WaveEdit Index
WaveEdit Help Index

This Index lists the Help topics available for WaveEdit.  Use the scroll bar to see entries not currently visible in the Help window.

To learn how to use Help, press F1 or choose Using Help from the Help menu.

Keyboard

WaveEdit Keys

Commands

File Menu Commands

Edit Menu Commands

Effects Menu Commands

View Menu Commands

Procedures

Changing a Waveform's Characteristics

Changing the Amplitude

Changing the Measurement Scale

Copying the Selected Area

Creating a Waveform File

Cutting the Selected Area

Deleting the Selected Area

Fading Up and Down

Inserting a Recording Into a Waveform

Inserting Silence

Mixing While Pasting

Opening Files

Opening Multiple Waveform Files

Pasting the Selected Area

Playing Waveform Files

Quitting WaveEdit

Recording Waveform Files

Replacing a Section of a File with a Recording

Saving a Waveform

Selecting an Entire Waveform

Selecting with the Mouse

Selecting with the Select Start and Select Size Boxes

Undoing Changes

Using the Zoom Scroll Bar

Valid File Formats

Viewing Channels of a Stereo Waveform

Viewing the Waveform

Zooming in on a Waveform File


Keyboard Index
WaveEdit Keys

Use the following keys to perform WaveEdit functions:

Press	To Do

ALT+BKSP	To undo changes to the waveform file

ALT+F4	To quit WaveEdit

CTRL+INS	To copy the selected area

DEL	To clear the selected area

F12	To save changes to a specified waveform file

SHIFT+DEL	To cut the selected area.

SHIFT+F12	To save changes to the waveform file

SHIFT+INS	To paste from the clipboard


WaveEdit Commands

To get help with a command, choose the appropriate menu.

File Menu Commands

New

Open

Close

Save

Save As

Run WaveEdit

Exit

Edit Menu Commands

Undo

Cut

Copy

Paste

Mix Paste

Delete

Select All

Effects Menu Commands

Change Characteristics

Insert Silence

Fade Down

Fade Up

Amplify

View Menu Commands

Left Channel

Right Channel

Milliseconds

Samples

Zoom


Procedure Index
WaveEdit Procedures

The Procedure topics give you step-by-step instructions for using WaveEdit.  Use the scroll bar to see more topics.

To learn how to use Help, press F1 or choose using Help from the Help menu.

Working with Waveform Files

Opening Files

Opening Multiple Waveform Files

Creating a Waveform File

Saving a Waveform

Quitting WaveEdit

Valid File Formats

Viewing Waveform Files

Viewing the Waveform

Using the Zoom Scroll Bar

Changing the Measurement Scale

Viewing Channels of a Stereo Waveform

Selecting Parts of the Waveform

Selecting with the Mouse

Selecting with the Select Start and Select Size Boxes

Selecting an Entire Waveform

Editing the Waveform

Zooming in on a Waveform File

Cutting the Selected Area

Copying the Selected Area

Pasting the Selected Area

Mixing While Pasting

Deleting the Selected Area

Changing a Waveform's Characteristics

Inserting Silence

Fading Up and Down

Changing the Amplitude

Undoing Changes

Playing Waveform Files

Recording Waveform Files

Inserting a Recording Into a Waveform

Replacing a Section of a File with a Recording


The WaveEdit Window
WaveEdit

A multimedia data preparation tool that displays an audio waveform file graphically. WaveEdit can play, edit, and record waveform files.


Opening Files

To open an existing file:

1	Choose Open from the File menu.

2	Scroll through the file-type box and select the file format you want.

3	Scroll through the drives, directories, and filename lists to find the file you want to edit, and then select the filename.

4	To confirm the file type before the file opens, eslect the Confirm File Type box.

5	Choose OK.

If you chose Microsoft PCM Waveform, WaveEdit converts the data into a Microsoft waveform and requests information not supplied in the file. In the Input Data Format dialog box, specify the file's Channels, Sample Size, and Frequency, and choose OK to open the file.


Opening Additional WaveEdit Files
Opening Multiple Waveform Files

To open two waveform files:

1	Open one file by choosing Open from the File menu.

2	Choose Run WaveEdit from the File menu to display another WaveEdit window.

3	Click anywhere in the new WaveEdit window to make it the active window.

3	Choose Open from the File menu to open the second file.


Creating a Waveform File

To create a waveform file:

1	Choose New from the File menu.

WaveEdit displays the New File Data Format dialog box.

2	Select the buttons for the characteristics you want the new file to have.

*	Select the Mono channel option to specify one sound channel in the file. Select Stereo to include two sound channels.

*	Select the 8 Bits sample size option to specify a dynamic range of over 65,000 levels. Select the 16 Bits sample size for a dynamic range of over 2,000,000 levels.

*	Select the 11.025kHz frequency option for a voice-quality sound sampling rate. Select the 22.05kHz frequency option for an AM-quality sampling rate. Select the 44.1kHz frequency option for an audio CD-quality sampling rate.

The default settings of Mono channel, 8 Bits sample size, and 11.025kHz frequency create files that require the least amount of storage.

3	Choose OK.

After the new file opens, you can paste or record a new waveform into the file.


Saving a Waveform

To save a waveform file:

*	Choose Save from the File menu.

To save a waveform file with a new name or location:

1	Choose Save As from the File menu.

2	Enter the name and location under which you want to save the waveform file.

3	Choose OK to save the file.


Quitting WaveEdit

To quit WaveEdit:

1	Choose Exit from the File menu.

If you haven't saved your latest changes, a dialog box asks if you want to save them.

2	Choose Yes to save changes, No to exit without saving.


 Valid File Formats

Before you can edit a waveform file, you must first load it into WaveEdit. WaveEdit can handle waveform files of the following formats:

Format	Extension	Read	Write

Apple AIFF	.AIF	X

Microsoft PCM	.PCM	X

Microsoft Waveform	.WAV	X	X


Viewing the Waveform

When you open a waveform file, WaveEdit displays its waveform in the Edit window. You use this window to select parts of the waveform for editing. The waveform seen in the Edit window graphically represents the waveform data.

The horizontal axis represents the time span for the waveform--the amount of time that the sound will play.

The vertical axis represents the amplitude of the waveform--the volume of the waveform at specific points.


Using the Zoom Scroll Bar

The Zoom scroll bar lets you determine the detail with which you view the waveform. The Zoom scroll bar is especially useful when editing waveforms. When you zoom in to display a portion of the waveform, you can use the scroll bar at the bottom of the Edit window to move through the waveform.

Moving the scroll bar to the right displays the entire waveform at once, so you can edit larger portions of the waveform.

Moving the scroll bar left zooms in on the waveform to view it in more detail.


Changing the Measurement Scale

The WaveEdit screen displays information about a waveform's size based on one of two scales:

*	a time scale in milliseconds

*	a scale based on the number of digital samples in the waveform

For example, a file might contain 1328 sample points and take 620 milliseconds to play. You can switch back and forth between these units of measurement.

To change the measurement scale for a waveform:

*	Choose Milliseconds from the View menu.

Or choose Samples from the View menu.


Viewing Channels of a Stereo Waveform

When you open a stereo waveform, WaveEdit displays both the left and right channels. The left channel displays in red; the right channel displays in black. You can view either channel separately by turning off the display of the other channel.

When a channel is displayed, a check mark appears next to the corresponding Channel command in the View menu.

To display or hide the left or right channel of a stereo file:

*	From the View menu, choose the command (Left Channel or Right Channel) for the channel you want to display or hide.


Selecting with the Mouse

To select an area of the waveform:

1	Point to the area of the waveform you want to select.

2	Hold down the mouse button and drag to surround the area in reverse video.

The selected area is shown in reverse video. The beginning of the selection is anchored at the location where you pressed the mouse button; this end of the selection is nonblinking. The tail end of the selection is indicated by a blinking vertical line; you can extend this end of the selection.

3	When the selection frames the area you want, release the mouse button.

To extend the selection to the current click location:

1	Hold down the SHIFT key.

2	Click anywhere on the waveform to redefine the tail end of the selection.

To extend the selection to the beginning of a file:

1	Hold down the mouse button.

2	 Drag UP out of the Edit window.

To extend the selection to the end of a file:

1	Hold down the mouse button.

2	Drag DOWN out of the Edit window.


Selecting with the Select Start and Select Size Boxes

The Select Start and the Select Size spin boxes rest in the bottom right corner of the WaveEdit screen. Enter values in these boxes to specify the beginning point and the size of a selection.

To select an area using the Select Start/Size spin boxes:

1	Double-click the Select Start spin box.

2	Enter a value for the starting location of the selection.

3	Double-click the Select Size spin box.

4	Enter a value for the size of the selection.


Selecting an Entire Waveform

You can select an entire waveform at once. This is useful when you want to modify, replace, or copy a complete waveform at one time.

To select an entire waveform:

*	Choose Select All from the Edit menu.

Or double-click anywhere in the Edit window.


Using the Zoom Command
Zooming in on a Waveform File

When you want to take a closer look at the area selected, use the Zoom command to view specific parts of a waveform.

To zoom in on a selection in a waveform:

1	Select the part of the waveform you want to view.

2	Choose Zoom from the View menu to zoom in on the selection.


Cutting the Selected Area

The Cut command in the Edit menu removes the contents of the selected area and places it into the Clipboard.

To cut the selected area:

1	Select the area you want to cut.

2	Choose Cut from the Edit menu.


Copying the Selected Area

The Copy command in the Edit menu places a copy of the selected area into the Clipboard. The contents of the Edit window are left unchanged.

To copy the selected area:

1	Select the area you want to copy.

2	Choose Copy from the Edit menu.


Pasting the Selected Area

The Paste command in the Edit menu places the contents of the Clipboard into the Edit window.

*	If an area is currently selected, the Paste command replaces that area with the contents of the Clipboard.

*	If no area is currently selected, the Paste command inserts the contents of the Clipboard into the waveform at the location of the cursor.

To Paste the selected area:

1	Decide where you want to paste the contents of the clipboard.

2	Choose Paste from the Edit menu.


Mixing While Pasting

The Mix Paste command in the Edit menu mixes the contents of the Clipboard with the waveform in the Edit window. Each sample in the Clipboard's waveform is added to the equivalent sample in the Edit window's waveform. The two sounds play together when you play the waveform.

*	If the waveform in the Edit window has no area currently selected, the Clipboard's waveform is mixed with the Edit window's waveform beginning at the cursor location.

*	If there is an area selected in the Edit window's waveform, mixing begins at the first sample of the selection and the first sample of the Clipboard waveform.  The two waveforms mix until the end of one or the other is reached, at which point mixing ends.


Deleting the Selected Area

The Delete command in the Edit menu deletes the contents of the selected area--nothing is placed into the Clipboard.


Changing a Waveform's Characteristics

You can make a waveform either stereo or mono, change the sample size, and change the frequency of a waveform file with the Change Characteristics option in the Effects menu.

To change a file's settings:

1	Choose Change Characteristics from the Effects menu to display the Change Characteristics dialog box.

2	Select the Mono or Stereo option button to specify whether the file has one or dual channels. Stereo provides fuller sound quality, but requires more disk space than Mono.

Changing a file from Mono to Stereo doesn't affect sound quality.  Changing from Stereo to Mono degrades the quality.

3	Select the 8-Bit or 16-Bit option button to specify the number of bits used with the sample. 16-Bit provides better sound quality, but requires more disk space than 8-Bit.

Changing a file from 8-Bit to 16-Bit doesn't affect sound quality.  Changing from 16-Bit to 8-Bit degrades the quality.

4	Select the frequency option for the sample. 44.1 kHz provides the best quality, but takes the most space. Conversely, 11.025 kHz offers the lowest sound quality, but takes the least amount of space.

Changing from 11.025 kHz to a higher value doesn't affect sound quality.  Changing from 44.1 kHz to a lower value degrades sound quality.

5	Choose OK.


Inserting Silence

You can insert a specified length of silence (zero amplitude) into a file, or replace a selected portion of a file with silence.

To insert silence into a file:

1	Position the cursor where you want to insert silence.

2	Choose Insert Silence from the Effects menu to display the Insert Silence dialog box.

3	Enter the number of samples (or milliseconds) of silence you want to insert.

4	Choose OK.

To replace a selection with silence:

1	Select the portion of the file you want to replace with silence.

2	Choose Silence from the Effects menu.


Fading Up and Down

You can fade the current selection anywhere within a range of 100% amplitude to 0% amplitude (silence), or from silence to 100% amplitude. Each sample in the selected area is faded by the percentage chosen.

To fade a selection up or down:

1	Select the portion of the file you want to fade up or down.

2	Choose Fade Up or Fade Down from the Effects menu.


Changing the Amplitude

You can change the amplitude of a selection. Each sample in the selection is increased or reduced by the percentage specified.

To change the amplitude of a selection:

1	Select the portion of the file you want to change.

2	Choose Amplify from the Effects menu to display the Change Amplitude dialog box.

3	Enter the percentage by which you want to increase or reduce the amplitude of the selection.

4	Choose OK.


Undoing Changes

The Undo command always refers to the most recent action that can be undone. For example, you can undo Edit menu commands such as Cut and Paste, but Undo has no relationship with View menu commands such as Zoom.

To undo a change:

*	Choose Undo from the Edit menu.

If the change can't be undone, the Undo command isn't available.


Playing Waveform Files

You can play an open waveform file to hear what it sounds like by clicking the Play button.

*	If no area of the waveform is currently selected, WaveEdit plays the entire waveform.

*	If you have selected an area of the waveform, WaveEdit plays the selected area only.

To start playing the waveform file:

*	Click the Start button.

To stop playing the waveform file:

*	Click the Stop button.


Recording Waveform Files

If the sound card installed in your computer supports input from a microphone or another device, you can use WaveEdit to record waveform files.

Note:  For faster recording times, reduce the size of the WaveEdit window.

To record a new file:

1	Display an empty WaveEdit window.

2	Click the Record button.

WaveEdit displays the New File Data Format dialog box.

3	Select the bsettings you want the new file to have.

4	Click OK.

The Record dialog box appears.

5	Set the recording level on your input device.

6	Click OK to start recording.

The new waveform appears as you record.

7	When you finish, click the Stop button at the bottom of the WaveEdit window.

6	Use the Save or Save As commands from the File menu to save the new file.


Inserting a Recording Into a Waveform

To insert a recording into a waveform:

1	Open the waveform file into which you want to insert the recorded audio.

2	Position the cursor at the point where you want to insert the recording.

3	Click the Record button.

4	Set the recording level on your input device.

5	Click OK to start recording.

The new waveform appears as you record.

6	When you finish, click the Stop button at the bottom of the WaveEdit window.

7	Use the Save or Save As commands from the File menu to save the updated file.


Replacing a Section with a Recording
Replacing a Section of a File with a Recording

To replace a section of a file with a recording:

1	Open the waveform file with the audio section you want to replace.

2	Select the section you want to replace.

3	Click the Record button.

4	Set the recording level on your input device.

5	Click OK to start recording.

The selected section is replaced by the new recording.

6	When you finish, click the Stop button at the bottom of the WaveEdit window.

7	Use the Save or Save As commands from the File menu to save the updated file.


The File Menu

The File menu contains these commands:

New

Open

Close

Save

Save As

Run WaveEdit

Exit

Use the scroll bar to see more File menu commands.

New

Creates a new, empty waveform file.

Related topics

Creating a Waveform File

Open

Opens an existing waveform file.

Related topics

Opening Files

Close

Closes an open waveform file without exiting WaveEdit.

Save

Saves changes made to a waveform file.

Related topics

Saving a Waveform

Save As

Specifies a waveform file and saves changes to that file.

Related topics

Saving a Waveform

Run WaveEdit

Starts another WaveEdit window.

Related topics

Opening Multiple Waveform Files

Exit

Quits the WaveEdit application.

Related topics

Quitting WaveEdit


The Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains the following commands:

Undo

Cut

Copy

Paste

Mix Paste

Delete

Select All

Use the scroll bar to see more Edit menu commands.

Undo

Undoes the last complete operation.

Related topics

Undoing Changes

Cut

Removes a selected area from the waveform and places it on the Clipboard.

Related topics

Cutting the Selected Area

Copy

Copies a selected area from the waveform to the Clipboard.  The waveform remains unchanged.

Related topics

Copying the Selected Area

Paste

Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the Edit window. If an area is selected in the Edit window, that area is replaced with the contents of the Clipboard. If an area is not selected, then the Clipboard contents are inserted at the cursor.

Related topics

Pasting the Selection Area

Mix Paste

Mixes the contents of the Clipboard with the contents of the waveform. If an area is selected in the Edit window, the contents of the Clipboard are mixed with the contents of that area. If an area is not selected, the contents of the Clipboard are mixed with the file at the location of the cursor.

Related topics

Mixing While Pasting

Delete

Deletes a selected area of the waveform. The area deleted is not placed in the Clipboard.

Related topics

Deleting the Selected Area

Select All

Selects the entire waveform for editing. This can also be accomplished by double-clicking anywhere in the Edit window.

Related topics

Selecting an Entire Waveform


The Effects Menu

The Effects menu contains the following commands:

Change Characteristics

Insert Silence

Fade Down

Fade Up

Amplify

Use the scroll bar to see more Effects menu commands.

Change Characteristics

Lets you change the mono/stereo characteristics, frequency of the waveform, and the number of bits used to represent each sample in the file.

Related topics

Changing a Waveform's Characteristics

Insert Silence

Inserts silence into a waveform file.

Related topics

Inserting Silence

Fade Down

Fades the current selection from 100% amplitude to silence (0% amplitude).

Related topics

Fading Up and Down

Fade Up

Fades the current selection from silence to 100% amplitude.

Related topics

Fading Up and Down

Amplify

Increases or decreases the amplitude of the file (or the current selection) by a percentage you specify.

Related topics

Changing the Amplitude


The View Menu

The View menu contains the following commands:

Left Channel

Right Channel

Milliseconds

Samples

Zoom

Use the scroll bar to see more View menu commands.

Left Channel

Shows the left channel of a stereo file.

Related topics

Viewing Channels of a Stereo Waveform

Right Channel

Shows the right channel of a stereo file.

Related topics

Viewing Channels of a Stereo Waveform

Milliseconds

Changes WaveEdit to show all measurements in milliseconds.

Related topics

Changing the Measurement Scale

Samples

Changes WaveEdit to show all measurements in number of samples.

Related topics

Changing the Measurement Scale

Zoom

Adjusts the zoom control to magnify the currently selected portion of the waveform.

Related topics

Using the Zoom Scroll Bar