Copyright: Copyright (c) 1996 Creative Technology Ltd.


Help Contents
Contents

Overview

Creative WaveStudio

The WaveStudio Interface

Toolbar

Edit Window

Preview Window

Status Bar

WaveStudio Menus

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Special Menu

Options Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu

Context Sensitive Menu

Working With WaveStudio

Specifying Wave Formats

Opening Wave Files

Saving Wave Files

Mixing Data of Wave Files

Adding Special Effects

Customizing WaveStudio

Recording Wave Files

Keyboard Shortcuts

Technical Articles

Memory Management

File Management

Working with Compressed Wave Files

Using the CD Sync Option


Creative WaveStudio

Creative WaveStudio brings you the next wave in sound editing.  This easy-to-use yet powerful application allows you to record, play, and edit 8-bit (tape quality) and 16-bit (CD quality) wave data within the Windows environment.  It also allows you to enhance your wave data with special effects.

WaveStudio does not restrict you to just simple audio recordings.  You can create entirely unique sounds of your own with editing operations like cut, copy, and paste.  These editing operations are made easy and convenient as you can open several wave files at one time.

With WaveStudio, you are no longer stuck with plain and monotonous recordings.  You can do dramatic and sensational enhancements with a wide range of special effects provided by WaveStudio.  WaveStudio can also import and export your work in compressed Windows wave (WAV) file format.  The following wave compression formats are currently supported:

CCITT µ-Law

CCITT A-Law

Creative ADPCM

IMA/DVI ADPCM

Microsoft ADPCM

In addition, WaveStudio can import and export Creative Voice (VOC) format and raw (RAW) data files.


Toolbar

The Toolbar comprises several buttons and control boxes for file and wave operations.

The buttons on the Toolbar are:

Opens a new window containing no wave data.

Opens an existing wave file.

Saves the active wave file.

Cuts the selected data of the wave file.

Copies the selected data of the wave file.

Pastes cut or copied data onto the wave file.

Plays the wave file that is currently active in WaveStudio.

Stops the playback of a wave file.

Pauses/resumes the playback of a wave file.

Records a wave file.

Sets the default recording format.

Activates Creative Mixer.

Activates the CD player.
Note that this button will only appear if you have a CD-ROM drive installed.

The control boxes on the Toolbar are:

Displays the starting position of the wave data selection.  You can specify the position by typing a numerical value in the text box or use the scroll arrows to select the starting position.

Displays the size of a the wave data selection.  You can type the size in the text box or use the scroll arrows to increase or decrease the size.

Displays the zoom ratio of the wave file displayed.  You can type the ratio in the text box or use the scroll arrows to increase or decrease the ratio.  The smaller the value the larger the magnification.

You can use the above control boxes to select a portion of wave for playback or editing; to select a portion of the wave, specify the starting position and the desired size of the wave data you want to work with and press enter.

You will see the selected portion of the wave data being highlighted in the Edit Window.  For more details on selecting wave data, please refer to the section on the Edit Window.

Related Topic

Edit Window


Edit Window

The Edit Window is the area where the content of a wave file is displayed.  You can open several Edit Windows at a time and display them in a cascaded, vertically tiled, or horizontally tiled fashion.  You can also minimize them to icons.

With different wave files displayed in different Edit Windows, you can perform editing functions like cut, copy, and paste from one wave file to another easily and quickly.

For a better view of data displayed in the Edit Window, use the horizontal scroll bar to select data for viewing and use the vertical scroll or the zoom control in the Toolbar to zoom into (or out of) the data.

To select a portion of the wave data for editing, hold down the left mouse button anywhere on the Edit Window and drag the mouse.  Once the desired portion of the wave data has been selected, release the left mouse button.  The selected area will be highlighted.  To select the entire wave, double-click the wave display in the Edit Window.

Tip

If you want to select data from a specific position back to the beginning of the data, hold down the left mouse button at the specific position and drag the mouse (upwards) above the Edit Window.
If you want to select data from a specific position to the end of the data, hold down the left mouse button at the specific position and drag the mouse (downwards) below the horizontal scroll bar of the Edit Window.

Note

When you click the right mouse button on the Edit Window, a menu of commands will display allowing you to perform various functions.

Related Topic

Preview Window


Preview Window

The Preview Window displays the entire wave data in the current active Edit Window.  You can also select a portion of the wave data for editing by holding down the left mouse button anywhere on the Preview Window and dragging the mouse.  Release the button when the desired portion of the wave data has been selected.  The area selected will be highlighted in the Edit Window.

To select the entire wave, double-click on the Preview Window.  The whole wave display in the Edit Window will be highlighted.

Within the Preview Window is the Progress Indicator showing the progress of playback of a wave file.  When a wave file is played, the Progress Indicator will appear at the bottom of the Preview Window.  If the entire file is selected, the Progress Indicator moves from the beginning to the end of the file.  If only a portion of the file is selected, the Progress Indicator moves from the beginning to the end of that selection.

Related Topic

Status Bar


Status Bar

The Status Bar displays information related to the wave file in the active Edit Window.  It also displays information about each menu command as they are highlighted using the mouse or keyboard.

A window has to contain wave data before the information relevant to the wave file is displayed in the Status Bar.


File Menu

The File menu contains the following menu items:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

New 	Create a new window without any wave data.

Open	Load an existing wave file.

Close	Close an opened wave file.

Close All	Close all opened wave files.

Save	Save changes made to the wave file.

Save As	Save the wave file with a new name.

Save All	Save all open files.

Exit 	Quit WaveStudio.

Note

WaveStudio keeps a record of the last four wave files you have opened by displaying them on the File menu after the Exit command.  To open any of the files, select the file with the left mouse button.

Related Topics

Opening Wave Files

Saving Wave Files


Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains the following editing commands:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Undo	Restore the wave file to the last saved state.

Cut	Copy then remove the selected portion of the wave data.

Copy	Copy a selected portion of the wave data.

Paste 	Paste previously cut or copied wave data into the Edit Window.
If you have selected a portion of the wave data, that portion is replaced.  Otherwise, WaveStudio pastes the wave data at the cursor.

Paste Mix	Mix previously cut or copied wave data with the wave in the Edit Window.
When you play back the wave file, you will hear both sounds together.

Delete	Delete a selected portion of the wave data.  Unlike the Cut command, the wave data is not copied first.

Crop To Selection	Delete the entire data except the portion selected.

Select All 	Select the entire wave file in the Edit Window.  You can also do this by double-clicking the mouse anywhere within the Edit Window.

Note

WaveStudio does not use the Windows Clipboard because wave data is generally too large for the clipboard buffer.

Related Topic

Mixing Data of Wave Files


View Menu

The following commands on the View menu allow you to customize the WaveStudio workspace:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Preview 	Toggle the Preview Window on or off.

Toolbar	Toggle the Toolbar on or off.

Status Bar 	Toggle the Status Bar on or off.

Fit Wave In Window	Scale (adjust the zoom ratio) the wave display to fit the size of the Edit Window.

Actual Size 	Reset the zoom ratio of the wave display in the Edit Window to its actual size (1:1).

Cursor Position	Display the wave file at the starting position of the wave selection.

Cursor End	Display the wave file at the ending position of the wave selection.

Zoom	Zoom into the portion of wave file selected.
You should select the desired portion before using this function.


Special Menu

The commands on the Special menu allow you to add special effects to wave files. These commands are:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Reverse	Reverses the playback of the entire or selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for reversing either channel.

Add Echo	Adds echo effect to a the entire or selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for adding echo to either channel.

Invert Waveform	Inverts the wave data for the entire or selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for inverting either channel.

Rap	Repeats the selected portion of the wave file.

Insert Silence	Inserts silence into the portion of the wave file selected.
This command is used when you want to add a pause between the sounds in a wave file.

Force To Silence	Silences the selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for silencing either channel.

Fade In	Fades into the entire or selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for fading either channel.

Fade Out	Fades out the entire or selected portion of the wave file.
For stereo wave files, there are options for fading either channel.

Swap Channels	Swaps the entire or selected portion of the wave file between the left and right channels.
For stereo wave files only.

Pan Left to Right	Pans the entire or selected portion of the wave file from left to right.
For stereo wave files only.

Pan Right to Left	Pans the entire or selected portion of the wave file from right to left.
For stereo wave files only.

Phase Shift	Shifts one channel of the entire or selected portion of the wave data to the right, causing a delay during the playback.
For stereo wave files only.

Convert Format	Converts the wave file between mono and stereo, 8-bit and 16-bit, and different frequencies.
This is applied to the entire wave file.

Modify Frequency	Modifies the frequency (playback rate) of the wave file.
This is applied to the entire wave file.

Amplify Volume	Changes the volume level of the entire or selected portion of the wave file.

Related Topic

Adding Special Effects


Options Menu

The following commands on the Options menu allow you to change WaveStudio's default settings:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Record Settings	Set the default recording settings.

Mixer Settings	Launch Creative Mixer.

Customize Colors	Customize WaveStudio's display colors.

Display in Bytes	Display wave selection information in bytes.

Display in Samples	Display wave selection information in samples.

Display in Milliseconds	Display wave selection information in milliseconds.

Always on Top	Toggle WaveStudio as the topmost window.


Window Menu

The commands on the Window menu allow you to organize the Edit Windows when several wave files are opened.  For more information regarding these commands, refer to the manual on Microsoft Windows.


Help Menu

The commands on the Help menu are:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Contents	Display contents for WaveStudio Help.

Search for Help on	Search for a topic in WaveStudio Help.

System Info	Display information about Windows and your system such as CPU and available memory.

About WaveStudio	Open a window displaying copyright information.


Context Sensitive Menu

The context sensitive menu appears when you click the right mouse button in the Edit Window.  The commands that appear on the menu will depend on the content of the Edit Window.  In general, the commands include:

This menu item	Allows you to do this

Play	Play the entire or selected portion of the wave file in the Edit Window.

Record	Record the wave file.
If the current active window in the Edit Window is an opened file, the contents in the open file will be replaced by the recorded file.

Stop	Stop the playback of a wave file.


Specifying Wave Formats

Wave format refers to the channel type, sample frequency (sampling rate), and sample size of a wave.  These options need to be specified correctly when you are performing certain functions in WaveStudio; for example, when you are converting wave formats or when you are recording new wave files.  WaveStudio has a standard dialog box for specifying the wave format.

The picture below shows how this standard dialog box would appear when configuring the Record Settings.

To specify the wave format

1	In the Channels group box, click either Mono or Stereo.

2	In the Sampling Rate group box, click the desired frequency from 11025 Hz to 44100 Hz.
11025 Hz is suitable for voice recording, 22050 Hz is suitable for tape quality recording, and 44100 Hz is suitable for CD quality recording.

3	In the Sampling Size group box, click either the 8-bit or 16-bit sample size.
8-bit wave data gives a lower sound quality comparable to that of a cassette tape.  16-bit wave data gives the highest sound quality comparable to that of a CD.

4	Click the OK button.

Note

There is a trade-off between the quality of a wave and the amount of storage space required for the file.  A wave file with better sound quality requires a larger storage space because of its high sampling rate and size.

If an option is not available it will be grayed out.


Opening Wave Files

You can open existing wave files using the Open command from the File menu or the drag-and-drop method.

To use the Open command

1	On the File menu, click Open.
The Open Sound File dialog box appears:

2	In the File Name list box, click the file you wish to open.
You may have to specify the directory where your wave (.WAV) files reside.

There are a few items to note in this dialog box:

The Play button allows you to listen to the playback of the selected wave file.

The file format, size, date, and time are shown at the bottom of the dialog box.

The List Files of Type combo box allows you to display and select Creative Voice format files (.VOC) or raw data files (.RAW).

3	Click the OK button .

Note

If you had selected a raw (RAW) data file you will be prompted by the standard dialog box for the selection of the wave format of the file.

If you had selected a Creative Voice format file (VOC), a dialog box asking for your confirmation to convert the file to wave format is displayed.

To use the drag-and-drop method

1	Launch File Manager and open the directory containing the wave file.

2	Arrange both windows so that the file and the WaveStudio window can be seen.

3	Hold down the left mouse button as you drag the file into the WaveStudio window.

4	Drop the file by releasing the mouse button.
The file opens automatically.

Note

You can also open multiple files using the drag-and-drop method by holding down <Shift> and clicking on the files in File Manager.

Related Topic

Specifying Wave Formats


Saving Wave Files

To save a wave file

1	Click Save on the Toolbar or click Save on the File menu.

2	Enter the name of the file and the path if prompted.

3	Click the OK button.

To save a wave file with a new name or format:

1	On the File menu, click Save As.
The Save Sound File dialog box appears:

2	Enter a new name for the file and the path when prompted.

There are a few items to note in this dialog box:

You can select a compression format for 16-bit Windows wave files from the Compression/Conversion combo box.  Compression is not available for 8-bit wave files.

You can convert a Windows wave file to a different format by selecting PCM Conversion from the Compression/Conversion combo box.

To save as a Creative Voice (VOC) file or raw (RAW) data file select the appropriate file type in the Save File as Type combo box.

4	Click the OK button.

Note

If you had selected PCM Conversion in the Compression/Conversion combo box you will be prompted by the standard dialog box for the selection of the wave format that you wish to convert to.

Related Topic

Specifying Wave Formats


Mixing Data of Wave Files

When you mix the data of two wave files, you are actually adding the data of one file to another to create a new file.  After mixing, you can play back the new file to hear the new sound generated.

To mix the data contents of two wave files

1	Activate the first (source) file and select the desired portion of the data for mixing.

2	On the Edit menu, click Copy.
The data copied is stored in an internal buffer.

3	Activate the second (target) file and select the location where you want the copied data to be mixed.

4	On the Edit menu, click Paste Mix.
The Paste Mix dialog box appears:

5	Click the desired channel(s) for copying data from the source file in the From Buffer Use group box and for mixing data to the target file in the Mix With Wave group box.  For stereo wave files, the following options are available for mixing:

Option	Result
Both Channels	Both channels (left and right) of wave data will be used in the mixing.
Left Channel	Only the left channel data of the wave will be used in the mixing.
Right Channel	Only the right channel data of the wave will be used in the mixing.
6	Click the OK button.

Note

If a portion of the target file is not selected, the data is mixed at the cursor position.  If a portion of the target file is selected, the copied data in the buffer is mixed with the portion selected.

You cannot mix 8-bit wave data with 16-bit wave data.  However, you can convert both wave files to either 16-bit or 8-bit sampling size before mixing them.

Related Topic

Convert Format


Adding Special Effects

Reverse

Add Echo

Invert Waveform

Rap!

Insert Silence

Force to Silence

Fade In and Fade Out

Swap Channels

Pan Left to Right and Pan Right to Left

Phase Shift

Convert Format

Modify Frequency

Amplify Volume


Reverse

This effect reverses the sequence of data in the wave file such that the sound is played backwards.  You can specify a selected portion of the file to be reversed.  If a specific portion of the file is not selected, the entire file will be reversed.

For stereo files, the reverse dialog has three options for you to choose from; you can either reverse both channels, the left channel or the right channel.  No options are available if you are editing a mono file.

Tip

You can create unusual sound effects if you mix a wave with its reversed form.


Add Echo

This effect modifies data in the wave file to give an echo effect.

To add echo to a file

1	On the Special menu, click Add Echo.
The Add Echo dialog box appears.

2	In the Magnitude text box, enter the echo magnitude (the loudness of the echo).
The echo magnitude is in percentage.

3	In the Echo Delay text box, enter the echo delay (the time between the actual sound and the echo).
The echo delay is in milliseconds.

4	For stereo files, select the channel(s) you wish to add the echo to.

5	Click the OK button.

Tip

With this special feature, you can create a metallic sound effect by overlaying the echo.  To do this, keep on applying the Add Echo effect to the same wave file until you obtain the desired result.


Invert Waveform

This special effect inverts the wave form along its horizontal axis.  You can specify a selected portion of the wave data to be inverted.  If a specific portion of the file is not selected, the entire wave file will be inverted.

For stereo files, the invert dialog has three options for you to choose from; you can invert either both channels, the left channel or the right channel.  There are no options if you are editing a mono file.

Tip

You can create an unusual effect if you invert only one channel of a stereo file.


Rap!

This special effect repeats the selected portion of the wave file.  This is useful when you want to create a jerky or stuttering effect for your voice recordings.

To apply this effect you must select a portion of the wave data first.


Insert Silence

Inserts silence into a selected portion of the wave data.

To apply this effect you must select a portion of the wave data first.  The length of the silence will depend on how long the selected portion of the wave data is.

Tip

This command is used when you want to add a pause between the sounds in a wave file.


Force to Silence

This effect mutes a selected portion of a wave such that the selected portion will not be heard during the playback.

For stereo files, the Force to Silence dialog has options to allow you to silence out both channels, the left channel or the right channel.  No options are available if you are editing a mono file.


Fade In and Fade Out

You can create a fading in (soft to loud) or fading out (loud to soft) effect for your wave files.

To use Fade In or Fade Out

1	On the Special menu, click either Fade In or Fade Out.
If Fade In is selected, the Fade In dialog box appears.  If Fade Out is selected, a similar dialog box appears with Fade Out as the title.

2	If Fade In is selected, enter the starting magnitude in the Magnitude text box.
The wave data will be linearly faded in from this starting magnitude (volume) to 100% magnitude (volume).

If Fade Out is selected, Enter the ending magnitude in the Magnitude text box.
The wave data will be linearly faded out from 100% magnitude (volume) to this ending magnitude (volume).

3	For stereo files, you can either fade in or out from both channels, the left channel, or the right channel.
For mono files, only the mono channel is available.

4	Click the OK button.


Swap Channels

This effect swaps the entire or selected portion of wave data between the left and the right channels.  This effect is only applicable to stereo files.

Tip

Use this feature if you have a recording in which the left and right channels have been swapped.


Pan Left to Right and Pan Right to Left

The Pan Left to Right effect pans the sound data of wave files from the left to the right channel .  The Pan Right to Left effect pans the data from the right to the left channel.  This is only applicable to stereo files.

Tip

This feature is useful if you want to simulate movement of a sound source moving from one end of the sound stage to the other.


Phase Shift

This special effect applies phase shift delay to a selected channel of a stereo wave file.  This will cause a delay in the playback of the wave in the selected channel for the amount of time or amount of samples specified.  It can be applied to the entire or selected portion of the wave file.  This effect is only applicable for stereo files.

To create a Phase Shift effect

1	On the Special menu, click Phase Shift.
The Phase Shift dialog appears.

2	In the Delay Resolution group box, click the desired measurement unit.
The phase delay can be applied in terms of milliseconds or in terms of samples.

3	In the Phase Delay text box, enter the desired delay.

4	In the Apply Phase Shift To group box, click the desired channel.

5	Click the OK button.

Tip

You can convert a mono wave file to a stereo wave file and apply this Phase Shift effect.  This will give the converted mono file a pseudo-stereo effect.

Related Topic

Convert Format


Convert Format

Converts the wave data between mono and stereo, 8-bit and 16-bit, and different frequencies.  If you select this effect, you will be prompted by the standard dialog box for the selection of the new wave format.  From the dialog, select the format that you want the wave data to be converted to.

You can choose more than one conversion simultaneously.  For example, you can convert a stereo 16-bit 44100 Hz wave file to a mono 8-bit 11025 Hz wave file.

This effect is applied to the entire wave file.

Tip

You can save on storage requirements for your wave files when you save them with lower sampling frequencies.  This is, however, done at the expense of lower sound quality.

Note

The conversion is a computationally complex process and may take a long time to complete, depending on the size of the wave file.

Related Topic

Specifying Wave Formats


Modify Frequency

You can modify the frequency (playback rate) of wave files by selecting three fixed frequencies: 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, or 44100 Hz.

Selecting a higher frequency will make the sound play back faster.  Selecting a lower frequency will make the sound play back slower.  This effect is applied to the entire file.

Tip

If your file is already at the maximum frequency of 44100 Hz, use Convert Format from the Special menu to convert it to 22050 Hz first before using this effect.

Related Topic

Convert Format


Amplify Volume

This effect allows you to change the volume of wave files.  It can be applied to the entire or selected portion of the wave file.

To change the volume of a file

1	On the Special menu, click Amplify Volume.
The Amplify Volume dialog box appears.

2	In the Magnitude text box, enter the magnitude (in percentages).
Larger magnitudes (greater than 100%) will increase the volume.  Smaller magnitudes (less than 100%) will decrease the volume.

3	For stereo files, you can either amplify the volume for both channels, the left channel, or the right channel.
For mono files, only the mono channel is available.

4	Click the OK button.


Customizing WaveStudio

Record Settings

Mixer Settings

Customize Colors


Record Settings

You can configure the default record settings so that the record settings you desire will be used whenever you do a new recording.

If you select Record Settings from the Options menu you will be prompted by the standard dialog box for the selection of the wave format.  After you have specified the desired wave format, all future recordings will be based on those settings.

Related Topic

Specifying Wave Formats


Mixer Settings

This will launch the Creative Mixer application and allow you to adjust the mixer settings.

Tip

If you cannot see the mixer window after launching it, check WaveStudio's Options menu.  If Always on Top is selected in the Options menu, deselect it.  By doing so, you will be able to see your mixer window.

Note

In order to use this feature, your sound card must support the mixer and have the mixer software installed.  For more information on using the Mixer, please refer to the User's Guide provided with your Sound Blaster package.


Customize Colors

You can configure the display colors that WaveStudio uses to draw the wave data in the Edit and Preview Windows.

To do this

1	On the Options menu, click Customize Colors.
The Customize Colors dialog box appears.

2	In the Edit Window Display Colors group box, click the display element(s) that you want to customize.  Click the color you want from the color dialog box.

3	In the Preview Window Display Colors group box, click the display element(s) that you want to customize.  Click the color you want from the color dialog box.

4	Click the OK button.

To reset all the colors to WaveStudio's original color scheme

1	Click the Defaults button.

2	Click the OK button.


Recording Wave Files

Recording to a New Wave File

Recording Over an Existing File


Recording to a New Wave File

To record a new wave file

1	Click the New button on the Toolbar or the File menu to open a new window.

2	Click the Record button on the Toolbar.
The New Recording dialog box appears.

3	Enter the new name of the file when prompted.

Ensure the settings in the dialog box are specified correctly

Check the recording level in the Recording Level group box.  If the level is too low or high, adjust it using the Mixer button.

Check the path and file name created in the Record To File group box.  You can change the file name and directory by using the Browse button.

Check the default recording format shown at the bottom of the dialog box.  You can change the format by choosing the Settings button.

Check the amount of available disk space and the approximate maximum recording time shown below the default recording settings.  You cannot proceed if you have insufficient disk space.  Free up more disk space or choose another drive before proceeding.

For systems with CD-ROM drives installed, you can choose the CD Player button to launch the CD player application.  In addition, you can select the CD Sync check box if you want the recording to be synchronized to start together with the CD playback.

4	Click the Start button.

Related Topics

Mixer Settings

Record Settings

Using the CD Sync Option


Recording Over an Existing File

To record over an existing file

1	Activate the file that you want to record over.

2	Click the Record button on the Toolbar.
The Record Over dialog box appears.

3	Ensure the settings in the dialog box are specified correctly:

Check the recording level in the Recording Level group box.  If the level is too low or high, adjust it using the Mixer button.

Check the amount of available disk space and the approximate maximum recording time shown below the default recording settings.  You cannot proceed if you have insufficient disk space.   Free up more disk space or choose another drive before proceeding.

For systems with CD-ROM drives installed, you can choose the CD Player button to launch the CD player application.  In addition, you can select the CD Sync check box if you want the recording to be synchronized to start together with the CD playback.

4	Click the Start button.

Related Topics

Mixer Settings

Using the CD Sync Option


Keyboard Shortcuts

Using the Keyboard


Using the Keyboard

File Operations

Press	To do this

<Ctrl+N>	Create a new window without any wave data.

<Ctrl+O>	Open an existing wave file.

<Ctrl+S>	Save changes made to the wave file.

<Alt+F4>	Quit WaveStudio.

<Ctrl+F4>	Close the active Edit Window.

<Ctrl+F6>	Activate the next Edit Window.

Edit Operations

Press	To do this

<Ctrl+Z>	Restore the wave file to the last saved state.

<Ctrl+X>	Cut the selected portion of the wave data.

<Ctrl+C>	Copy the selected portion of the wave data.

<Ctrl+V>	Paste the copied wave data into the Edit Window.

<Del>	Delete the selected portion of the wave data.

<Ctrl+A>	Select the entire wave data.

Window Operations

Press	To do this

<Shift+F5>	Arrange windows in a cascaded view.

<Shift+F4>	Arrange windows in a vertically tiled view.

Control Operations

Press	To do this

<Ctrl+P>	Play back the wave in the active Edit Window.

<Ctrl+R>	Perform recording.

<Ctrl+T>	Stop the wave playback.

<Ctrl+M>	Launch the Mixer application.


Memory Management

This section discusses WaveStudio's use of memory and system requirements.

Running WaveStudio

WaveStudio requires about 1MB of available memory to run.  This requirement goes up when you play back or record a wave file as memory is required for the playback or recording buffers.

System Requirements

It is recommended that you use at least a 386-based system with 4MB of RAM, a hard disk drive and Windows version 3.1 and above.

Editing Files

When you open a wave file for editing, WaveStudio will only allocate certain amount of memory for storing the necessary information and will not load the entire file into memory.  The file will be edited directly from your hard disk.  As such, you can edit files as large as your hard disk can contain.

When you edit a file, you must ensure that the drive that the file resides on must have sufficient free disk space available to accommodate a working copy of the file that WaveStudio creates.  For example if you open a 1MB uncompressed PCM wave file on drive C, your drive C must have at least 1MB free disk in order for you to edit the file.

The amount of free space required is more for compressed wave files.

Related Topics

File Management

Working with Compressed Wave Files


File Management

This section discusses WaveStudio's use of files for recording and editing.

Recording

When you record wave data, WaveStudio will store the recorded data directly to the hard disk.  High resolution recording of data, particularly 16-bit data at 44 kHz, would take much longer to write to your disk if it is not optimized for speed.  For CD quality recordings, stereo 16-bit 44 kHz, the data rate is 172KB per second.

You should ensure that your system and hard disk has sufficient throughput to handle the large amount of data to be stored.  You can reduce the amount of time your system spends reading and writing data by compacting your hard disk using a disk-compaction utility such as DEFRAG and installing a hard disk cache such as SMARTDrive.

Number of Open Files

WaveStudio does not limit the number of files that you can open.  But the number of files WaveStudio can open at a time depends on how you specify your operating system configuration.  For more information on how to do that, consult your operating system's documentation.

Use of DOS SHARE Utility

It is recommended that you use the DOS SHARE utility to allow proper file sharing and locking.  This will prevent you from accidentally deleting a file while WaveStudio is accessing it.  For more information on how to use this utility, consult your DOS documentation.

Working Directories

When you edit a wave file, WaveStudio will create a working copy of that file in the same directory with the TMP extension.  For new files, temporary working files will be created in the directory as specified by your TEMP environment variable.

These working files will be deleted when you quit WaveStudio.

For more information, consult your operating system's documentation for details on setting environment variables.

Related Topic

Memory Management


Working with Compressed Wave Files

This section discusses the use of compressed wave format files when working with WaveStudio.

Opening Compressed Wave Files

When you open a compressed wave file, WaveStudio will decompress the file first before displaying it.  You must ensure that the file resides on a drive that has sufficient disk space to accommodate the uncompressed data.

This amount of space depends on the compression of the wave format.  For CCITT A-Law and  µ-Law the ratio is 1:2 (compressed:uncompressed).  For ADPCM formats the ratio is 1:4.  For example if you are working on a 1MB ADPCM file, you need to have at least 4MB of free disk space in order for WaveStudio to decompress the file.

Editing Compressed Wave Files

When you open a compressed wave file and edit it, WaveStudio will automatically compress it back when you save changes.   As this can be time consuming for large files, save your work to a temporary uncompressed (PCM) wave file first.  After you have finished editing, save the file with the desired compression format.


Using the CD Sync Option

This section discusses the CD Sync option for recording.

Recording with CD Sync

This option is only available if you have a CD-ROM drive installed in your system.  Generally, you require a CD-ROM device driver that comes with your CD-ROM hardware, Microsoft CD Extension (MSCDEX) and Windows MCI CD Audio driver.  For more information, consult the relevant documentation on installing these drivers.

When you select the CD Sync option for recording, WaveStudio will synchronize the start of the recording and playback of the audio CD.  If you have mistakenly placed a CD ROM disk in your drive, the program will inform you of the error.  But the recording will continue as it is initiated at the same time.

If this happens, click the Stop button on the Toolbar.  You can then click the Record button on the Toolbar again to record over your file.  Insert the correct CD Audio disk or deselect the CD Sync option before proceeding.