7. Editing

Soundprobe has a wide variety of powerful editing features. Editing can be performed in both the time and frequency domain. All time editing can be smoothed at the editing boundaries to prevent audible clicks. Multiple undo and redo levels enable easy access to previous edits.

Editing Operations

All editing commands work by using a selection that marks the section of the sound you want to edit. Before you can select any editing command, you need to have a valid selection, if the selection is not present or valid the command will be disabled.

Interrupting Operations

During any operation which takes more than a couple of seconds, a progress bar will be displayed which indicates how long is remaining. When the progress bar appears you can stop the operation by pressing and holding the ESC key until the operation has stopped. Some operations have multiple stages; by pressing ESC, you will cancel all remaining processing.

Note: if you interrupt an undo operation, with redo disabled, you will loose the undo data and will find your sound may have been partially changed. 

Correcting Mistakes

Virtually all editing and effects commands can be undone by using the Undo command. Soundprobe supports multiple levels of undo enabling you to step back through many changes. You may also redo any change after you have undone it, enabling you step back and forth over the changes you have made.

In some cases, the undo data can get very large and may degrade the performance of your system while using Soundprobe. If you are certain you do not wish to keep the current undo data you can free the resources it uses and prevent any degrading of system performance. If you find undo slows down your editing performance too much, you may find limit the number of undo buffers helps or disable the redo or undo completely.

To undo the last operation:

• Select Edit > Undo.

or

• Select Undo from the Standard toolbar .

or

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Select Undo.

To undo multiple levels:

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Select the undo operation from the list you wish to undo to.
3. Click Undo To.

To undo all change stored in the undo buffer:

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Click Undo All.

To undo all changes since the last save:

• Select File > Revert.

To redo the last undo:

• Select Edit > Redo.

or

• Click Redo on the Standard toolbar .

or

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Click Redo.

To redo multiple levels:

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Select the redo operation from the list you wish to redo to.
3. Click Redo To.

To redo all change stored in the undo buffer:

1. Select View > Undo/Redo History.
2. Click Redo All.

To free the undo and redo data:

• Select Edit > Flush Undo.

To limit the number of undo operations:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab to show the Editing page.
3. Disable Unlimited Undo Buffers.
4. Set the number of undo levels you wish to have by using the Undo Buffers slider.
5. Click OK or Apply to set the undo levels.

To disable or enable undo:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab to show the Editing page.
3. Disable Unlimited Undo Buffers.
4. Set the undo levels to zero.
5. Click OK or Apply to set no undo.

To disable or enable redo:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab to show the Editing page.
3. Disable the Allow Redo check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to make the changes.

Clipboards

Soundprobe has its own internal clipboard system which enables you copy large amounts of data, over 2 Gb is possible, without degrading system performance.

The standard Windows clipboard can be used to share data to and from other applications, although this clipboard is limited to a maximum of 2 Gb of data and will degrade system performance if you place large amounts of data into it without the available RAM to do so.

To view information about the data in the internal clipboard:

• Select View > Clipboard Viewer.

To free the internal clipboard:

• Select Edit > Internal Clipboard > Flush.

To copy the internal clipboard to the Windows clipboard:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Copy From Internal.

To copy the Windows clipboard to the internal clipboard:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Copy To Internal.

Copying

With Soundprobe you can copy a selection to the internal clipboard or to the Windows clipboard enabling you share sounds with other applications and between documents.

To copy a selection:

• Select Edit > Copy.

or

• Click the Copy icon on the Standard toolbar .

To copy a selection for sharing with other applications:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Copy.

To share the sound in the internal clipboard with other applications:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Copy From Internal.

To fetch a sound from the Windows clipboard into the internal clipboard:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Copy To Internal.

To duplicate the selected sound:

• Select Edit > Replicate to copy the selected sound and paste it at the end of the selection.

To copy a sound file into the internal clipboard:

1. Select Edit > Internal Clipboard > Load.
2. Select the file you wish to copy into the internal clipboard.
3. Click Open.

To copy the internal clipboard to a file:

1. Select Edit > Internal Clipboard > Save.
2. Select the filename you wish to use to save the sound.
3. Click Save.

To copy the internal clipboard to a new document:

• Select Edit > Internal Clipboard > To New Document.

Pasting

You can insert sounds at the position of the cursor, replace the sound within a selection, insert and replace sounds directly from a file and use sounds from the Windows clipboard enabling you share your audio work from other applications.

To insert the clipboard at the cursor:

• Select Edit > Paste.

or

• Click the Paste icon on the Standard toolbar .

To insert shared sound from another application:

• Select Edit > Windows Clipboard > Paste.

To insert a sound file:

1. Select Edit > Insert File.
2. Select the file you wish to insert.
3. Click Open.

To replace the sound within the selection with the clipboard:

• Select Edit > Replace.

To replace the sound within the selection with a sound file:

• Select Edit > File Replace.

To move the start or end of a sound to the end of start:

• Select Edit > Rotate.

Cutting

You can chop and cut sections of your sounds to either remove or move them. When a selection is cut, it is copied to the internal clipboard so that you may paste it as many times as you need into any document.

To cut a selection and copy it to the clipboard:

• Select Edit > Cut.

or

• Click the Cut icon on the Standard toolbar .

To remove the sound in a selection with copying to the clipboard:

• Select Edit > Erase.

or

• Click the Erase icon on the Standard toolbar .

To remove all sound around the selection:

• Select Edit > Chop.

or

• Click the Chop icon on the Standard toolbar .

Pre and Post Processing

You can apply pre and post processing to all editing to modify the resulting sound by auto adjusting its DC offset and volume. You can also automatically convert pasted sounds so that the sampling rate matches that of the sound you are pasting into.

To automatically normalize the volume before editing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Enable the Auto Pre-Normalize check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

To automatically normalize the volume after editing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Enable the Auto Post-Normalize check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

To automatically adjust the DC offset before editing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Enable the Auto DC Adjust check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

To automatically convert the sampling rate of pasted sounds:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Enable the Auto Convert On Paste check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

Smooth Editing

With Soundprobe, you can apply boundary smoothing to prevent audible clicks when performing editing or effects on sections of the sound. This can make cutting, pasting and effects processing much smoother and removes the worry of matching the waveform slope and zero crossings. All editing and effects processing can use boundary smoothing, but you may also force it to be turned off for any operation by holding down SHIFT when selecting the command.

To enable boundary smoothing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Enable to Smooth Edits check box.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

To change the width of the smoothing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.
3. Set the Cross-Fade Time in milli-seconds to the width you wish to use for smoothing, around 5-10 ms is usually enough.
4. Click OK or Apply to set the changes.

Note: using a smoothing width, which is too small, will not remove the clicks from editing on waveform slopes. If you use a smoothing width, which is comparable to or greater than, your selection width you will find the editing will be degraded and may not even change the sound. If using a small selection, either use a very small smoothing width, or turn off smooth editing.

To force smooth editing to be ignore:

• Press and hold SHIFT when selecting the editing command, or when selecting OK or Apply with effects.

Direct Effects

Soundprobe has a large number of effects. These are categorised into Direct Effects, Special Effects, Enhancement Effects and Restoration Effects. Direct Effects are editing based effects that have no options and apply directly to the selection.

Clearing

You can set a section of the sound to silence.

To clear the sound within a selection:

• Select Edit > Clear.

or

• Click the Clear icon on the Standard toolbar .

Reversing

You can time reverse a section of the sound making it play backwards.

To reverse the sound within the selection:

• Select Effects > Flip Horizontally.

or

• Click the Flip icon on the Direct FX toolbar . 

Cross Fading

You can cross fade a section of the sound which mixes a reversed copy of the selection back onto itself.

To cross fade the selection:

• Select Effects > Cross Fade.

or

• Click the Cross Fade icon on the Direct FX toolbar . 

Inverting

You can invert the sound which makes the positive samples negative and negative become positive.

To invert the sound within the selection:

• Select Effects > Flip Vertically.

or

• Click the Invert icon on the Direct FX toolbar . 

Volume

You can adjust the volume directly by using double, halve, fade and normalize. There is also an advanced volume effect that enables you to control every aspect of the volume change and also to create volume envelopes.

To double the volume of a selection:

• Select Effects > Volume > Double.

or

• Click the Double Volume icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

To halve the volume of a selection:

• Select Effects > Volume > Halve.

or

• Click Halve Volume on the Direct FX toolbar .

To fade in the volume of a selection:

• Select Effects > Volume > Fade In.

or

• Click the Fade In icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

To fade out the volume of a selection:

• Select Effects > Volume > Fade Out.

or

• Click the Fade Out icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

To normalize the volume of a selection:

• Select Enhance > Normalize.

or

• Click the Normalize icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

Pitch

You can quickly change the pitch of a selection with pitch doubling or halving. For more advanced and higher quality changes there are other effects that are dedicated to changing and bending the pitch.

To double the pitch of a selection:

• Select Effects > Pitch > Double Pitch.

or

• Click the Double Pitch icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

To halve the pitch of a selection:

• Select Effects > Pitch > Halve Pitch.

or

• Click the Halve Pitch icon on the Direct FX toolbar .

Manual Editing

You can directly draw the waveform and use tools to quickly modify the sound on a sample by sample basis.

To enable waveform drawing:

1. Select View > 2D Time Graph.
2. Zoom in until the manual editing tool are enabled, or use 1:1 Zoom from the Zoom toolbar .

To draw single samples:

1. Click the Single Draw icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .
2. Click within the view at the position you wish to set a sample level.

To draw joined samples:

1. Click the Joined Draw icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .
2. Click and hold within the view at the positions you wish to set a sample level.

To draw a line of samples:

1. Click the Line icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .
2. Click and hold within the view at the position you want to start the line of sample levels.
3. Move the mouse to the end position you want the end of the line to be.
4. Release the mouse to set the sample levels.

To interpolate between two samples:

1. Click the Linear Interpolate icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .
2. Click and hold within the view at the sample position you want to start the interpolation at.
3. Move the mouse to the end position you want to interpolate to.
4. Release the mouse to interpolate the sample levels.

To smooth samples:

1. Click the Smooth Draw icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .
2. Click and hold within the view at the positions you wish to smooth the sample levels.

To enable setting a selection during manual editing:

• Click the Arrow icon on the Manual Editing toolbar .

Editing Effects

Two important effects when editing are mixing and volume control. Soundprobe has both a powerful mixer plus a quick mix effect. For volume changes, an advanced Volume effect can control the gain over every point of your sound.

Mix

To mix with the clipboard:

• Set the Source to the Internal Clipboard.

Note: if the Internal Clipboard option is disabled then your internal clipboard is empty.

To mix with another document:

1. Set the Source to Open Sound.
2. Select the document to mix with from the Mix Document drop-down list.

To mix at maximum volume:

• Enable the Mix Maximum Level check box.

To mix using automatic volume limiting:

• Enable the Limiter check box.

Note: the Limiter option is only available when the Maximum Level mixing is not selected.

To mix into a new document:

• Enable the Apply To New Doc check box.

To change the mix levels:

• Set the slider for the source of destination.

or

• Enter the mix level into the source or destination level edit box.

See Effects

Volume

To double the volume:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Set the gain slider position to 200 % or 6 dB.
3. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

or

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enter 200 %, or 6.021 dB into the gain edit box.
3. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

or

• Select Effects > Volume > Double.

To halve the volume:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Set the gain slider position to 50 % or -6 dB.
3. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

or

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enter 50 %, or -6.021 dB into the gain edit box.
3. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

or

• Select Effects > Volume > Halve.

Note: if the slider and edit box are disabled you need to deselect the Variable Gain check box.

To fade in:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enable the Variable Gain check box.
3. Click Variation.
4. Set the variation Type drop-down list to Linear.
5. Set the Start gain to -Inf dB or 0 %.
6. Set the End gain to 0 dB or 100 %.
7. Click OK to set the variation.
8. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

To fade out:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enable the Variable Gain check box.
3. Click Variation.
4. Set the variation Type drop-down list to Linear.
5. Set the Start gain to 0 dB or 100 %.
6. Set the End gain to -Inf dB or 0 %.
7. Click OK to set the variation.
8. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

To create a volume envelope:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enable the Variable Gain check box.
3. Click Variation.
4. Set the variation Type drop-down list to Vector.
5. Select Vector Envelope.
6. Click within the graph to add new envelope positions.
7. Click OK to set the envelope.
8. Click OK to set the variation.
9. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

See Controlling Effects Over Time.

To create tremolo:

1. Select Effects > Volume > Volume.
2. Enable the Variable Gain check box.
3. Click Variation.
4. Set the variation Type drop-down list to Sine Wave.
5. Set the Start gain to 0 dB or 100 %.
6. Set the End gain to -Inf dB or 0 %.
7. Set the Period drop-down list to Period.
8. Set the Period slider to 200 ms.
9. Click OK to set the variation.
10. Click OK to apply the effect and close the volume effect.

See Effects

Frequency Editing

You can use frequency editing with most effects and editing commands. This enables you to control which part of your sound is affected by any editing or effect. You can playback any selected frequency band using the play selection command.

Note: to use frequency editing you must use the 2D Frequency Graph so that you can select frequencies.

By selecting a band of frequencies you can limit the frequencies used by the editing commands. This enables quick and precise filtering by simply selecting the part of the sound to remove or enhance.

To further complement the time variation control of the effects, you can also limit and apply effects to selected frequency bands enabling full control over how they sound and giving every effect a whole new sound which you can control precisely. 

To enable frequency editing:

• Enable the Freq check box on the control bar .

or

1. Select the Edit Selection icon on the Selection toolbar .
2. Enable the Use Frequencies check box.
3. Click OK.

To select a band of frequencies:

• Click within the view and drag a selection box around the frequency band and time you want to edit.

To select a band of frequencies on a single channel:

1. Select Edit > Selection > Edit to show the selection editor.
2. Select the Freq Area drop-down list.
3. Select the Selected item from the list.
4. Click OK.
5. Select the band of frequencies.

To select a band of frequencies on both channels:

1. Select Edit > Selection > Edit to show the selection editor.
2. Select the Freq Area drop-down list.
3. Select the Both Channels item from the list.
4. Click OK.
5. Select the band of frequencies.

To select a band of frequencies across the entire sound:

1. Select Edit > Selection > Edit to show the selection editor.
2. Select the Freq Area drop-down list.
3. Select the All Time item from the list.
4. Click OK.
5. Select the band of frequencies.

To change the area affected by frequency editing:

1. Select Edit > Selection > Edit to show the selection editor.
2. Select the Freq Area drop-down list.
3. Select the area from the list.
4. Click OK.

To prevent glitches that can arise from frequency editing:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Select the Editing tab.
3. Enable the Smooth Edits check box.
4. Click OK.

Note: it is always advisable to use smooth editing when making major changes to sections of a sound to prevent audible clicks.

To zoom into a band of frequencies:

1. Select the band of frequencies.
2. Click the Zoom Frequencies Selected icon on the Frequency toolbar .

To apply an effect or edit to a selected frequency band:

1. Select the frequency band.
2. Select the edit or effect command.

Note: when using effects with frequency editing you must apply the effect to the selection.

To change the frequency editing filter:

1. Select Tools > Properties.
2. Click the Editing tab.

See Properties > Editing.

See Also:

• Sound Sections
• Effects
• Viewing Sounds
• Getting Sounds into Soundprobe