the first time you run ReCycle.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Enter your name here.


Enter your company, organization, etc, here.


Enter your serial number (included in the ReCycle package) here.


Click this button to continue launching ReCycle.


Click this button to close ReCycle. The dialog will appear again next time you launch the program.


Select Sample

This dialog allows you to open one of the four demonstration samples included with the demo version of ReCycle.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


To open demo sample 1, select this option and click OK.


To open demo sample 2, select this option and click OK.


To open demo sample 3, select this option and click OK.


To open demo sample 4, select this option and click OK.


Click this button to open the selected demonstration sample.


Click this button to close the dialog without opening any sample.


Transmit to K2000 / K2500

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected Kurzweil K2000/K2500. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name for the program to be created in the K2000/K2500.


Use this field to specify a program number for the new program to be created in the K2000/K2500.


When this checkbox is activated, ReCycle will base all settings on a Template program in the K2000/K2500. Use the field to the right to specify the number of the Template program in the sampler.


This is where you specify the number of the program in the sampler, that should be used as a Template.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from K2000 / K2500

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from a connected K2000/K2500 sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select a Bank in the K2000/K2500, from which you want to receive a sample.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample to receive from the currently selected K2000/K2500 Bank.


Click this button to receive the specified sample from the specified K2000/K2500 Bank.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Export SampleCell Instrument

This dialog allows you to export the audio between the locators as a SampleCell Instrument. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


When this checkbox is activated, ReCycle will base all settings on a Template SampleCell file. If no Template file is selected yet, a file dialog is automatically opened when you activate the checkbox, allowing you to select a Template file on your hard disk. To select another Template file, click the Browse button.


This button is only available when the "Use Template" checkbox is activated. Clicking this button allows you to select a SampleCell file on disk to use as Template for the file to be exported.


Click this button to export the loop as a SampleCell Instrument and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to export the loop as a SampleCell Instrument without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without exporting.


Export SoundFont File

This dialog allows you to export the audio between the locators as a SoundFont Bank file. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name for the SoundFont Bank. This is not the name of the actual file, but rather the name you will use to select the Bank in SoundFont editing software, and SoundFont compatible sequencers.


Click this button to export the loop as a SoundFont Bank file and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to export the loop as a SoundFont Bank file without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without exporting.


Export MixMan TRK File

This dialog allows you to export the audio between the locators as a MixMan .TRK file. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name to be used internally in the MixMan TRK file. This is usually the same as the filename.


Click this button to export the loop as a MixMan TRK file, for use in the MixMan program or other compatible software.


Click this button to close the dialog without exporting.


Transmit to AKAI

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected Akai sampler. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name for the program to be created in the Akai sampler.


Use this pop-up to select a sample rate for the transmitted audio.


Use this pop-up menu to select a Template program in the Akai sampler. The settings in the new program will then be based on the corresponding settings in the Template program, where applicable. If you haven't created any Template programs, use the "Default" option.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from AKAI

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from a connected Akai sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample in the Akai sampler.


Click this button to receive the specified sample into ReCycle.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Transmit to Roland S760

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected Roland S760 sampler. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name for the Patch to be created in the Roland S760.


Use this pop-up menu to specify a sample rate for the transmitted audio.


Use this pop-up menu to select a Template Patch in the S760. The settings in the new Patch will then be based on the corresponding settings in the Template Patch, where applicable. If you haven't created any Template Patches, use the "Default" option.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from S760

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from a connected Roland S760 sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample in the Roland S760.


Click this button to receive the specified sample into ReCycle.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Transmit to Ensoniq

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected Ensoniq sampler. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a name for the Instrument to be created in the Ensoniq sampler.


Use this pop-up menu to select an Instrument slot to which the loop should be transmitted.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample rate for the transmitted audio.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from Ensoniq

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from a connected Ensoniq sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select an Instrument from which to receive a sample.


Use this pop-up menu to select a Wave sample to receive from the specified Instrument.


Click this button to receive the specified Wave sample into ReCycle.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Transmit to E-Mu

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected E-mu sampler. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify a basic name for the samples to be created in the E-mu sampler. The samples will all get this name, combined with an index figure (001 to 999) to separate the slices.


When you transmit to an E-mu sampler, the slices will be written into the Preset that is currently selected on the sampler, starting at the sample number you enter in this field.

To avoid overwriting data in the sampler, you should enter a sample number that is the lowest in a range of unused numbers in the sampler. Also, this range should be large enough to encompass all slices in the current loop. For example, if you plan to transmit 15 slices, and enter the number 10, sample numbers 10 to 24 will be overwritten in the sample, so make sure they are unused!


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample rate for the transmitted audio.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from E-Mu

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from the currently selected Preset in a connected E-mu sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify the number of the sample you want to receive.


Click this button to receive the specified sample into ReCycle.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Transmit to Yamaha A3000

This dialog allows you to transmit the audio between the locators to a connected Yamaha A3000 sampler. Note that the result of this operation depends on the Transmit Options on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this field to specify the name of the Sample Bank to be created in the A3000.


Use this pop-up menu to specify a sample rate for the transmitted audio.


Use this pop-up menu to select a Template Sample Bank in the A3000. The settings in the new Bank will then be based on the corresponding settings in the Template Bank, where applicable. If you haven't created any Template Banks, use the "Default" option.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler and generate a MIDI file for playing back the loop.


Click this button to transmit the loop to the sampler without generating a MIDI file.


Click this button to close the dialog without transmitting.


Receive from Yamaha A3000

This dialog allows you to receive a sample from a connected Yamaha A3000 sampler, and have it appear in a new ReCycle window.

For more information about each item in the dialog, use the context sensitive help (the question mark symbol) in the actual dialog.


Use this pop-up menu to select a sample to receive from the A3000.


Click this button to receive the specified sample into ReCycle.


Click this button to close the dialog without receiving any sample.


Selecting an Audio Card Driver

To be able to play back audio in ReCycle, you must select an appropriate driver and adjust the buffer setting. Follow the instructions below, this procedure is very important!

If you are unsure about the terminology and concepts used in the following topics, look up the chapter "Audio on Computers" in the ReCycle manual.

First, you must determine if you have DirectX installed on your system, or not:

1.	Open the Preferences dialog (if it isn't already open) and locate the sound card settings.

2.	Pull down the Audio Card Driver pop-up and select the last item.

3.	Check the text below the box, does it say "Driver type: Direct X"?

If is does, click "Is your DirectX driver emulated or not?", below.

If it doesn't, click "Selecting an MME Driver", below.

Is your DirectX driver emulated or not?

Selecting an MME Driver


Is your DirectX driver emulated or not?

If (and only if) you have DirectX installed you need to find out if the audio card driver is emulated or not. You should not use an emulated DirectX driver. To find out which type of driver you have, proceed as follows:

1.	Pull down the Audio Driver pop-up and select the drivers that correspond to the card you want to use, one by one.

2.	For each one, check the text after "Driver type:" below the pop-up.

If one says Direct X only (and the word emulated is not mentioned), use this driver. Then click "Setting the audio card buffer", below.

If all say emulated, you should not use any DirectX driver. Instead click "Selecting an MME Driver", below.

Selecting an MME Driver

Setting the audio card buffer


Selecting an MME Driver

To select the appropriate MME (Multimedia Extensions) driver, proceed as follows:

1.	Pull down the Audio Driver pop-up and select the first item on the menu that corresponds to the name of the card you want to use.

You should avoid choosing generic driver names.

2.	Check the text below the box, it should say "Driver type: MME". If it doesn't, select another driver.

3.	Proceed to the heading "Setting the audio card buffer", below.

Setting the audio card buffer


Setting the audio card buffer

It is very important that you trim the buffer setting properly. The buffer setting is a balance between fast response to changes on one hand and "safe" audio playback on the other.

1.	Open one of the demonstration songs.

2.	Activate Playback.

3.	Open the Preferences dialog, from the Edit menu.

4.	In the Preferences dialog, locate the slider in the Audio Card Driver section, and drag it all the way to the right.

5.	Now drag the slider to the left, a bit at a time. Try positions further and further to the left, until the sound starts "breaking up" and the Underruns indicator starts incrementing.

6.	Drag the slider a little bit to the right, so that the sound is OK again.

If you use DirectX under Windows 95/98, you will normally be able to trim the buffer sizes down to between 40 and 90 milliseconds.

If you use MME under Windows 95/98, the same figure will normally be around 160 milliseconds.

7.	Close the dialog by clicking OK.

You are now finished with your audio settings for ReCycle. The settings you just made are automatically stored in your computer!


About the Sampler List

The Sampler List is the list of external samplers that are available for transmitting and receiving audio. As described in the following topics, you can add samplers to the list manually or automatically, and edit the settings of samplers on the list in various ways. If you are not using any external sampler, you don't need to care about the Sampler List.

That a sampler is on the list doesn’t mean it’s set up correctly or even connected to the computer! ReCycle doesn’t automatically remove samplers from the list if they are not connected. This lets you temporarily disconnect your sampler between sessions, without having to set it up in ReCycle again.


Viewing the Sampler List

The Sampler List is shown at the bottom of the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window (below the "MixMan TRK file" item). However, to view and edit the list in detail, you need to open the Sampler Settings dialog on the Edit menu.

To view the Sampler List in the Sampler Settings dialog, pull down the "Sampler" pop-up menu. If this is greyed out, there are no samplers currently added to the Sampler List.


Adding samplers automatically

ReCycle can scan the SCSI and MIDI connections and automatically add properly connected samplers to the Sampler List:

1. Open the Sampler Settings dialog.

You should have turned on and booted all connected samplers before you turn on the computer and launch ReCycle.

2. Click the "Find All..." button at the bottom of the dialog.

ReCycle scans for samplers.

3. When a properly connected sampler is found (that isn’t already on the Sampler List), you will be asked if you want to add it to the list.

Click "Yes" to add the sampler to the list.

4. If a sampler is found, that is already included on the Sampler List, ReCycle will tell you this.

Click "Skip" to continue the search.

ReCycle will only find one sampler of the same model - if you have more than one sampler of the same model connected, you need to add these manually.

If a sampler is found, that isn’t properly connected, ReCycle will inform you of this and tell you what you need to do. For example, you may have a Yamaha A3000 sampler connected via SCSI only. The program will find it, but since this sampler requires a MIDI connection, it will not be added to the Sampler List. Instead you will be asked to check your MIDI connection and MIDI interface.

Once the Find All process is complete, all properly connected samplers have been added to the Sampler List (provided that you clicked "Yes" for each one of them in step 3 above). You can check this by pulling down the Sampler pop-up menu at the top of the dialog.

When you have added samplers to the list, you should select each one on the Sampler pop-up menu and check the information displayed to the right in the Sampler Settings dialog (below the icon of the selected sampler's front panel).You will find the following information:

Required OS.

This is the operating system required for the sampler to work with ReCycle.

Found OS.

This is the operating system currently used by the sampler. If this is an older OS version than the "Required OS", you need to upgrade the sampler.

Notes.

Under this heading you may find additional important information. There may for example be certain settings you need to make in the sampler before using it with ReCycle. Make sure that you follow the instructions under this heading carefully!


Adding samplers manually

You can manually add a sampler to the Sampler List at any time, regardless of whether the sampler is connected or not. This is useful if you want to set up your system before you connect your samplers, or if you have more than one sampler of the same model connected (since ReCycle only finds one sampler of each model automatically):

1. Click the "Add..." button at the bottom of the Sampler Settings dialog.

The Add Sampler dialog appears.

2. Use the Model pop-up menu to select the sampler model you want to add.

Note that each actual sampler model may have more than one entry on the pop-up menu, if there are different ways to connect the sampler (e.g. via MIDI or via SCSI).

3. If you know that the sampler is connected and booted, click the "Find..." button.

ReCycle scans the MIDI and/or SCSI connections for a sampler of the selected model. If it finds one, you are asked whether you want to add it to the Sampler List. If you click "Yes", the sampler is added to the list with the correct SCSI ID and/or MIDI SysEx ID settings.

Please note that ReCycle will only find one sampler of the same model - if you have more than one sampler of the same model connected, you need to add these by clicking "OK" instead, and adjust the MIDI/SCSI settings manually in the Sampler List.

4. To add a sampler without "finding" it, click OK.

A sampler of the specified model is added to the Sampler List, with default values for SCSI and/or MIDI settings. You will probably have to change the SCSI and/or MIDI settings manually later.

When you have added a sampler to the list, you should select it on the Sampler pop-up menu and check the information displayed to the right in the Sampler Settings dialog (below the icon of the selected sampler's front panel).You will find the following information:

Required OS.

This is the operating system required for the sampler to work with ReCycle.

Found OS.

This is the operating system currently used by the sampler. If this is an older OS version than the "Required OS", you need to upgrade the sampler.

Notes.

Under this heading you may find additional important information. There may for example be certain settings you need to make in the sampler before using it with ReCycle. Make sure that you follow the instructions under this heading carefully!


Editing the Sampler List

In the area to the left in the Sampler Settings dialog, you can adjust the settings of the sampler that is currently selected on the Sampler pop-up menu. There are three sections:

Name.

This shows the name of the sampler as it will appear on the Sampler menu in the main ReCycle window. If you wish to rename it, click the "Rename..." button and enter a new name.

MIDI settings.

If the selected sampler uses a MIDI connection, you will find settings for MIDI In/Out ports and SysEx ID. To change these settings, use the respective pop-up menu.

SCSI settings.

If the selected sampler uses a SCSI connection, you will find settings for SCSI Bus and SCSI ID. To change these settings, use the respective pop-up menu.

If you change the MIDI or SCSI settings manually this way, you should always use the Verify function to check that the sampler is on-line.

Deleting a sampler from the list

If you wish to remove a sampler from the Sampler List, select it from the Sampler pop-up menu and click the "Delete..." button. When you are asked to confirm, click "Yes", to remove the sampler from the Sampler List.


Verifying the connection

If you have changed the settings for a sampler, or added a sampler manually without having ReCycle find it for you, you should make sure that the settings and the connections are OK. This is done by selecting the sampler on the Sampler pop-up menu in the Sampler Settings dialog and clicking the "Verify" button. ReCycle will then check the connection and see if the sampler can be found.

The icon to the left of the "Verify" button indicates whether the sampler is found (green tick mark) or not (red cross).


Using Open

To open an audio file in ReCycle, proceed as follows:

1. Select "Open" from the File menu. This brings up the Open dialog.

2. Use the "Files of type" pop-up menu to specify which file type you want to open. ReCycle can open audio files (WAV or AIFF files) or ReCycle documents  (audio files already ReCycled and saved, with the extension ".RCY"). To search for all readable file types, select the "All files" option.

3. Use the standard file and folder selectors to locate the file you want to open. If you select a file in the file selection box, various information will be displayed in the File Information box in the lower left corner.

4. If you like, you can audition a file before opening it, by selecting it and clicking the "Play" button. The file will play back until its end, or until you click the "Stop" button. You can also activate the "Auto Play" checkbox, to have files automatically auditioned when you select them.

5. If the file you have selected is a stereo file, you need to use the "Multiple Channels" radio buttons to specify which side of the stereo file to open in ReCycle (the Left channel, the Right Channel or a mix of both).

6. When you have found and selected the file you want, click "Open".


Using Drag and Drop

ReCycle supports standard Drag and Drop. Proceed as follows:

In the Explorer, locate a WAV, AIFF or ReCycle file, drag it and drop it on the ReCycle program icon. If the program is already running, the file appears in a new window. If it isn’t, ReCycle launches and the file opens.

If it’s a stereo file, a dialog will appear, asking you which channel to use. The options are the same as in the Open dialog.


Receiving audio from a sampler

If you have an external sampler connected to the computer, ReCycle can receive the audio directly from it.

1. Make sure the sampler is selected at the bottom of the ReCycle Sampler menu. If the sampler cannot be found at the bottom of the Sampler menu, you need to go into the Sampler Settings dialog and add the sampler to the Sampler List.

2. Select "Receive..." from the Sampler menu. A dialog appears. Its exact appearance depends on which sampler you have.

3. Use the pop-up menu in the dialog to select a sample in the sampler.

4. Click "Receive" to transfer the sample into the computer and open it in a new window.


Playing the entire loop

To play back the entire loop (the audio between the Left and Right Locator), click the Play button.

The loop will play back continuously until you click the Stop button.

You can also control playback from the computer keyboard by pressing [Enter] on the numeric keypad to Play, [0] on the numeric keypad to Stop, or [Space] to toggle between Play and Stop.


Auditioning Slices

There are three methods you can use to audition slices:

Using the mouse

1. Make sure you have the Arrow, Hide or Lock tool selected.

2. Move the mouse over the waveform area. The pointer turns into a speaker icon.

3. Click with the speaker tool on a slice (a section of waveform between two slice markers) to audition it. The "hot-spot" (the part of the pointer that you aim with) is indicated by a cross. Click again to stop (even if you don’t, playback automatically stops at the end of the slice).

Using the Slice Audition buttons

The three slice audition buttons are located to the right beside the Play and Stop buttons. They have the following respective functionality: "Play previous slice" (and make it the current), "Play current slice" and "Play slice and move to next" (making the next slice the current). The current slice is indicated in the ReCycle window by a dotted vertical slice marker.

Using the numeric keypad

The keys [7], [8] and [9] on the numeric keypad have the same functionality as the corresponding three slice audition buttons. Pressing [7] plays the previous slice, pressing [8] plays the current slice and pressing [9] plays the current slice and moves to the next.


Setting the Loop

The Loop is the audio between the Left and Right Locator (the "L" and "R" flags in the ruler below the waveform area). The audio in the Loop will be played back continuosly when you activate Play. Furthermore, the Loop area defines what section to use when transmitting and exporting, and is also used when ReCycle calculates the tempo.

To move the Left Locator, drag its flag in the ruler, or hold down [Shift] and click where you want the Locator to be placed.

To move the Right Locator, drag its flag in the ruler, or hold down [Control] and click where you want the Locator to be placed.

When you move Locators this way, they snap to the nearest Slice position. This is most often what you want, but if you cannot find a good loop using the Slices, you can move the Locators freely by holding down [Alt] and moving them as described above.


Specifying the Loop Length

Once you have set up the Loop, you need to inform ReCycle of the "musical length" of the loop (in Bars and Beats). This is necessary for ReCycle to be able to calculate the tempo of the loop. Proceed as follows:

1. Pull down the "Sign" pop-up menu and select a time signature.

2. Enter the number of full bars in the "Bars" field.

3. If the loop isn't a full number of bars, pull down the "Beats" pop-up menu and select the number of extra beats.

4. Check the "Tempo" field to the right - it should display the correct tempo of the loop.

By combining time signature, bars and beats, you can set up complex lengths and meters. For example, if your loop contains one bar in 7/4, you would select the time signature 4/4, enter 1 bar in the "Bars" field and add 3 extra beats with the "Beats" pop-up.


Adding Slices using Sensitivity

Most of the time when working with ReCycle, you will want to cut your loop up into slices. A slice is a section of the waveform, from one slice marker to the next.

You can have ReCycle automatically find the beats in the audio and put slice markers on these, by raising the Sensitivity slider. The higher the sensitivity, the more slices you will get.

1. Set up the Loop and specify the length as described in previous topics.

2. Raise the Sensitivity slider. You will see new Slice markers appear. The number to the right of the slider represents the current position of the slider, where 0 represents minimum sensitivity and 99 maximum sensitivity.

3. Raise the Sensitivity to a rather high value, so that you get all Slices you want (often a value around 70 - 80 works good). Most likely, this will give you too many Slices in some places, but these are easily deactivated using the Hide tool, as described in the next topic.

Setting Sensitivity using the Keyboard

There are two ways to set Sensitivity from the computer keyboard:

Type a number on the typewriter part of the keyboard, directly. This can be used to quickly give the slider a rough setting. If you hit "1" it gets set to "11", if you press "2" it gets set to "22" etc.

Use the [+] and [-] keys to "nudge" the slider up and down.


Hiding Slices

You might run into situations where there are too many Slices on the screen. You could of course reduce the Sensitivity to get rid of the Slice markers you don’t want, but then other Slice markers could disappear too, and this might not be desirable.What you need to do in a situation like this is to "Hide" an individual Slice, and this is just what the Hide Tool lets you do:

1. Locate the Slices you want to hide. Sometimes it's easy to find these visually, but you should still make it a rule to audition each slice to avoid mistakes.

2. Select the Hide tool and move the pointer into the area above the waveform (where the Slice markers are displayed).

The Hide tool.

3. Click on a Slice marker to hide its Slice. The marker gets diminished and its line disappears.

Now, if you audition the previous Slice, you will find that it plays the audio in both Slices. What was previously two Slices is now one Slice.

4. To re-activate a hidden Slice, click on its marker again with the Hide tool.

If you have several slices selected they will all get hidden when you click on one of them with the Hide tool.


Locking Slices

Locking Slices is essentially the opposite of hiding them. If you lock a Slice, it will stay even if you lower the Sensitivity slider. This is useful if you got a good set of Slices by just using the Sensitivity slider, but discover that in one or two places you hear two sounds when you click on a Slice. Proceed as follows:

1. Find the place where you hear two sounds when auditioning.

2. Make a mental note of the current slider setting.

3. Set the sensitivity slider to a higher value, so that a new Slice appears between the two sounds. Audition to make sure you got what you wanted.

4. Select the Lock tool and move the pointer into the area above the waveform (where the Slice markers are displayed).

The Lock tool.

5. Click on the new Slice marker to lock the new slice.

6. Drag the sensitivity slider back to the original setting. The locked Slice remains in place.

If you have several slices selected they will all get locked when you click on one of them with the Lock tool.


Adding Slices Manually

It is possible to add Slices manually, using the Pencil tool. However, before doing this, make absolutely sure the slices found by the analyze algorithm don’t suffice. The program is very good at finding slice points, and the points found by the program often work better - for example for tempo changes - than the ones that you can add manually.

1. Identify the area where you need a Slice, and zoom in very close on it.

2. Select the Pencil Tool.

3. Move the pointer over the waveform display. A vertical line moves across the waveform. This line indicates where the Slice will appear when you click. The line snaps to zero crossings in the waveform (positions where the amplitude is zero), so manually added slices won’t introduce any clicks or pops. If the amplitude is zero for a period of time, the line will move continuously over this area.

If you hold down [Alt], the snap to zero crossing is disabled and you can add a slice at any position. We do not recommend that you do this unless you have very good reason, since it can introduce clicks and pops in the sound during playback.

4. Try to find the first position before the beginning of the sound. When you have found the correct position, click with the Pencil. The Slice appears.

5. Audition the new Slice to make sure it's in the right position.

The following rules apply to manually added slices:

To deactivate an added slice, Hide it as any other.

Manually added slices are locked. They will therefore not disappear when you lower Sensitivity.

If you unlock a manually added slice and drag the sensitivity slider down lower than halfway (below 50), it will disappear, just as other slices.


Selecting Slice Markers

Slice markers need to be selected for some operations, like Silence Selected.

Selecting is done with the Arrow Tool.

You can select one marker by clicking on its triangle symbol.

If you hold down [Shift], you can click on more markers to select them. Clicking again with [Shift] pressed deselects a marker.

You can make up a selection rectangle by pointing between slices, pressing the mouse button and dragging left or right. When you release the mouse button, all the slices inside the rectangle will get selected.

You can also use the Select All item on the Edit menu to select all markers.

If you have a selection of markers, you can invert the selection by using "Invert Selection", also on the Edit menu. After this operation, the markers that were previously selected are now deselected, and vice versa.

To deselect all markers, click between two markers on the ruler.


About the Transmit Options

Before you transmit your ReCycled loop to a sampler or export it to disk, there are a number of Transmit options and settings, some of which can be turned on/off and others which can be set to a certain value. These affect the result of the Transmit/Export operation in various ways.

Each document has its own settings. If you are working with a lot of windows, be sure to check that the settings are correct before you Transmit.

The settings only come into effect when the audio is actually being transmitted/exported to the sampler/disk, or when the MIDI File is being created. They have no effect on playback in ReCycle. But if you want to hear a preview of the effect they have, you can use the "Open Slices in New Window" option.

The settings are also saved to disk with the file when you Save.

The different options are described in the following topics:

Transmit as one sample

Normalize

Silence Selected

Stretch

Pitch to New Tempo


Transmit as one sample

This option is found on the Sampler menu, and as a separate button in the ReCycle window.

When Transmit As One Sample is turned off, the audio gets sliced into individual samples when transmitted, and the MIDI files created will contain one note for each of those slices.

This is the preferred mode if you want to use your MIDI sequencer to edit the loop, change its tempo or use the MIDI file as a groove.

When Transmit As One Sample is turned on, the program will transmit the part that stretches from the Left Locator to the Right as one sample. Also, in this mode, the MIDI File will only consist of one event, with the length set using the Bars and Beats settings.

This mode is mainly useful if you simply want to use ReCycle to find the right tempo for a loop, when you want to use the New Tempo feature to tune the sample to the right length or when you want to use ReCycle to extract sounds.


Normalize

This option is found on the Sampler menu, and as a separate button in the ReCycle window.

With Normalize turned on, ReCycle will permanently change the gain of each slice before transmitting it to ensure maximum level. This is to ensure the noise level is kept as low as possible during playback.

However, if you transmit a loop as a number of slices, normalizing will disrupt the dynamics of the drum loop, since the gain of each slice is changed separately. Therefore, normalizing is probably best used when you have Transmit As One Sample turned on (in this case the entire loop is treated as one long sample when being normalized) or when you use the program to extract individual sounds.

Normalize can’t do miracles. If your recording contains unwanted noise, normalizing will increase the noise level together with the other audio material.


Silence Selected

This option is found on the Sampler menu, and as a separate button in the ReCycle window.

When Silence Selected is turned on, the slices that have selected markers will be silenced in the final audio.

This feature is probably best used when Transmit As One Sample is turned on, to silence individual sounds in a longer sample. It can also be used to simply skip unwanted sounds, when slicing.

But, Silence Selected works even if Transmit As One Sample is turned off. In this case, the selected slices will simply be skipped, both when transmitting to the sampler and when creating MIDI Files. This will then create "gaps" in the sampler's keyboard map and a corresponding "gap" in the MIDI File.


Stretch

The Stretch feature is used when you know you might want to lower the tempo of the loop in your MIDI sequencer. It adds an extra tail of audio to each slice, to lengthen it. This tail is derived from the natural decay of the sound. This extra tail of sound then fills out the gap between the slices when the tempo is lowered.

Use the Stretch slider to set the amount of stretch. The percentage values tell you how much longer the entire sample will be after stretching. If you select the largest value (100%), for example, the slice will become twice its original length when it is transmitted to the sampler.

To decide how much stretch you need, try to make a rough estimate of how much you need to lower the tempo, in percent. If for example you know that you will need to lower the tempo by approximately 12%, select a stretch factor of 15%. If that doesn’t work as intended, change the Stretch setting and re-transmit the slices.


Pitch to New Tempo

This option is found on the Sampler menu, and as a separate button in the ReCycle window. It is used in conjunction with the New Tempo field.

Pitch to New Tempo is used when you want to make a loop fit a certain time span by changing its tuning (pitch) rather than by slicing it.

An example: Let’s say you have set up a loop, specified its length and have had ReCycle calculate the tempo of it to be 100 BPM (beats per minute). Your Song is in 110 beats per minute.

1. Activate Pitch to New Tempo.

2. Type in 110 in the "New Tempo" field.

3. Transmit the sample back to the sampler.

Now, ReCycle will reach into your sampler and raise the tuning setting for this particular sample by the correct amount, so that when you press a key, the loop will fit 110 BPM exactly.

Note: Pitch to New Tempo does not apply when you export MixMan TRK files.


Selecting a Sampler

Before transmitting, you must tell ReCycle which sampler the loop should be transmitted to. This is done by selecting one of the items at the bottom of the Sampler menu.

The four first items (New Window, SampleCell, SoundFonts and MixMan TRK File) are always available on the menu. Which other items are available depends on how you have set up the Sampler List. If your sampler is not on the menu you must add it to the Sampler List in the Sampler Settings dialog.


Transmitting to a Sampler

If you have selected an external sampler from the list at the bottom of the Sampler menu, the top item on the Sampler menu is called "Transmit to...". Select this to transmit the loop to the sampler:

Note that the settings, terms and procedures differ between different sampler models! Make sure to read the chapter about your sampler in the online Sampler Supplement.

1. Select the "Transmit to..." item from the Sampler menu, click the Transmit button (with the lightning icon) or press [Ctrl]-[T] on the computer keyboard.

2. A Transmit dialog appears. Exactly how this dialog looks depends on the selected Sampler.

3. Select the sample rate you want the samples to have in the sampler. If the sampler supports the original sample rate of the ReCycled audio, this will be suggested.

4. If you have created a Template Program in your sampler, and want the new Program to inherit the settings of this Program, use the Template function in the Transmit dialog to select the desired Template Program in the sampler.

5. Enter a name for the new Program (or Bank, Patch, etc, depending on the terms used in your sampler).

6. To transmit the loop to the sampler and create a MIDI file for playing the slices, click the "MIDI File+Transmit" button. In the file dialog that appears, save the MIDI file at the desired location.

7. To transmit the loop to the sampler without creating any MIDI file, click the "Transmit" button.

The loop is transmitted to the sampler, taking the Transmit Options into account.


Exporting as a SampleCell file

If you have selected "SampleCell" from the list at the bottom of the Sampler menu, the top item on the Sampler menu is called "Export as SampleCell". Select this to export the loop as a SampleCell Instrument file on your hard disk:

1. Select the "Export as SampleCell" item from the Sampler menu, click the Transmit button (with the lightning icon) or press [Ctrl]-[T] on the computer keyboard. The Export SampleCell Instrument dialog appears.

2. If you have created a Template Instrument file on your hard disk, and want the new file to inherit the settings of this Instrument file, activate the "Use Template" checkbox. Then use the Browse function to select the desired Template Instrument file on your hard disk.

3. To export the loop to disk and create a MIDI file for playing the slices, click the "MIDI File+Export" button. File dialogs appear, allowing you to name and save the SampleCell and MIDI files in the desired folders.

4. To export the loop to disk without creating any MIDI file, click the "Export" button. A file dialog appears allowing you to name and save the file in the desired folder.

The loop is now saved to disk as a SampleCell Instrument file, taking the Transmit Options into account.


Exporting as a SoundFont file

If you have selected "SoundFonts" from the list at the bottom of the Sampler menu, the top item on the Sampler menu is called "Export as SoundFont file". Select this to export the loop as a SoundFont Bank file on your hard disk:

1. Select the "Export as SoundFont file" item from the Sampler menu, click the Transmit button (with the lightning icon) or press [Ctrl]-[T] on the computer keyboard. The Export SoundFont File dialog appears.

2. Enter a name for the new SoundFont Bank. Note that this is not the name of the file on your hard disk - rather the name that will be used when you select, view and edit the Bank in SoundFont editors or SoundFont compatible sequencers.

3. To export the loop to disk and create a MIDI file for playing the slices, click the "MIDI File+Export" button. File dialogs appear, allowing you to name and save the SoundFont and MIDI files in the desired folders.

4. To export the loop to disk without creating any MIDI file, click the "Export" button. A file dialog appears allowing you to name and save the file in the desired folder.

The loop is now saved to disk as a SoundFont Bank file, taking the Transmit Options into account.


Exporting as a MixMan TRK file

If you have selected "MixMan TRK File" from the list at the bottom of the Sampler menu, the top item on the Sampler menu is called "Export as MixMan TRK file". Select this to export the loop as a MixMan file (extension .TRK) on your hard disk:

1. Select the "Export as MixMan TRK File" item from the Sampler menu, click the Transmit button (with the lightning icon) or press [Ctrl]-[T] on the computer keyboard. The Export MixMan TRK File dialog appears.

2. Enter a name for the new MixMan file. Note that this is not the name of the file on your hard disk, but a name used internally in the MixMan file. However, typically this is the same as the name of the file.

3. To export the loop to disk, click the "Export" button. A file dialog appears allowing you to name and save the file in the desired folder.

The loop is now saved to disk as a MixMan TRK file, taking the Transmit Options into account. Note however, that the "Pitch to New Tempo" option doesn't apply to MixMan files.


Opening in a new window

If you have selected "New Window" from the list at the bottom of the Sampler menu, the top item on the Sampler menu is called "Open Slices in New Window".

Use this function to get a preview of what would have been sent to the sampler (or exported to disk). If Transmit As One Sample is turned off, each slice appears in its own window; if Silence Selected is turned on the selected slices will be silenced; if Stretch is set to anything but Off, each slice will be stretched etc. You can also use the audio in the new window as a basis for further "ReCycling".

Here are few examples of what "Open Slices in New Window" can be used for:

To extract a shorter part from a long sample.

When you use Silence Selected, to check that you have selected the right slices.

To check if stretching a slice comes out as intended and to find the ideal Stretch factor.

To see exactly how much Normalizing does to a sample.


Saving ReCycle Documents

If you have Opened an audio file and worked on the slices and other settings, you can save it as a ReCycle document (extension ".RCY"). You can later open the saved document and continue working, without having to make Loop and Slice settings over again.

Saving is done using regular "Save" and "Save As" methods.

The ReCycle documents include the following:

The audio data.

All the slice points and their status (locked, hidden etc).

All Transmit options on the Sampler menu.

The Sensitivity and Length settings.


Exporting Sound Files

By selecting "Export Sound" on the File menu, you can save all the audio between the Left and Right Locator to disk. The resulting audio file can then be brought into any audio editing or playback program that supports any of ReCycle's possible export file formats.

1. Make sure the Transmit Options are set as you want them. These options apply when exporting, just as when Transmitting. This means for example that if Transmit As One Sample is turned off, each slice will become a separate file.

2. Select "Export Sound" from the File menu. The Export Sound dialog appears.

3. Select a file type (WAV or AIFF) for the exported audio file. The audio files created by ReCycle are always mono, 16 bit.

4. Select a sample rate for the exported audio file.

5. Select a name and location for the file and save it as usual.


Exporting REX files

To ReCycle a file for use in Cubase VST or other programs capable of reading REX files, proceed as follows:

1. Locate the file on disk and open it in ReCycle.

2. Set up the slices, bar length, time signature and Transmit options as desired.

3. Select "Export to ReCycle! REX file", from the File menu.

4. Specify a location and name for the file and save it.

The REX file can now be imported into Cubase VST or another REX-compatible program, and played back in different tempi, much as when you use an external sampler.

To be able to use REX files in Cubase VST, you need version 3.02 or later on Macintosh, or version 3.55 or later on PC.

For more information, see the main ReCycle manual and the documentation of the other program.


Exporting MIDI files

MIDI files are normally created using the "MIDI File + Transmit/Export" function in the Transmit/Export dialogs. However, if you only want to create a MIDI file (without transmitting audio to a sampler or exporting it to disk), you can use the "Export Groove MIDI File" function on the File menu.

1. Make sure "Transmit As One Sample" is turned off. If this option is activated, the MIDI file will only contain one long note, which is propably not what you want.

2. Turn "Pitch to New Tempo" on or off, as desired. If this is activated, the MIDI file will have the tempo set in the "New Tempo" field; otherwise it will have the tempo calculated by ReCycle (displayed in the "Tempo" field).

3. Turn "Silence Selected" on or off, as desired. If this is activated (and "Transmit as One Sample" is turned off), there will be "missing" events in the file, corresponding to the silenced (selected) Slices in the loop.

4. Select "Export Groove MIDI File" from the File menu. A file dialog appears, allowing you to specify a name and location for the file.

This creates a MIDI File of type 1, with one Track plus one Tempo Track. The notes in the file are positioned according to the slices in the loop, and laid out chromatically from C1, upwards.