Figure 1-1 Fast Edit Startup Window

1. When Fast Edit is first opened from Windows?, an empty window is displayed, as shown in Figure 1-1. The main window consists of a title bar, the menu bar, and two separate sound display windows. Each sound display window has a waveform display area, bordered above and below by colored bars, and a set of buttons and controls at the bottom. Soundfiles that you open are displayed in the bottom window, the Read Only window. The top window is called the Modify window; this is where most editing operations are performed. In general, new soundfiles in the Modify window are to be constructed using portions of soundfiles from the Read Only window so that the original recordings are not altered.

Right now the Read Only window's upper bar is red, indicating that it is the active window; that is, operations permitted in either window will now act on the Read Only window.

Figure 1-2 Open Dialog Box

Step 1: Copy a portion of a voice recording for editing

Open the soundfile "voice.wav"

Select the Open command from the File menu. The Open dialog box, shown in Figure 1-2, displays the soundfiles included with Fast Edit. Click on the file entitled "voice.wav," then click the "OK" button. Alternatively, you can double-click on the file.

After a very brief pause, the Read Only window will display a waveform representing the data in the file, as shown in Figure 1-3. The name of the file is now displayed on the left side of the Read Only window's upper bar. On the right hand side is the amplitude scale, which is presently set at zero decibels.

A narrow vertical line is at the center of the waveform. This is the Edit Cursor which points to your location in the soundfile. The scroll bar at the bottom of the Read Only window confirms that you are in the center of the soundfile, as does the time display at the lower right.

Figure 1-3 Displaying "voice.wav"

Play the soundfile

Make sure the cursor is within the Read Only waveform display area and click with the right mouse button; however, do not click on the Edit Cursor, since this triggers a different play operation.

A vertical bar called the play cursor moves across the display as the soundfile plays.

Play the file again and interrupt the playback.

Figure 1-4 Selected Region in "voice.wav"

Play the Selection to ensure that the correct portion is Selected.

Click with the right mouse button in the middle of the Selected region.

If you have Selected the region correctly, it will say,

"...production work was never so easy!....harumph(throat clear)....Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software..."

Once the correct Selection has been made, you can duplicate it in the Modify window through the use of the copy and Paste operations.

First, copy the Selected region.

Click the "Copy" button under the Read Only window, or select the Copy command from the Edit menu.

The sound is now copied. Selection remains enabled in the Read Only window.

The "Clip 1" in the row of buttons labeled "Clip 1", "Clip 2", "Clip 3", "Clip 4", and "Windows" now has a red square outlined in yellow. The red square indicates that our Selected region is now copied into Clipboard 1.

Now you are ready to Paste the sound into the Modify window.

Click the "Paste" button under the Modify window, or select the Paste command from the Edit menu.

Several things have now occurred as a result of the Paste, as illustrated in Figure 1-5. First, the Modify window is now the active window, as indicated by the red upper bar. The word "Modified" appears in the bar to show that the contents of the window have been changed. The amplitude scale is in accordance with the sound that was Pasted. Notice that there is not yet a file name associated with the soundfile in the Modify window.

Figure 1-5 Display Windows Following the Paste Operation

The most important thing that has happened is that the sound that you have Selected and copied is now in the Modify window. An Edit Cursor now appears in this window, in the middle of the Pasted portion of sound.

Step 2: Select and examine a portion of the voice soundfile

Play the sound in the Modify window.

Click with the right mouse button in the Modify window.

Sounds great, except that the speaker "harrumphed" during his commentary. Next you will delete this part of the recording.

Select the "harrumph," which is approximately located from 2.14 seconds to 3.0 seconds in the soundfile. The correct Selection is shown in Figure 1-6.

Drag the Edit Cursor to the space before the "harrumph," click on the "S" button under the Modify window to enable Selection, and then drag the Edit Cursor to the space after the "harrumph."

Figure 1-6 "Harrumph" Selection

To confirm that the correct Selection has been made, play the Selection.

Click with the right mouse button in the Selected portion.

When this audible comparison is not enough to confirm that the correct region is Selected, you can examine the Selection in more detail by zooming in and looking at a smaller range of samples.

For now, zoom in to view the Selection you have made.

Select the View Selection Command from the Display menu.

This produces a view of the Selection with a small amount of unSelected data on either side, as shown in Figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7 Viewing the "harrumph" Selection.

With the zoomed-in display, it is much easier to see the "harrumph" in detail. You can use the mouse to adjust the position of both edges of the Selected region.

When the "harrumph" is accurately highlighted, you can zoom back out to the full voice soundfile.

Select the Toggle Zoom In/Out command from the Display menu.

Step 3: Perform edits on the voice recording

Now delete the "harrumph."

Select the Delete command from the Edit menu.

Play the soundfile to hear the result. It should now say,

"...production work was never so easy!....Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software..."

To complete our editing of the voice, we want to rearrange the order of the two phrases from

"...production work was never so easy!....Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software..."

to

"Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software......production work was never so easy!"

To do this, you will Cut the second phrase off the end of the soundfile, and Paste it onto the beginning of the soundfile.

Figure 1-8 Selection of Second Phrase

Play the second phrase before Selecting it.

Place the Edit Cursor where you think the second phrase begins. With the mouse pointer still on the Edit Cursor, click on the right mouse button to play from the cursor. Move the cursor and play again, until the Edit Cursor is at the beginning of the second phrase.

Now Select the second phrase in the soundfile. The Selection is illustrated in Figure 1-8.

Click on the "S" button under the Modify window to enable Selection, and drag the Edit Cursor to the end of the soundfile.

Verify that the Selection is accurate by playing the Selected region. It should say

"Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software..."

When you are satisfied with the Selection, Cut it onto the clipboard.

Select the Cut command from the Edit menu.

Play the top window to hear the result. It should now say

"...production work was never so easy!"

Now Paste the contents of the clipboard at the beginning of the file.

Drag the Edit Cursor to the beginning of the soundfile, and click the `Paste' button to the left of the scroll bar or select the Paste command from the Edit menu.

Play the soundfile to hear the result. The two phrases are now reversed to say

"Fast Edit...by Minnetonka Audio Software......production work was never so easy!"

Now that the voice has been edited correctly, you will save it onto the hard drive.

Select "Save As" under the "File" menu.

A dialog box will appear (Figure 1-9).

Figure 1-9 The Save As Dialog Box

Type "goodvoice" into the File Name box, and click on "SAVE".

The voice in the Modify window will be saved on the disk as a soundfile named "goodvoic.wav." You can now verify that the sound was saved.

Select the "Open" command in the "File" menu.

You will see that "goodvoice.wav" now appears on the list of soundfiles on your hard disk.

Good job! You have completed this tutorial, and can now exit Fast Edit.

Choose Exit from the File menu.

The next tutorial includes methods for doing Fades and Mixes, using the soundfile you just made.