Options: Customizing Fast Edit

  1. To get to the Options dialog, go to the Display menu and select Options (see Figure 2-35).
Figure 2-35
Sample Rate and Channel Settings Options
  1. Three options are set in the Sample Rate/Channels dialog box, shown in Figure 2-36: the sample rate, sample size and channel settings.
Figure 2-36 Sample Rate/Channels Dialog Box
  1. These settings are used during recording and playback. If a ".wav" file is loaded into Fast Edit, and it's parameters disagree with these settings, a dialog box will appear to ask if you want Fast Edit to change the settings to match the new soundfile.
Record and Playback Options
  1. Two options are set in the Record/Playback dialog box, shown in Figure 2-37: ,play audition time, and scrub time.
Figure 2-37 Record/Playback Dialog Box
  1. The Play Audition Time sets the number of milliseconds that are played during the operation of an audition play (see See Methods of Sound Playback.).
  2. The Scrub Time sets the amount of time displayed in the Waveform Display window during a Scrub operation.
Sound File Display Options
  1. Two display options are set in the Display dialog box, shown in Figure 2-38: the clipping level and zoom-in time.
Figure 2-38 Display Dialog Box
  1. The Clipping Level is only a relative number that you assign as indicating the clipping level (in other words, the highest digital level possible at clipping). Changing this number does not change the gain of your audio card's inputs or outputs. The display amplitudes shown on the Fast Edit screen are calculated relative to the number you assign to Clipping Level. The default value is 0 dB.
  2. The zoom-in time is the length of sound file that is displayed when the `z' key is typed to zoom in the waveform display (see See Zooming in the Waveform Display Area.).
The Automatic Crossfade Option
  1. Splices in audio editing can often result in an audible "click" at the splice point. The Automatic Crossfade feature is designed to eliminate these "click"s.
  2. When the Automatic Crossfade feature is Enabled, a crossfade is automatically performed at edit points that are likely to produce a "click".
Figure 2-39 Automatic Crossfade Dialog Box
  1. The parameters of the Automatic Crossfade can be customized (Figure 2-39). The default is a 10 millisecond linear crossfade. This is a good value for most editing work.
Default Directories Options
  1. Three options are set in the Directories dialog box, shown in Figure 2-40:
Figure 2-40 Directories Dialog Box
  1. The Default Sound File Directory box is used to tell Fast Edit where you want your sound files to be kept on the hard disk.
  2. During an editing session, Fast Edit will generate a number of temporary files. You can specify where these are to be kept using the Temporary File Directories. If the Primary becomes full, Fast Edit uses the location you specify for the Secondary.
  3. If any of these values are blank or invalid, the current directory is used. When a file operation is used, the initial directory that is displayed is the Default Sound File Directory
Devices Options
  1. A sample Devices dialog box is shown in Figure 2-41
Figure 2-41 Devices Dialog Box
  1. This is where you assign the Windows? device drivers for your soundcard, and also for your MIDI source, if you have one.
  2. Three devices may be selected from the Devices Options dialog. The Waveform Output device is used for all playback operations. The Waveform Input device is used for all recording operations. The MIDI/SMPTE Input device is used when triggering a record operation from a MIDI source.
Memory Configuration Options
  1. During the recording process, Fast Edit will be generating a "metasample" file.. This file is used to make fast screen draws of the waveform display.
Figure 2-42 Memory Dialog Box
  1. The Memory Options Dialog Box (Figure 2-42) allows you to reserve enough RAM for temporary storage of the metasample file during recording. The Time box tells you how much recording time you have available with the amount of RAM selected. If you record more than the specified amount of time, the metasample file will still be created after recording is complete.
  2. The dialog box also indicates the number of buffers that will be used for record and playback sample data. Normally, 4 buffers are used for recording, and 4 buffers are used for playback.
  3. If your system has audible skipping during playback, you may want to try increasing the number of playback buffers.
Time Display Options
  1. In the lower right-hand corner of both waveform display windows is a time display (see).
Figure 2-43
  1. Fast Edit gives you many options for time display. Figure 2-44 shows the Time Format Options.
Figure 2-44
  1. The time display options determine what the time display will show.
  2. When "No display" is chosen, the time displays disappear.
  3. When "Total File Time" is chosen, the total length of the sound is shown. This number does not change as you zoom the window.
  4. When "Window Time" is chosen, the amount of time of the sound displayed in the window is chosen. This number changes as you zoom in and out.
  5. When "Selection Time" is chosen, the display shows the amount of time in a Selected area. This can be very useful if you need to Select an area of a specific amount of time.
  6. When "Time at Cursor" is chosen, the time at the active Edit Cursor is shown.
  7. The Time Format determines the time format for the time displays and the timeline along the bottom of the waveform display windows.
  8. "Real time" give time in Hours, Minutes, Seconds, and milliseconds.
  9. The "Frame" times give times in Hours, Minutes, Seconds, and Frames, in a video time format.
  10. "Beats per Minute" gives time in beats, similar to the time format of a MIDI sequencer.
  11. For some projects, it is useful to have the project start at some time other than zero. To change the start time, click on the "Start Time" button. That will bring up a dialog that lets you select a different start time (seeFigure 2-45).
Figure 2-45
  1. Type in the times you want, or click on the up/down buttons. When you have the time you want, click on the "Set" button. If you change your mind, and want to go back to the previous start time, click on the "Reset" button. If you want to set all the times to "0", click on the "Zero" button.
Plug-ins
  1. Figure 2-46 shows the Plug-ins options menu.
Figure 2-46
  1. In general, after you have applied a plug-in to a section of audio, you will want to remove it from the plug-in window. If you don't, the plug-in will also be heard in real time during playback, effectively giving you the plug-in twice.