Steinberg WaveLab Elements 7 Operation Manual

							4.4 Markers 33
Removing markers
In the Waveform window, click on the head of the marker you want to delete. Drag the marker
vertically out of the wave window - a delete symbol is shown as confirmation. You can also
use the "Delete selected markers" function from the Marker Window Functions menu.
Using markers for editing and playback
Once you have defined one or more markers in an audio montage or Audio File you can use
them to:
ˆ Control playback - you can access various commands to start at, stop at, loop be-
tween and skip markers during playback via the Transport menu. These can also be
accessed from the Transport toolbar.
ˆ Define a selection - you can use markers to help you make selections in a waveform.
These can be accessed by various selection commands in the Edit >Select menu.
About importing and saving loop markers
There is an important point to consider when importing files with loops into WaveLab Ele-
ments. Both Wave and AIFF file formats can store limited information about markers (e.g.
loop points) in the Audio File, but WaveLab Elements can store much more information (such
as extended marker types and comments) in external ".mrk" files that are independent of file
formats. Because loop markers may be stored in two ways, there is a potential risk for con-
flict:
ˆ When you import a file that has never been used in WaveLab Elements before, and
which contains loops, the loops are "imported" and displayed as loop markers.
ˆ When you then save the file in AIFF or Wave format, the loop points are stored, both
as part of the actual file (so that other applications can read them) and in the ".mrk" file
(for WaveLab Elements).
ˆ When you open a file that has been used in WaveLab Elements before, loop tags that
were originally in the file, (before you used it in WaveLab Elements) are ignored. Only
the loop information in the ".mrk" file is used.
Using markers in the Audio Montage Workspace
There are some additional marker functions that are specific to the Audio Montage
Workspace which allow you to bind selected markers to individual Clips. These functions
are useful as they allow you to freely move Clips about and perform editing functions without
fear of loosing the exact position of a marker. These additional marker functions are located
in the
Marker Window when editing in the Audio Montage Workspace:
ˆ Bind selected marker to start of focused clip
ˆ Bind selected marker to end of focused clip
ˆ Detach selected marker from its associated clip
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Related topics
Marker types
Marker Window
4.4.1 Marker types
Markers have a variety of uses in editing and playback, such as indicating cue points, absolute
time locations, highlighting "problem" sections and for visually separating tracks.
Basic markers
ˆ Generic markers - these are mainly used for locating certain important positions
and for editing (for selecting all the audio between two points, for example). Generic
markers can be created directly during recording.
Editing/Navigation markers
ˆ Region start and end markers - these markers can be created directly
during recording; they can be used to define start and end points for generic regions.
Editing/Navigation markers must be used as a pair.
Loop markers
ˆ Loop start and end markers - These are used for defining loop points and
are required to access loop editing functions in the Process menu of the Audio File
Workspace: they are directly connected to the playback Loop mode. These markers
are often useful during editing and for creating loops before transferring a sound to a
sampler. Loop markers must be used as a pair.
Related topics
Markers
Marker Window
4.5 Metering
WaveLab Elements contains a variety of audio meters to help in monitoring and analyzing
audio.Meters can be used to monitor audio during playback. There are three different audio
meters in WaveLab Elements, each with its own separate window. The meters are accessed
via the Analysis menu, the Shared Tool windows menu, or from the Meters control bar.
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							4.5 Metering 35
Monitor Modes
You can choose the audio source and the mode for displaying information in the meters.
You can access the following monitoring functions from the Meters menu or via the Meters
command bar:
ˆ Monitor Playback - the meters display the audio output of the Master Section
after the dithering section, unlike the Master Section's own meter .
ˆ Monitor Audio Input - the meters display the audio input you have chosen in the
Audio Streaming Settings . This is useful for monitoring audio while recording.
ˆ Monitor File Rendering - the meters display what is being written to disk during
file rendering, taking into account Master Section settings, with average, minimum and
maximum peak values computed. After rendering, the meter(s) freeze, and remain frozen
until you refresh or change the monitor mode.
ˆ Monitor Edit cursor position - the meters display static information about the
audio beneath the edit cursor. Note that the Master Section settings are not taken into
account in this mode.
ˆ Analyze audio selection - this allows you to make a selection and have the
meters display the average values over the selected range as a static display. The
Master Section settings are not taken into account in this mode. When you change the
selection, you need to update the meter displays by selecting
"Refresh selection
analysis" from the Meters menu (or by clicking the Refresh button on the Meters control
bar).
If you have one of the continuous display modes chosen, you can also select to freeze the
meters at any time using the
"Freeze meters" command.
Using meter windows
There can only be one instance of each Audio Meter. For example, if you dock one meter in a
Workspace, it will be automatically removed from the place where it was previously located.
Audio Meters can appear in the Audio File, Audio Montage Workspaces as well as the Con-
trol Window. They can be used:
ˆ as a docked window in a Workspace
ˆ as a tabbed window in the control window
ˆ as an independent floating window. In this mode, it can be useful to make the window
"frameless" from Window>Hide frame , to save screen space. In this case, the whole
menu is accessed by right-clicking.
The axis of most Audio Meters may be rotated, to view the graphics horizontally or vertically.
Some meters can also have their visual style and display parameters customized via their
corresponding settings dialog. This can be accessed through the Functions>Settings...
menu in each meter window, or by using the
icon.
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Related topics
VU Meter
Spectroscope
Oscilloscope
4.5.1 VU Meter
The vu-meter is used to display the peak and average loudness/decibel level of your Audio
File. It also displays the pan, or the balance between the left and right channels in a stereo
file.
The upper part of the level/pan meter window shows the peak level and average loudness,
in the following way:
ˆ The Peak Level meters display the peak levels of each channel, graphically and numeri-
cally. By default, the meter segments and numerical peak values are displayed in green
for low levels, yellow for levels between -6dB and -2dB, and red for levels above -2dB.
You can change both the colors and the range boundaries if you wish via the Level/Pan
Meter Settings dialog. This can be accessed through the Functions>Settings...
menu, or by using the
icon.
ˆ The VU (Volume Unit) meters measure the average loudness (RMS) of each channel.
These meters have a built-in inertia, evening out loudness variations over a user-defined
time span. If you are monitoring playback or audio input, you will also note two vertical
lines following each VU meter bar, seemingly "trying to reach" the current RMS value.
These lines indicate the average of the most recent minimum RMS values (left line)
and the average of the most recent maximum RMS values (right line). To the left, the
difference between the minimum and maximum average values is displayed (the level
value in brackets) - this gives you an overview of the dynamic range of the audio material.
ˆ If you are monitoring real-time audio (playback or input), the maximum peak and loud-
ness values are displayed numerically to the right of the meter bars. Numbers in brack-
ets to the right of the Maximum Peak values indicate the number of successive clips
(0dB signal peaks). Recording levels should be set so that they only rarely clip. If the
master level is set too high, the sound quality and frequency response will be compro-
mised at high recording levels, with unwanted clipping effects. If the level is set too
low, noise levels may be high relative to the main sound being recorded.
The VU meter can be found in the Metersmenu of the Audio Files and Audio Montage
Workspaces.
Related topics
Metering
4.5.2 Spectroscope
The Spectroscope shows a continuous graphical representation of the frequency spectrum,
analyzed into 60 separate frequency bands, represented as vertical bars. Peak levels are
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							4.6 Offline processing 37
shown as a short horizontal lines above the corresponding band, indicating recent peak/-
maximum values.
The Spectroscope can be found in the Metersmenu of the Audio Files and Audio Montage
Workspaces. It can be used either as a floating window, or docked in the Workspace.
Related topics
Metering
4.5.3 Oscilloscope
The Oscilloscope offers a highly magnified view of the waveform around the playback cursor
position.
If you are analyzing a stereo file, the Oscilloscope normally shows the separate levels of
the two channels. However, if you activate the option "Show Sum and Subtraction" on the
Functions menu (or click the +/- icon), the upper half of the Oscilloscope shows the sum of
the two channels and the lower half shows the subtraction.
Making settings
By opening the Settings dialog you can adjust the display colors, and choose to activate
Auto-zoom or not. With Auto-zoom activated, the display is optimized so that the highest
level reaches the top of the display at all times. The Settings dialog can be accessed through
the Functions >Settings... menu, or by using the
icon.
The Oscilloscope can be found in the Metersmenu of the Audio Files and Audio Montage
Workspaces. It can be used either as a floating window, or docked in the Workspace.
Related topics
Metering
4.6 Offline processing
Offline processes are used for a variety of editing purposes and creative effects. Offline
processing refers to functions that are only performed when saving the file.
"Offline" means the process can't be monitored during playback, either because they require
too much processing power or because they require an analysis pass prior to processing.
Note that WaveLab Elements only writes temporary files when applying an effect, so the orig-
inal Audio File is safe. Only when saving the original is the original audio possibly modified.
These offline processes differ to realtime processes (such as listening to effects via the
Master Section for example), which only temporarily render an effect while audio is played
"through" them.
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Applying processing
Processing can be applied to a selection or to a whole Audio File. For certain processing
operations processing the entire file is necessary. This will be indicated by the effects re-
spective dialog. If "Process whole file if there is no selection" is selected in the
Audio File
editing preferences
editing tab, the whole file will automatically be processed if no selection
exists.
To apply processing to some audio, proceed as follows:
1. Make a selection. If the file is in stereo, you can apply processing to either channel or
both, by selecting one channel or both.
2. Select the desired offline process from the Process menu.
3. If a dialog appears, make the appropriate settings. If the dialog uses presets, you can
load one of them to fill out the settings automatically.
4. When you have finished with the settings in the dialog, click the Apply/Paste/Process
button to permanently render the effect to file.
In some cases a status bar dialog is displayed showing the progress of the operation. If you
need to interrupt a long process, click the "Cancel" button on the status bar dialog.
Undo/Redo processing
Even though offline processes appear to alter the file permanently, you can always reinstate
a previous version using WaveLab's "undo" feature. The number of Undo/Redo commands
is limited only by your available hard drive space. Access the Undo and Redo commands via
Edit >Undo orEdit >Redo .
Tips for using Offline Processing
Processing dialogs are non-modal - meaning that they stay open and on screen even after
processing has been applied. This means that you can still playback audio and access un-
do/redo commands to audition the results of your effect and make any further adjustments to
any settings. You can also use key commands and access any other menu commands while
leaving the offline process dialog open. Remember that using and saving presets when you
have settings you are happy with can also save you time.
WaveLab Elements contains a powerful array of offline processing tools including the follow-
ing:
Change Level
Level envelope
Normalize Level
Silence Generator
Loop Tone Uniformizer
Pitch correction
Time stretching
Loop Tweaker
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Related topics
Presets
Rendering
4.6.1 Change Level
This dialog allows you to apply a gain to change the level of an Audio File.
You can also use "Find current peak level" to obtain a report on the peak level of the current
audio selection (or the peak level in the whole file, if "Process whole file if there is no selection"
is selected in the preferences). This can be useful if you wish to calculate how much you can
increase the overall gain of a file without introducing clipping (exceeding 0dB), for example.
To change the level, enter the desired gain and click Apply.
You can access this dialog by choosing Process>Change level... in the Audio File
Workspace.
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Audio File editing
Value editing
4.6.2 Level envelope
This dialog allows you to create a volume envelope which can be applied to a selected range
or a whole Audio File. This could be useful if you need to even-out loud and quiet parts, for
example.
You can edit the envelope by:
ˆ Double clicking on the line to add a point: double click on a point to remove it.
ˆ Selecting multiple points (using [Shift]click) allows you to move the selection as a
group.
You can also use the controls to delete or reset points in the envelope. Use the envelope
smoothing button to toggle the envelope points between a straight (polygonal) line or a
curved path.
Click Apply to apply the envelope to the audio selection or file.
You can access this dialog in the Audio File Workspace via Process>Level envelope... .
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
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Audio File editing
Adjusting Envelopes
4.6.3 Normalize Level
This dialog allows you to change the peak level of your Audio File.
Enter the desired peak level (in dB) that you wish the audio selection to have. You can also
use "Find current peak level" to obtain a report on the peak level of the current audio selection
(or the peak level in the whole file, if "Process whole file if there is no selection" is selected
in the preferences). You can choose to apply the same gain to both stereo channels (Stereo
Link) or mix down to a mono file (Mix to Mono) with the assurance that no clipping will occur
when both channels are mixed together.
To normalize the selected audio, enter the desired peak level and click Apply.
You can access this dialog by choosing Process>Level Normalizer... in the Audio File
Workspace.
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Audio File editing
Value editing
4.6.4 Silence Generator
This dialog allows you to generate "silence", either by replacing an audio selection, or by
specifying a duration.
You can also specify a cross fade at each end of the silent region, for a smoother transition.
Radio buttons determine where the silent period is placed in the audio.
You can access this dialog in the Audio File Workspace via Edit>Silence (advanced)... .
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Silence
4.6.5 Loop Tone Uniformizer
This dialog allows you to create sounds that will loop, from audio that is seemingly "un-
loopable". These are normally sounds that constantly decay in level or continuously change
in timbre. The Loop Tone Uniformizer applies processing to the sound that evens out changes
in level and timbral characteristics in order for a sound to loop properly. For example, this
could be useful for creating looped samples for a softsynth or hardware sampler.
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To use the Loop Tone Uniformizer you need to have a loop defined using a pair of loop markers
. The original length of the loop is not changed.
Uniformizers
This tab allows you to specify the method/s used to even out the sound you wish to loop.
Choose between "Slice mixing" and/or "Chorus smoothing". For a full explanation of how
each of these methods operate use the "What's this?" help function.
For slice mixing, you may need to experiment to see how many slices are needed. Generally
the more slices you use, the more natural the sound will be (up to a certain point).
Pre Cross fade
The Loop Tone Uniformizer also includes the option to cross fade the end of the loop with
the start of the newly processed section so that transition into the newly looped section is
smoother during playback. Use the envelope drag points or value sliders to adjust the cross
fade.
A note about Post Cross fading
If you have used the Loop Tone Uniformizer within a region of an Audio File, the transition
from the end of the loop into the original file in many cases won't be very natural. This can
be fixed as follows:
1. Close the Loop Tone Uniformizer and open the Loop Tweaker.
2. Click on the Cross fade tab and deactivate the Cross fade option (the check box).
3. Click on the Post Cross fade tab and make sure Cross fade is activated.
4. Set up the post cross fade parameters and click Apply.
It can also be a useful tip to lock the loop markers after you use this command on a selection
within an Audio File. Once the loop is processed in place, moving the loop markers will upset
playback of the loop.
You can access this dialog in the Audio File Workspace via Process>Loop Tone Uni-
formizer... .
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Markers
Adjusting Envelopes
4.6.6 Pitch correction
This dialog allows you to detect and change the pitch of a sound without affecting its length.
ˆ Amount of Shift - use these controls to find out the current pitch of the audio and if
desired, calculate the required shift to match a specific pitch.
ˆ Method - use these controls to adjust the method and quality you wish to use when
processing the pitch change. You can also choose how the length of the sound is
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affected by the operation. By default this process will not change the length of the
sound.
This tool could be useful for fixing an off-key vocal note in a live recording, or tuning the pitch
of a kick drum sample to fit a particular song, for example.
You can access this dialog from the Audio File Workspace via Process>Pitch Correc-
tion... .
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Adjusting Envelopes
4.6.7 Time stretching
This dialog allows you to change the duration of an audio selection (usually without changing
its pitch).
You can view exact time information on the original audio selection you wish to stretch and
choose the amount you wish to "stretch" it in seconds, beats per minute or as a percentage.
You can also choose which method WaveLab uses to stretch the audio and the quality/speed
of the processing.
When choosing a method, it is useful to experiment with the different algorithms available
to find which one suits your source material the best. Use "What's this?" to find out more
information on each method and determine which one will produce the best time stretch
without introducing unwanted artifacts.
This function is useful if you want to speed up or slow down a recording to match other
material, such as matching the tempo of two drum beats, or fitting an audio track to a section
of video, for example.
You can access this dialog from the Audio File Workspace by choosing Process>Time
stretching... .
For an explanation of each parameter and interface feature, click on , or the 'What's this?'
question mark icon. For more information see
Getting Help
Related topics
Adjusting Envelopes
4.6.8 Loop Tweaker
This dialog allows you to refine a region of audio to loop seamlessly.
The Loop Tweaker can just be used to "tweak" an existing loop selection so that it loops
perfectly or you can also use it to create a loop from material which does not naturally repeat.
To use the Loop Tweaker you must first have a loop defined using a pair of loop markers
.
WaveLab Elements 7