Steinberg Wavelab Elements 8 Manual

							WaveLab Elements Concepts
Tab Groups
31
You can have two tab groups. Each tab group has its own content and 
title bar. In the Audio Files workspace, each tab contains an audio file. 
In the Audio Montage workspace, each tab contains an audio montage.
2 tab groups with audio montages in the Audio Montage workspace
Using Tab Groups
Tabs are used differently depending on the type of window.
•To add a tab group, select Workspace > Add Tab Group at right 
or Workspace > Add Tab Group below.
• To remove an empty tab group, activate the tab group, and select 
Workspace > Remove active Tab Group.
• To use one of the tab group layout presets, select Workspace > 
Tab Group presets, and select a layout.
• To reorder tabs, drag the tab to a new position on the tab bar.
• To move a tab to another workspace, drag the tab to another 
workspace.
• To paste the content of a tab into an audio file, drag the tab onto 
the waveform. The tab is inserted at the cursor position.
• To create an empty file inside a tab group, double-click an empty 
part of the tab bar. The created file uses the active file as template. 
						

							WaveLab Elements Concepts
Peak Files
32
Peak Files
A peak file (extension “.gpk”) is automatically created by WaveLab 
Elements each time an audio file is modified or opened in WaveLab 
Elements for the first time. The peak file contains information about the 
waveform and determines how it is drawn in the wave window or the 
montage window.
Peak files speed up the time it takes to draw the corresponding 
waveform.
By default, the peak file is stored in the same location as the audio file.
Rebuilding Peak Displays
Normally, peak files are automatically updated when the peak file’s date 
is older than the audio file’s date. However, it can happen that the date 
of the audio file is wrong and therefore not automatically updated. In this 
case you can force a rebuild of the peak file.
PROCEDURE

						

							WaveLab Elements Concepts
Companion Files
33
Storing Companion Files in Another Location
By default, companion files are stored in the same location as the audio 
file. However, you can select another file location.
PROCEDURE
1.In the Audio Files workspace, select Options > Folders.
2. Select Companion files, and specify another file location. 
						

							 34
Program Overview
Command Bars
Commonly used tools, shortcuts, and commands are represented by 
command buttons. Related buttons are grouped into various 
Command bars.
Command bars in the Audio Files workspace
You can dock Command bars to any window edge or open them in a 
separate window, and rearrange them freely. Each workspace has an 
appropriate set of command bars that can be displayed. All the 
commands that are represented by the command buttons are also 
available on the menus.
Hiding and Showing Command Bars
You can hide command bars that are irrelevant for your project.
•To view a list of available command bars, in the Audio Files 
workspace or the Audio Montage workspace, right-click an empty 
part of the top edge of the workspace, or select Workspace > 
Command bars. 
						

							Program Overview
Status Bar
35
Docking Command Bars
Command bars can either be used as separate floating windows or 
docked at the top, bottom, left, or right side of the workspace window.
•To make a command bar floatable, right-click the bar, and select 
Floatable. Then click the dots on the left side or the top of the 
command bar to drag the bar to another location.
• To dock a floating command bar, right-click the bar, and select 
Floatable. Then click the dots on the left side of the command bar 
to drag the bar to the top, bottom, left, or right side of the 
workspace window.
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the screen of the Audio Files workspace 
and the Audio Montage workspace shows information about the active 
window using the units specified in the rulers.
The information displayed on the status bar is updated depending on 
the cursor position and on the audio selection that you have made.
Time/Level (dB)
Displays the time of the audio file at the mouse cursor position. In 
the Audio Files workspace, it also displays the level.
Audio information at edit cursor
Displays the time at the position of the edit cursor. This information 
changes when you reposition the cursor.
• To define the cursor position, click the indicator to open the 
Cursor position dialog.
• To focus the cursor position, right-click the indicator.
Audio selection indicator (Audio Files workspace)
In the Audio Files workspace, this displays the length of the current 
selection, or the total length of the audio file if no selection has 
been made. 
						

							Program Overview
Status Bar
36
When you have zoomed in, you can right-click the indicator to 
display the selected audio range, the focused clip, or the whole file. 
Left-click the indicator to open the Audio Range dialog, where you 
can define or refine a selection.
Zoom indicator
Displays the current zoom factor.
• To open a pop-up menu, where you can make additional zoom 
settings, click the indicator.
• To open the Zoom factor dialog, where you can edit the zoom 
factor, right-click the indicator.
Sampler key indicator (Audio Files workspace only)
Indicates the key of the current audio file (if defined). Click the 
indicator to open the Sample Attributes window.
Audio properties indicator
In the Audio Files workspace, this displays the bit resolution and 
the sample rate. It also indicates whether the audio file is mono or 
stereo. Click the indicator to open the Audio properties dialog.
In the Audio Montage workspace, this displays the number of 
audio channels and the sample rate of the audio montage. Click 
the indicator to open the Audio Montage properties dialog.
Play through Master Section
If this button is activated, the audio is played through the Master 
Section. If the button is deactivated, the Master Section is ignored.
Document button (drag and drop)
Allows you to drag the current file into another file, for example, an 
audio file to the Audio Montage workspace. This is equivalent to 
dragging the file tab.
Background information
The status bar shows the progress of some background 
operations, such as rendering an effect. The operation can be 
paused or canceled using the provided buttons. 
						

							Program Overview
Context Menus
37
Context Menus
Throughout WaveLab Elements, various context menus are available. 
These menus group the commands and/or options that are specific to 
the current working window.
The context menus appear when you right-click certain areas and are 
useful for speeding up your workflow.
For example, right-click a file tab to open a context menu with some 
relevant file options. Right-click the ruler of the waveform window brings 
up the Time Ruler context menu that allows you to access a number of 
options for changing the time ruler display format.
You can find most context menu commands in the main menus, but 
some commands are only available in context menus. When you search 
for a function, right-click the current working window to check if it has a 
context menu.
Context menu in the montage window 
						

							Program Overview
Time Ruler and Level Ruler
38
Time Ruler and Level Ruler
In the Audio Files workspace, you can display a time and a level ruler in 
the wave window. In the Audio Montage workspace, you can display a 
time ruler in the montage window.
You can also determine which time and level units the rulers show.
Time Ruler and Level Ruler Options
You can specify the time and level (amplitude) formats for each ruler in 
each wave window and the time formats for each ruler in the montage 
window separately by right-clicking the ruler, and selecting a format 
from the pop-up menu.
Time Ruler Menu
Timecode
Displays a list of frames per second for various SMPTE timecodes 
and for CD resolution.
Clock
Displays time units.
Samples
Positions are shown as number of samples. The number of 
samples per second depends on the sample rate of the audio file. 
For example, at 44.1
 kHz, there are 44100 samples per second.
Bars and beats
If this is selected, the ruler is linear relative to the meter position.
Time rulerLevel ruler 
(Audio Files workspace only) 
						

							Program Overview
Time Ruler and Level Ruler
39
File size (Audio Files workspace only)
Shows positions in MegaBytes. Decimals represent KiloBytes.
Show grid (Audio Montage workspace only)
Displays vertical lines in the montage window, aligned with time 
ruler marks.
Time format
Opens the Time format dialog, where you can edit the 
appearance of the time ruler formats.
Save current settings as default
If this option is activated, the time ruler uses the current time format 
in all new wave windows or montage windows.
Set ruler’s origin to start of file
If this option is activated, the ruler’s zero position is set to the 
beginning of the first sample.
Set ruler’s origin at cursor
If this option is activated, the ruler’s zero position is set to the 
current cursor position.
Set ruler’s origin to BWF reference (Audio Files workspace only)
If this option is activated, the first sample matches the BWF time 
reference, provided that the time reference is available.
Level Ruler Menu (Audio Files workspace only)
dB
Sets the level format to decibels.
+-100 %
Sets the level format to percentage.
Normalized +1/-1
Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 32-bit 
float audio.
16-bit range
Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 16-bit audio.
24-bit range
Sets the level format to a ruler gradation corresponding to 24-bit audio.
Save current settings as default
If this option is activated, the level ruler uses the current level 
format in all new wave windows. 
						

							Program Overview
Time Ruler and Level Ruler
40
Time Format Dialog
In this dialog, you can customize the time format. The time format of the 
ruler is also used in various time fields, for example, the status bar and 
certain dialogs.
In the Audio Files workspace, depending on whether you want to set the 
time format for the overview display or the main view display, select 
View > Overview display > Time ruler > Time format or View > 
Main view display > Time ruler > Time format.
In the Audio Montage workspace, select View > Time ruler > Time 
format.
Timecode Tab
On this tab, you can configure the appearance of the Timecode option.
Frames per second
List of standard frame rates. From the drop-down menu, select 
Other to enter a custom frame rate. You can also choose which 
frames/units are displayed.
Show absolute frames
Shows the time format as a number of frames, without other time 
elements.
Show quarter frames
Adds the quarter frame number to the time format.
Show hundredth frames
Adds the number of a hundredths of a frame to the time format.
Show units
Adds time units to the time format of the ruler.