Experimental BBS Explossion 3/Experimental BBS Explossion III.iso/gus/gumntx.zip/USS.TXT

Text File | 1994-06-17 | 43KB | 1,260 lines

UltraSound Studio

1





Welcome to UltraSound Studio, a CD quality, 16-bit sound
sampling and editing program perfect for use with your
UltraSound board. UltraSound Studio software was designed to
combine the power, quality and capability of traditional sound
studio editing with the ease and economy of an IBMr PC or
compatible personal computer.

_

A number of type conventions have been used to help you find
what you need quickly and easily.

Items of interest are shown like this:

Note!    This is interesting and important.

Steps that you have to do are marked with a diamond (r).

r    Do this step.

When you must press the enter key, it is shown like this:

    <enter>



UltraSound Studio was ins_talled during the automated software
installation. Read this section to learn how to use UltraSound
Studio to record and edit digital audio files in DOS.

Recommended _System Requirements

o    IBM PC 386 or compatible (or better)

o    Hard disk

o    VGA monitor and display adapter

o    500K free conventional (base RAM) memory

o    Mouse

Note!    The rest of this manual will assume drive C: is your hard
drive and drive A: is your active floppy drive. If you are using
different drives, just substitute the correct letters wherever
you see C: and A: in this manual.

____Configuration;

When UltraSound Studio is installed, you will have a file called
USS.EXE in your \ULTRASND\USS directory (or the installation
directory that you chose).

In your \ULTRASND directory you should find these sound files:

ARROW.SND, ENTER.SND, and INTRO.SND

2

Using UltraSound Studio

_

UltraSound Studio must be installed on your hard drive.
(Normally, this is done as part of the automatic install process
when you install your UltraSound.)  Your UltraSound card must
also be installed and configured using the Setup program. You
need only do this once, just after installation.

r    Start UltraSound Studio:

Type: CD \ULTRASND\USS <enter>

Type: USS <enter>

After you have typed the correct information, the USS start-up
screen should appear. Use your mouse to click the OK button, or
press the Enter key, and you will see the USS desktop.

_

To stop USS and return to DOS, select Quit from the File menu or
press the ESC key on your keyboard. You will get a confirmation
prompt either way.



UltraSound Studio's desktop is like a reel-to-reel recording
studio. There is a master reel that you can modify to make new
sounds; and secondary reels that you can record into, play
alone, or mix onto the master reel. There are also numerous
controls for customizing sounds.  UltraSound Studio lets you
record and play back sound much like a tape recorder does.  Once
you have recorded samples, USS will let you edit all or just a
portion of an audio reel.  The edit functions are Mix, Cut,
Insert, Fade, Echo, Reverb, Time and Quiet. The figure below
shows the  _main display.

Master Reel;

The master reel is always on the desktop and is one of USS's
most important features. You can record and play back sounds
with the master reel, as well as insert or mix sounds from
secondary reels. Figure 2-1 shows a master reel.

All editing (using the editing buttons or edit menus) takes
place on the master reel only.

_

The secondary reels are used only for recording and playing back
sounds. A sound on a secondary reel can be moved onto the master
reel by the mixing and inserting functions. Figure 2-2 shows a
secondary reel.

One visible difference between the secondary reel and the master
reel is the minimize button, which allows you to minimize a
secondary reel to a reel icon.  You may have up to nine
secondary reels on the desktop at a time.  A maximum of three
can be open at a time, with up to six minimized reel icons.  If
nine reels are on the desktop, one must be closed before a new
one can be opened.

Editing Buttons;

The buttons shown in Figure 4 are used to edit sounds on the
master reel. (Editing functions only affect the master reel.)
The _Mix button mixes one or multiple sounds onto the master
reel. The _Cut button removes a section of tape from the master
reel. The _Insert button inserts a section from the selected
secondary reel to the master reel. The _Fade button is used to
modify a section of the master reel so that it sounds like a
"fade in" or "fade out." If you make a mistake and press the
wrong button, or you don't like a change that you made, the
_Undo button deletes previous edits. You can keep deleting up to
your last save.

The _Echo and _Reverb editing buttons can be used to create echo
and reverb effects in your sample. The _Reverse edit function
changes the selected sound so that it plays backwards.  The
_Time edit button can be used to stretch or shrink a sample into
an exact time period. The _Quiet edit function can be used to
silence a section of a sample.  Each of these options can be
chosen from the Edit pull-down menu at the top of the screen.



UltraSound Studio's menus provide an easy mechanism to execute
commands.  The File, Edit, Desk, and Speed menus are explained
in detail in the Menus section.

Control Panel;

The control panel shown in Figure 2-4 is the heart of UltraSound
Studio. It is used to set input and output levels, monitor
(listen to) the audio, turn on microphone and line level inputs
(both can be on or off), and toggle between mono and stereo
mode.  It is also used to select sample resolution (8 or 16-bit)
and data compression modes (available with the UltraSound MAX or
with  the 16-Bit Recording Option and a 2.2-3.7 UltraSound
card).  Select the source, mode, controls, and compression type
by clicking on the appropriate buttons with the mouse. Move the
level scroll bars by clicking and dragging. Select monitor and
VU level meters by pressing the larger buttons between the
meters.

If your UltraSound card is Version 3.4 or earlier, you will only
see level scroll bars for Output. Input levels can be controlled
at the source, using the VU meters for reference.



The looping function allows a recorded sound to play repeatedly
until you press stop. To use the Loop function, push the Loop
button on the control panel. When you press the loop button you
can loop from the current pointer to the end of the track by
pushing Play with the left mouse button, or you can loop between
the left and right block pointers with the right mouse button.
To stop playing a loop, press <esc>.



At times it may be necessary to re-record just a section of a
sample. For example, the first 2 minutes of a voice recording
may be acceptable, but you wish to record over the rest of the
sample. By using the Punch-In function you can play the sample
and press Record at the point you wish to record over. To use
Punch-In, press the Punch-In button on the control panel. Push
Play on the reel you are going to change and prepare to start
your new source. Then, simply press Record when you wish to
begin re-recording.

You cannot UNDO this section. Once recorded over, the previous
data is lost.

__

You must have the UltraSound MAX  or the 16-Bit Recording Option
(available with UltraSound version 2.2-3.7) to use compression.
Press the 16-Bit button, and the compression button will appear.

USS makes use of three kinds of file compression: Adaptive
Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM), A-LAW, and µ-LAW.
ADPCM is a compression mode that is available only in 16-bit
record mode. When a sound is recorded and saved in 16-bit with
ADPCM compression engaged, the format of the file is changed,
and the size of the file is reduced up to 4:1 to conserve disk
space. The primary purpose of ADPCM compression is to provide
maximum compression for a sound sample that does not need
editing, using as little disk space as possible.

Sounds recorded with ADPCM compression cannot be edited.

A-LAW and µ-LAW are forms of compression that use 16-bit
recording quality, but store the recorded sound in 8-bit format
to save disk space. By a process called Companding (COMPress +
expAND), A-LAW and µ-LAW compression reduce a 16-bit sound to 8
bits. When you play back a sound, it expands by adding `empty'
bits and plays as a 16-bit sound. Sound samples recorded with
A-LAW or µ-LAW are edited as 8-bit files.



_ADPCM

o     16-bit recording

o     up to 4:1 compression

o     not stored as normal sound file

o     VU Meters don't operate during

       record/playback

o     allows Insert, Cut, Undo

o     does not allow Mix, Fade, Echo,

       Reverb, Reverse, Time, Quiet



You can load either an existing or a blank reel into either the
master reel or a secondary reel.

r    Select Load Reel from the File menu.

r    Select a sound file by clicking the mouse on a file name, then
click OK; or double click to load the file, or click on file
name with the right mouse button to select and load the file.

r    To open a new reel, select New Reel from the File menu.

r     Select Load Master from the File menu, if you want to load an
existing sound into the master reel.

After you select either operation, a list of files and
directories appears. The sound files that are in the current
directory are shown in black. The directories are shown in red.
The ".." at the top of the list will take you to that
subdirectory's parent directory.

If you want to see the files in one of the directories:

r    Click your mouse on the directory's name.

If you want to see the parent directory:

r    Click on the directory named "..".

When you find the name of the sound file that you wish to load,
click on it. If you click with the left mouse button the file
becomes selected. Click the OK button on the left  to load the
file. If you click with the right mouse button, USS will
automatically load the audio reel.

_

The following section describes the basic functions of
UltraSound Studio_how to record, play, and save sound.



A more detailed example of recording sound can be found in the
practice section.

To record a sample:

r    Attach your input source (stereo, CD player, microphone, etc.)
to the back of your UltraSound card. See the UltraSound Quick
Installation Guide.

r    Press the VU button to see the VU level meters move.

r    Press the Mon (Monitor) button to hear the audio output.

r    Set the sampling rate.

r    Adjust the levels to your liking.

r    Press the red record button on the reel you want to record to.

When you first start UltraSound Studio, only the master reel is
on the screen. You probably don't want to use the master reel
for recording, because this is where editing will take place,
and editing will change your original sample. If you wish,
however, you may record directly to the master reel.

r    Press the stop button when you are finished.

_

The audio level must not be too loud or too soft when you record
sound. The control panel shows the input and output audio
levels. These indicators will help you get the proper recorded
sound. See Figure  5 (page 14). Press the VU button in the
control panel to activate the meters. Turn on the audio source
(tape deck, CD, radio etc.) and make sure that the connections
are secure; the audio VU meter needles should display the audio
level. To monitor the sound you are recording, click on the Mon
button. (The button legend will be yellow after you click on
it.)

You can adjust the output audio levels by using the scroll bars.
The input audio levels are affected by the volume controls on
the audio source and the output level by the two scroll bars
marked out. These can be adjusted separately or together. The
left mouse button will change the left and right independently,
and the right mouse button will change both left and right
simultaneously. (If Mono recording is selected, either button
will change left and right simultaneously.)

Note!    USS will not display input level scroll bars if it detects
an earlier version of UltraSound (V3.4 or earlier) installed.
For earlier versions of UltraSound cards, adjust the input level
at the source using the VU meters for reference.

The _input levels should be adjusted so that the VU meters
rarely reach the red section. When the VU meters hit the red
section, the peak lights will glow. USS will not record the
sound correctly if the meter is registering too far to the left
or right. Average output level numbers for both scroll bars are
around 50 to 70. When you are satisfied with the audio levels,
record your sound.



Once you have a sound recorded on a reel, there are several ways
to play it back. Pressing the Play button with the left mouse
button will play from the current pointer to the end of the
sound. Pressing the Play button with the right mouse button will
play sound from the left block pointer to the right block
pointer. Regardless of how you choose to _play back your reel,
you can stop at any time by clicking either mouse button.



r     Choose Save Master from the File menu to save changes to the
master reel on your hard disk.

If the Master Reel has not been named, you will be prompted to
give it a name. Click OK. The name of the master reel, like the
secondary reels, must be at most 8 letters or numbers and must
follow the same restrictions used in naming DOS files.



There is no need to save samples recorded onto secondary reels;
they are saved as they are recorded. Since only the master reel
can be edited, the sample on the secondary reel will not change
after it has been recorded.



r    Select Clear Master from the File menu to erase all contents
of the Master Reel.

This function cannot be undone. Make sure that you have saved
the Master Reel if you want to keep its contents.

r    Select Close Reel from the File menu to clear the active reel
from the screen.



The Delete File function is used to erase saved reels from your
hard disk. Choosing this option from the File menu displays a
list of sounds that are saved, and lets you delete one of them.

Note!    You cannot delete the file that is currently loaded. USS
will prompt you to close the reel before deleting it. Also, you
cannot erase a sound file that has been mixed into a master reel
until you save or clear the master reel.

3

Editing Sound Samples

UltraSound Studio lets you mix, cut, insert and fade samples and
add echo, reverb, reverse sound, time manipulation, and silence
into a track.  In addition, USS has an undo feature that lets
you backtrack  when editing. The following section describes
these features and how to use them.

Undoing Sound Edits;

Pressing the Undo button allows you to fix mistakes or correct
sound changes that you're not satisfied with. The Undo function
will undo an unlimited number of edits, up to the last time you
saved your work or cleared the master reel.  Undo uses hard disk
space to store temporary files, so if you want to use this
feature extensively, make sure you have plenty of free space on
your hard drive.

If you make a series of edits and decide you don't want them:

r    Press the Undo button.

Note!    Don't worry if you hear gaps when auditioning an edit;
this is normal. __Until the edit is saved by using Save from the
File menu, there will be audible gaps in the sound at periodic
intervals. These gaps are there to allow USS to undo edits. All
editing functions work this way. When you save the edit, the
gaps are removed, and the edit can no longer be undone.

Block Pointers;

The block pointers mark the section of the input reel you wish
to edit (master reel) or copy (secondary reel). All of the input
and editing functions require the use of the left and right
block pointers on the input reel. (Typically, this is the master
reel, but the Insert and Mix functions use a secondary reel as
the input reel.) The block pointers mark a region of a sample
that you want to edit. For example, if you want to cut the
region from 00:00:00:05 to 00:00:01:00 in the master reel, you
would set the left block pointer to 00:00:00:05 and the right
block pointer to 00:00:01:00, then press the Cut button or
select Cut Blocks from the Edit menu.

To set the left block pointer (blue), you can move it like a
scroll bar (click-drag-release). Try to get the left block
pointer as close as you can to where you want to start editing.
Do the same with the right block pointer (green). You can hear
the selection between the two block pointers by pressing the
Play button with the right mouse button.

Another way to move the block pointers is to use the _Fast
Forward and _Rewind buttons. When you first depress one of these
buttons, the block pointers will move slowly at first, but the
longer you hold the button, the faster the block pointer will
move. The Left mouse button will move the left block pointer,
the Right mouse button will move the right block pointer. The
current position pointer will move if you press the <Shift> key
while using either the left or right mouse buttons. You can
fine-tune the position of the block pointers or current position
pointer more easily with these controls than you can by grabbing
the block pointers directly. You can fine-tune block pointer
positions  even more by using Zoom Mode.

Zoom Mode;

Click on the Toggle View button in the lower left corner of a
reel (see Figure 3-1). When you have clicked on this button, a
waveform will appear where the reel used to be. At the center of
this waveform should be at least one vertical line that
represents a block pointer. The other two block pointers may
also show up in zoom mode, depending on how close together they
are.

To locate the left block pointer while in zoom mode:

r    Click on the L (Left) button .

To locate the right block pointer while in zoom mode:

r    Click on the R (Right) button.

To locate the current block pointer while in zoom mode:

r    Click on the C (Current pointer) Button.

Clicking on one of these three buttons focuses the display on
that particular block pointer by placing it in the center of the
zoom screen. All three pointers have two thin vertical lines
displayed in the color of that pointer, Left is Blue, Right is
Green and the Current pointer is White.

Zoom mode focuses on a small section of the sample just around
the block pointer you are trying to fine tune. You can focus in
further on the wave by pressing the _`In' button, or you can
expand the zoom area by pressing the _`Out' button. Click on the
`C' button to center the Current pointer, the `L' button to
center on the Left pointer, or the `R' button to center the
right pointer. If the pointer you want to center is at the
beginning or the end of the sound, it will be to the far left or
right of the waveform display.



Click PLAY with Left Mouse Button:    Plays full zoom screen or
current pointer to end of screen if pointer is visible.

     + <shift>:    Plays from the current pointer to end of file.

Click PLAY with Right Mouse Button:    Plays the visible portion of
the zoom screen between the left and right pointers.

     +<shift>:    Plays between left and right pointers regardless
of where they are located.

Note!    If zoom play traps your mouse, just press a key to regain
mouse control.



Use IN, OUT buttons to change zoom.

Use C, L, and R buttons to locate and center the block pointers.

Left Mouse Button:    Grabs any visible block pointer.

     + <shift>:    Separates Current pointer from another nearby
pointer.

     + <ctrl>:    Places Left pointer where your cursor is.

Right Mouse Button:    Grabs any visible block pointer.

     + <shift>:    Separates Current pointer from another nearby
pointer.

     + <ctrl>:    Places Right pointer where your cursor is.

Mixing Sounds;

The Mix function mixes and combines multiple sounds into the
same reel. Note that mixing sounds with dissimilar sampling
rates, bit resolution or stereo/mono may produce unexpected (and
noisy!) results. To mix sounds:

r    Click on the Mix button.

A window will appear with select buttons and level scroll bars
for all active reels.

r    Select the reels you want to mix and adjust the levels to your
taste.

You can hear what the mixed sounds will sound like by clicking
on the Test button. The space bar stops the Test. Sound between
the left and right block pointers on the secondary reel will be
mixed into the master reel after its current position pointer.

r    Use the Test function to audition your mixed sound.

r    Click OK to complete the mix, or press cancel.

_

To cut a section out of the master reel:

r    Set the left and right block pointers around the region that
you want to cut.

r    Click on the Cut button, or select Cut Blocks from the Edit
menu.

If the block pointers are used to select the whole sample, the
cut operation clears the reel. A cleared reel cannot be undone.
USS will ask you to confirm that you want to clear the whole
reel, and will allow you to cancel the operation. Any other cut
can be undone.



The Insert function is used to copy an entire or partial section
of the current secondary reel to the master reel. The left and
right block pointers are used to select a region of the
secondary reel which is to be inserted into the master reel just
after the current pointer position on the master reel.

To start the insert:

r    Press the Insert button or select Insert Block from the Edit
menu.

A window will appear asking you for the insert input level. If
you move the scroll bars to the left, the copied sound will be
quieter than the original. If you move them to the right, it
will be louder. The default  value is 16; leaving the input
level at 16 will leave the volume of the inserted sound
identical to the original.

To play a test of the insert:

r     Press the Test button.

To stop the test:

r    Press the <space bar> on your keyboard.

To continue to copy the sound from the secondary reel:

r    Press the OK button.

To cancel the insert:

r    Press the Stop button.

If you are not satisfied with the insert you can undo it by
pressing the Undo button.

Remember, don't worry if you hear gaps when auditioning an edit;
this is normal. __Until the edit is saved using Save from the
File menu, there will be audible gaps in the sound at periodic
intervals. These gaps are there to allow USS to undo edits. When
you  save the edit, the gaps are removed, and the edit can no
longer be undone.



The fade function is used to create a fade in or fade out
effect, like the endings of songs on the radio. You can also use
Fade to reduce overall volume by setting both sides to the same
level.

r    Use the block pointers to select the area of the master reel
where you would like to have a fade effect.

r    Press the Fade button, and a window appears with two scroll
bars and a set of parallel horizontal lines (see Figure 3-2).

The lines represent the percentage of sound level heard from one
block pointer to the other. Changing the left scroll bar to zero
will produce a fade in effect. Change the right scroll bar's
value to zero will produce a  fade out. Increase or decrease the
level on each side according to what effect you want, keeping in
mind that if you start the fade with less then 100% of the
original level, there will be an instant drop in level at the
beginning block pointer to the level set for the fade start.



The following sections show how to add these effects to any
sound sample.  Echo and Reverb work particularly well with
distinct solo sounds such as voice or single instrument
recordings. Use these effects sparingly;  too much reverb or
echo will produce a muddy and indistinct sound.



The Echo function allows you to add a variable amount of echo
effect to a recorded portion of the master reel (between the
left and right block pointers). The Echo function has two
variables that you can change each time you click on the Echo
button (see Figure 3-3). The __delay variable sets the amount of
time (in seconds) between a sound and its echo. The __decay
variable (0-16) sets the rate at which the echo fades away, with
16 being the shortest fade and 0 the longest.



To add echo to a section of the master reel:

r    Set the left and right block pointers around the section that
you want to add echo to.

r    Click on the Echo button.

r    Enter the amount of delay you want, then press <Enter>.

r    Select the amount of decay you want, then click OK.

r    Click Play in the master reel to hear your echo effect.

Click Undo to retry with different variables. Each Echo or
Reverb layer you add will also add background noise to your
sound sample, so use these effects judiciously.



This function allows you to add a variable amount of
reverberation effect to sound samples between the left and right
block pointers on the master reel.  Like the Echo function, the
Reverb function has two variables that can be selected by the
Reverb button (see Figure 3-4).



The __delay variable sets the reverb effect delay in
milliseconds. (The greater the time delay, the more pronounced
the effect.  The __decay option sets the rate at which the
reverb effect dissipates; 16 is the shortest decay and 0 the
longest.)

To add Reverb to a section of the master reel:

r    Set the left and right block pointers around the section of
the master reel that you want to add reverb effect to.

r    Click on the Reverb button.

r    Enter the amount of delay you want, then press <Enter>.

r    Select the amount of decay you want, then click OK.

r    Press play in the master reel to hear your Reverb effect.

Interesting effects can result from doing several reverbs over
the same section of sound. Feel free to experiment; any
undesired results can easily be undone by clicking the Undo
button.

_

The Reverse function allows you to create some interesting sound
effects by allowing you to record backwards the section of the
master reel between the block pointers.  Using the Reverse
function twice on the same section of sound simply returns that
section to normal.

To Reverse a section of sound:

r    Set block pointers around the section on the master reel you
wish to reverse.

r    Click on the reverse button.

r    Press Play on the master reel with the right mouse button to
hear the reverse effect.

Time Function;

The Time function can help you make small changes in the length
of a section of sound (for example, fitting a 33-second sample
into a 30-second space).  No information will be lost, but the
pitch (frequency) of the sound will be higher. On the other
hand, trying to stretch the time of a section too much will
result in a decrease of frequency to make the sample fit in the
longer space. There are practical limits to the amount of time
that a sound can be shrunk or expanded to.

To alter the time of a section of sound:

r    Set the block pointers on the master reel around the section
of sound you wish to alter.

r    Click on the Time button.

r    Select the minutes and seconds for the new time period from
the Compress Time dialogue box (see Figure 3-5).

r    Click OK.

r    Press Play on the master reel to hear the new sound.

Quiet Function;

This function allows you to insert a silent period of any length
onto the master reel.

To use the Quiet function:

r    Set the current pointer on the master reel at the position
where you want to start a silent period.

r    Click on the Time button.

r    Select the amount of time in minutes and seconds from the
Silence Time dialogue box (see Figure 3-6) to place on the
master reel.

r    Click OK.

r    Press play on the master reel to hear your new sample.

4

UltraSound Studio Practice

_

Here's a chance to practice what you've learned so far. Before
you begin, you need to have some form of input (CD Player, tape
deck, microphone, etc.) connected to the line-in or microphone
connector on your UltraSound board.

r    Turn on your audio source (CD, tape deck, microphone, etc.).

r    Click on the VU button to activate your VU Meters.

r    Click on the Mon (Monitor) button to hear the audio.

r    Note your VU meters' response and adjust the input accordingly.

r    Click on the Speed menu with your mouse and choose 11 kHz.

You can experiment with different settings to find the optimal
recording speed. Try recording at a lower speed on one reel,
higher on another, and compare.

r    Click on the File menu, drag down to New Reel, then release
your mouse button.

r     Click in the text box with the mouse.

r    Enter a DOS filename for your new reel (We'll call it NEW.SND).

r    Click anywhere on the NEW.SND reel, and notice that its name
turns from black to yellow.

r    Press the record button on the NEW.SND reel.

r    Play your sound from the audio source.

r    To stop recording, press the Stop button with the mouse or
press the space bar.

_

Now try mixing your two sounds together and adding a third.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load INTRO.SND from
the \ULTRASND\ directory.

r    Using Load Reel twice more, load ENTER.SND and ARROW.SND.

r    Click on the mix button, or choose Mix blocks from the edit
menu.

r    Click on each of the three reel buttons in the mix window to
select each reel to mix in to the master.

r    Drag the slider bars for each of the three reels to adjust the
levels

r    Click the test button to hear the result.  Adjust the levels
to achieve the desired mix.

r    Click OK to complete the mix.

r    Play back your mixed sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like, using
Save Master from the File menu.



Practice what you've learned about inserting sounds using a
sound provided on your Installation disks. In this practice
session, you will insert sounds from your secondary reel onto
your master reel.

r    Choose Load Reel from the File menu.

r    Load the sound called ARROW.SND from the \ULTRASND\ directory.

r    Select 11 kHz from the Speed menu, 8-bit, and mono from the
appropriate buttons

r    Listen to the sound by pressing the Play button.

r    Adjust the block pointers to select the whole sound. Put the
left block pointer at the beginning of the sound, and the right
block pointer at the end. You can use the zoom mode if you want,
but because you are copying the entire sound, it's not really
necessary.

r    Set the current pointer on the master reel to the beginning of
the reel.

r    Press the Insert button, or select insert blocks from the Edit
menu.

r    Use the scroll bars to adjust the volume of the sound you will
copy. Moving the scroll bars to the left will make the sound
softer, moving them to the right will make it louder. A value of
16 will leave it at the same volume.

r    Click on OK to copy or insert the sound into the master reel.

r    Save the sound to your hard disk by clicking on Save Master
and entering any valid DOS filename. (We'll use PRACTICE.SND.)
It should sound exactly the same as ARROW.SND.



Now you'll practice cutting sections from the master reel, using
the master reel you created called PRACTICE.SND.

You must have completed the previous practice session on
inserting sounds to do this one.

r    Choose Load Master from the File menu, then choose
PRACTICE.SND.

r    Use the block pointers to isolate any section of PRACTICE.SND.
You can scroll, or use the fast forward and rewind buttons by
clicking them with the mouse button that corresponds to the
block pointer you wish to move.

r    Click the Zoom button with the left mouse button to fine-tune
the left block pointer.  Press the IN button to zoom closer,
press the OUT button for a wider view.

r    Fine-tune the left block pointer, represented by the double
BLUE vertical line. To hear the area of sound you have chosen,
click Play with the left mouse button.

r    Repeat these steps using the right mouse button to adjust the
right block pointer.

r    Click on the Cut button, or choose Cut Blocks from the Edit
menu.

r    Press the Play button

r    You should be left with a sound consisting of the sections of
sound that were not cut.

r    Save your work with the Save Master command from the File
menu, with the name "PRACTICE2.SND".



This practice session will use a sound provided with USS to show
you how to fade sounds in and out.

r    Choose Load Master from the File menu, then choose ENTER.SND
from the pop-up list.

r    Choose Display Time from the Desk Menu. (It may say Display
Byte or Display SMPTE.)

r    Adjust the block pointers  so that the left block pointer is
at approximately 00:00:02:00, and the right one remains at the
end.

r    Click on the Fade button.

r    The lines that appear represent the percentage of sound that
will be heard from one block pointer to the other. If they are
horizontal, you will hear 100% of the sound (no fade).

r    Change the right scroll bar's value to create a fade out
effect. Try experimenting with different percentages. A value
ranging from 100% on the left to 35% on the right works well.

r    Click OK and play back the music; it should fade out.

r    Save your sound as "PRACTICE.SND."

_

Now try adding echo to a sound sample.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load INTRO.SND.

r    Click on the Insert button, or choose Insert blocks from the
edit menu to copy INTRO.SND to the master reel.

r    Move the left and right block pointers to the beginning and
end of the entire master reel.

r    Click the Echo button.

r    Enter 0.25 seconds for the delay and 2 for the decay.  Click
OK.

r    Press play on the master reel to hear your edited sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like.

_

Now try adding Reverb to a sound sample.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load INTRO.SND.

r    Click on the Insert button, or choose Insert blocks from the
edit menu to copy INTRO.SND to the master reel.

r    Move the left block pointer to 00:90 and the right block
pointer to 01:75 on the master reel.

r    Click the Reverb button.

r    Enter 100 milliseconds for the delay and 0 for the decay.

r    Press play on the master reel to hear your edited sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like.

_

Now try Reversing a sound sample.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load ENTER.SND.

r    Click on the Insert button, or choose Insert Blocks from the
edit menu to copy ENTER.SND to the master reel.

r    Move the left and right block pointers to the beginning and
end of the section you wish to REVERSE on the master reel.

r    Click the Reverse button.

r    Press Play on the master reel to hear your edited sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like.

Practice 9 - Using the Time Function

Now try changing the Time base of a sound sample.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load ARROW.SND.

r    Click on the Insert button, or choose Insert Blocks from the
edit menu to copy ARROW.SND to the master reel.

r    Move the left and right block pointers to the beginning and
end of the section you wish to change time to on the master
reel.

r    Click the Time button.

r    Click OK to complete the edit.

r    Play back your edited sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like.

_

Now try adding silence to a sound sample.

r    Choose Load Reel from the file menu, then load INTRO.SND.

r    Click on the Insert button, or choose Insert Blocks from the
edit menu to copy INTRO.SND to the master reel.

r    Move the left and right block pointers to the beginning and
end of the section you wish to silence on the master reel.

r    Click the Quiet button.

r    Click OK to complete the edit.

r    Play back your edited sound.

r    Save your work with a valid DOS filename if you'd like.

5

Reference - Pulldown Menus

_

The File menu is used for most  file operations and for quitting
the program.

_New Reel. Used to create a new secondary reel. New reels must
first be given a valid DOS filename so that when you are
recording, the information will be saved directly to your hard
disk. Files will be saved in .SND or .WAV format, depending on
which file extension you use.

_Load Reel. Lets you load a secondary reel you have already
saved, a reel that was included with the USS software, or sounds
you have acquired from third-party sources.

_Close Reel. Removes the highlighted reel from the screen.

_Load Master. Works just like Load Reel, except the sound is
loaded into the Master Reel. If you already have unsaved work on
the master reel, you will be prompted to save your work.

_Save Master . Saves a master reel to disk. Saved master reels
must be named using DOS filename conventions.

_Clear Master. Erases the sound from the master reel.

Note!    The Clear Master function cannot be undone.

_Delete File. Used to erase saved reels from the hard disk. This
function displays a list of sound files that are saved, and lets
you delete one of them.

You cannot delete a file that is currently loaded. USS will
prompt you to close the reel before deleting it. You cannot
erase a sound file that is currently part of the master reel.

_Quit. Exits from USS to DOS. You'll be prompted to save your
work before you quit.

_

Edit menu items have exactly the same functions as the edit
buttons on the left side of your desktop.

See the section on editing samples in chapter 2 of this manual
for details on each function.

The Edit Menu consists of:

_o Mix Blocks         o Echo Block

o Cut Block        o Reverb Block

o Insert Block    o Fade Block

_o Undo Edit



The Desk menu lets you get information about UltraSound Studio
and set parameters for USS.

_About USS. Opens the title window with version information
about USS.

_Clear Desk. Closes everything but the master reel. Each reel is
 reduced to an icon at the bottom of the USS desktop.

_Display Offset/Time/SMPTE. The counters on the sound reels can
display one of three formats: Offset,  Time, and SMPTE.  The
display advances to the next format each time you click on it.
Offset format is used to display the byte offset from the
beginning of the sample.

Time format displays the time since the beginning of the sample
in hours, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of seconds:
HH:MM:SS:XX.

The SMPTE format is similar to the Time format, except that
instead of hundredths of seconds, XX is measured in 1/30 second
intervals to correspond to the 30 frames per second of video and
film.

_Show Parameters. This function displays information about the
current reel. It shows the reel's size, the byte position of the
current pointer, left and right block pointers, and the name of
the file.

_

This menu allows you to control the sampling rate for recording
and playback.

48 kHz. This is the maximum available sampling rate and provides
DAT (Digital Audio Tape) quality digital recording as used in
professional recording studios. You can record at 48 kHz only if
you have the 16-bit Recording Option or the UltraSound Max sound
card.

44 kHz. This sampling rate produces excellent results when
recording music with full frequency response. Compact discs are
recorded at 44.1 kHz to produce stunning musical clarity.

22 kHz. Recording at this speed is perfectly adequate for most
music and produces results similar in quality to a good FM
stereo radio receiver. Use this setting for high quality voice
recording or recording from the radio or other less than perfect
sources.

11 kHz. This rate can  be used if top music quality isn't
important.  It's roughly equivalent to AM mono radio quality.
This rate is good for voice samples, but music won't sound its
best at this sampling frequency.

8 kHz. This rate provides poor sound quality, but uses much less
disk space than higher sampling rates.

Note!    More information can be stored in the same space when a
smaller sampling rate is used.

Set Other. Sampling rates from 4 to 48 kHz can be entered by
choosing this option and then typing in a value. Note that
sampling in stereo can only be done at 22, 44, and 48 kHz.

6

_Troubleshooting Guide & Index



Nothing happens when I click the big "USS" button on the
start-up screen.

That's OK. Nothing is supposed to happen. That big button is
just for decoration.

I can't seem to make a block pointer active in zoom mode.

You may be using the wrong mouse button. Use the left button for
the left pointer, and the right button for the right pointer.

Help! I zoomed in and lost the block pointer I was working with.

Click on the L, C, or R button to center on the Left, Current,
or  Right block pointer in zoom mode.

I got a sound file from a bulletin board and when I try to play
it, it sounds strange.

You must play  your sound back at the same sample rate and
resolution (8 or 16-bit) that it was recorded at. The
stereo/mono button on the control panel must be set correctly
for the sound file. Keep in mind that stereo sounds can only be
recorded or played at 22 kHz or 44.1 kHz.

I get no sound from my microphone, or mic sound is very low,
muffled, or distorted. I get no sound from my line-in.

Make sure the appropriate Mic or line button is pressed (press
it once just to make sure). To monitor the sound source, press
the `monitor  button. Also make sure you have the level scroll
bars up high enough.

I get no sound when playing back or monitoring.

Output level may not be high enough. Make sure you have the
output level scroll bars up enough to hear your sound. Check
your connectors or plug in headphones to test the output.

My recording sounds scratchy, has pops, gaps or noise in it.

See the section in Chapter one titled "For Best Recording
Results."

USS  won't let me save my sound with the name I want.

Names of files must conform to DOS rules for filenames. You can
have only eight letters, plus a three letter extension after a
period. The name "MASTER.SND" is reserved by the software.

The NAME dialog box won't go away.

Press <return>, then click OK after entering your filename to
proceed.



Technical support is available to all registered owners of
Advanced Gravis products.

See your UltraSound manual for details.