Steinberg WaveLab Essential 6 Operation Manual

							121
The Audio CD Montage
Using fades and crossfades in the 
Montage
There are a number of different options to choose from 
when creating and editing fades and crossfades in the 
Montage. These are described in the following sections.
Creating fades
As mentioned earlier, by default all clips display a fade-in 
and a fade-out junction point. These can be dragged hori-
zontally to create a fade-in or fade-out for a clip. You can 
add envelope points to a fade just as with volume enve-
lopes. To create a fade, proceed as follows:
1.Click on the fade-in point at the beginning of a clip and 
drag it to the right.
The resulting linear (by default) fade-in curve is displayed in the clip, and 
the fade is also reflected in the waveform. If you position the mouse over 
the fade-in point, a label appears, showing the fade-in time in seconds 
and milliseconds, and the volume in dB.
A linear fade-in
2.To create a fade-out, use the same basic procedure 
but instead click and drag the fade-out point at the end of 
the clip to the left.
By default you can only move the fade junction points 
horizontally. To move them up or down, you need to hold 
down [Ctrl] and drag.
Editing fades
The operating procedure when creating and editing fades 
is identical to volume envelopes. Please refer to the vol-
ume envelope section for details.To make editing of fades easier, there are special Zoom 
options on the clip speed menu, for zooming in on the 
fade-in or fade-out area.
Fade Options
Editing the fades of all selected clips
If you press [Alt] and change a fade-in or fade-out point, 
this will affect all selected clips simultaneously.
Create default fades in new clips
If this option is ticked on the Edit view : Fade menu, all 
new clips that are imported or recorded in the Montage 
will get the default fade-in and fade-out shape and length. 
This is also true for clips that are created by splitting a clip.
Using the fade- in/out ROM presets
If you select “Fade-in/out ROM Presets” on the envelope 
speed menu, a submenu opens where you can select var-
ious preset curves.
The following curve types can be selected (in these exam-
ples fade-in curves are used – the corresponding fade-
out curves would of course display the mirror image):
!Note that the fade junction points (the points sepa-
rating the fade parts from the sustain part) have a 
special property: If you move a junction point, all 
other points in the corresponding fade are moved 
proportionally, to maintain the shape of the fade!
!The fade-in/out ROM presets are only selectable on 
the envelope speed menu if the respective fade-in/
out length in the clip is defined, i.e. not set to zero.
Fade-in curve type Description
Linear This is the factory default fade curve. 
A straight line between two points.
Sinus This produces a fade-in curve that 
starts out moderately fast but planes 
out towards the end. This curve type 
will provide a constant power cross-
fade. 
						

							122
The Audio CD Montage
Using crossfades
A crossfade is a gradual fade between two clips, where 
one is faded in and the other faded out. Crossfades in the 
Montage are created automatically when clip edges over-
lap. To create an automatic crossfade, proceed as fol-
lows:
1.Click on the Edit tab and open the Edit view : Fade 
menu.
2.Select the menu item “Automatic crossfading – free 
overlaps”.
This can also be selected by clicking the automatic crossfade icon.
The automatic crossfade icon
3.Move a clip so that it overlaps the edge of another clip.
The crossfade is automatically created in the overlap; by default two 
equal length linear fade curves, one fading out and the other fading in. 
This will also happen if you paste a clip so that it overlaps another clip.
Crossfade option
The automatic crossfade option on the Edit view : Fade 
menu determines if automatic crossfades will be created 
in the Montage: 
Automatic crossfading – free overlaps.
If this is activated, automatic crossfades are created when a clip overlaps 
the edge of another clip on the same track, and the length of the overlap 
determines the length of the crossfade.
Editing crossfades
The factory default automatic crossfade is linear, using the 
same shape and fade lengths for both the fade-in and 
fade-out. Most of the time, an unaltered linear or sinus 
crossfade will produce the desired result. You can, how-
ever, create crossfades with totally independent shapes 
and lengths for the fade-in and fade-out curves. The fol-
lowing rules apply:
You can edit the fade-in and fade-out curves in cross-
fades in exactly the same way as fades.
To change the crossfade time (the width of the cross-
fade zone) “symmetrically”, press [Shift] and move left and 
right.
Press [Ctrl] and move left and right to “slide” the cross-
fade region while keeping its length.
Changing the crossfade time (left), and sliding the crossfade region 
(right). Square-root This creates a curve that fades in 
quickly then planes out. This curve 
type will provide a constant power 
crossfade.
Sinusoid This creates an s-shaped fade, with 
a medium slow start and end fade.
Logarithmic This creates a curve that fades in 
fast in the beginning, reaching full 
level early in the fade.
Exponential This creates a curve that fades in 
slowly in the beginning.
Exponential + This creates an even more pro-
nounced exponential curve. Fade-in curve type Description 
						

							123
The Audio CD Montage
ÖPlease note that for these two functions to work, the 
mouse pointer must not be positioned on an envelope 
curve point inside the crossfade region.
If the mouse pointer is positioned on an envelope point, this point was 
the priority and you cannot change the crossfade time nor slide the 
crossfade region.
When you move a clip so that it overlaps another clip to 
create a crossfade, and neither clip has a defined fade in 
the overlap, a default crossfade is created.
When moving a clip with a defined fade curve so that it 
overlaps another clip’s adjacent edge (without a defined 
fade), the unmoved clip automatically gets the same fade 
shape as the moved clip (but as a corresponding opposite 
fade), with amplitude compensation.
Dragging the right clip so that it overlaps the left clip…
…will use the right clip’s fade shape (as a corresponding fade-out), to 
create a crossfade.
If both clips have different defined fade curves at their 
adjacent edges when creating a crossfade, this will create 
an asymmetrical crossfade, based on the defined fade 
curves.
!Note that the above only applies if the unmoved 
clip’s fade-out length is set to zero.
Dragging the right clip so that it overlaps the left clip…
…creates a crossfade based on the already defined fades. 
						

							124
The Audio CD Montage
Adding effects to clips
The Montage supports VST effect plug-ins for individual 
clips. The standard WaveLab Essential and DirectX plug-
ins cannot be used as clip or track effects in the Montage, 
but VST versions of several standard WaveLab Essential 
effects are provided, as well as several of the standard 
Cubase VST effects. Each clip in the Montage can be in-
dependently processed by one VST effect plug-in. Effects 
are configured either as Inserts, when all sound is pro-
cessed by the effect, or as Send effects (“Split mode”) 
where the balance between the unprocessed sound and 
the effect send level can be adjusted.
Adding a clip effect slot 
To add an effect to a clip, proceed as follows:
1.Open the clip speed menu by right-clicking the clip.
2.Select “Effect (unused)” from the menu.
A slot is created and a dialog box opens where various settings relating 
to that slot can be made. Leave the dialog open for now.
Selecting an effect for a slot
1.Click on the button marked “Effects”.
A pop-up menu opens containing all installed VST plug-ins.
2.Select one of the effects from the menu.
The chosen effect’s parameters appear to the left in the dialog. 
3.Change the parameter settings as desired.
4.When you are done, click “Close” to close the dialog 
or leave it open if you want to make more adjustments 
later.
You can continue working with the Effect dialog open. It is also possible 
to have several Effect dialogs open.
If a clip effect has been added, the number [1] is displayed 
before the clip name. This is to indicate that an active ef-
fect slot is used for that clip.
Removing an effect from a slot
1.To remove a clip effect from a slot, open the clip speed 
menu and select the effect you want to remove from a slot.
The effect window opens.
2.Click on the “Effects” button, and select “Remove” 
from the pop-up menu that appears.
The effect is removed from the slot. You can now either select a new ef-
fect for the slot or leave the slot unused.
Effect type: Insert or Split Mode?
Clip effects can be configured either as Insert or Send ef-
fects. This is done using the “Split mode” setting in the Ef-
fect dialog (see “The Effect dialog” on page 125). 
When Split mode is deactivated for an effect, it is 
treated as an insert effect.
This means the whole clip signal is routed through the effect. Typical in-
sert effects would be compressors, auto panners or distortion units, etc. 
When Split mode is activated for an effect, it is treated 
more as a send effect.
In this mode, you can adjust the send level to the effect. Note that Split 
mode is different to conventional send effects in that the effect signal is 
mixed directly into the audio path and not to an effect return section. Typ-
ical Split mode effects would be reverb, chorus or delay, etc.
!Only clip effects for clips that are active at the cur-
rent playback position will consume any CPU power.
!DirectX plug-ins from Waves Ltd. can be used as 
Montage effects by using the Waves VST shell.
!The first time you play a Montage after opening or 
cloning it, the program has to load all effects into 
memory. If you have a lot of effects, this may result in 
a short silence before playback starts.
!You can add effects during playback. However, if 
you add an effect with a latency larger than zero (dis-
played to the right in the Effect dialog, see “Latency” 
on page 125), you should stop and restart playback 
to avoid timing discrepancies.
Also, a small number of VST plug-ins may change la-
tency depending on parameter settings. If that is the 
case, make sure to stop and restart playback after 
the latency is changed.
!Unused slots do not consume any CPU power.
!Some effects are always in Insert mode or always in 
Split mode. For these effects, the Split mode setting 
is greyed out and cannot be changed. 
						

							125
The Audio CD Montage
The Effect dialog
The Effect dialog
When an effect is selected, the left part of the Effect dia-
log contains the parameters for the effect. The right part of 
the dialog contains a number of options and functions that 
are common (although some settings may be disabled de-
pending on the effect type, as explained above). 
The dialog contains the following common elements:
Copying effect settings to another clip
You can copy both the effect type and its settings and 
paste them into another clip. Proceed as follows:
1.Select the effect you want to copy the settings from.
2.Select “Copy” from the Functions menu in the Effect 
dialog.
3.Right-click the clip which you want to paste the ef-
fect’s settings, and either select “Effect (unused)” or an 
existing effect slot (if you want to replace the existing ef-
fect).
4.Select “Paste” from the Functions menu.
The copied effect type is added to a new slot along with the effect set-
tings you copied.
Undoing effect changes
It is possible to undo changes to the effect settings. How-
ever, WaveLab Essential will only “register” the changes 
(thus making them undoable), when the Effect dialog 
loses focus. Therefore, if you have made an effect setting 
change that you want to undo:
1.Click on another window, so that the Effect dialog los-
es focus.
The new effect setting is registered by WaveLab Essential.
2.Select Undo as usual.
3.Go back to the Effect dialog to continue working (if 
you wish).
Dialog item Description
Send level 
sliderThis controls the send level for the chosen effect. Only 
available when Split mode is selected. 
Latency Certain effect plug-ins that have to analyze the sound be-
fore passing it on, will introduce a latency (delay) in the au-
dio path. WaveLab Essential automatically compensates 
for this delay with regard to other tracks. However, real-
time changes (like turning an effect knob) will be delayed 
according to the maximum latency found among all clips 
(the largest sum of latencies for a single clip). Plug-ins 
with latency cannot be used as Split mode effects (see 
below).
Tail Effects like reverb and delay produce audio “tails”, i.e. the 
effect sound continues after the clip sound ends. If for ex-
ample you add echo to a clip without specifying a tail 
value, the echo effect is muted as soon as the clip ends, 
which is in most cases undesirable. Set the tail length so 
that the effect is allowed to decay naturally. The maximum 
tail setting is 30 seconds.
Split mode If Split mode is activated for an effect, the send level for 
the effect can be adjusted, as described in the section “Ef-
fect type: Insert or Split Mode?” on page 124. For some 
effects, this setting cannot be changed.
Bypass If this is activated, the effect is bypassed.
Effects 
buttonThis button opens the Effects menu where you can select 
to remove the slot’s current effect, or select a new one 
from the menu for the same slot. Changing the effect using 
this menu will erase any unsaved changes to the previ-
ously selected effect.
Preset 
buttonThis button opens the preset menu where you can load or 
save effect banks or effects. There are also two items 
named Load and Save Default Bank. Saving as default 
bank will store the effect settings in the same folder as the 
plug-in’s .dll file, and each time you load the plug-in this 
bank will automatically be loaded. This is the way to cus-
tomize the default presets of a plug-in. 
Functions 
buttonThis button opens the Functions menu which allows you to 
copy and paste effect settings between clips. See “Copy-
ing effect settings to another clip” below.
!Stereo plug-in settings can’t be pasted onto mono 
clips (the same applies for mono plug-in settings and 
stereo clips).
Dialog item Description 
						

							126
The Audio CD Montage
The Meta Normalizer
The Meta Normalizer, found on the Edit view : Special 
menu, is a special tool for setting clip gain levels. The pro-
cessing is non destructive, i.e. it will not affect the source 
audio files. 
The Meta Normalizer operates in two or three passes. It 
first analyses the peak or RMS levels on all clips in the 
Montage. Then it processes the clips according to the 
highest possible level found amongst the clips, so that 
they will all play back at equal peak or RMS levels. This is 
achieved by automatically adjusting the clips “Gain” set-
ting in the CD view’s track list. Note that the gain level of a 
clip can either be amplified or reduced. The two purposes 
of the Meta Normalizer are to equalize the loudness be-
tween all clips (useful e.g. when producing a CD) and to 
ensure that the full mixdown of the Montage will never clip. 
Depending on how much the levels differ between clips, 
there are a number of options available to ensure that the 
applied processing optimizes the levels without clipping.
The Meta Normalizer dialog
The Meta Normalizer settings dialog
Selecting the Meta Normalizer from the Edit view : Special 
menu opens a dialog where you can set up various op-
tions before applying the processing. The dialog is divided 
into two pages; “Settings” and “Schedule”, which you can 
switch between by clicking on the appropriate tab at the 
top of the dialog. In the Settings dialog you specify how 
the clips will be processed, and in the Schedule dialog 
you set up options related to the performance of the pro-
cessing (which always happens in the background).
The options on the Settings tab in the Meta Normalizer di-
alog are listed on the next page.
When you have set up the Meta Normalizer dialog, click 
the “Process” button to activate processing.
Processing happens in the background. You can go on working in 
WaveLab Essential during the processing, although not in the Montage 
being processed.
!The audio path in WaveLab Essential uses 32 Bit 
floating point processing. You can therefore “over-
load” it, i.e. use levels above 0 dB, without running 
the risk of causing clipping in the signal path. The 
only section of the audio path that can introduce 
clipping is the output of the Master Section, and this 
can also be taken care of by the Meta Normalizer. 
						

							127
The Audio CD Montage
The following options are available in the Meta Normalizer 
dialog:Using markers in the Montage
Separate markers are provided for use in the Montage. 
Markers are used in the Montage in much the same way 
as in the source Wave windows. See “Markers” on page 
97 for details regarding marker types and the basic func-
tionality of markers.
Creating markers
The quickest way to create a marker is to right-click in the 
area above the ruler and select a marker type from the 
pop-up menu that appears. Right-clicking this way auto-
matically moves the cursor to the click position (provided 
that you don’t click on an existing marker) and inserts the 
marker at the cursor position – i.e. the position at which 
you click. 
Creating markers by right-clicking can be done regardless 
of what view is currently selected.
 
The Markers view
When the Markers view is selected, you can create mark-
ers at the Montage cursor position by using one of the fol-
lowing methods:
 By selecting a marker type from the Markers view : Insert 
menu.
 By clicking on one of the marker icons.
 By pressing the [Insert] key (this creates a Generic marker).
Moving markers in the Track View
To move a marker in the Track View, you click and drag it. 
The Enable snapping setting on the Edit view : Options 
menu applies.
Option Description
Equalize Clip Volume Selecting this will process all clips in the 
Montage according to the highest possible 
level or loudness found amongst the clips, so 
that they will all play back at equal levels.
Equalize peak level Select this option if you want to use peak lev-
els as a basis for determining what is consid-
ered “equal level” when executing Equalize 
Clip Volume.
Equalize loudness 
(RMS)Select this option if you want to use RMS 
(Root Mean Square) levels as a basis for de-
termining what is considered “equal level” 
when executing Equalize Clip Volume. RMS 
normally produces more natural results than 
using Peak levels, since this method is better 
at detecting the perceived “loudness” of a 
sound.
Global When this is activated, the RMS value is cal-
culated over the whole clip. That is, the over-
all loudness of entire clips will be used as a 
basis for calculating the loudness.
Resolution 
(0 – 10 seconds)This option is only relevant if “Equalize Loud-
ness (RMS)” has been selected and “Global” 
is deactivated. It is used to set the size of the 
audio sections that are analysed when calcu-
lating the loudness. The loudest section 
found will be used. The smaller this value, the 
more sensitive the method will be to peaks in 
the material.
Normalize Mix 
(Master Section Input) 
(-24 to 0 dB)If this is selected, the entire Montage mix will 
be normalized to a preset level at the Master 
Section input. The maximum level that can be 
used is 0 dB. Since there is no risk of clip-
ping in the 32 bit internal audio path, you can 
usually turn off this feature.
Normalize Master Section 
Output 
(-24 to 0 dB)If this is selected, the entire mix will be nor-
malized to a preset level at the Master Sec-
tion output. The maximum level that can be 
used is 0 dB. This function is useful before 
you mix down or create a CD. 
Note that this function affects the output of 
the Master Section, which is “outside” the 
actual Montage. Therefore, the effect of this 
function is not saved when you save the 
Montage.
Exclude effects If this is selected, effects will not be taken 
into account when processing with the Meta 
Normalizer.
Only selected clips If this is selected, only selected clips will be 
processed with the Meta Normalizer.
!You can also use any of the above methods to create 
markers at the current cursor position while playing 
back. 
						

							128
The Audio CD Montage
Deleting markers
There are three ways to delete markers in the Montage:
By right-clicking the marker head and selecting “Delete 
marker” on the menu.
By selecting the markers and then selecting “Delete se-
lected markers” on the Markers view : Functions menu.
By dragging the marker up and dropping it outside the 
ruler.
Editing in the markers list view
Clicking on the Marker tab opens the Markers view in the 
upper pane of the Montage. By default, this list contains all 
markers currently in the Montage. Below the Montage 
tabs there is a row of marker icons, and to the left of them 
are the Markers view : Insert and Functions menus. The 
markers list columns are used for editing and/or displaying 
the following marker data:
About locking marker positions to clips
As described in the table above, you can lock markers to 
clips by selecting one of the Functions menu items “Make 
current marker relative to start of focused clip”, “Make cur-
rent marker relative to end of focused clip” or “Make cur-
rent marker relative to audio of focused clip”. If selected, 
the marker will remain in the same position relative to the 
clip start, end or audio position even if the clip is moved in 
the Montage or is resized. 
Selecting the Functions menu item “Detach current marker 
from its relative clip” removes the marker’s clip reference 
and the marker position is no longer locked to the clip.
About attaching markers to clips
On the Functions menu there are two items that control if 
and how markers you insert should be automatically at-
tached to existent clips. If a marker is attached to a clip, 
the marker will move with and maintain its relative position 
to the clip if the clip is moved or resized.
Activating the option “Attach automatically new markers to 
the most suitable clip” results in the following:
 If a marker is created within the boundaries of a focused clip 
or a clip on a focused track, the marker is attached to the au-
dio of that clip (as per the option “Make marker relative to au-
dio of focused clip” described above).
 If a marker is created outside of any clips on the focused track 
(or if there is no clip on the focused track) but within the 
boundaries of a clip on any other track, the marker will be at-
tached to the audio of that clip.
ÖNote that the marker must be inserted within 2 sec-
onds from a clip edge in order to get attached. 
Activating the option “Full clip attachment” will cause at-
tached markers to not only remain in position relatively to 
clips when you move them, but also to be attached during 
clip operations. That means; if you copy a clip, the at-
tached markers will also be copied. If you delete a clip, the 
attached markers will also be deleted.
Option Description
Type This column displays the corresponding marker type 
icon. Clicking the icon opens a pop-up menu where 
you can select a new marker type for the current 
marker position.
Name Displays the marker name. Double click the name field 
to type in a new name. This can also be done by dou-
ble clicking to the right of the marker head in the area 
above the ruler (the pointer changes shape when you 
move it into the “Marker name zone”).
Position This column displays the markers’ time positions. 
Double click to edit.
Lock If this is ticked, the marker cannot be moved by drag-
ging the marker head.
Clip reference By selecting one of the Functions menu items “Make 
current marker relative to start of focused clip”, “Make 
current marker relative to end of focused clip” or 
“Make current marker relative to audio of focused clip” 
you can lock a marker position to the left or right edge 
of a clip, or to its audio position. This column displays 
the name of the clip to which a marker is locked.
Offset Depending on which of the three Functions menu 
items described above is chosen, this column displays 
the time offset between the clip and the marker posi-
tion. 
						

							129
The Audio CD Montage
File handling in the Audio CD 
Montage
Saving the Montage
You save the Montage using the Save or Save As com-
mands on the File menu. Audio CD Montage files have the 
extension “.mon”. 
A couple of things to note:
ÖThe Montage files do not contain any audio data in 
themselves.
Rather, they contain references to audio files. This means that you must 
make sure not to delete, move or rename any audio files referenced by 
Montages.
ÖYou can use the Rename dialog to rename (and/or 
move) audio files and automatically update all clip refer-
ences.
See “Renaming files and documents (Rename)” on page 53.
ÖIf the Audio CD Montage contains clips that refer to 
untitled audio files, you will be asked to save these audio 
files before you can save the Montage.
Saving a Montage template
Once you have set up the Audio CD Montage window the 
way you want it, you can save it as a template. The tem-
plate file contains all settings and options in the Montage, 
but no clips. Next time you create a new Audio CD Mon-
tage (by selecting New Audio CD Montage on the File 
menu), the Templates dialog will come up and you can se-
lect to open a template, which is used as a basis for the 
new Montage. This allows you to create custom track lay-
outs and other settings, stored in different templates.
To save a template, pull down the File menu and select 
“Save as template…”.
ÖWhen a new Montage is created based on the tem-
plate, the new Montage will automatically get the sample 
rate saved in the template.
Opening Montage files
To open a saved Audio CD Montage (.mon) file, pull down 
the File menu and select “Audio CD Montage…” from the 
Open submenu.If any of the audio files referenced in the Montage cannot 
be found, you will be asked to locate them manually. In the 
file dialog that appears, it’s also possible to replace the 
missing file with another – useful if you have renamed the 
original audio file.
Closing the Montage
Closing the Montage is done as with any document win-
dow, by clicking the window’s close button or by selecting 
Close from the File menu. If you have unsaved changes, 
you will be asked whether you want to save the Montage 
before closing it.
Cloning Montages
It is possible to make a “clone” of an Audio CD Montage 
by using “Quick cloning”. The new clips in the new Mon-
tage will reference to the original audio files.
Quick cloning
This is useful if you want to create several versions of the 
Montage, for example experimenting with variations. Note 
however that any processing or editing you apply to the 
actual audio files will be reflected in both Montages, since 
they share all file references.
1.Select the Edit view by clicking the Edit tab.
2.Pull down the Edit view : Special menu and select 
“Quick cloning (reuse audio files)”.
A clone of the Audio CD Montage is created and appears in a new unti-
tled window.
You can also create a “quick clone” by clicking the Docu-
ment icon of the Montage window and dragging to an 
empty area in the WaveLab Essential window. 
						

							130
The Audio CD Montage
Using video tracks
You can edit audio in sync with video placed on a video 
track in the Montage. Video tracks are created from the 
track pop-up menu, just like audio tracks.
Adding video clips to the video track
There are several ways you can add video clips:
By right-clicking somewhere on the empty video track 
and selecting “Insert file(s)”.
A file dialog opens where you can locate the video clip you wish to insert. 
The clip will be inserted at the cursor position.
By dragging from the Files view (see “By dragging from 
the Files view” on page 108).
By copying video clips from another Montage (see “By 
copying clips from another Montage” on page 108).
Playing back a video clip 
Video clips are displayed as clips on the video track, with 
thumbnails representing the frames in the film. If you start 
playback, the video is played back in the Track view for the 
video track.
Viewing video clips in the Video view
You can also view the film in the upper Montage pane if 
you select the Video view. To view the video in full screen 
mode, press [Shift]+[A]. Use this same command to reset 
the view.
The Video view Options menu
There are two items on the Video view : Options menu:
Play video in track (at cursor).
If this is ticked, the video frames will play back in the Track view at the 
cursor position. If this is off, the frames will be displayed as non-animated 
thumbnail images.
No video playback in track when this tab is open.
If both options are ticked, the frames will be displayed as non-animated 
thumbnail images when the Video view is selected, but otherwise play 
back.
Editing video clips in the Montage
You can perform basic functions like moving the video clip 
by dragging it in the time line, lock the clip position, use 
Split at cursor, copy and paste, etc. All available functions 
are displayed on the clip speed menu for a video clip.
!To be able to use video tracks, DirectX 9 must be in-
stalled.